David Price would beat Tyson Fury – Thomas Stalker

Posted on December 13, 2012 by adminsports

Price beat Fury before and I'd back him to do it again before taking on the Klitschkos

UPDATED:

22:54 GMT, 12 December 2012

Thomas Stalker captained the Team GB boxing squad at the London Olympics and reached the quarter-finals in the light-welterweight division.

Here, in his first column for MailOnline, he discusses the latest news from the ring and his own future in boxing.

Talking point: Thomas Stalker at the Institute of Sport in Sheffield where Team GB boxers are based

Tyson Fury has been slagging off David Price on Twitter.

I
can understand Tyson building the proposed fight up to put bums on
seats and earn a big pay day but David Price will beat him and beat him
well.

I fought on the same
card when Pricey beat him last time. There was a great atmosphere. It
was in the ABA North West Counties finals in Wythenshawe Forum,
Manchester in 2006 and the place was ram packed to the rafters.

Repeat performance: Heavyweight David Price (right) hopes to face rival Tyson Fury

There
were two big crews of fans from Liverpool and Manchester and I think it
was almost as tasty outside the ring as in. Pricey totally outboxed
Tyson that night and he will do the same. He may be 6ft 8ins tall but
Pricey moves like a middleweight, he's lean and he's got great
technique. Tyson is good but I think Pricey is the best equipped to take
on the Klitschkos if they hang around.

Flintoff deserves respect… but should quit while he's ahead

Freddie Flintoff has been getting some stick off the boxing fraternity.

He's been called a sideshow and I know many fighters thought Freddie's fight with Richard Dawson would be disrespectful to the sport but I disagree. I've been watching Freddie's documentaries on his training and build-up and for me he's been good for boxing.

I don't agree with him grabbing the headlines as if he was top of the bill at Manchester but I suppose with the hype that was inevitable.

Respect: Freddie Flintoff won on his professional boxing debut in Manchester last month

To me, he took it seriously. He showed heart and courage to take that on. It was like Ricky Hatton's fight the other week, the end result wasn't the important factor. Ricky wanted to answer questions about himself in the ring and Freddie did the same. And you have to say he did well.

Everyone knows he's not going to be a contender for the world heavyweight champion, it was a one-off and he and Barry McGuigan spoke sensibly about it afterwards saying 'That's it now. Finished'. But I was impressed. He showed no fear and he handled his nerves on the day of the fight really well. I know how difficult that is. Now he has seen how hard it is to get into that ring.

You'll always have fans in the street thinking they can do it but until you punch the bags, step in to take that first punch, do that first spar or do the training, you don't realise how hard this game is.

It's a tough business and I think now Freddie should just keep up his training but retire.

Decision time

I've got a big decision to make over the next few weeks.

I have offers to turn professional and have held talks with Khan promotions, Matchroom and a couple of others.

If I go it's a big step because it would mean leaving the Great Britain Olympic set-up and that would be a very sad day.

Devastated: Stalker lost at the quarter-final stage of the London Olympics

I've done everything with this team bar win a medal. The group is like a second family. We train together, eat together, even live together in a flat in Sheffield so these are people I have a great affection for.

If I turn professional I can't have UK Lottery funding any more, I'm on my own. If I stay I have the funding, the lifestyle and the offer of a coaching job once my fighting days are over.

It's a big risk but I know that if I don't turn professional I'll always be asking 'what if' It's something that may haunt me. I want to test myself, see how far I can go and that is where I am leaning.

People may know I was bitterly disappointed not to win a medal in the summer and it still hurts me every day. If I'd won I wouldn't be thinking of turning professional. The nature of the Olympics has meant those who won medals have had doors opened, great commercial offers and I could have used that while also doing TV work. It would have given a regular income and I could have stayed with the GB set-up.

Weighty issue: Stalker must decide whether to turn professional or remain with Team GB

Whatever happens I will be fighting in February. That's the target whether pro or amateur. It could be in Bulgaria or Hungary or wherever the promoter's bill. I don't know the opponent yet but I have to be ready, that's the business I'm in.

