Joseph Parker’s manager has slammed Dereck Chisora and labelled the veteran British boxer a big baby after he threatened to pull out of their heavyweight showdown because of a dispute about the order of their ring walks.
David Higgins said the 29-year-old Kiwis team were disregarding the row as a sideshow ahead of the clash in Manchester on Saturday (Sunday NZ time).
I liken this issue to a big baby throwing his toys out of the cot. It’s dishonourable and unnecessary, Higgins told Stuff.
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Dereck Chisora and Joseph Parker at their face-off in Manchester.
Look, the fight is on, it’s going ahead, and Chisora walks first and Joseph second. It’s as simple as that.
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Higgins is not with Parker in England but has spoken with Chisoras manager, former British heavyweight David Haye, after the dispute erupted following the pairs weigh-in on Friday (Saturday NZ time).
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Dereck Chisora and Joseph Parker weighed in before the fight on Sunday (NZ time).
Chisora, 37, was unhappy after a losing a coin toss to decide the order of their ring walks.
Haye flipped on Chisoras behalf. Parker won and chose to walk out second.
It means Chisora stands in the ring waiting for Joseph, and it can get a bit cold, and he could get anxious or whatever, Higgins said.
It’s a psychological advantage to Parker.
That coin toss prompted Chisora to tell the UKs Sky Sports: Either I come in second or I’ll go home right now.
Higgins said Chisora could not withdraw from the fight at the last minute, or there would be dire consequences.
There would be massive lawsuits and damages to [promoters] Matchroom and all the TV companies around the world, he said.
If he wants to be bankrupted and sued for $10 million and never fight again, this is a great way to do it.
David Higgins says Dereck Chisora is being a big baby after threatening to pull out of the fight with Joseph Parker.
Chisora has been calling Joseph a chicken, but this is just ridiculous. He’s a big baby, throwing his toys, and to not fight would be dishonourable, dishonest, and [he’d be] a chicken.
It would ruin Chisora’s reputation, nobody would work him again, no TV company would sign him again, he’d effectively retire in disgrace and be sued and bankrupted.
Higgins said all parties, including Chisora, signed contracts stating that who walked second to the ring would be decided by a flip of a coin.
Earlier, Haye said Chisora would not enter the ring first.
I genuinely can’t see the fight happening, if Dereck is told to come first, he told the UK’s Sky Sports.
I know it makes zero sense. He agreed it, he signed the contract.
He’s just that guy, he doesn’t care, and unfortunately that’s just the way it is.
Parker, meanwhile, dismissed the dispute as more drama.
Former world heavyweight champion David Haye plays his part as Kiwi gets an unexpected guest at the table.
It’s fight time now, he told the UKs Sky Sports. It’s time for business. We’re here to fight, we’re ready.
Chisora didnt back down from his stance in a later interview with IFLTV in the UK.
But he also didn’t clarify whether he was serious with his earlier threat about pulling out of the fight.
Im just being a d…, you know, but lets see what happens, Chisora said.
Im still here, but we’ll see when David [Haye] comes to my room later on.
And by the way, my driver is coming up from London.
Chisora said he was unhappy about being shafted.
This is my pay-per-view. Come on. Why should we always let British guys get shafted every time? Why?
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Joseph Parker posing at the weigh-in.
If the fans were coming to watch, they’d be coming to watch me, not Joseph Parker.
However, Higgins, after speaking with Haye following the coin toss row, was adamant the fight was going ahead.
Maybe he thinks he’s going to rattle Joseph psychologically on the home straight. It’s unnecessary rubbish, he said of Chisora.
Chisora was heavier at the weigh-in, tipping the scales at 113kg, while Parker was 109kg.
