Team Haye: We Left Home Early After Chisora Gun Threat

By Edward Chaykovsky

Adam Booth, the manager and trainer of former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye, denied published reports that he and his boxer flew home early to avoid the Munich police. Haye and fellow British boxer Dereck Chisora were involved in a violent brawl at the post-fight press conference to Chisora's fight with Vitali Klitschko. Chisora was arrested at the airport and taken to a local precinct for questioning. He was later released and flew back to the UK with trainer Don Charles.

Booth and Haye did not return to their hotel, as they were trying to avoid another violent incident with Chisora, who shouted several times that he was going to find Haye and "personally shoot" him with a gun. Chisora has alleged that Haye cut him with a battle.

Booth told The Daily Telegraph on Sunday night: “We have not been contacted or called by the German police. Of course we would answer any questions, and would go to Germany to be interviewed. We have nothing to run away from. We left the press conference, and it would have been stupid to go back to the same hotel as Chisora and his mob. He had said he was going to assault David, and then screamed he was going to shoot him and burn him. We decided to go to the airport and get an early flight home."

Although the photos found on BoxingScene  would indicate that Haye threw the first punch, Booth explains that Chisora approached his boxer in a violent manner and placed his first on Haye's chin - which the BoxingScene photos also indicate .

“What David did was a defensive reflex. The man said he was going to slap him, walked 20 yards towards him, took his jacket off, went straight into a headbutt and shoved his fist into David’s chin. Everything was a defensive reflex from David.”

The British Boxing Board of Control will investigate the situation and Chisora could possibly lose his license to box.