5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - Chisora vs Wilder: One Last Stand?

Episode Date: April 2, 2026

Will it be Derek Chisora or Deontay Wilder getting their hand raised on Saturday night? Ahead of what could be their final fights, Buncey sits down with both fighters, plus promoter Kalle Sauerland.

This is Five Live Boxing. The numbers for Derek Del Boy Chisora and Deonti Wilder on Saturday night at the O2 are simply unavoidable. Combined fights, 98. Combined wins, 80. Combined knockouts, 66. Combined age, 82. Wilder v. Chizora, a heavyweight fight for the ages. That's any age.

I'm Steve Bunce, and this is Five Live Boxing. So, at you'll call it. It's absolutely packed. It's a few hours before the fight, or for the way in, then the fight, and I'm with Calaisal and the man. Well, I want to say you're the man behind this really, because no one seems to want to take credit for it, Cala. Presscovers is just finished.

You're in between them. It's, listen, you know what? I said it up there. I've been fortunate enough to be involved in a lot of big heavyweight nights. Like, you've been, together you and I. Well, you and me, yeah? All over the world. Yeah.

Great name. Klitschko, Hollifield, David Hay, you know, Pavec, Vanuev, you know, rolling back a few years now. There's a lot of years. But you know what? And there's no great a buzzer to promote an undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

But this is different. This is, I think I'm a bit of a fanboy because Deonté Wilder, I've always really admired, you know, he's a puncher. You know, you've got it. You've just got, you know, heavyweight, you love a puncher. They're all punchers, but he is the best puncher. He's the puncher.

And then you've got the character. Yeah. I mean, you know, there were no tables today. I've had those. There were no bottles. There were no bottles today. No one getting bottled. I've had that with Derek.

Yep. There was no kitchen smashed up in the hotel. I've had that with Derek. You know, so, you know, there's nothing I really having had with Derek at a press comments. But today he turns up in a tank. By the way. With Nigel Farage. And then in a full army uniform.

And then comes to, you know, five minutes later, he dresses backstage and comes out as a, I don't know, the Undertaker meets the cowboy. From some sort of spaghetti western. Some spaghetti western. So, you know, he brings that entertainment. And, you know, that's what you want to see. And I could tell from your voice that you weren't joking

when you said, I've been around these big fights, but you sort of hoarse whispered it. You went, but this is the one I'm most looking forward to. It seems ridiculous, but I know what you mean. And it's mad. It's, you know, it's for so many different things. Is it for Derek's farewell? You know, when he put those gloves on many moons ago now the first time.

No, and he's wild. Derek tells a lot of stories sometimes, a great stories. But even that story, he can't tell me that when he put those gloves on the first time, that he expected to be saying farewell in the O2, nearly 20 years later, you know, globally live on the zone all around the world everywhere in the world

you can watch this fight underzone and he's fighting Deonté Wilder the longest serving WBC champion of all time so it's like what part of this farewell evening let's call it

and is it a farewell is it we don't know win-lose you know I get Derek saying it's his farewell well what happens if he wins in the first round what happens if he wins in the first round By the way, like he's just predicted. The ferretel has to continue then, doesn't it?

Yeah, it does, but let's then... Is it a mind game? Because we all know the winner of this is likely to go on and fight Uzzik next. We can talk all about mandatories, we can talk all about scenarios and rankings. It's the heavyweight game. It's the money game. It's the business game.

Absolutely. It's the same thing in a different word. It's the money business game, mate. So forget all the mandatories. Forget them. It doesn't matter. It's about money when it comes to heavy weights in this chapter of Uzik's career, which has been one of the greatest careers of all time in the sport.

And I was lucky enough to put the full strap around him at Cruzeaway six years, seven years ago. And now he's done it. He's done it all. So you think he's going to start to take newcomers in the game, mandatories, not interest. He wants to earn some... He wants big events, big bucks, and let's face it,

these two are two of the biggest names in the business. I don't know if you ever went to Blackpool or somewhere where there were people that tell your fortune at any point in the last 25 years. But if you'd have sat down with Gypsy Rose, whatever her name is, on Blackpool Pier, paid your Fivert 25 years ago, and she'd have said to you, young man.

