Derek Chisora Vs Deontay Wilder Press Conference Notes – Breaking Boxing News

Live from Glaziers Hall in London, UK, two immovable forces in Derek “War” Chisora and Deontay Wilder stepped up to the stage to discuss their upcoming head-on collision on April 4 at London’s O2 Arena, live exclusively on DAZN worldwide and presented by MF Pro and Queensberry Promotions.

Widely regarded as the toughest heavyweight of his generation, Derek Chisora (36-13, 23 KOs) and Deontay Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) encompass a must-see showdown as both fighters will be making their 50th professional bout appearance, putting pride, legacy, and the future of their careers on the line in this high-stakes heavyweight spectacle. The winner will immediately be thrust into the boxing world spotlight as they’ll earn a chance at dethroning Oleksandr Usyk.

Most recently, Wilder – the former WBC heavyweight champion – ended a two-fight losing streak after he put down Tyrrell Herndon via a seventh-round TKO last June. This time around, he’ll aim to stack back-to-back victories against one of England’s top heavyweights over the last decade-plus. As for Chisora, the former heavyweight title challenger is enjoying a career revival after winning three consecutive fights over Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce, and Otto Wallin.

Hosted by Adam Smith, below is what the fighters and their teams had to say ahead of the iconic heavyweight showdown.

Deontay Wilder

On why this fight against Derek Chisora and why now…

“I believe in divine timing. Why not here? Some of the best boxing fans in the world live here. We have the O2 Arena, Derek Chisora, and I’m looking forward to this…I need it. I need Derek more than he needs me. I feel like I’ve been broken down and rebuilt, with high spirits. I can’t wait.”

On this being a must-win fight…

“This is definitely a must win for me. Not only a win, but I need a devastating win. I need a knockout. I don’t want anyone to get our friendship misconstrued – we don’t fake it. That said, when fight night arrives, everything will switch off. You will see two enemies in the ring that are going to try to whoop each other. I told Derek [Chisora], ‘I want you to try to kill me,’ because I need that.”

On why he has so much respect for Derek Chisora…

“Respect is earned and not given. This is another man who risks his life in the ring. This is all I ever felt from him. When you get out of the ring and release that energy, it brings you closer. I think this fight will bring us even closer.”

On who is the star of this fight…

“I don’t think one name is bigger than the other. Many guys wouldn’t fight their friends, so you know we have sick minds to want to fight each other like this.”

On if he can get back into his fighting mentality after the Fury fight…

That mentality is there and ready to bust out. It will be there on April 4. I’ve been through a lot outside of the ring. I’ve had to do a lot of work mentally. We’re fighters but we’re not robots. We have lives outside of boxing and emotions. In life, no one person has it all figured out. But here I am now, rebuilding myself. I still have more left. The fire is still in me and it will show.”

Derek Chisora

On why the buildup to the fight seems so cool and casual…

“We’re old – can you imagine two grown men wrestling? We want to sell this fight in a different way. There’s so much love between me and him [Deontay Wilder]…I always wanted to fight him. One of my favorite things about this whole thing is I introduced him to fish and chips…he’s my boy.”

On finally getting to see this matchup…

“If fighters speak to each other then fights would be happening. If you want to fight somebody, speak to them yourself. I’m just happy me and him [Deontay Wilder] are fighting and that Frank [Warren] is with me today.”

On what his last fight holds…

“Right now we’re just happy to be in the same room hanging out with each other. But when he [Deontay Wilder] arrives in April for that first press conference, it’s done. The friendship is out the window. Then after four, five, six rounds, when we hug and shake, we’ll be back as brothers.”

On who is the star in this fight…

“We are both the stars. I believe if he [Deontay Wilder] wasn’t here, we probably wouldn’t have this big crowd here. He has better knockouts than me, so I think he’s a bigger star than me.”

Amer Abdallah, President, MF Pro

On being involved in this heavyweight event…

“For me, Derek [Chisora] and Deontay [Wilder] are personal friends of mine, so to be able to put a fight like this together is a tremendous honor. This is MF Pro coming out of the gates and this is traditional boxing, our inception with Chisora and Wilder. It couldn’t be better to have Frank [Warren] and Queensberry as our partner promoter, while also being aired worldwide on DAZN. April 4 is going to be an absolute blast.”

Alfie Sharman, VP at DAZN

On what makes this fight appealing…

“These two are icons of heavyweight boxing. It’s going to be an amazing throw down on April 4, live exclusively on DAZN and at the O2.”

Shelly Finkel, Wilder Manager

On what excites him about the challenge of Deontay Wilder going against Derek Chisora…

“Everyone says how calm and mild this guy is, but I know the other Chisora. I was there when he turned the table over and I had to jump to get out of the way. This is a great test. I believe my guy will win, but I don’t think it’s easy by any means. It’s a very dangerous fight and I’m glad I’m part of it.”

“My guy is coming to win, and win by knockout. And if he doesn’t, it’s because he’s [Deontay Wilder] as good as people say.”

Kalle Sauerland, MF Pro

On if this fight is win-at-all-cost for both fighters…

“Let’s keep it real, they’re [Chisora and Wilder] at the twilight of their careers. But what a crime it would be if this generation didn’t get to see this fight. They both have their legacies, but it might be time to say goodbye to one of them on April 4.”

Frank Warren, Chairman and Founder of Queensberry Promotions

On his excitement going into this fight…

“I’m a fight fan. Some fights have fight written all over it, and this is one of those. In this fight, it’s the facts of life. The loser will go home and the winner will go on. Both of these guys [Chisora and Wilder] are walk forward fighters. As soon as that bell goes you’re going to get a war.”

Boxing fans can sign up for DAZN Ultimate and get a minimum of 12 PPVs a year, including access to this month’s The Ring: High Stakes Ryan Garcia vs. Mario Barrios as well as this explosive heavyweight encounter at no extra cost.

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