Derek Chisora has slammed Tyson Fury and his team over their "bitterness" regarding Anthony Joshua after they were unable to put a fight together with his long-time rival.
After talks broke down at the 11th hour for a super-fight between Fury and Joshua, Chisora was drafted in to be the heavyweight champion's opponent on December 3. The British duo have already fought twice before, with Fury winning both of their initial bouts comfortably.
Chisora is managed by Joshua's 258 Management firm, and is close friends with the two-time heavyweight champion. He believes that Fury's team are too bitter towards his pal, believing it could be to do with Joshua having more natural likability than his rival who has lost a lot of momentum with fans after announcing a £27 price point for his bout with Chisora.
Speaking with the Queensberry Promotions YouTube channel, Chisora noted that they were following in Joshua's footsteps by bringing a major fight to Tottenham Hotspur's new stadium in London. Matchroom Boxing brought Joshua to the flashy 63,000-seat ground in September of last year to fight Oleksandr Usyk for its first boxing event, and Fury's team are now doing the same.
"You know, they've got so much bitterness towards Anthony Joshua and I'm not sure why," Chisora noted. "Is it because he's more likeable than Tyson Fury? Is that why they've got this bitterness every time they [talk about him]. Every time people say Anthony Joshua they say Tyson Fury, so there's a bitterness in that situation, it's just bitterness.
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"Basically, AJ and Eddie Hearn with 258 started a trend and suddenly now they're here in Tottenham following in AJ's footsteps. Im only here because it's where they told me the fight would be... The fans will be behind boxing, there's so much s*** going on in the world and people just want a release."
Chisora is a popular fighter with British fans, but is believed to be far below the level to be challenging the likes of Fury for the world heavyweight title. However, the champion argues he gave his fellow title holder Oleksandr Usyk a tougher test than Joshua in either of their bouts when they met in October of 2020, arguing Chisora may have even won that fight with different judges.
Fury has never lost as a professional, including two victories over Chisora, while his opponent next month has tasted defeat 12 times in his 45 fights. He just ended a three-fight losing skid by taking a split decision victory over former world title contender Kubrat Pulev in London earlier this year.
