Dereck Chisora Criticises David Haye

Dereck Chisora has criticised David Haye for not attending a media event to publicise their fight next Saturday.

The Zimbabwean-born boxer called Haye a "drama queen" ahead of the bout, which will take place at Upton Park.

Former WBA world heavyweight champion Haye claimed he had overslept when explaining his absence on Twitter.

“He says he's going to knock me out in round two but he's going to go down in round seven”Dereck Chisora

"Just woke up! Apparently I slept through a media call! Hope I didn't miss out on anything interesting coming out of Del Boy's mouth," he said.

The pair brawled at a news conference in Munich in February after Chisora lost to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko, and their feud has continued in the build-up to their controversial clash in London.

"David Haye is a drama queen and I don't know why more attention is being given to a drama queen but the show must go on," declared 28-year-old Chisora, whose fight with Haye has been sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation.

The British Boxing Board of Control has refused to back the heavyweight fight because neither man holds a British boxing licence.

Chisora, who took Klitschko the distance in Munich, made a prediction ahead of his meeting with Haye.

"He's getting knocked out. He says he's going to knock me out in round two but he's going to go down in round seven," he said.

"This fight is about me knocking this fool out because I don't like him."

WBO Plan Action on Haye v Chisora

The World Boxing Council (WBC) says it will expel any person or organisation involved with the proposed fight between David Haye and Dereck Chisora.

However, the fight has been sanctioned by the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) and World Boxing Association (WBA).

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) had already threatened to remove licences from anyone involved.

"We will not condone such disgraceful behaviour [from Chisora]," said WBC president Jose Sulaiman.

"This boxer has no idea of what good behaviour is."

However, WBO president Paco Valcarcel said it "has to go ahead and approve the fight" because the Luxembourg Boxing Federation (LBF), under which auspices Haye-Chisora will take place, is a member of the WBO.

"The problem is between the LBF and the BBBofC, not the LBF and the WBO," added Valcarcel.

Consequently, the pair will fight for the lightly regarded WBO International and WBA Intercontinental titles when they meet at West Ham United's Upton Park ground on 14 July.

Chisora challenged WBC world title-holder Vitali Klitschko in Munich in February but was consequently suspended indefinitely for his behaviour before and after the contest .

The 28-year-old was involved in a brawl with fellow Briton Haye at the post-fight news conference, having slapped Klitschko at the weigh-in and spat water at his brother Wladimir before the bout.

If the WBC follows through with its threat it would be a potential blow to Haye's career aspirations, the former heavyweight world champion having set his sights on a match with Vitali.

The BBBofC refuses to sanction the fight because neither Haye or Chisora holds a British boxing licence.

Chisora's was withdrawn after his actions in Munich, although he has appealed against the decision, while Haye opted not to renew his licence having announced his retirement in October 2011.

"Anyone who participates will be deemed to have terminated their membership," a BBBofC statement read last week.

How can the fight happen?

European Union freedom of trade laws permit the fight to be held in the United Kingdom, while they have been given licences by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation.

Chisora's manager, Frank Warren, has challenged the Board's stance, insisting there is nothing illegal about the fight being licensed by the LBF rather than the BBBofC.

Warren, who claimed more than 20,000 tickets were sold within two days of going on sale, says that no BBBofC rules will be broken because the LBF is an affiliated member of the European Boxing Union and recognised by its British counterparts.

However, the letter from Sulaiman to the BBBofC added: "We will expel Luxembourg from our organisation if the commission went ahead, as well as any person or institution that has relations with them.

"I am sure the European Boxing Union is on the verge of [taking] a strong position against Luxembourg.

"I am also furious with the promoter [Warren is not strictly promoting the fight, German company Sauerland is] who is trying to blast the ethics, honesty and seriousness of the sport of boxing."

It has also been confirmed that Alexander Povetkin will fight for the WBA 'world' heavyweight title [Wladimir Klitschko being the WBA's 'super world' champion] against former world champion Hasim Rahman on the same card.