And she'd have predicted half the things you've done, you would have walked away and said, I've wasted my money. Yeah, I mean, first of all, I wouldn't have paid a five or 25 years ago. Too quick. Two quick. Two quick.

I would have done two pounds. But yeah, listen, I think the first fight I'd done with Derek was 13 years ago. I think you're probably there. Helsinki, Robert. Hellenius. He got robbed. Yeah. He got robbed.

He got robbed. He got robbed. And that was in the very early part of his career. It's not forget, he'd already thought Vitali Klitsko at that stage. And, you know, Vitelli at his peak. And went around. And went around. He went around.

With the British title, no one did that. And it was early on. But instead of taking a breather, he just kept at it, one big fight after another. And one of them lost them. But it was sort of game over. Yeah. Several times, yeah. Not in terms of...

He was poor against Caboelle in Monaco. You know what, I tell you what he was. He was probably as fit as always. He was just flat. Yeah. He was flat. It was gone. It was over.

So how has he done it out? I don't know. Where's this man come from there? I don't think he knows himself because he's stamina. Yeah. is he, you know, he brings war, as he puts it. His war is basically a very high guard, and he stalks you. Early on, he comes, and he does one thing, he stalks you.

And he's good at doing it, by the way. He's a pressure player. He's an expert of doing it. But where he's got better is down the stretch. Yeah. Because the most, obviously, a pressure game is over 12 rounds. And in old times, he didn't manage to do that consistently. He'd have rounds off. He now does it on a consistent basis over 12.

How he does that. We don't know. At this side of his career, you know, he's passed every doping test he ever taken. Yeah, by the way. So there's nothing, there's no foul play in it. Is it genetics? Is it mindset? He said to me, well, I tell what, we'll stop here.

We'll have a little listen to Derek. Here's Derek talking to me, especially about what motivates him now. Microphone check. Microphone check. Derek, thanks for finding a bit of time in what's a very important week for you. Thank you. I've been looking back a little bit over your career, which I've got to do that.

Yes. You know, from the early days all the way through. And I keep landing on that Ajit Kabyel fight, 2017, five years after your first world title fight and five years before your next world title fight. And that was a... Can I say a bad night, or was it just a strange night, Derek?

Because I think that was a pivotal night in your life. You know, that fight made me who I am today. Why is that? without that fight in Monaco I would not be sitting here And what way did it change you? To make you realise that you'd Careful, how I say this,

that you'd maybe wasted some years? No. It's made me... So I'll tell you the story, yeah. Yeah, go on. Had that fight, yeah? Lost that fight, Monaco. I don't want that fight.

Came back to London, sat down, I used to live on a farm, sat down. And I'm like, this is how you want to be remembering. You lost that. to a bomb, whatever. Went out on the weekend,

got into a massive fight in a nightclub, yeah? Soon after that fight? Yeah, so, yeah, a month later, going to a massive nightclub fight, yeah. Beat somebody badly, yeah, got arrested. Fast forward later, something else happened, yeah. And then my mother sat down with me, goes, son, is this the way you want to be remembered?

Yeah. and then she bought a book out of everybody I paid money to she goes look you paid money on this day because you beat this guy up you paid money on this day because you did this you paid money to the bridge bottle controllers because look at all the money you spend because you are not focused what is wrong with you

so that year in I don't know 2007 2017 yeah that year I Captain, I started trying to find a way out, yeah. And I had a massive party on New Year's Eve. Big party. Yeah, big fucking party, you know. I'm like weed, pills. Have a massive party, drinking like a mother. Proper party going all out with my wife. Yeah, friends, everybody going nuts.

Next day I woke up. That was it. born again, went to church, baptized, shaved my hair, done. I used to collect alcohol, soda, all my alcohol, everything done. Sober? Yeah. Stayed in the farm for three months. You know, I lived the farm for three months.

Yeah, stayed there. When I came out, people are like, do you want you in a regular now? I'm sober. That was it. Because of that fight. So that fight did change your life? That fight changed my life.

