Derek Chisora may never become heavyweight champion, but he has already made history of a sort that isn’t likely to be replicated in boxing.
Chisora is likely to go down in the books as the only person to take on the top three heavyweights in the world on the same night. Sort of.
On February 18, 2012, Chisora – the durable Englishman from London – went 12 hard rounds with Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight title in Munich, Germany, earning him the distinction of being one of only four boxers to go 12 full rounds with Klitschko.
Prior to the opening bell, Chisora confronted Vitali’s younger brother, Wladimir, who held the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight belts, in the ring, spitting water in his face. Then, after the conclusion of the fight with Vitali, Chisora brawled with David Haye, who had just lost the WBA title by unanimous decision to Wladimir after years of building himself up as the Klitschko slayer.
Chisora, speaking with BoxingScene in New York City on Monday, says he never intended to take on the world that day. It just sort of happened.
“This is one of those things, like, ‘I’m the man. Come mug me.’ It’s difficult. Some men will just ignore that, but I can’t,” said Chisora, 36-13 (23 KOs). “I’m a very petty guy. If there’s a problem, I have to find you. I can’t hold on to things. I’m so petty, like, if you piss me off, I have to get back at you or something.”
Chisora recounted how his animosity towards the Klitschkos began in 2010, when he was scheduled to fight Wladimir for the WBO and IBF titles in Germany. That fight was canceled just days before the fight, leaving Chisora in a financial hole.
“With the Klitschko brothers, I trained for the first fight for six months, wasted so much money, never got my money back, and they just pulled the fight when I got to Germany,” Chisora said.
Chisora would eventually get his shot at a Klitschko more than a year later, almost as a consolation prize following his controversial loss in Finland to Robert Helenius. When Chisora came face-to-face with Vitali at the weigh-in, he let him know how he felt.
“I was like, you know, forget him. I’m gonna slap him,” Chisora said. “And I slapped him, which I regret now. If he’s watching this, I apologize for the slap. And then in the ring, I saw the brother [Wladimir] again. Like, fuck it, so I spat on him, which I regret, and apologize.”
When the scorecards were read, Chisora was left…
2026-02-08 15:00:00
Derek Chisora recounts his beef with the Klitschkos: ‘I’m a very petty guy’
