Derek Chisora may never become heavyweight champion, but he has already made history of a sort that isn’t likely to be replicated in boxing.
Chisora is likely to go down in the books as the only person to take on the top three heavyweights in the world on the same night. Sort of.
On February 18, 2012, Chisora – the durable Englishman from London – went 12 hard rounds with Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title in Munich, Germany, earning him the distinction of being one of only four boxers to go 12 full rounds with Klitschko.
Prior to the opening bell, Chisora confronted Vitali’s younger brother, Wladimir, who held the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight belts, in the ring, spitting water in his face. Then, after the conclusion of the fight with Vitali, Chisora brawled with David Haye, who had just lost the WBA title by unanimous decision to Wladimir after years of building himself up as the Klitschko slayer.
Chisora, speaking with BoxingScene in New York City on Monday, says he never intended to take on the world that day. It just sort of happened.
“This is one of those things, like, ‘I’m the man. Come mug me.’ It’s difficult. Some men will just ignore that, but I can’t,” said Chisora, 36-13 (23 KOs). “I’m a very petty guy. If there’s a problem, I have to find you. I can’t hold on to things. I’m so petty, like, if you piss me off, I have to get back at you or something.”
Chisora recounted how his animosity towards the Klitschkos began in 2010, when he was scheduled to fight Wladimir for the WBO and IBF titles in Germany. That fight was canceled just days before the fight, leaving Chisora in a financial hole.
“With the Klitschko brothers, I trained for the first fight for six months, wasted so much money, never got my money back, and they just pulled the fight when I got to Germany,” Chisora said.
Chisora would eventually get his shot at a Klitschko more than a year later, almost as a consolation prize following his controversial loss in Finland to Robert Helenius. When Chisora came face-to-face with Vitali at the weigh-in, he let him know how he felt.
“I was like, you know, forget him. I’m gonna slap him,” Chisora said. “And I slapped him, which I regret now. If he’s watching this, I apologize for the slap. And then in the ring, I saw the brother [Wladimir] again. Like, fuck it, so I spat on him, which I regret, and apologize.”
When the scorecards were read, Chisora was left with his third loss in four fights after beginning his career 14-0. But he was already looking forward to his next big payday. That opening came in the form of Haye, who was at the post-fight press conference. Chisora began to chide Haye, calling him an “embarrassment” and accusing him of killing off the pay-per-view business in the United Kingdom with his disappointing performance against Wladimir Klitschko a year earlier. Chisora then left the dais and went after Haye, whom he accused of striking him with a glass bottle.
“Then after I lost that fight, I’m like, I lost the fight,” Chisora said. “I didn’t lose it badly. I need another payday. What do I see? David Haye and David Haye alone. This is a good payday. This is money.”
The two met in the ring five months later at London’s Upton Park, with the fight taking place outdoors on a rainy evening in July.
“People bought tickets for £4000 ringside. The whole place was drenched, raining. It was a fucking shitshow,” Chisora said. “It was great, and I got knocked out. Then, fine, perfect. Move on. When I lose a fight, I don’t sit down and start crying. I’m like, OK, whatever’s happened, let’s find something else to do. For me, it’s just like, I lost. What will be, will be.”
Now 42, Chisora is nearing the end of his career, which is expected to conclude on April 4 when he faces former WBC heavyweight titleholder Deontay Wilder at The O2 Arena in London. Chisora, who has won three straight since losing his second world title opportunity, this time to Tyson Fury, in 2022, claims he has left the wild-man act in the past, saying that he doesn’t feel he needs to do anything outlandish to sell a fight.
“As the older I’ve got, I don’t do no more antics,” he said. “Yes, I might drop some couple bars once in a while, but the craziness has gone away and the whole violent situation is out the window.
“But what I can definitely promise your viewers is that that day [April 4] is going to be amazing.”
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.