Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren has been instrumental in engineering some of the biggest giant killing acts in the history of British boxing. However, Warren insists that Finchley lump Dereck Chisora shall eclipse all before if he can de-throne defending WBC czar Vitali Klitschko at Munich’s Olympiahalle on Saturday night. The fight shall be screened live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 456/Virgin Ch. 546).
‘I’ve been involved in a lot of good things during my 30 odd years in boxing – Ricky Hatton stopping Kostya Tszyu, Joe Calzaghe schooling Jeff Lacy, Danny Williams smashing up Mike Tyson – but if Chisora can pull this off it’ll be the biggest upset of the lot,’ insisted Warren.
Previously, Warren navigated Herbie Hide and Frank Bruno to ‘The Richest Prize in Sport’ but both enjoyed home court and significantly less menacing opposition than the 6ft 71/2in Ukrainian-born champion who carries the sinister ring moniker ‘Dr Iron Fist’.
‘Herbie had everything in his favour and beat an old man in Tony Tucker and I always fancied Bruno would beat Oliver McCall because, though he had certain limitations, Frank was very fit and I’d seen how McCall had really struggled to cope with Larry Holmes’s jab when Larry was a very old man,’ claimed Warren.
‘Everything is against Dereck. Unfortunately, we’re on the pauper’s side of the fence in negotiations and, as Vitali is obliging us with a voluntary defence, we’ve had to agree to a lot of things that we’d not have accepted had we been in a mandatory position. But Dereck is adamant that he wants the big fights and we can’t deliver any bigger than this.
‘I know Dereck has been predicting an eighth round knockout but that’s a very big call. Both Klitschkos are phenomenal fighters, easily the best of their generation, and it’s a big ask to expect to receive a decision against them in Germany. I just hope the judges won’t be fazed as they were in Finland (where Chisora dropped a hugely contentious decision to local hope Robert Helenius in his last gig in early December). The public aren’t stupid. They know who’s won the fight so why cheat them?
With Klitschko unbeaten for almost nine years, and entering with the daunting slate of 40 knockout victories in 45 starts (just two losses), it promises to be uphill all the way. Nevertheless, the promoter has cause for quiet optimism for his 9-1 underdog.
He says: ‘What I do know is that Dereck goes into this fight 100% both physically and mentally. In the shape he’s in, I guarantee he’d have taken care of the majority of the fighters who’ve taken Vitali into the later rounds previously.’
‘Vitali’s knocking on and I suspect he isn’t comfortable with a lot of speed and movement. If Dereck is able to emulate the workrate and desire that he showed against Robert Helenius, and can maintain the confidence to constantly apply pressure, he’ll give Vitali a lot to think about. I’ll certainly be having a good wager on him.’
The Bigger They Are… Klitschko v Chisora is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 456/ Virgin Ch. 546) on Saturday 18th February. Join at www.boxnation.tv
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