World heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko wants to grant Dereck Chisora a rematch to ‘punish’ the British fighter for his brawl in Munich with David Haye, but his manager has blocked the idea.
Klitschko defended his WBC heavyweight title on Saturday night with a unanimous win over Chisora, but in the post-fight press conference, the Brit traded blows and insults with compatriot and former champion David Haye. Both Chisora, 28, and Haye, 31, are under investigation by German police, who have said the pair could both face prison sentences or fines. Pending the police investigation, Chisora has had part of his fight purse withheld.
Having seen Chisora leave the press conference stage to confront Haye, who was working at the fight as a pundit, Klitschko was shocked to hear the pair trade insults and blows with Chisora shouting that he wanted to “shoot” Haye.
After Chisora slapped him in the face at the pre-fight weigh-in, then spat water in the face of his brother Wladimir just before the title bout, Vitali Klitschko has said he is appalled by Chisora’s behaviour.
“In spirit, I have no need for revenge, but my ego tells me that this man deserves real punishment. I want to knock him out in the ring,” the Ukrainian champion told German daily Die Welt. Klitschko, 40, damaged his left shoulder in the fight and will take up to eight weeks off, but his management moved quickly on Tuesday to pour cold water on any rematch plans.
“A rematch is absolutely inconceivable and won’t happen,” Klitschko’s manager Bernd Boente told SID, an AFP subsidiary.
“Of course, Vitali has been affected emotionally, but a fight is not up for discussion and we will not offer Chisora a further platform.” Boente pointed to Chisora’s hearing before the British Boxing Board of Control hearing in London on March 14 — when he could face a life ban — as well as Klitschko’s shoulder injury. “The hearing takes place in London next month when he (Chisora) will be banned for between nine to 12 months,” said Boente. “In addition, he will fall out of the WBC’s top 15 rankings and will have to fight his way back up.
“Vitali now needs six to seven weeks of treatment and rehabilitation in Hamburg and Kiev. Then we’ll see.”
Chisora also faces being unable to fight here as Thomas Puetz, the president of Germany’s Professional Boxers (BdB) Federation, has said he wants to see the Brit banned and on Sunday he branded Chisora a ‘public menace’.
Both Chisora and Haye issued apologies on Monday, but the fall-out from their well-documented brawl is likely to last some time. Chisora was detained and questioned by Munich police on Sunday before being released while Haye flew back to Britain before police could speak to him. Klitschko says Chisora has tarnish boxing and he was a bemused by-stander as events unfolded.
“I saw it all from the stage, I thought I was in some kind of film,” said Klitschko.
“Sooner or later in life a man gets his just punishment. “You can’t behave like that as an athlete or as a normal person.
“This was lower than low, I thought it was a play act and just for show, but then I realised that it wasn’t. “He must be sick in the head, when you think of all he has done.
“The slap in the face, he spat at Wladimir in the ring, then he fought at the press conference and threatened to shoot someone. “How can anyone behave like that? It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it.
