David Haye vs Dereck Chisora Set for July 14 Grudge Match!!

The fight all British boxing buffs have been craving comes to fruition when domestic heavyweight titans Dereck Chisora and David Haye get to settle their considerable differences in an honourable manner – between the ropes – at Upton Park football stadium, West Ham on Saturday 14th July.

The promotion, which shall also feature WBA heavyweight king Alex Povetkin’s mandatory defence against Baltimore’s Hasim ‘The Rock’ Rahman, shall be broadcast live and exclusive in the UK on BoxNation, (Sky Ch. 456, Virgin Ch. 546).

With 450 lb of prime British beef scheduled to collide in the bill topper, this is easily the biggest domestic heavyweight showdown to take place on these shores since WBC king Lennox Lewis obliterated Frank Bruno in seven rounds at Cardiff Arms Park in October 1993.

Clearly there is no love lost between the principals after ‘The Hayemaker’ clubbed ‘Del Boy’ with his bare fists at their infamous press conference dust up following Chisora’s epic WBC title challenge to Vitali Klitschko in Munich last February. And while Chisora publically apologised for his actions, neither fighter has apologised to each other. They are now accorded an opportunity to settle their score and, hopefully, showcase all that is great and noble about our sport, in an old fashioned dust up with the mitts on.

The showdown is guaranteed to split the trade and sells on so many levels; Finchley north London’s Chisora versus Bermondsey south London’s Haye (on neutral territory in the capital’s East End), the feisty young lion against the seasoned old sage. Chisora shall come armed with his frightening industry, resilience and determination, Haye with the blistering speed, skills and that explosive knockout dig. Odds makers are opening up with Haye as a 2-1 on favourite.

Chisora’s manager Frank Warren explains: ‘The fight shall be promoted by BoxNation and Team Sauerland and the contest will be sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Board with every fighter competing on the show licensed by them. The Luxembourg Board were established in 1922, seven years before the BBB of C and, unlike the self-appointed British Board, they are a government body. They’re long standing, well established members of the European Boxing Union and all the noteworthy sanctioning organisations.’

‘As Dereck Chisora’s boxing manager I have a duty to ensure that he earns money. Prior to February, he’d been inactive because he’d been messed around by Wladimir Klitschko, twice had fights postponed at short notice that he’d trained hard for, without being compensated.

‘Due to a couple of stupid actions prior to the Vitali Klitschko fight, which I’ve made it clear that I don’t condone, Dereck still has a large portion of his purse withheld by the WBC. But those transgressions occurred before the fight and all concerned were still happy for the event to take place. I think it’s been clearly established that all the shenanigans at the post fight press conference were not down to Dereck. He’s been interviewed by the police on a couple of occasions and hasn’t been charged with anything.

‘It’s no secret that I’m extremely disappointed with the way that the Board Chairman Charlie Giles behaved over in Germany and how he failed to stand up for British interests there. Also, in my opinion, the manner in which the Board’s initial hearing into Dereck’s conduct was presented, was an absolute sham.’

But neither Dereck nor David Haye are banned. The British Boxing Board has withdrawn Dereck’s licence, as is their prerogative, and they have postponed his appeal hearing. David’s British licence has expired and he hasn’t sought to renew it. What can the Board do? They chose not to give Dereck a license and there’s nothing to stop him re-applying for one, whenever he chooses.’

Validation shall be measured in how the fight sells with the British fight public and Mr Warren is expecting to do brisk business.

‘The Boleyn Ground shall be set up for over 30,000 in the open air and, at a push, we could get up to 40,000 in there. I’d be very, very surprised if this doesn’t sell,’ he says.

‘Controversy aside, I believe the fight pitches the two best heavyweights in the UK. Chisora’s redeemed himself since his loss to Tyson Fury – a contest he just didn’t show up for – by giving Vitali Klitschko his hardest fight since Lennox Lewis nine years ago. He definitely did a better job than David Haye managed against the other brother (Wladimir). I’ve long fancied Dereck over David Haye. David and his manager Adam Booth obviously will have a different view and that’s what helps make the fight so appealing.’



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