Hopefully, I'll make the right decision in time for Christmas.

One to watch

I saw Hughie Fury who is Tyson's younger cousin fight the other day. He won gold in Armenia in the Youth World Championships as a super heavyweight, beating Narender Berwal from India and that's a great achievement.

The guys from these countries are all improving now and they're tough opponents. Hughie's big but looks a real thinker as well as a hitter and mover. He will be a good bet for gold at Rio or maybe the Olympics after that.

Tyson Fury stops Vinny Maddalone to move closer to Klitschko clash

Posted on July 8, 2012 by adminsports

Fury one step closer to Klitschko clash after stopping Maddalone in five rounds

UPDATED:

22:36 GMT, 7 July 2012

Tyson Fury moved a step closer to a world-title fight with one of the Klitschko brothers after stopping Vinny Maddalone in their WBO Intercontinental heavyweight contest in Clevedon on Saturday night.

Fury, 23, easily improved his 19-fight unbeaten run with a fifth-round technical knockout after the referee stepped in with blood streaming out of a cut under the veteran American's left eye.

Fury has been earmarked by the Klitschkos as a possible opponent, although the former British and Commonwealth champion has stated he would wait until he had earned a mandatory fight before taking on the all-conquering duo.

Winner: Tyson Fury was in fine fettle

In front of a worldwide audience tonight he had too much class for New Yorker Maddalone, landing a couple of heavy punches in the opening round to immediately stun his opponent.

It was all one-way traffic thereafter with another right-hander from the 6ft 9in Fury opening the cut under Maddalone's left eye in the fourth round.

The American battled on but, with Fury indicating he wanted the fight halted, the referee eventually stepped in to end the contest midway through the fifth.

'I knew it was a matter of time. I actually called the referee over, he was taking some big shots,' Fury said in an interview on Channel Five.

Too hot to handle: Fury (right) in stopped Vinnie Maddalone in the fifth-round

'I'm still undefeated. I would like to say I'm ready for anyone in the world. Klitschkos: bring them on. Americans: bring them on.

'Bring on Tomasz Adamek. He's too small for me and I see an early win for me.'

Promoter Mick Hennessy played down any thoughts of a Klitschko fight in the near future, before hinting Pole Adamek was next on the agenda for Fury.

'It (a Klitschko fight) is getting closer. We're still one fight at a time. He's 23. To pull off a result like that tonight was unbelievable. That was a masterclass,' he said.

'I'm liking Adamek (next), either here or in the US.'

Asked when a Klitschko fight was likely, he added: 'Two, maybe three (fights away). We'll go into that fight when he's ready to do a job on them.'

Dereck Chisora confident of Vitali Klitschko KO – Jeff Powell

Posted on February 18, 2012 by adminsports

Del Boy confident of Vitali KO despite foolish slap at weigh-in

As the snow falls in Bavaria, so will Vitali Klitschko. That is the forecast according to Dereck Chisora, even though the world heavyweight champion was still standing very upright and looking even more menacing than usual after his British challenger foolishly slapped his face at Friday's weigh-in.

Chisora's prediction is based on the ancient assumption that our Zimbabwean-born contender goes into the Olympiahalle here with a good old-fashioned puncher's chance.

Take slap: Chisora acted foolishly at the pre-fight weigh-in, and is set to face the repercussions on Saturday

It is optimism rooted in the tradition that of all world champions it is the heavyweights who are most prone to being upset by a single, atomic blast to the jaw.

It is confidence fanned like a flapping towel in Chisora's corner by the working title for this event being drawn from a sepia movie about a boxer dramatically overcoming huge odds – The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall.

You plonker, Del Boy: The Zimbabwe-born boxer lost his rag at the pre-bout weigh-in

Tale of the tape: Chisora v Klitschko

Well, the older of the world champion
Klitschko brothers Is certainly bigger, by about half a foot. He is
also very angry now and it is not so much his clairvoyant powers which
Chisora needs to worry about on Saturday evening as how cruel a beating
he might have to suffer.

