Dereck Chisora has his new opponent for October 26.
Promoter Eddie Hearn announced Tuesday that the London-based heavyweight contender will box British veteran David Price in a 12-round fight that night at O2 Arena in London. Chisora was supposed to face former WBO champion Joseph Parker, but New Zealand’s Parker withdrew from their fight last week due to an illness doctors believe was caused by a spider bite.
Chisora-Price will be the co-featured fight on a card that’ll be headlined by 140-pound champions Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor. New Orleans’ Prograis (24-0, 20 KOs) and Scotland’s Taylor (15-0, 12 KOs) will fight for Prograis’ WBA championship and Taylor’s IBF belt in the final of the World Boxing Super Series’ 140-pound tournament.
“It didn’t matter who got in the ring with me on October 26,” Chisora said. “I’m ready for war! Parker b*tched out. It’s like he thinks he is Peter Parker, not Joseph Parker, with his Spider Man excuses. It’s cool. Let him do his thing.
“David Price has stepped up and I’m ready for whatever he brings. If he thinks I’m just going to stand there and be a punch bag, like David Allen, he is in for a shock. This is north versus south, and in my hometown, I write the rules. Saturday, October 26, get ready to scream, timber!”
The Zimbabwe-born Chisora has long resided in London. Price hails from Liverpool.
Their fight will feature two of British boxing’s best-known heavyweights.
The 35-year-old Chisora (31-9, 22 KOs) has won each of his two fights since rival Dillian Whyte (26-1, 18 KOs) knocked him unconscious with a left hook in the 11th round of their rematch last December 22 at O2 Arena. In his last fight, the trash-talking Chisora knocked out Poland’s Artur Szpilka (22-4, 15 KOs) in the second round July 20, also at O2 Arena.
The 36-year-old Price (25-6, 20 KOs) has won three fights in a row since Sergey Kuzmin (15-1, 11 KOs, 1 NC) stopped him following the fourth round of their September 2018 bout at Wembley Stadium in London. In his last appearance, Price defeated domestic rival David Allen (17-5-2, 14 KOs) by technical knockout following the 10th round of their scheduled 12-rounder July 20 at O2 Arena.
“I’m very excited for this fight,” Price said. “I kept in the gym all summer because I had a feeling I had to be ready for a call like this, and ready I am.”
The Chisora-Price and Prograis-Taylor fights will be streamed live by DAZN in the United States. Sky Sports Box Office will offer those bouts on pay-per-view in the United Kingdom (£19.95).
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.