Sunday 11 December 2016 14:03, UK
Dillian Whyte claimed a split decision points win over Dereck Chisora after a thrilling battle between the British heavyweight rivals at the Manchester Arena.
A heated feud had boiled over again in fight week, with Chisora receiving a heavy fine following the ugly scenes at their news conference, but Whyte would have the final word as he took victory with scores of 115-113 and 115-114, while the third judge scored it 115-114 to 'Del Boy.'
Chisora marched across the ring from the opening bell and quickly unloaded his heavy hooks, but Whyte was keeping his cool, countering well with body shots and stiff jabs.
There would be more raw aggression from Chisora in the second as he bullied the 'Body Snatcher' to the ropes, while the Finchley fighter landed two more looping left hands in the third round.
The bullish, brute strength of Chisora seemed to be unsettling Whyte and this slow-burning fight exploded into life in the fifth round.
A huge hook from Chisora left Whyte on unsteady legs and he withstood a clubbing right hand, only for the Brixton man to launch a savage assault of his own in the closing minute as he fired back with straight rights.
Both men continued where they left off in the sixth, with Whyte immediately unloading a big left on Chisora, who seemed to be feeling the effects of his sustained attack in the last round.
Chisora soon regained his appetite for battle and traded with reckless abandon in the eighth as a left hook wobbled Whyte, who earned a rebuke from referee Terry O'Connor for throwing a wild punch after the bell.
Whyte's cleaner work in the ninth could not be questioned, but Chisora seemed to edge the 10th, landing an uppercut and a right hand.
With two rounds remaining, Whyte sensed the need to finish strongly, and both were wobbled and missed wildly, but he would emerge with a narrow victory that prompted calls for a rematch.
