By Johnny Walker
There will be no doubt much moralistic condemnation of the post-fight press conference brawl that broke out between Dereck “Del Boy” Chisora and David Haye of the UK last night in Germany, after a game Chisora dropped a unanimous decision to WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.
But let’s face it, in every cloud there is a silver lining: heavyweight boxing got a giant shot in the arm publicity-wise from this “event,” and even the Klitschko brothers can’t ignore that fact.
A fight now between Chisora and David Haye in the UK would be a massive sporting event, a big money maker for everyone involved.
As things stand, Haye is accused of smashing Chisora in the face with a beer bottle, and Chisora has threatened to hunt him down and shoot him if he can’t get him into the ring.
Now, the Klitschkos’ canny German manager, Bernd Boente, has sized up the situation and called for a “box off” between Haye and Chisora, with the winner to get a shot at one of the champion brothers, Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko.
“The brawl tonight calls for a box-off between Haye and Chisora, and the winner fights one of the Klitschkos,” Boente said last night.
“[That fight] would make a lot of money in the UK.”
Boente has thus thrown down the gauntlet to Haye: if you want another big money crack at a Klitschko, beat Dereck Chisora and earn it.
Otherwise, as they say in Brooklyn, fugghedaboutit.
This is the stuff heavyweight dreams are made out of: deep grudges on all sides ensure that the boxing public’s interest in Haye versus Chisora, as well as in Haye or Chisora versus a Klitschko (let’s remember that Chisora slapped Vitali hard and spit water in Wladimir’s face – if the brothers hated David Haye previously, how must they feel about Del Boy?) stays high.
Yes, 2012 just got a lot more interesting for boxing’s heavyweight division.
Stay tuned.