The problem with Chisora's prophecy is that Vitali's jaw is nuclear
resistant. No-one has ever knocked down the Ukrainian giant who reigns
as the linear WBC champion for the second time in his long career. Not
even Lennox Lewis who used to punch considerably harder than Chisora his
fellow Londoner.

Lewis, the last holder of all the heavyweight titles now shared between the two Klitschkos, had to cut Vitali to the bone around his eyes to snatch victory from a points deficit. The only other defeat in Vitali's 45 contests came by way of retirement forced by a shoulder dislocation against Chris /02/17/article-2102794-11C8A60A000005DC-256_634x383.jpg” width=”634″ height=”383″ alt=”Up for the battle: Chisora is confident of upsetting the odds against the world champion ” class=”blkBorder” />

Up for the battle: Chisora is confident of upsetting the odds against the world champion

Fighting fit: Vitali Klitschko weighed-in at 17st 6lbs

And by the way, his nickname Dr Ironfist has less to do with his university degree than with punching power of his own which has registered the highest knock-out ratio – 88.89 per cent – of any current world boxing champion.

Add to that the likelihood that this Klitschko will be in a sadistic mood after the cheap, cheek-marking shot and this may be the dumbest offence yet committed by a loose British cannon who has previously kissed one opponent full on the mouth after describing himself as bi-sexual and bitten another in the ring… quite apart from being convicted of beating up a girlfriend.

Behind the mask: Chisora has competed in just 17 professional fights and enters tonight's fight as the heavy underdog

Chisora looked close to hyperventilating here. Perhaps realisation of the enormity of the task ahead of him came after he had been talking himself up for confronting the 6-1 odds as well as the behemoth stacked against him – 'this boring old man Is getting knocked out in the eighth round.'

Klitschko, meanwhile, had been musing on the delights of what he regards a winter sports holiday.

As the 40-year-old leader of a democratic political party in Ukraine with ambitions of becoming mayor of Kiev and then his country's president, he says: 'I enjoy the training camp and the fight as a change from my day-to-day life. The boxing makes me switch off from the politics and all the charity work and take a much-needed vacation. That is one reason why I so much enjoy the challenge of the ring.'

Champion in waiting Chisora says he will KO Klitschko

Centre stage: Chisora says he will KO Klitschko

Puncher's chance: The Briton is a rank outsider ahead of the heavyweight bout

So how much of a challenge can he expect – in the ring as opposed to on the scales – from a 17-fight novice from Finchley who has been beaten on two of the last three occasions he has climbed through the ropes

More, he says, than his brother Wladimir was given by yet another Londoner on a sodden night in Hamburg last summer.

'Daivd Haye did not come to fight my brother. He ran away. Dereck desperately wants to become world champion and I smell that he will give his best effort.

'He has a similar skill set to Haye but one important difference is that he has genuine heavyweight power. Haye is a blown up cruiserweight.

'I would still like to go one better than my brother and knock out Haye but he asking too much money, I think pricing himself out of the market deliberately. But I want to fight Chisora. People are saying this should be easy for me but I am taking him seriously and have prepared fully. Chisora earned this fight with his performance against Robert Helenius when I am sure he won but was not given the decision.'

Chisora was robbed of the European title by a home-town verdict in favour of the young Finn. He also blames the other of his two defeats – in which he lost the British and Commonwealth championships to Tyson Fury – on a lack of focus and preparation.

There is none of the surplus flab around his girth this time and before deciding to venture a wager on Klitschko at 10-1 on it is worth remembering that Chisora has never been put down, either. But neither has he fought at the same rarefied level at which Klitschko has been operating all these years.

The Olympiahalle will be full but almost all the 13,000 crowd will be Germans rooting for their adopted Vitali. Even more vehemently after Friday's uproar.

