Police were required at the Olympiahalle in Munich tonight after British heavyweights David Haye and Dereck Chisora brawled with each other in an incident which saw Haye's manager Adam Booth suffer a nasty facial cut.
After losing a brave 12-round decision to WBC champion Vitali Klitschko, Chisora mocked the onlooking Haye for his poor performance against Klitschko's ******* Wladimir last year and tried to goad his rival into a future bout.
Chisora then confronted Haye during the press conference and the two men grappled around the room with onlookers and entourages getting involved. At one stage Haye swung a camera tripod violently at Chisora's trainer Don Charles after trading blows with him, while Chisora brandished a glass bottle moments later.
Booth somehow suffered a gash on his forehead and claimed to have been 'glassed'.
Police arrived as the incident calmed down and were on hand as Chisora eventually left the arena some time later. Detectives refused to confirm whether official action has been taken or whether an investigation is planned.
After putting up a decent showing against Klitschko, Chisora and his promoter Frank Warren appeared to be trying to goad Haye into a high-profile fight between the two Londoners.
"David, you and me can get it on in London. Be quiet.
"David Haye is an embarrassment. Sky Sports don't do Box Office because of David Haye. He messed up Box Office for all the young fighters and I'm going to give him two slaps for that.
"If David Haye is a fighter he should fight me. Let's fight, me and you."
"David, how's your toe?" Chisora repeatedly shouted at Haye, referring to the injury he blamed his loss to Wladimir Klitschko on.
Haye, ignoring a low-key win for Chisora last year, retorted: "You've had three losses in a row."
Chisora then said: "Do you want to tell me to my face? Tell me to my face!"
Chisora then left the stage, approached Haye and went nose-to-nose before appearing to push the former champion and initiate the brawl which lasted at least five minutes.
While the Klitschkos stood and watched, Haye left the scene while Booth, with ***** running down his face, shouted at Chisora: "Derek, man-to-man, I want to know who glassed me. Someone hit me with a bottle."
Chisora answered: "Did you see me with a glass?"
Chisora was, in fact, seen with a bottle in his hand, but he was wrestled away by a security guard.
After being confronted by Booth, Chisora told Haye's trainer-manager: "If you and David want it (the fight), then we can do it. Either in the ring or outside the ring. You let me know. I want it.
"You tell him; his entourage has got nothing on my entourage. I'm going to find him.
"Your boy had a bottle."
Even by boxing's often chaotic standards the unsavoury incident was shocking, drawing gasps and cries of alarm as those involved fell about the room, knocking equipment over.
During the melee, Booth and Haye criticised the Ukrainians' manager Bernd Boente for not agreeing a fight between the Englishman and WBC champion Vitali.
After watching the unexpected drama unfold, Wladimir Klitschko told the BBC: "I'm totally disappointed, it went a little too far, the sport of boxing shouldn't be like that.
"****** faces in the press conference... fighting in the ring, not out. I'm really surprised."
A fight between the two domestic rivals had not been too far-fetched a possibility either after Chisora's brave showing against Vitali.
Few expected him to last beyond the opening round, especially after he angered the 40-year-old by slapping him and the pre-fight weigh-in and then spitting water into ******* Wladimir's face in the ring.
But he was composed throughout the bout and, although he lost comfortably on points (118 - 110 twice and 119-111), he did his chances of becoming a world name no harm at all."I came here to fight and that's what I did and the only thing that beat me today was experience," he said of his performance.
"An experienced fighter today won the fight . Did he hurt me? No."
Chisora also felt he could have done better than he actually did, adding: "I'm very disappointed with myself, I didn't really work my jab, which I wanted to do.
"I'm very disappointed with myself but you know what I gave a great fight and all the fans at home and all over the world know that I gave a great fight. I didn't come here to get paid I came here to win and the only thing that beat me tonight was experience."
Haye, who was commentating for BoxNation, spent the evening calling out Vitali, who he hopes to fight this summer, despite technically being in retirement.
