Don Charles: “It’s Dereck Chisora’s destiny to avenge those two losses to Fury and Haye”

I recently had a chance to speak to Don Charles, the head trainer of current heavyweight contender Dereck Chisora, ahead of the much anticipated rematch between Chisora and Tyson Fury. A variety of topics were discussed in this interview including, the recent improvements made by Dereck Chisora, a potential Haye-Chisora rematch, Carl Froch’s recent win, and much more. Here is what Don Charles had to say in part 2 of his interview.

Robert Brown: Dereck has come back in better shape and as a better fighter. What’s been the key to all of this?

Don Charles: Basically, Dereck’s got good company. There’s a lot of good people around Dereck,people in boxing and people outside of boxing, as well as a fantastic family. Those losses that he had, some people never ever come back from those types of losses, mentally and physically.

When you got good quality people around you, that helps the individual have the comeback that Dereck has had. It’s very remarkable, it shows character to come back from all those adversities. He’s in a very good place, he’s matured as a person and also as fighter.

I’m his trainer, I’ve been training him for decades, he’s 30 years old and I’ve been training him for a long time. We’ve got a fantastic relationship — like a father and son relationship. He’s grown up and he’s become a man and he’s very happy in his life right now, hence why you’ve seen all these achievements in boxing. He’s really sorted his life out.

Robert Brown: The common opponent that Chisora and Fury have is Kevin Johnson. How would you assess Dereck’s performance as opposed to Tyson’s?

Don Charles: Well it’s really strange, basically in boxing it’s about styles. Mr. Johnson — whom I rate highly — he has a very awkward style. He was never going to beat Tyson when they fought, and I’m not being funny, but it was quite a boring spectacle, it was quite dull, quite boring.

When we fought him, Dereck wanted to demonstrate that he would be the first person to stop this character, but after a few rounds he could see that that was highly unlikely because of the awkward style of Johnson — he’s a very strong man as well. Dereck did floor him temporarily but he was the first one to ever put the man on the canvas.

You can’t really read too much into it, it’s just styles. When we’re looking at it, we’re not trying to read into that at all and we don’t need to read into their performances against Johnson. Dereck is gonna beat Tyson categorically, I’m 100% confident in Dereck’s ability and style because I know that the chap, Dereck Chisora, who fought Tyson previously, is not the same Dereck who’s going to fight Tyson on the 26th.

I train Dereck, I know Dereck shouldn’t have been in that ring in the first place when they fought in the first encounter. That’s partly where I draw my confidence from. I blame myself as a trainer to have allowed my fighter to go and fight when they shouldn’t be in the ring, it’s my fault.

Robert Brown: David Haye is making a comeback. Assuming Dereck gets past Tyson on the 26th, would this version of Chisora be looking to have a rematch with David Haye?

Don Charles: Well the thing is, I’m a strong believer in destiny. It’s Chisora’s destiny to avenge those two losses. What would be better than to avenge Fury and then Haye? If Haye comes back and has a few fights — I’m sure he’s gonna want to have a few fights — and should he be successful, yeah it would be fantastic.

Should we carry on winning and should we beat Fury, which I believe we will, it would be nice if I could look into the future, it would be lovely if we could capture a version of the world title in the future, in the next 12 months. Then 12-18 months if David Haye would continue wining, wouldn’t it be fantastic for Chisora and Haye to meet for a second time? That could happen, that could very well happen.

First and foremost we have to deal with Mr. Fury obviously on the 26th. As for David Haye coming back, I think it’s good for boxing because he shouldn’t have retired, he’s too young to retire and he’s good for the sport, he brings a lot to the table.

Robert Brown: Would you care to give us a prediction for the Chisora-Fury fight? Will you be looking for the knockout?

Don Charles: There’s a man called Malcolm X from a few years back, he says, “By any means necessary.” We’ll take a knockout, we’ll take a points decision. We’ve planned for any eventuality for this fight, we’ve trained for any eventuality. Of course we’d love to get a knockout over him. We’re going to fit our gameplan and if the knockout comes, it comes. By any means necessary.

Robert Brown: Carl Froch recently knocked out George Groves with a sensational right hand. What were your thoughts on that fight and do you think Carl Froch has done enough to deserve to be in the Hall of Fame?

Don Charles: Yeah, the first fight I predicted that George Groves would beat Carl Froch. I was one of the few people that went for Groves, everybody thought I was drinking alcohol — although I don’t drink. He gave him a very good fight because Froch underestimated the young man.

In the second encounter I went for Groves again, based on boxing ability and boxing intelligence but one thought can never deny Mr. Froch is that equalizer, his right hand. He’ll hit anybody and they’ll go, it’s been well documented. He showed the mark of what champions do, they got that shot that they can pull out whenever during the fight.

That fight was a 50-50 fight at the time of the knockout, George was settling down to get into a groove and then bang out the bag Froch pulls the axe. That’s the mark the champion he is.

Does he deserve to go in the Hall of Fame? Of course he does. He’s fought everybody, he’s a guy who it doesn’t matter who it is, he’s fought everybody in the division. He never shied away from anybody. He’s had his losses, but he’s had some great, great wins. So yeah, in my opinion he should be in the future considered as a Hall of Famer.