DEREK CHISORA faces Joseph Parker in a huge heavyweight clash in Manchester this weekend.
But there was chaos at the weigh-in with Del Boy saying he will REFUSE to fight if he has to ring walk first.
However, following a word from his MOTHER, Chisora has decided to go ahead with the bout.
Before the main event on Saturday night there’s a mammoth undercard featuring Katie Taylor vs Natasha Jonas, Chris Eubank Jr and Campbell Hatton.
We’ll be bringing you ALL of the thrills and spills from the Manchester Arena right here!
- Fight start time: Saturday, 10pm BST
- TV/ live stream: Sky Sports Box Office
Follow all of the latest updates and fight build up below…
TALE OF THE TAPE
Here’s how the two boxers compare tonight.
MUMMY’S BOY
Derek Chisora’s MUM has saved his fight against Joseph Parker.
The bout was thrown into doubt by a dispute over who would walk to the ring first.
Controversially a coin toss was used to decide with Chisora losing and having to go out first but luckily his mother Viola has helped smooth things over.
Chisora’s manager David Haye told Sky Sports News: “It sounds crazy. I didn’t see the fight happening with Derek walking to the ring first.
“But thankfully the voice of reason came in – Viola, Derek’s lovely mother, and she is the only person he actually listens to.
“I spoke to Viola about an hour ago and she said, ‘I told him he’s going to come to the ring first, like he promised, and that’s that. I talked to Derek, and Derek sort of agreed, yes he’s agreed that.
“The fight is 100 per cent on. Derek will be walking to the ring first as he should have done, because he lost the coin toss. We’ve got ourselves a fight.”
Credit: PA WEIGH TO GO
Elsewhere in the heavyweight world, Andy Ruiz Jr showed off his incredible TWO STONE weight loss.
The Mexican is finally back in the ring against Chris Arreola for the first time since Anthony Joshua outpointed him in 2019 to reclaim his belts.
And he looked slimmer than ever at the LA weigh-in.
Credit: Rex
WATCH WEIGH-IN
Here’s how the heavyweights weighed-in ahead of tonight’s blockbuster.
TOO NICE?
Kiwi fighter Joseph Parker is desperate to shake off his ‘nice guy’ tag and find his nasty streak in the ring against Derek Chisora tonight.
Parker’s trainer Andy Lee, via Sky Sports, said: “Joe is a nice guy but he’s no angel.”
The first man to take Anthony Joshua the distance added: “I am too nice.
“I am nice before and after the fight. But when the bell goes he will get a different Joseph. I respect him but I want to hurt him.”
Credit: /Mark Robinson#3/ Matchroom Boxing GOOD MORNING FIGHT FANS,
Derek Chisora has threatened to pull out of his clash with Joseph Parker if he’s forced to walk to the ring first.
Del Boy is set to throw down with the former WBO heavyweight champion tomorrow night in Manchester.
But the prospect of walking first to the ring – even though his name appears first on the poster – has got Chisora thinking of packing his bags and leaving the Matchroom bubble.
During his final pre-fight interview with Sky Sports, he said: “We’re having an argument.
“They wanna do a coin flip [for] who comes in the ring first and who comes in the ring second.
“I’m was like, ‘Nah, not doing that.’
“Either I come in second or I go home right now.”
According to boxing reporter Kugan Cassius, Team Chisora are currently packing their bags to leave the bubble.
Chisora’s promoter, former WBA champ David Haye, said: “I was told by a lot of people that I trust that Derek Chisora was unmanageable.
“I was told it will all end in tears. He’s unmanageable. And so far it’s been very, very stressful.
“But I’ve always said he’s listened to 80 per cent of what I’ve asked him to do. Remember, Derek came to me and said, ‘I want you to manage me, tell me what to do and I’ll do it’.
“And he’s done 80 per cent of that up until probably, I dunno couple of months ago and since then he’s kind of doing more stuff that he wants to do on his own.
“This is like I’m saying, ‘Derek, you’ve got a contract, you’ve agreed certain things. But no.”
Yet if the fight does go ahead as planned, Chisora’s trainer Buddy McGirt has lifted the lid on his fighter’s best strategy for beating Parker.
He told the Guardian: “A lot of Derek’s fights have been real wars.
“And one guy you can never beat is Father Time. I know we can’t change Derek’s style – which is rough and rugged – but I can prepare him and look after him.
“Derek’s a real good guy but fighters never want to give up until it’s almost too late.
“I’ve seen enough adversity to know you have to be smart. I’ve told him there is only one way to win.
“He’s gotta turn it into a dogfight. It won’t be pretty but he will try his heart out. I will be there, all the time, watching out for him.”
GOOD BUDDY
Derek Chisora’s trainer Buddy McGirt has lifted the lid on his fighter’s best strategy for beating Joseph Parker.
He told the Guardian: “A lot of Derek’s fights have been real wars.
“And one guy you can never beat is Father Time. I know we can’t change Derek’s style – which is rough and rugged – but I can prepare him and look after him.
“Derek’s a real good guy but fighters never want to give up until it’s almost too late.
“I’ve seen enough adversity to know you have to be smart. I’ve told him there is only one way to win.
“He’s gotta turn it into a dogfight. It won’t be pretty but he will try his heart out. I will be there, all the time, watching out for him.”