BBBoC Warn Haye Chisora Backers

The British Boxing Board of Control have warned all those involved in the heavyweight promotion between David Haye and Dereck Chisora will be automatically stripped of their licences.

The Board are determined to come down hard on the Upton Park show, which is due to take place on July 14 and has been sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation despite neither Haye nor Chisora currently holding licences to box in Britain.

And their warning means any licence holder - including the promoter, managers, seconds and other fighters on the bill - will be deemed to have broken the terms of their membership, and instantly stripped.

The Board said in a statement: "The Articles of Association...of the British Boxing Board of Control, to which every member has agreed to be bound, make it perfectly clear that the object of the BBBoC is to control and regulate boxing in the United Kingdom.

"Any member of the BBBoC who participates in any way in a promotion such as that referred to above would thereby evince an intention not to be bound by the Constitution of the BBBoC and would act in a manner wholly incompatible therewith.

"In such circumstances the BBBoC would accept that member's repudiation of the Constitution as terminating his/her membership of the BBBoC and his/her licence."

While the threat will not unduly worry either Haye or Chisora - who in a sense already have nothing to lose - it could have a devastating impact on those working around the fringes of the promotion.

The Board's decision to clamp down hard follows widespread criticism of its decision to strip Chisora of his licence in April following his press conference brawl with Haye in Munich, rather than hit him with a specific ban.

Chisora is appealing against the decision, but as both he and Haye are unlicensed rather than banned, it made it easier for the Luxembourg Boxing Federation to sanction the contest.

While there is nothing in boxing rules that prevents the exploitation of such a loophole, there is a commonly held assumption in the sport that one commission's ruling will be automatically respected by the rest.

In the statement, the BBBoC said its stewards "condemn any attempt by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation (to stage the contest).

"Those behind the proposal are not concerned with the interests of the sport of professional boxing.

"Any member who participates in such a promotion would bring the sport of boxing into disrepute and would wholly undermine the authority of the British Boxing Board of Control, of which he/she is a member, as the regulatory body for professional boxing in the United Kingdom.

"This is nothing more than an attempt to circumvent the decision of the stewards of the British Boxing Board of Control, in respect of Dereck Chisora, for monetary gain.

"Dereck Chisora's proper remedy is by way of appealing to the Independent Stewards of Appeal, which is due to take place on July 2, 2012.

"Participation includes taking any steps directly or indirectly, to arrange, advertise, broadcast, facilitate, officiate or take part in any way in such a promotion."

OSM news service

Haye v Chisora Set for London

David Haye and Dereck Chisora are to face each other at Upton Park on 14 July in a fight sanctioned by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation.

Haye Admits Punching Chisora

David Haye has admitted punching fellow British boxer Dereck Chisora while holding a glass bottle during their brawl in Munich on 19 February.

The former heavyweight world champion was involved in the violent confrontation after Chisora's defeat by Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko.

Haye, 31, also reiterated that he remains retired from the sport and does not want a fight with Chisora.

"I didn't hit him with that bottle, I hit him with my fist," he explained.

Speaking on ITV's That Sunday Night Show, Haye added: "It was a glass bottle but, if I'd had my mobile phone in my hand, it would have been a mobile phone.

"If I'd had a hot dog in my hand, it would have been [that].

"It wasn't a beer either, it was a bottle of lemonade."

Haye has been absent from boxing since losing his WBC heavyweight world championship belt to Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg last July.

And he said he was not interested in facing Chisora.

"I've got no desire to fight Chisora inside the ring or outside the ring," Haye explained. "He's lost his last three fights [last three of four]."

Haye defended his behaviour a week ago in Germany, but did concede that his actions may have damaged the image of British boxing.

"I had no other option [than to fight]. I could have stood there with my hands by my side and got punched, kicked or spat at," he added.

"Why wouldn't I defend myself? If I could rewind time, of course I wouldn't go down [to the press conference]. But you can't rewind time."