Chisora insists he will be unabashed by the hostility and is excited, also, that the biggest night of his life will be shown not only on television world-wide but beamed to a giant screen in New York's Times Square by the digital company Epix.

Here in Britain it goes on his promoter Frank Warren's 10 a month subscription channel BoxNation. Chisora is determined not to let down his new-found audience, saying: 'I'm so wild and unpredictable that sometimes I don't even know myself what I'm going to do next.' He can say that again.

He adds: 'That's one reason why I believe the Klitschkos are worried about me. I will also keep up such a pace that his older legs will tire by the eighth round. And I will be fighting him on the inside instead of running like Haye did against Wladimir.'

If he charges Klitsckho, that could be his rather rapid undoing. Yet if he fails to commit he risks a prolonged beating for the trouble he caused at the weigh-in.

So here is the bad weather forecast. On top of everything else it is Dr Ironfist who has the real puncher's chance. Perhaps not with one crushing blow but through sustained punishment which inflicts Chisora's first stoppage, somewhere in the middle rounds.

Klitschko-Chisora is exclusively live on BoxNation via Sky Ch. 456 or Virgin Ch. 546. Register at www.boxnation.tv

Dereck Chisora warned he"ll pay for Vitali Klitschko slap

Posted on February 18, 2012 by adminsports

What a plonker, Del Boy! Chisora warned he'll pay for Klitschko slap

Dereck Chisora has been warned he 'committed suicide' when he slapped world heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko on the face at the weigh-in for Saturday night's title fight.

The 28-year-old London underdog, who is nicknamed Del Boy, was in near-hysterical mood as he lashed out at Klitschko in a downtown department store on Friday.

Scroll down for a video of the slap

Ready for war: Dereck Chisora slaps Vitali Klitschko at the weigh-in

The unprovoked assault will cost him a 32,000 fine and brought condemnation for all sides, including his own handlers.

Adam Booth, trainer/manager of David
Haye, who was beaten last year by Klitschko's brother Wladimir and is
here to commentate for BBC radio, went further: 'Chisora has committed
suicide. He wasn't going to win anyway but this has made it worse. It
was a cheap shot and the last thing you want to do is pick a fight with
Vitali. The only hope is to try to box him. Now he'll come into the ring
with real anger.'

Early shot: Chisora slaps Klitschko

Take that! Dereck Chisora slaps the face of Ukrainian heavyweight WBC boxing champion Vitali Klitschko during the stare down

Haye, of course, had infuriated the Klitschkos with his decapitation T-shirt and continuous insults.

At the swearing match which followed
the slapping yesterday, it became clear that the big brothers have had
enough now of English opponents.

Chisora, who calls himself Del Boy
after the Only Fools and Horses character, was wearing a ring and might
even have cut Klitschko with it instead of just imprinting a red weal on
the cheek just below his left eye.

Face to face: Klitschko and Chisora get physical at the weigh-in

Chisora's own trainer, Don Charles, said: 'This was utterly unacceptable. Frankly, I am speechless.'

Francis Warren, acting here for his
father Frank, who is Chisora's promoter, said: 'I am shocked. Nobody
expected him to do that. We can't condone it. It was unprofessional. The
only place for fighting is in the ring. I don't know whether he felt
intimidated.'

Early shots: Chisora tries to gain the early physiological advantage over Klitschko

A coldly angry Klitschko said: 'Why
has he done this Look how nervous he is. He hit me and ran away so his
own team could stop me getting at him.'

Chisora immediately fled the scene, screaming: 'Where's my f****** driver! Where's my f****** car! Get me out of here.'

Squaring up: Klitschko reacts to being slapped by Chisora

Fighting fit: Vitali Klitschko weighed-in at 17st 6lbs

Del boy: Chisora tipped the scales at 17 stone 3lbs

Mean machine: Chisora turned up at the weigh-in with a Union flag over his face

The trouble started after Chisora
weighed in three pounds the lighter at 17st 3lbs. As they posed for the
traditional stare-down photograph, he thrust his face at Klitschko and
their foreheads banged together.

