David Haye and Derek Chisora went at it in a shocking press conference melee in which Wladimir Klitschko lit the touch paper.
World Boxing News again delves back into the archives this week to remember the shock feud between the British heavyweights.
The dislike erupted at the post-fight press conference for Chisora’s 2012 challenge against Vitali Klitschko.
Haye vs Chisora brawl in Munich
‘Del Boy’ – now going by the moniker ‘WAR,’ was contemplating the third loss of his career when all hell broke loose with Haye.
The whole thing was caught on camera. It represented one of the first actual instances of video capturing a scene that would have otherwise been lost to mere paparazzi snaps.
Haye’s trainer Adam Booth was injured during the senseless brawl.
But luckily enough for both fighters, the shocking footage went viral. Subsquently, Haye vs Chisora made a lot of money five months later at Upton Park.
Klitschko played his part
Little known to many, it was the role Wladimir Klitschko had played that seriously stoked the fires one year before the incident.
Klitschko had been due to fight Chisora TWICE, only to pull the plug on both occasions. ‘Dr. Steelhammer’ would then strike up a deal with Haye for July 2nd.
This incensed Chisora and lit the blue touch paper for their Munich punch-up. Londoner Chisora harbored deep ill-feeling towards Haye, which came to the fore in a perfect storm after Vitali dominated him over twelve rounds.
Vitali had given Chisora the opportunity simply because of what Wladimir did, as Robert Helenius had inflicted a loss in his previous fight.
Not to mention Tyson Fury had also defeated Chisora the previous summer around the date he should have been facing Wlad.
What added insult to Chisora’s injury is that Wladimir dropped him like a bad habit in December 2010, just after Haye had defeated Audley Harrison in three grim rounds.
Klitschko vs Haye
Getting wind of Haye’s interest, Wladimir canceled on Chisora before the ‘Hayemaker’ bout fell through.
Drafting Chisora back in, Wladimir then ushered him away once Haye returned to the scene. This didn’t go down well with Chisora.
Haye eventually lost to Klitschko with a whimper. Much the same as Chisora versus Vitali minus ‘toe-gate.’
But it all worked out well in the end for the Brits. Striking an unlikely partnership in 2018, Haye and Chisora are now thick as thieves.
They seem to be the better for their past experiences with the Klitschkos.