And then I had the fight with attack him after. after that fight. And after that, something else was missing. And then I went down to meet with David Hay. David Hay. Yeah, and then I said, David Hay, oh, can you manage me? Look to me.

Which was always one of the craziest part of the kids in boxing. Yeah, yeah, he looked to me in shock. It's like, what the hell? And then that was it, bro. And everything happens in life for a reason. And the biggest reason that fight with Cabell was me no winning that fight. It made me who I am today.

And this is why I'm still fighting. Wow. And as it beating you, you might have made him who he is today, one of the best heavyweights in the world. And here you are. All those years later, the two of you, still at the top of your game.

Yeah, we're going to ask you quickly about Deonti Wilder. I've asked you before about Wilder. We're getting closer and closer to the fight. Yes, sir. Any changes in feelings? Because it was a bit of a loving last time. You talked about spending time with each other's families, the whole thing.

Can I be honest with you? Are you crossing the line yet? There's a... Me and him, yeah, we're in our 40s, bro. You know what it is. 49 fights and in your 40s. Yeah. Do you run for the bus now?

You don't run for the bus. You walk for the bus. Yeah, I'll go five minutes early. Yeah, yeah, because... You don't want to put that back where, you know, so when you get older, it's just difficult to try and to find something like, ugh, ugh. You know, there's nothing...

You can't pretend on certain things. Great, I like that. You know, yesterday with the PSM... Morgan and a couple of promoters I'm like, oh, when he's, I'm like, there's nothing there. It's going to be a sellout anyway. Yeah, there's nothing there.

You know, he said why he got into boxing because his daughter was very sick. I'm like, wow, that's a very good story, you know. So how can you try to make something from when a guy is saying his feelings and saying, saying things? There's nothing there. Do you understand?

Of course I understand. But all I can say to the British public again to everybody in the world that when we get in the ring, yeah, it's going to be like, it's out. Yeah. Do you understand? What a crazy contradiction, eh? Yeah, because we're both hungry young men.

Derek, final question. On the subject of hungry young men, I'm sure you watched Moses Itama last weekend. 21 years of age, great finish, seems to have the right attitude. Did you have the pleasure of aspiring with him when he was a schoolboy? Did he ever show up at your gym, dressed as a schoolboy? No, no, no, no. I first saw Moses when he was boxing in the Ocho Arena with cane roses. I don't know who's bill was it.

It was... One of Queensburg's early... Yeah, it was George Joyce versus somebody else. Yeah. That's when I first saw it. Were you impressed on Saturday? Was I impressed? Yeah, were you impressed with his finishing and his demeanor in the way he carries himself?

Moses carries himself very well, you know. Impressed is a very big word. Yeah. I would say he was good, yeah? It was good because our guy was not chucking anything. You know, I would like to see him fight Michael Hunter because he's a young guy who's hungry, and that would be a good test for Moses.

You know, I hear everybody say, oh, he should fight Alexander Yusick. What are we doing that for? There's a pecking order. He's got fucking years on this game. Do you understand? He's got years on this game. He could be in the business like you another 21 years. This is finally a bit a halfway point at his life and boxing.

I saw years in this game. I don't know why everybody wants to say, oh, this and this. I'll tell you why, yeah, mark my words, yeah. Alexander said AJ will be the undisputed champion, yeah? Mark my words, AJ and Moses will fight down the line. What he says there is he's just changed his lifestyle. He's just living healthy, yeah? He was given an ultimatum after Cabal by his mother, by his mother.

By his mother. And I know Derek's a big family man on all levels. and, you know, which, but he's always been, I don't, I'm not quite buying it, because I still hear he's out on town and, you know, I've never seen Derek being a drinker. So I don't, I think, I'll be honest, I, well, and this is another mad story, right?

The man he had the most famous spat with was David Hay. Yeah. Yeah. And after Cabal. And they got together and it was like, you know, you couldn't make it up, but he got together, it was like, What's the biggest enemies, right?

And they loved each other? And, yeah, but David brought out the best of him. Now, David was a notoriously, let's not say bad trainer, but he trained at 11 at night. He was tricky. He was tricky. He was a tricky trainer? He would train at 11 at night.

