British heavyweight boxing faced another night of shame after two contenders brawled in front of the cameras at the Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou media day.
Fabio Wardley, the current UK champion, and big-punching contender David Adeleye went face-to-face in a confrontation captured by cameras.
British heavyweight boxing shamed
Adeleye seemed to be the aggressor as he stalked Wardley during an interview before pushing his rival in a threatening manner.
Wardley retaliated until both teams got involved. Wardley got floored by a punch reported to have been from another fighter.
He hit the floor and suffered a cut to his face in the melee, leading to early indications that he may be unable to compete on the bill.
The Ipswich man was due to appear on the Fury vs Ngannou undercard in just over six weeks.
Fury vs Ngannou takes place in Saudi Arabia’s capital. The area embraces one of the world’s biggest entertainment events every year during winter.
Since the launch of the Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors worldwide. They have experienced thousands of concerts, sporting events, dining experiences, and other unique cultural events.
In 2023, Riyadh Season will commence on Saturday, 28 October, with a spectacular opening ceremony and a historic boxing match between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and ex-UFC king Francis Ngannou.
After a shocking and shameful night for UK fighters, Wardley will likely face the disappointment of not being involved.
Wardley vs Adeleye likened to Haye vs Chisora
It’s another blot on the copybook of the United Kingdom and mimics a 2012 ruckus between David Haye and Derek Chisora.
The pair went at it in a shocking press conference scrum after Chisora’s 2012 challenge against Vitali Klitschko.
Haye vs Chisroa 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.
In addition, Haye’s trainer, Adam Booth, was injured during the senseless violence.
Luckily enough for both fighters, the footage went viral, like Wardley vs Adeleye. Subsquently, Haye vs Chisora made a lot of money five months later at Upton Park.
That’s despite both being banned by the British Boxing Board of Control. They acquired licenses in Luxembourg and laughed all the way to the bank.
Wardley and Adeleye are expected to do similar after interest in the pair spiked, whether preconstructed or not.
