(transcribed by Michael Readman) With the 2014 boxing year upon us, it’s time to look forward and think about all the fights that could happen this year, but coming off a strong 2013, boxing has it’s work cut out for it. One weight class that might be making a comeback in the new year is the heavyweight division, as the WBC belt that was long held by Vitali Klitschko is now vacant, and there is a big line of contenders all looking to fill the void. Dereck Chisora is among those contenders and he has his eyes set on getting that prize before the year is through.
In part 1 of my “On The Ropes” interview with Dereck “Del Boy” Chisora, I discuss with him his career resurgence that saw him go 4-0 with 4 KO’s last year, and what he is looking forward to in 2014. Chisora also talks about his upcoming February 16th bout against Andriy Rudenko, and what fans can expect from the fight. Additionally Dereck gives his views on the Klitschko brothers and what it takes to get a fight with them. Here is what Dereck Chisora had to say.
Jenna J: Dereck, you’re coming off of a heck of a 2014, you had four fights, four KO wins. How do you feel about the year that you had?
Dereck Chisora: The year has been amazing you know, I have to thank God for that beautiful year he gave me, I didn’t have injuries and I was fit for every fight. I personally think this year will be much bigger for me because I think God has good plans for me this year. We’ve got one fight on the 15th of February, after that we announce my next fight straight away. What we are trying to do is to squeeze in six fights inside a year on Box Nation.
Jenna J: Dereck, going into 2013, people didn’t really know what to expect with you because you were coming off the KO loss to David Haye and you came back, but not only did you come back but every fight you seemed to get lighter in weight, you seemed to get in better shape. What was the change for you?
Dereck Chisora: I’ve started with this company called ‘Soulmatefood’ now they have started making my diet for me, I met them in Harrods. These two guys from North London and Manchester, it was a coincidence because I just walked in to buy something and they saw me and they said, “Look, we’ve got this company called ‘Soulmatefood’ it can bring your weight down, everything is limited to portions” and from then we tried it for about a month, then we just saw my weight going down.
Then for the Malik Scott fight we said that we were going to try to aim for sixteen stone, but we didn’t really go for sixteen with the Malik Scott fight, it was only in the Edmund Gerber fight that we realized we can aim for the sixteen stone or sixteen and a half, so we went in at sixteen and a half. Since then we haven’t looked back. That’s now our target for every fight, to go sixteen and a half with these guys from ‘ Soulmatefood.’
Jenna J: You mentioned before that you’re coming back on February the 15th. Can you tell the fans a little bit about the opponent that you will be facing?
Dereck Chisora: He’s had twenty six fights and knocked out sixteen I think, he’s signed with K2 Promotions, he’s a very good fighter, he likes to come forward, he don’t like to go backwards, you know. It’s going to be a very interesting fight for me to be honest with you because my last fight, I didn’t chuck a jab, so this time I’ve been working on my defense more and using the jab more.
Jenna J: When you look at yourself now as a fighter at the age you are, what do you think has improved most in terms of the way you go at these fights?
Dereck Chisora: Yeah, you know, the more fights I have the more better I will get. The heavyweight game is getting open now since one of the guys retired the WBC, it’s getting better for me. I’m just looking forward to this year, it will be an amazing year for heavyweights this year to be honest with you.
Jenna J: When Vitali Klitschko retired, it seemed like every single heavyweight started licking their chops now that they don’t have to go through the negotiations and dealing with the Klitschko’s and all of that and there was another belt available. What do you think that meant most to for the heavyweight division with one of the Klitschko’s giving up on one of the belts?
Dereck Chisora: It’s amazing for the sport you know. For me, I’m really after the younger brother. I personally think he’s been a great ambassador for boxing, a great ambassador for the Ukrainian people, but for me I want to fight the younger brother for the IBF or the WBO heavyweight championship of the world. I want to try and make that in the summer.
For now, Chris Arreola is fighting for the vacant title. Does he deserve it? Yes. Will it be an exciting fight for the American public? Yeah. It’s been a while since they had a heavyweight boxer in the States. It’s been over a decade now, it’s almost twelve years since the last heavyweight fight was held in Vegas. It’s time the heavyweights started blowing up now.
Jenna J: You mentioned that you would like to fight Wladimir Klitschko, you two guys have a bit of a history, he was supposed to fight you and then he got injured, then you had the fight with his brother and you two had a little encounter. When it comes down to it, do you have any animosity towards Wladimir Klitschko at all?
Dereck Chisora: I hate the name Klitschko! No, I’m only joking! They should fight a fighter and they should fight a fair fight, they don’t fight a fair fight and they just bully. The whole thing they do in K2 Promotions is just bully, they just wanna slave people and I’m not in the mood to get slaved no more.
Jenna J: Yeah, that’s one thing a lot of fighters say, that they are very hard to deal with on a negotiating table. Wladimir is holding onto his title belts, he’s got Alexander Leapi as his next fight. What do you think of the type of opposition he chooses to fight?
Dereck Chisora: I think he does go for the big fights, but by the time he gets to the big fights and fights them I think he lost the momentum to fight them because the way they treat you when you arrive in Germany and the whole schedule they give you.
It’s just madness, if you miss one press conference they fine you one hundred thousand and at the same time they are only paying you about two hundred thousand, so you’re stuck, you want a rest and if you don’t rest by the time you get in the ring you don’t have any money. They don’t give you gyms for training, you’re a tourist in Germany.
I feel sorry for the American fighters because when they go fight these guys, they don’t go with their head on because they arrive there and all they do is they stay in the hotel. They got nowhere to train, they don’t know anyone there and they are fighting in a bad place where they don’t even sell proper food. They sell all kinds of crazy German food, you know, everything is pork meat, twenty four seven, no steaks. You just have that mentality when you fight these guys. Take your own rations and go to war.
Good interview. The last question says a lot about how K2 operates. Chisora would definitely be a much better fight than Alex Lepai.
Pleas address the state of Bulgarian Amature Boxing? Please account for the fact that Chisora got whwere he did and is incapable to throw an extended jab ( like a horizintal; jack in the box, and a straight ridghy without undercutting or bolo ing it! Who the heck let yhe air out on English Boxing!? Phillips piles?
Good interview. He’s more engaging than I had imagined. It’s cool he gave the upcoming Arreola fight some props, and I think he’s right: it is time the heavyweights become relevant again.
if he keeps winning he will get the fight even if he doesn’t get a big win. He is (relatively) well known (for a Klitschko opponent) in Germany because of his fight with Vitali and all the things leading up to it and afterwards and in GB he’s even more well known he’s probably the biggest name in Europe he could fight at the moment (well maybe Fury is) and WLad probably wants to deal with him for personal reasons
That was a really a great interview with Chris . I really don’t care for him after seeing how he acted with David Haye. I will say this his is a little better fighter than I gave him credit for. I like the fact that he is watching his weight and training hard.I still think he is a street punk no room for that in boxing . Tough guys get killed in boxing.
Good interview Jenna! I’ve always felt a Wlad-Chisora fight is pretty marketable over in Europe, especially after the Brit spat in Wlad’s face and was able to push Vitali at times.
Say what you will about Chisora, but dude has a great personality, always brings it in the ring and he’s not afraid to fight anybody. We need more like him in the HW division! He is definitely known in Germany and the UK after his fights with Vitali, Fury and Haye.
There’s certainly a great deal to learn about this issue.
I lke all the points you made.