Haye, Chisora Have Disgraced British Boxing With Bavarian Brawl

The sport of boxing as a whole is currently digesting the potential fall out from the brawl in Munich between the former British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Derek Chisora and former two-weight World Champion David Haye.

The unscheduled clash came after the former’s gallant but ultimately unsuccessful world title challenge against Vitali Klitchsko for the WBC Heavyweight title at the Olympiahalle in Munich, becoming only the fourth man during the elder Klitchsko’s 46-fight professional career to have gone the full championship distance.

Vitali had struggled with a shoulder injury after four rounds which prevented him from using his left jab effectively to keep the younger and smaller Chisora at a longer range for the remainder of the fight, which Vitali would win on a wide points decision.

Chisora’s conduct pre and post fight has been utterly disgraceful, slapping Vitali at the weigh in face off and then in the ring by spitting water into the face of younger brother Wladimir, who was close to losing control and wanting to hit the out of line Chisora before his brother Vitali had the chance to do so.

The confrontation with Haye came about as Haye, who was covering the fight for Boxnation, had provoked Chisora by holding up three fingers referring to the amount of defeats that Chisora now has on his record before calling him out.

Chisora, who was in the press conference talking about the fight with Vitali, then came down from the top table to confront Haye after Haye had an exchange of words with Bernd Boente the business manager of the Klitchsko Brothers.

Boente stated that Haye had only showed his toe while Chisora showed plenty of heart and also that Haye had no bargaining power as he no longer has a belt.

Chisora the accused Haye of messing up Sky Box Office for the young fighters coming through following Haye’s fights with Wladimir and Audley Harrison amongst others.

Then Chisora’s promoter Frank Warren chipped by offering Haye an eliminator shot against Chisora, with the winner getting the elder Klitchsko.

It then became a debacle, which turned a press conference into Brits brawling abroad, a sight that many a foreigner has had the terrible misfortune of having to deal with both medically and judicially and the images have since been beamed around the world both on television and through social media due to the digital age that we now live in.

Chisora claimed that during the brawl that Haye had glassed him and also Adam Booth, who is Haye’s manager and trainer ended up cut during the fracas due to being hit above the left eye with a bottle.

From the footage, it is unclear who had hit Booth with the bottle but Chisora claimed that he had been glassed and in the confusion afterward Chisora stated he wanted to shoot Haye or physically burn him if they do not fight each other.

The police in Germany have launched an investigation into this fracas and have questioned Chisora but have not charged him and are still looking for Haye so they can talk about his involvement in this appalling melee.

Such conduct does not have and should not have any place, not just in this sport that we all love but in sport as a whole and both Haye and Chisora have disgraced not just British boxing but British sport as a whole for their appalling actions on Saturday night as Vitali Klitchsko watched on in bemusement as Chisora and Haye brawled with each other like drunken men on a Saturday night out.

Unsurprisingly, Chisora’s conduct has been widely condemned, with two time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch condemning Chisora for having no class whatsoever and felt he should have remained in his seat and is fully to blame for what occurred in Munich, and that Haye has unorthodox methods in promoting himself and it is bad for the sport and they need to be more professional in how they conduct themselves .

While former IBF Cruiserweight champion and Sky pundit Glen McCrory, in an article in the Daily Telegraph newspaper on Monday, has described the behaviour as thuggish and would support any punishment that the Board of Control decides to meet out on completing it’s investigation and the antics of these two “men” if they can still be called that has placed the sport in jeopardy.

Sky Sports colleague and fellow ex-Cruiserweight Champion Johnny Nelson thinks it is embarrassing as well and that Frank Warren should have tried to stop Chisora confronting Haye and called it mindless and called Chisora an idiot for slapping the elder Klitchsko and calls him to be controlled and needs to be banned and the brawl generated too much interest.

In a statement released by the Board of Control’s secretary Robert Smith, Haye, who has since retired, cannot be punished as he no longer has a licence with the Board of Control. Chisora has been called before the Board on the 14th March to explain his outrageous conduct on Saturday.

Although both men have released statements in the press apologising for their appalling conduct, it is likely further action will be taken.

British fight fans and fight fans around the world are now hoping that Chisora is punished in a way that shows that such conduct is not and will not tolerated as it sets a poor example to young upcoming boxers and provides ready ammunition for the critics of the sport.

This writer hopes that if Chisora is found guilty of this appalling and outrageous acts that the Board of Control do suspend him for a considerable time period to send out the right message on this and I am confident that the Board will do so.