THE announcement of an April 20 fight between Dereck Chisora and Senad Gashi was yesterday greeted with widespread disappointment from fans expecting the Finchley heavyweight to build on his brilliant effort against Dillian Whyte in December.
According to Chisora, however, he had hoped to face a better opponent than Gashi at the O2 Arena next month but was denied the opportunity to fight Joseph Parker, the former WBO world heavyweight champion, because of the New Zealander’s inability to control his bowel movements. Or something like that.
“Six weeks until I go back to war and boy I can’t wait,” said Chisora. “I will be stepping into the ring at The O2 with fire in my soul. I have a point to prove and mission to continue.
“Parker b*****d out. He must have taken too many laxatives and s**t himself. He wasn’t ready for the battle. He reckons he needed more time.”
Gashi, to his credit, may not be the best possible opponent for Chisora at this stage, but he is certainly game, he will come to fight, and his defeat to Carlos Takam [a man Chisora stopped last year] in December came on only a week’s notice.
The 28-year-old German, by way of Spain and Kosovo, has won 17 of his 19 pro fights and stopped all 17 of the men he has defeated. He has beaten nobody of any note, of course, but that shouldn’t take away from the fact Gashi boasts one of the more comical nicknames in boxing today – ‘GachineGun’.
“Gashi has shown he is a true fighter; he is always ready to go to war when called,” said the 35-year-old Chisora. “He showed this in December when he stepped in the ring with Takam on just one week’s notice and gave him a real fight.
“I’m not stupid. I know with six weeks’ notice Gashi will be a different animal.”
Given the conclusive nature of Chisora’s last fight, his December loss to Whyte, it’s probably not a bad idea to ease him in gently. Chisora might not have much time to waste, but it’s important he is fully recovered from that painful knockout loss and that he at least has one fight to work on some of the stuff he will have been working on with new trainer Dave Coldwell.
Once the Gashi’s fully healed, though, it will be good to see Dereck Chisora, 29-9 (21), let out to play again.
Chorley’s Jack Catterall was ringside to watch WBO super-lightweight Maurice Hooker score a routine points victory over Mikkel Lespierre in Verona, New York, on Saturday night and his presence didn’t go unnoticed.
After wrapping up his latest defence, Hooker pointed Catterall out in the crowd and told the audience the Brit would be next. For Catterall, a man who has held the lightly regarded WBO intercontinental super-lightweight title for more than four years, the call-out was music to his ears.
“The fight went exactly as I expected it to, but it was nice to see Hooker call me out afterwards,” said Catterall, 23-0 (12). “It shows he’s willing to face me next and I can’t wait. I’d fight him today if I could.
“I’ve said all along that I have respect for him, but I also think that I’m going to beat him and become world champion. It’s as simple as that.
“Hooker’s tall and rangy and he showed he can mix it when he beat Terry Flanagan. I just know I’m a more dynamic fighter and there’s no doubt in my mind I’m going to become world champion when I face him.
“People know me and know I’m not one to talk trash. Some even call me ‘Gentleman Jack’. This is just business. Maurice Hooker has the WBO world title around his waist and my opinion is it should be and will be around my waist very soon.
“I’ve worked long and hard to get here. Now I’m number one contender and have been directly called out by the world champion live on TV. I feel like I’m about to reach the top of the mountain.”
Catterall, who is trained by Jamie Moore, was last in action outpointing Ohara Davies in Leicester back in October and seems to have been there or thereabouts for some time now – too long, probably. It’s time to find out what ‘El Gato’ is all about.
