Dereck Chisora named David Haye as his new manager as he says ‘Del Boy’ image is no more
Chisora will now be referred to as ‘WAR’ instead of his previous nickname after joining up with Haye, the man who hit him with a glass bottle six years ago in a press conference brawl
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Your support makes all the difference.Dereck Chisora has unveiled former rival David Haye as his new manager, six years after the former heavyweight champion of the world hit him with a glass bottle during a press conference brawl in Munich, as part of a rebrand that sees the end of his “Del Boy” image.
The unsavoury incident, which occurred after Chisora lost a world title fight to Vitali Klitschko, saw both boxers banned by the British Boxing Board of Control, and led to a fight later in the year that ended with Haye securing victory with a fifth-round knockout.
Ever since the pair have eased their differences, leading to many questioning whether the Munich incident was simply down to theatrics to build-up tensions ahead of their fight, and Chisora revealed that they discussed the prospect of working together over a recent lunch in which Haye saw “the heart, aggression and will to win” needed to be successful.
"We had lunch. We spoke. He played hard to get!” Chisora said. “He said: 'let me think about it' but he was already hooked.
"He said: 'let's do it'.
"Every time I have lost, I have rebuilt myself. I saw how David did it for himself and I want to do it myself."
As part of their link-up, Chisora says he will ditch his “Del Boy” nickname and persona, and has replaced it with “WAR” that appears to be an attempted rebrand of his no-care attitude displayed in recent years.
“He [Haye] is one of very few managers who has themselves won world titles, he knows what it is like to step in the ring putting everything, including your life, on the line,” Chisora added. “I am at a point in my career I know I cannot afford to make mistakes.
“‘Del Boy’ is no more, I am not playing, I am not cutting corners or looking for the short cuts, I have realised I need to live the life of a professional if I am to achieve what I know I am capable of… there will be no more late nights partying, drinking, getting distracted by stuff that will simply move me away from my dream.
“David has already built on my existing team of Don Charles and John Ramos bringing in the best in the field of S&C, nutrition and rehabilitation to support them. To all heavyweights out there who think Dereck Chisora has had his time, missed his moment, you’re wrong, this is just the beginning, this is WAR.”
Chisora, who holds a professional record of 29-8, is expected to face fellow British heavyweight Dillion Whyte in a rematch of their December 2016 epic, which saw Whyte claim a split-decision victory in one of the fights of the year. Chisora has done well to bounce back from that defeat, and after defeating Carlos Takam with an impressive comeback last July – turning the fight on its head with a brutal eighth-round knockout – the 34-year-old is angling for a shot at the top of the heavyweight circus.
But with Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder currently wrapped-up in a non-stop war of words triangle, Whyte and Chisora have had to look elsewhere for their next step, and the latter made his intentions clear that Haye has been brought in to get him ready for a rematch in the early part of 2019.
"If he [Whyte] knocked me out in the first fight, we wouldn't be talking about it,” Chisora added. “But some people say I won it, some people say he won it, some people say a draw.
"Now, it's about getting it right. There is nothing else. I want the rematch. We are going to make it happen for the fans."
Recently-retired Haye admitted that he need convincing over Chisora’s ability and whether he was still able to mix it with the best, but felt the win over Takam proved he had the right ingredients to work with.
"Going back a little while, I thought Chisora was washed-up," said Haye. "Going into the Carlos Takam fight, I thought that was the hardest possible fight for him.
"Takam is a former sparring partner of mine, and I thought he would beat Chisora up.
"I was more than surprised. I was shocked at the heart, aggression and will to win that Dereck showed.
"After he pulled off a spectacular victory [in a fight] that I didn't think he had a chance in, I had a newfound respect."
Haye added: “Dereck is an immense talent, a true warrior. His most recent win again Carlos Takam sent shock waves around the boxing community - myself included - and a stark message to his fellow heavyweights.
“When Dereck is focused, when he gets the work done and has the infrastructure around him he requires to perform he is not a boxer you can under estimate. Derek is dangerous and after a professional career spanning over a decade he is looking to scale the heights of the division, capturing world titles and I am looking forward to helping him achieve this”
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