Cleverly: No Need To Be Too Harsh on Chisora, Haye

WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly insists talk of life bans for Dereck Chisora and David Haye is "way over the top" despite their shocking press conference brawl on Saturday.

Chisora has been called before the British Boxing Board of Control next month after the unsavoury incident in Munich following his points defeat by WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.

Chisora has been arrested, questioned and released by German police, who still want to speak to Haye.

He still has to answer to boxing chiefs, though, with speculation in some quarters that he could be banned permanently. Haye is officially retired, so holds no licence, but would be answerable to the British Boxing Board of Control if he wanted to regain it and fight Klitschko.

Lifetime bans are unlikely, though, and unbeaten star Cleverly said: "I was surprised at the extent of the events and how much ferocity was involved.

"It's a shame, it was not a good day for British boxing. The fighters have to learn from that.

"I think a lifetime ban is way over the top. It only needs a small punishment to learn the lessons from what happened."

Cleverly, a Cardiff University mathematics graduate who defends his title against American Tommy Karpency this weekend, believes more could be done to stop such chaos.

"I would say they should step up security at press conferences," said the Welshman, who nearly came to blows with bitter rival Tony Bellew at a press conference last year until security intervened. "There was no security to be seen in Munich.

"Fighters are fighters, they are naturally aggressive and in the heat of the moment can flip out. So it's important security is stepped up - I don't think there will be a problem then."

Another clean-cut British star, Sheffield's Kell Brook, admitted the fracas on Saturday was "terrible".

"I'm a role model to kids and other fights so I'd never conduct myself in the way they did last weekend," he said.

"I think it's terrible for boxing, with the language and the things they did, which were very bad for the sport. If it was me, it would be tongue-in-cheek, if anything, it would never be to that terrible extent.

"It's up to the Board to decide how to act. I'm just a fighter. I don't know what punishment they should get."

Brook, who faces domestic rival Matthew Hatton on March 17, admits the incident did pique his interest.

He said: "I'd like to see the fight between them now, though, because people are talking about it and bearing in mind what's gone on, with that much hatred, you want to see them fight now."

Brook's promoter Eddie Hearn is keen to move on from the brawl.

He said: "I was shocked, really. But we have to remember that this was an isolated incident.

"There are something like 18,000 bouts a year, but how often do we see something like this happen?

"They know what they've done wrong. They have disgraced themselves, end of story. Now it is time to move on."