END OF WAR
Derek Chisora has discussed what his plans when he eventually hangs up his gloves.
He told the Independent: “When I retire I’m going to have a bonfire in my house.
“Burn all my gloves, everything I won as an amateur. A proper bonfire night and burn everything.
“Sometimes boxing doesn’t look after their own so for me to hold onto boxing as much as others do, I won’t. If I ever retire I will have a big bonfire, put it on my Instagram and delete my account after that.”
PARTY POOPER
Eddie Hearn admitted he ‘s*** himself’ when heavyweight ace Dereck Chisora came at him.
Hearn was speaking on the panel of A League of Their Own when he recalled the hilarious story.
Cricket legend Freddie Flintoff asked him: “Has a boxer ever come at you?”
And Hearn responded: “Chisora’s come out at me a couple of times… I absolutely s*** myself.
“It was after that incident, after I had told him to calm down.”
TALE OF THE TAPE
Here’s a reminder of how the two fighters compare…
KICKING OFF
Derek Chisora has threatened to pull out of his clash with Joseph Parker if he’s forced to walk to the ring first.
Del Boy is set to throw down with the former WBO heavyweight champion tomorrow night in Manchester.
During his final pre-fight interview with Sky Sports, he said: “We’re having an argument.
“They wanna do a coin flip [for] who comes in the ring first and who comes in the ring second.
“I’m was like, ‘Nah, not doing that.’
“Either I come in second or I go home right now.”
WILD POWER
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will not fight each other without Deontay Wilder giving them the green light, claimed Derek Chisora.
He told DAZN: “My opinion, I keep telling everyone, you have to understand Deontay Wilder signed a three-fight deal with Tyson.
“Pandemic came, and shut everything down, AJ had his fight with Kubrat Pulev, and the whole hype thing happened with his fight with Fury.
“But don’t forget the three-fight deal with Wilder. It’s not going to happen because he has to fight with Wilder before everything else.
“So Wilder says I’ll stand aside for 80 million. The fight only happens when Tyson Fury fights Deontay Wilder.”
DEL RAISER
Team Chisora are reportedly packing their bags and threatening to leave the bubble unless Derek gets his way and walks second tomorrow.
Del Boy has never been afraid of courting controversy inside and outside the ring.
One of boxing’s more colourful characters, he has divided opinion throughout his career.
From kissing a rival during a weigh-in to dressing up like famed offender Charlie Bronson, CLICK HERE for Chisora’s most controversial moments.
PACKING UP
Team Chisora are reportedly packing their bags and threatening to leave the bubble unless Derek gets his way and walks second.
This is crazy.
DEAD SERIOUS
According to his promoter David Haye, Derek Chisora is serious about leaving the bubble.
He said: I genuinely can’t see the fight happening if Dereck’s told to come in first.
“I know it makes zero sense. He just doesn’t care.”
STACKED CARD
Tomorrow night’s card promised to be a cracker with the likes of Derek Chisora, Dmitry Bivol, Katie Taylor and Chris Eubank Jr on deck.
DEL BOY FUMES
Derek Chisora certainly isn’t messing about when it comes to the ring walks.
KICKING OFF
Derek Chisora has lost his rag at he prospect of walking to the ring first tomorrow.
CHISORA VS PARKER WEIGH-IN RESULTS IN FULL
Derek Chisora vs Joseph Parker – Chisora: 250.8lbs – Parker: 241.2lbs
Katie Taylor vs Natasha Jonas (Undisputed lightweight title fight) – Taylor: 134.8lbs – Jonas: 134.7lbs
Campbell Hatton vs Levi Dunn – Hatton 135.9lbs – Dunn: 134.5lbs
Chris Eubank Jr vs Marcus Morrison – Eubankr Jr: 161.9lbs Morrison: 161.8lbs
Dmitry Bivol vs Craig Richards (WBA Super light-heavyweight title fight) – Bivol: 174.2lbs – Richards 174.6lbs
Johnny Fisher vs Phil Williams – Fisher: 245.4lbs – Williams: 268.7lbs
James Tennyson v Jovanni Straffon – Tennyson: 134.7lbs – Straffon: 133.2lbs
Scott Fitzgerald v Gregory Trenel – Fitzgerald: 169.4lbs – Terenel 166.2lbs
FINAL FACE-OFF
No shenanigans between Derek Chisora and Jospeh Parker as they face off for the final time ahead of their heavyweight tussle this weekend.
Chisora donned his usual Union Jack flag across his face as he stared deep into the eyes of the former WBO heavyweight champ.
CHANGE FOR CHISORA
Derek Chisora is the lightest he’s been since his 2018 rematch with Dillian Whyte, in which he weighed in at 246.2lbs.
CHISORA CHECKS IN
Former world title challenger Derek Chisora weighs in at 250.8lbs
PARKER UP FIRST
Former WBO heavyweight king Jospeh Parker comes in at 241.2lbs.
HERE WE GO!
Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker are set to take to the scales.
TAYLOR VS JONAS OFFICIAL
Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas have successfully weighed in for their undisputed lightweight title fight.
Defending champ Taylor weighed in at 134.8lbs, while Olympian Jonas came in an ounce lighter at 134.7lbs.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
