THE build-up to Saturday’s vacant British heavyweight title fight between David Adeleye and Jeamie “TKV” Tshikeva exploded at today’s press conference, as tempers flared and a table was flipped.
The clash, set to lead the undercard of the Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic main event at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, marks Queensberry Promotions’ first show on DAZN after switching from TNT Sports.
Already hit by Dillian Whyte’s withdrawal from the headline bout and the cancellation of a grudge match between Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe, the card didn’t need more chaos, but Adeleye and TKV delivered it anyway.
The bad blood was already simmering after the two had to be separated during a Talksport appearance earlier this week. Today, it boiled over. “I’m offended by David’s behaviour,” TKV (8-1, 5 KOs) told host Dev Sahni, referencing their earlier encounter. “He knows me, I know him, and the way he’s been talking – I’m offended. I don’t take that lightly, and I’m going to show that on Saturday.”
The 31-year-old took aim at Adeleye’s “bad boy persona,” questioning its authenticity. “We’re both educated men, raised by great parents. This bad boy persona… are you an academic gangster, my brother?” Adeleye (13-1, 12 KOs), 28, fired back, insisting he’s just being himself. TKV wasn’t buying it. “You’re a scared man,” he responded, eyeing his rival ahead of his first shot at the British title.
“What do you see scared about me?” Adeleye shot back, his smile gone, replaced by a hard stare. “Of what?” The exchange escalated as they talked over each other, voices rising. Adeleye admitted he’d mocked TKV’s weight and appearance during their Talksport run-in, sparking a fresh volley of insults. TKV questioned if Adeleye even wanted the fight, while Adeleye vowed to “beat him up – and anyone around him.”
The breaking point came when Adeleye slammed the table, proclaiming himself “the truth.” TKV had heard enough. In a flash, he flipped the table he was sharing with Hrgovic and others on the card, sending chaos rippling through the room.
Promoter Frank Warren, a veteran of boxing’s best and worst moments, tried to restore order, urging them to calm down. Security rushed in to separate the pair before the situation escalated.
The scene echoed Dillian Whyte’s infamous table-flipping outburst at a 2016 presser with Derek Chisora. Unsurprisingly, no face-off followed today and security will likely be on high alert for tomorrow’s weigh-in ahead of their British title showdown.