The Zimbabwean-born Londoner has a
record of wild behaviour but this time he's not only gone too far but
invited heavy retribution from his opponent. There is also the
likelihood of sanctions from the WBC, for whose world title belt he is
challenging, and perhaps from the British Boxing Board of Control.

Mike Tyson was fined heavily by the
WBC after biting Britain's Lennox Lewis on the leg during a New York
press conference prior to their 2002 world title fight.

P.S.

Chisora does have previous when it comes to antics at the weigh-in. When he fought Carl Baker in February 2010 he kissed his opponent during the stare down. Chisora went onto knock Baker out in the second round.

Sealed with a kiss: Chisora plants a smacker on Carl Baker in 2010

Klitschko v Chisora is exclusively
live on BoxNation (Sky Ch 456 or Virgin Ch 546) tonight. Subscribe at
www.boxnation.tv j.powell@dailymail.co.uk

Dereck Chisora ringwalk song banned – Vitali Klitschko

Posted on February 16, 2012 by adminsports

I'll have Klitschko dancing to my tune, claims Chisora after ring-walk song KO

Dereck Chisora believes Vitali Klitschko is trying to upset his rhythm ahead of their heavyweight showdown on Saturday – by having the Londoner's ring-walk tune banned.

Chisora, 28, had planned to make his entrance to the Only Fools and Horses theme song at Munich's Olympiahalle.

But the German promoters were far from amused by his song choice and insist 'Del Boy' must choose something more recognisable.

Clearing the path to glory: Dereck Chisora plays in the snow ahead of his world title fight in Munich

Chisora, who arrived at a press conference in London earlier this year in a Robin Reliant from the hit show, told The Sun: '(They have) No sense of humour, obviously.

'I could not believe the Klitschkos KO’d my music. I mean, next to the national anthem, it's the most recognisable theme tune in the world!

'They didn't know what it was at first but then listened to it and came back saying it was childish and silly – which is an insult to one of the best TV comedy shows of all time.

'They want me to come into the ring with some Euro rock trash like Europe's The Final Countdown. But I can't come out to that – everyone knows me as Del Boy.

Theme tune KO: Chisora will not be allowed to enter the ring to the Only Fools and Horses song

'I'm beginning to think they're just a load of plonkers, as Del would say.

'But I genuinely feel it's the Klitschkos trying to upset my rhythm because they have finally realised what I am capable of.'

Chisora claims he will knock Klitschko out in the eighth round but he faces a daunting challenge against the Ukrainian who has lost only twice in his career, and not since 2003 when he tasted defeat against Britain's Lennox Lewis.

And Frank Warren, Chisora's promoter, acknowledges that his charge will have to cause one of the greatest upsets of all time to take home the WBC belt.

Snow time for games: Chisora in Munich

'Everything is against Dereck,' he admitted. 'Unfortunately, we’re on the pauper’s side of the fence in negotiations and, as Vitali is obliging us with a voluntary defence, we’ve had to agree to a lot of things that we’d not have accepted had we been in a mandatory position. But Dereck is adamant that he wants the big fights and we can’t deliver any bigger than this.

‘I know Dereck has been predicting an eighth round knockout but that’s a very big call. Both Klitschkos are phenomenal fighters, easily the best of their generation, and it’s a big ask to expect to receive a decision against them in Germany. I just hope the judges won’t be fazed as they were in Finland (where Chisora dropped a hugely contentious decision to local hope Robert Helenius in his last gig in early December). The public aren’t stupid. They know who’s won the fight so why cheat them

‘What I do know is that Dereck goes into this fight 100 per cent both physically and mentally. In the shape he’s in, I guarantee he’d have taken care of the majority of the fighters who’ve taken Vitali into the later rounds previously.

