/ 21 February 2012

Klitschko hopes to ‘punish’ Chisora in rematch

World heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko said he wants to grant Dereck Chisora a rematch to “punish” the British fighter for his part in the shocking brawl in Munich with David Haye at the weekend.

Klitschko defended his WBC heavyweight title on Saturday night with a unanimous win over Chisora, but in the after-fight press conference, the Brit traded blows and insults with compatriot and former champion David Haye.

Both Chisora (28) and Haye (31) are under investigation by German police, who have said the pair could both face prison sentences or fines.

After Chisora slapped him in the face at the pre-fight weigh-in, then spat water in the face of his brother Wladimir Klitschko just before the title bout, Vitali Klitschko has said he is appalled by Chisora’s behaviour.

“In spirit, I have no need for revenge, but my ego tells me that this man deserves real punishment. I want to knock him out in the ring,” the Ukrainian champion told German daily Die Welt.

Chisora could face a life ban when he appears before a British Boxing Board of Control hearing on March 14 and only if he keeps his licence would a re-match be possible.

Thomas Puetz, the president of Germany’s Professional Boxers (BdB) Federation, has said he wants Chisora to be banned from fighting, which would rule out any rematch here, and on Sunday he branded Chisora a “public menace”.

Both Chisora and Haye issued apologies on Monday, but the fall-out from their well-documented brawl is likely to last some time.

Chisora was detained and questioned by Munich police on Sunday before being released while Haye flew back to Britain before police could speak to him.

Klitschko (40) damaged his left shoulder in the fight and will take six to eight weeks off, but has said he would like to fight Chisora again, preferably before the start of Euro 2012 on June 8, to be co-hosted by his home country.

Having seen Chisora leave the press conference stage to confront Haye, who was working at the fight as a pundit, Klitschko said he was shocked to hear the pair trade insults and blows with Chisora shouting that he wanted to “shoot” Haye.

“I saw it all from the stage, I thought I was in some kind of film,” said Klitschko.

“Sooner or later in life a man gets his just punishment.

“You can’t behave like that as an athlete or as a normal person.

“This was lower than low, I thought it was a play act and just for show, but then I realised that it wasn’t.

“He must be sick in the head, when you think of all he has done.

“The slap in the face, he spat at Wladimir in the ring, then he fought at the press conference and threatened to shoot someone.

“How can anyone behave like that? It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it.

“What is in this guy’s head? Everything I have seen of him is just a nightmare.”

Before Saturday’s melee, Vitali Klitschko had been tipped to defend his WBC title against Haye in Germany this June, but the Ukrainian said he is just as unimpressed with the Haye-maker, who lost to Wladimir last July in Hamburg.

“They are both cut from the same cloth. The same thing applies to him [Haye] as to what I said about Chisora,” said Klitschko. — AFP