I remember because I flew over to meet him for fight discussions with Adam Booth and we used to meet a midnight in a strip club because it was the only place we could get a steak, right? Because he needed a steak after training. We talked fights at mid-endip. night in a strip club. Of course. He said, but he didn't get a stake.

But that's David A. So he came into the equation now, right? He's coming to the equation. And now you've got David A, the enemy in the camp and transforms him. And people have got, you've got to give props to David Hay because since then the career has changed. And you look at the fight since, he's always been a much more consistent fighter. Now, what's interesting is. Stuart saw this many, many, many moons ago.

You remember that fight, the two fights in Mannheim where he was meant to fight Vladimir Klitsko. And Vladimir pulled out the first one at 24 hours notice, and Derek knew he would pull out. And then he pulled out a one a year later when then Vlad went on to fight, of course, David Hay. And Mani Stewart told me several years after that, and he literally looked around,

and make sure no one was listening, which was hard because he was on radio at the time, so it's difficult. And he said that Derek was all wrong for Vlad. So Mani knew something. He saw something. And he would have been. He would have been all right.

Because Derek stalks people. But again, what Derek does, early in his career, he didn't have the tank to do it effectively. Absolutely. Now, from wherever this tank has come from, I'm not talking about the tank that we pulled up over London Bridge today on. I'm talking about the tank in his system. That tank seems to be full. And, you know, again, look at him. I mean, he is, I know he's everywhere, but he's, even for every weight,

he's one of the biggest lumps I've ever seen it away in, you know, he's huge. So he uses that physical size, but in old times, when it didn't work, he went flat. He went flat, he got deflated in fights. We saw it in the cabal fight. Got to look bored, and it was all boring. He didn't want to be there. Right, he just moved forward. He moved forward effectively, and he's just now he is, he's coming in with his,

Prime, but he's retiring. He's been retiring. So he says. So he says. Anyway, Callow, he also sat down with Deonti Wilder, and here's the Auntie Wilder talking about fighting at the O2 with me. I've heard many, many tales about the O2, so I'm just looking forward to putting my chap in the book at O2 as well. So this is a nice venue.

It's very exciting. Many guys dreamed of fighting here, and now it's my turn. You do know you're very popular in this country, don't you? I do, I do. I mean, for many years. You know, England, the whole of England, I can't just say London, but all of England, you know, I started off at Shelfield. I was there?

Yeah, man. Long time ago. And there's been nothing but love, nothing but love, love, love. And I... We didn't see very much of you that night, though, did we? Didn't last very long. Not at all. And I'm very appreciative of the people here, you know.

This is a fighter's dream to be here where boxing is the second nation sport here. You know, and every time I come here. I've had nothing but love. I don't have no bad stories of coming here. I have so many fans that love and support me here. So I'm very happy to be back here, the healed version of Deonté Wilder. That's a good version of Deonti Wilder. That's a very good version.

This is me back. Before, you know, I was convincing myself that I was okay, you know, that I would be okay. And I understand that I didn't have enough time to heal, you know. And because of so much that was going on in my life, you know, But physically, mentally and emotionally, I'm truly back, I'm truly healed. And I'm looking forward to discipline that come Saturday night. As you get in your hands done, I'll just carry on talking. You kick me out when you've had enough, okay?

There's no need for that, Shelley. Let's be nice. Just keep it clean. Was there a moment when you just literally woke up one morning and said, listen, I've got to change my life. I've got to do something. If I want to be Deonti Wilder again, I've got to change things. Was there a moment, or was it gradual?

It was just all healing. It's not necessarily me. I have to change my life because I don't live a unhealthy lifestyle. I don't live a dangerous life. I work and go home to my beautiful children of seven. I'm looking for seven more. If it was up to me, I have 50. So with this time?

