THERE is no question that Derek Chisora has been one of the most colourful characters in British boxing history and he has become a cult figure among fight fans. But some of his escapades have often landed him in hot water, not that he cared one bit. This list could have been three times as long but, below, we have selected the five wildest moments from Chisora’s career.
‘HE GLASSED ME’ – February 2012
OK, this one was as much about David Haye as it was about Derek Chisora, but no potted history of Del Boy infringements would be complete without a nod to this mad night in Munich. Chisora had just lost to Vitali Klitschko on points but the post-fight press conference was gatecrashed by Haye, who was hoping to lure the Ukrainian into a fight of his own.
Chisora did not take too kindly to the interruption, left the top table and strode towards Haye. But the Hayemaker, holding a bottle, punched Chisora and all hell broke loose, with Haye even cutting his own trainer Adam Booth with a swing of a tripod.
“He glassed me,” a groggy Chisora shouted. “I am going to physically shoot David Haye”. Thankfully he didn’t and they settled the beef at Upton Park five months later in a fight the BBBofC refused to sanction so Luxembourg did instead. Haye won by TKO in the fifth.
SEALED WITH A KISS – February 2010
Everything was going reasonably normally during fight week ahead of this British heavyweight title eliminator between Derek Chisora and Carl Baker. Both men had weighed in and were posing for the final head-to-head shot before fight night, which happened to be Valentine’s Day when Chisora took the romantic theme a little bit too far.
“I’m going to make you my girlfriend,” he said before grabbing Baker’s face with both hands and planting a kiss on the 9-4 ‘Fridge’. It turned out to be one of the priciest kisses in history as he was eventually fined £2,500 for the act but he did stop Baker in the second round of their clash at Wembley Arena.
“From that second on, on the night of the fight, until after the fight, he did my head in,” Baker later said. You’re not the only one, Carl.
BROTHERS IN ARMS – February 2012
Given Wladimir Klitschko had already twice pulled out of scheduled fights with Chisora, the Londoner was not a fan of the brothers when he arrived for his shot at Vitali in early 2012. And both of the Ukranian world champions would feel his wrath in one way or another as Chisora landed a full-blooded, open-hand slap on Vitali at the weigh-in before spitting a full mouthful of water in Wlad’s face in the ring before the first bell. He did not manage to win the fight, losing a wide UD, but he had certainly made his presence felt in Munich.
BITE OF THE NIGHT – May 2009
Derek Chisora and Paul Butlin had met in a bad-tempered four-rounder back in January 2008, and Del Boy made his mark, literally, in their rematch 14 months later. Referee Dave Parris did not spot the infringement on the night but TV replays clearly showed Chisora biting Butlin’s ear.
Thankfully, he had his gumshield in so this was no Tyson-Holyfield situation but the Board, not to mention Butlin, were not best pleased. They fined him again and also suspended him for four months, which cost him the chance to fight Danny Williams for the British title on the undercard of Amir Khan’s fight with Andreas Kotelnik at the o2 that year.
WHO’S THE DONKEY? – November 2016
Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte might be friends now but they were once bitter enemies and shared a volatile rivalry around their two fights between 2016 and 2018. There were tables and microphones thrown at press conferences but the biggest flash point was when they sat down to film The Gloves Are Off in November 2016.
The pair had started arguing with Whyte labelling Chisora an idiot. “Who’s the idiot?” Chisora said before uttering the famous phrase: “Who’s the donkey now?” He then said: “you want me to put it on you?” before picking up his glass (good thinking, Sky) and hurling water into Whyte’s face.
The Bodysnatcher instantly threw his glass at Chisora but it missed, shattering on the floor, before security jumped in to prevent a brawl. Whyte won both fights, by the way.
