BOXER Derek Chisora’s has never been afraid of courting controversy inside and outside the ring.
Del Boy, 37, faces off against Joseph Parker on Saturday in Manchester for the vacant WBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title.
One of boxing’s more colourful characters, he has divided opinion throughout his career.
From kissing a rival during a weigh-in to dressing up like famed offender Charlie Bronson, here’s Chisora’s most controversial moments.
BITING
Channeling his inner Mike Tyson, Chisora shocked fans in only his four professional bout when he bit an opponent.
The unlucky recipient of the man nicknamed War’s gnashers was a Paul Butlin in a 2009 fight, who let out a yelp in the ring during the incident.
The ref didn’t spot the incident, so Chisora got away with it on the night. But he was later fined £2,500 and slapped with a four-month ban.
PLANTING A SMACKER
When you face-to-face with a foe what’s the last thing you would do?
Yes, kiss them flush on the lips and show them so love!
That’s exactly what Chisora did to Carl Baker during the 2010 weigh-in. “I’m going to make you my girlfriend,” he quipped before sealing his words with a kiss.
DISRESPECTING THE KLITSCHKOS
Chisora didn’t win himself any fans when he disrespected then-heavyweight champ Vitali Klitschko at a weigh-in in 2012.
A petulant slap caught his opponent off-guard as they went toe-to-toe.
On fight night, when in the ring waiting for the first bell, Chisora also. spat water into the face of Vitali’s brother Wladimir, who was ringside.
The incident gave Klitschko more reason to beat him.
AND HE WASN’T FINISHED…
Still smarting from his defeat to Klitschko, Chisora wasn’t in the mood for a heckler.
And when David Haye decided to diss him at the after-fight press conference, a massive brawl between the two took place.
Chisora had his BBBofC licence taken away from him, however, that didn’t stop him securing a Luxembourg licence to fight Haye just months later.
DILLIAN WHYTE DEBACLE
In 2016, the build-up to Chisora’s first fight with Whyte was tense.
Both men slung cusses at one another, and when they met to film Sky show ‘Gloves Are Off’ it all got a little heated.
Chisora threw a glass of water in Whyte’s face as security stepped in to keep the pair apart.
TABLE SERVICE
And the two rivals weren’t done there.
Just two months later, Chisora and Whyte met again at their last press conference before the big fight.
As the trash-talking escalated, Derek wasn’t happy. He picked up a table and launched it at Whyte.
The bout was allowed to go ahead, but the BBBofC took away the British title prize.
Chisora was also fined £3,000.
CALL THE COPS
In 2015, Whyte was pulled over by the police in his Bentley near Hyde Park in London.
It later transpired Chisora was driving without a valid driving licence, insurance and MOT certificate.
Initially, he was given six points on his licence, however he appealed blaming his insurance broker.
At a hearing in 2017, Chisora avoided a driving ban by claiming he thought he was insured after a payment had left his account, paying for two drivers.
SPARED JAIL
All the way back in 2010, when Chisora was beginning his journey, he was lucky not to be sent down for assaulting ex-girlfriend Yalda Kontratchy.
The heavyweight star reportedly went ballistic when he uncovered text messages on her mobile phone from another man and stormed into a jealous rage.
Yalda revealed: “I thought he was going to kill me. He slapped me across the face, then put me face-down on the bed and started slapping all over my back and my bum.”
He was given a 12-week sentence suspended for two years, ordered to pay £1,500 in compensation and £500 costs and complete 150 hours community work.
The court also heard previous convictions for public order offences, assaulting a police officer and possession of an offensive weapon.
HE STILL HASN’T GROWN UP
Although this wasn’t as harmful as his previous incidents, it shows Chisora is still as unpredictable as ever.
Just ask former opponent – the Ukraine fighter Oleksandr Usyk – who saw first-hand the madness War generates.
Ahead of their Halloween showdown in 2020, Chisora fancied a bit of dress up.
And he chose the stage of the weigh-in in a sure-fire attempt to intimidate Usyk.
Chisora painted himself white, donned a hat and a mock moustache – hinting a look of famed prisoner Charlie Bronson.
The tactic didn’t work, however, with Usyk beating Bronson, we mean Chisora, by unanimous decision after 12 rounds.
What awaits Parker next?
