Tuesday 24 July 2018 11:46, UK
Dereck Chisora says even if Dillian Whyte was his "worst enemy" he would still support the fellow Londoner in this weekend’s fight against Joseph Parker.
'Del Boy' will battle Carlos Takam on the undercard of Whyte's crucial heavyweight clash with Parker this Saturday night at The O2, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
A long-running feud between Chisora and Whyte has continued after the Brixton man claimed a disputed points win in 2016, but the Finchley fighter has surprisingly given his backing to 'The Body Snatcher.'
"I want Whyte to win," Chisora exclusively told Sky Sports. "He's a Londoner. If I can't support a Londoner on a day like this, what am I doing?
Even if I hate him, my worst enemy, but if he's from the same neighbourhood, us Londoners have to stick together when we're in times like this.
"Nothing's changed. It's just the god honest truth.
"Even if I hate him, my worst enemy, but if he's from the same neighbourhood, us Londoners have to stick together when we're in times like this."
Chisora admits he is facing a brutal encounter with Takam, who proved his bravery in a 10th-round stoppage loss to Anthony Joshua, while the France-based Cameroonian has also gone the distance in a points loss to Parker.
But the 34-year-old believes Whyte will need to produce a calmer, more composed performance against Parker.
"You know me already. War, war, war," said Chisora.
"I know my coach will be like 'please Del,' but listen, I'm a gladiator, I'm a fighter, so I have to go to war. I can't help it.
"He's [Whyte] a Londoner, I want the Londoner to win, but he's boxing a boxer here, so he has to adapt to this guy.
"From what I know of Parker, he's got good hand speed. He's fast and Dillian is going to get hit, and he's going to try and prove something, because it's his home crowd.
"I see this fight going 12 rounds. There won't be knockout in this fight. Somebody will be losing by points."
Watch Dillian Whyte vs Joseph Parker with Katie Taylor, Dereck Chisora, Joshua Buatsi and Conor Benn all on the undercard, live on Sky Sports Box Office, from The O2, Saturday, July 28.
You can book via your Sky remote, via sky.com/boxofficeonline here and even if you aren't a Sky subscriber you can book and watch it via skysports.com/boxofficelive
