During today’s official press conference, formally announcing the October 26 card at London’s O2 Arena headlined by WBSS finals match between Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor, heavyweight Dereck Chisora took exception to not having top billing and let it be known to the world...
“There’s a couple questions I just need to clear right now as we sit up here. Who’s the main event of this fight?” Chisora would ask while sitting at the dais.
When told it was the guys sitting right next to him, Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor, Chisora responded:
“Ah, mate, that’s not gonna work for me. I’m not gonna sell out the O2 for them guys to be in the main event. I’m not gonna be chief support to these guys, we need to change that...These guys will not sell box office by themselves so fuck that. So how about you give me the main event or else pull me out of the fuckin’ show.
“You want me to sell it out to my London crowd, my London fans, and then you want to put these lil’ guys that nobody knows about them on my show and then try to mug me off. Fuck that. I’m being serious. You know this is not right.
“Fuckin’ Muhammad Ali trophy, nobody gives a fuck about it no more. Nobody gives a fuck about little guys anymore. They all give a fuck about the heavyweight game, the big guys in the top 10 — the big guys. Yeah? And boxing right now is thriving on the heavyweights. So for you to try to give me chief support on my own bill, that’s bollocks.”
Regis Prograis would chime in to remind Chisora that he and Taylor are rated #1 and #2, suggesting they’re plenty worthy of being the main event.
“Bruv, nobody cares about you, lets all be honest.” Chisora would reply. “Yo, don’t get me started bruv before I squash you. Yo, I don’t give a shit. Am I taking the main stage, yes or no? If I’m not I want more money.
“Adam [Smith], who’s taking the main event because you’re not answering me and I’m gonna go fuckin’ ballastic now. I want more money. I’m not fuckin’ selling out the O2 for these guys to come and take my fans. No. If that’s the case, pull me out of it. Pull me out and then there won’t be a box office. I’m tired of just fuckin’ selling your shows and me not making money. So give me some of that fuckin’ money you’re making and put it in my pocket.
“I’m sorry for doing this right now but I just feel like you’re fuckin’ me with no vaseline.”
The promoters of the card would try to awkwardly steer the press conference back towards their intended topics, but a short time later Chisora would just get up and walk off the stage.
Sky Sports would later have to turn to Chisora’s manager David Haye in order to get some sort of explanation for his fighter’s behavior at the presser.
“Not ideal, but Derek is Derek and that’s why people pay to see Derek. He let everybody know how he felt, right or wrong. He gets things off his chest otherwise he explodes. He didn’t explode today, so as far as I’m concerned as his manager, I’m happyish.”
Check out all the theatrics in the video above.