‘Vitali’s knocking on and I suspect he isn’t comfortable with a lot of speed and movement. If Dereck is able to emulate the workrate and desire that he showed against Robert Helenius, and can maintain the confidence to constantly apply pressure, he’ll give Vitali a lot to think about. I’ll certainly be having a good wager on him.’

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Chisora turned down a 70,000 offer from a sponsor who wanted to put their logo on the bottom of his boots.

Clearly, they were confident the Brit would spend enough time on the canvas to make the investment worthwhile, but Chisora turned his nose up at the money.

Practice makes perfect: Chisora (right) faces the toughest test of his career against Klitschko

Countdown: Vitali Klitschko (left) has not lost since 2003 when he was beaten by Lennox Lewis

'I’m not here to make up the numbers and no one was going to put their logo on the soles of my boots,' he told the Daily Telegraph. 'Doing that would have been like a white flag of surrender even before I stepped into the ring.

'Why would I want anyone to advertise on the soles of my boots The only time you’ll see the soles of my feet is when I’m dead. Or maybe running for a bus but believe me, I won’t be running on Saturday night.

Klitschko v Chisora is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 456/ Virgin Ch. 546) on Saturday, 18 February.

Lennox Lewis warns David Haye over Vitali Klitschko fight

Posted on February 7, 2012 by adminsports

Haye must prove himself again in the ring before taking on a Klitschko, warns Lennox

Lennox Lewis has warned David Haye that he could further tarnish his reputation if he comes out of retirement and rushes straight in to a fight with either of the Klitschko brothers.

Haye surrendered his WBA heavyweight title to WBO and IBF champion Wladimir Klitschko last summer with a highly disappointing points defeat which he partly blamed on a broken little toe.

The Bermondsey fighter hung up his gloves following the defeat but has since vowed to return to the ring – but only to fight Wladimir or his brother Vitali, who holds the WBC belt.

On stage: Lennox Lewis and Bar Refaeli at the Laureus World Sports Awards

Haye is confident that he can beat either of the brothers, but Britain's previous heavyweight champion Lewis insists the 31-year-old should have two low-key build-up fights first before launching himself in to a contest against either of the Ukrainian brothers, who between them have dominated the division for the best part of a decade.

'David should come out of retirement,' said Lewis, speaking at the Laureus Awards in London on Monday night. 'He should come back, but he should not think about the Klitschkos right now.

'He should beat a couple of other people, so people actually think: “yeah, you know, he can do it this time, he can beat a Klitschko”.

Embarrassing: David Haye (right) was beaten by Wladimir Klitschko last year

'There is a lot of money for him on the table and that is important for any fighter. All he has to do it is jump in there against one of the Klitschkos and take it, but he should have a couple of different fights first.

'If he beat a couple of other fighters first, he could build himself back up.'

Haye's camp are keen on tying up a deal to fight 40-year-old Vitali in the summer, although the Londoner's trainer and manager Adam Booth admitted last month that negotiations have hit a frustrating impasse.

Instead of agreeing to fight Haye, Vitali has chosen to take on a contest against unfancied Londoner Dereck Chisora.

Chisora, who has lost his last two fights, is a massive underdog for the fight, which will take place in Munich on February 18.

In training: Vitali Klitschko is preparing to fight Londoner Dereck Chisora

Lewis was the last man to beat Vitali some nine years ago, but thinks 28-year-old Chisora could upset the odds by beating the Ukrainian in Germany later this month.

Lewis added: 'Vitali is very good but Chisora has a chance. He is a heavyweight. All it takes is one punch on the chin to win.

'I always say if you walk into the ring, you have to get wet. If he (Klitschko) is in the fight, in the ring, and he gets punched, there is a chance that he might get hurt or knocked out. It will be an interesting fight.'

Haye has accused the Klitschkos of making the heavyweight division boring during their dominance and Lewis seems to agree with his compatriot.

'You could say the division is in a poor state now,' said Lewis, who lost just twice during a glittering 44-fight career that lasted 14 years. 'We are waiting for that new eruption of a great super star out there to really take up the pace of boxing and put it right back up there.'

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