Yeah, man, it's plenty of time. I got to get these hills moving, you know? So with that being said, you know, it just me had to heal in so many different areas. You know, when you took care of so many people have been. selfless to so many people and in the end they backstab you you know and dealing with injuries as well many times I should have canceled certain fights but my warrior mentality allowed me to proceed on just to see how I would do because I didn't get in this business to to see what I become a champion or see how much fame I could get or how many women I could get or whatever I only got into this

business to risk my life to save a save a life within a uh uh uh uh a little girl that was born with Spina Bifida. You know, I only made these other decision and goal after promising her that Daddy would be a world champion and support her beyond her belief. And now that has happened, you know, a lot of things have occurred during that time. And I'm healed now, you know.

Dante, last question before Shelley kicks me out. And it's kicked me out before. So trust me, it wouldn't be the first time. What do you think it would be like when you walk out, 20,000 people there? Derek will be waiting to come out or he might have gone out first depending on who wins the coin toss

What do you think that would be like Because there will be a great... Just you tell me what you think it would be like I think it's going to be an amazing atmosphere It's going to be electrifying You know, you're going to have some people That's not there for me Which is understandable

And you're going to have a lot of people That is there for me Which is understandable All is understandable And it all plays into the frame of boxing This is what it's all about You know Like I said, I get a lot of love

here so I know I'm going to have a lot of fans that's going to be here and I think it's going to be 50 50 with the with the fans you know I think it is you know so I'm just looking forward to it all you know I think I got the right opponent and I think I'm in the right area as well too so you know I can't complain about anything God is so good and very very final question it's just you Derek and the referee it's about 10 past 10 there's 20,000 people screaming what happens ding ding first bell what happens I'm just going to be cool, calm, and collective. You know, I am going to be a surgeon, a doctor on the surgery table, and I'm going to play operation with him,

and I'm going to make sure I keep my calm. Everything that I've done in training, I must translate it into the actual fight, and I can't get off of my game. Can't get off my game plan of things. And that's what I must be. We know Derek is very dangerous. He's going to come.

For you? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I am. am and I've never faced the one like him out of 50 of 50 fights and he never faced anyone like me so it's going to be very interesting to see what the outcome is going to be come Saturday night

you know what during the last 15 years it's been a pleasure interviewing you've been a gentleman every single time you've always spoken the truth you spoke from the heart you've been great if this is your last fight I'm going to miss you I'm not even going to let your answer let you know thanks very much indeed blessing it's been a pleasure been a pleasure

being here with you guys every time interviewing you guys interviewing me and seeing your faces each and every time so you know the feelings are mutual if this is the last I'm gonna miss you all so wilder there as I said to wilder there Caller you know wilder is loved here and Derek mentioned me at the press conference and it was like one since really sincere moment in the press conference said no you're really loved here and he looked across at wilder how is that what I mean wilder world world is well I mean the generational bang you know what and let's not forget this is for Wilder's for I know he had a fighting Sheffield, but it's his first big show in the UK.

So it's the first time the UK fans who've seen him in all the, you know, obviously the trilogy, I'm not allowed to say the name of this week, I've been told, but in the trilogy, we know what we're talking about. Yes. And all those big fights, those big knockout wins, which attracted so much attention over it. So finally, the UK fans, Saturday night, Easter weekend, in the O2, they're going to see him live and in the flesh.

And that, you know, it's like, it's like watching your favorite band tour in the world and finding they come to the UK. Can I mean, people have responded to, haven't they? They've responded to it. I mean, you get, there is a buzz, there is a buzz. No one's bothered about the age or the records or the recent defeats they've had. It's just the two of them together. It's a bit of chemistry, a bit of alchemy, it's beautiful.

Buncie, when we look back at heavyweight generations, and we, you know, we can look about a few that were we've both been involved in. Yeah. This generation, you know, let's call it. I say it's the post-Tyson Fury, Vladimir Klitschko, Dusseldorf Night, generation. Yeah, absolutely.

That's a great thing. So we're talking, so we are talking, who are the champions there? We're talking about Wilder. Wilder. We're talking about Fury. Yep. We're talking about AJ.

Yeah. Wow. And those are really the ones that define that generation. Now, as, so we got Wilder in there. Now, the character, and by the way, from that period.

By the way, we're blessed as well. Yeah. I was heavily involved in the Klitsko generation. Of course, of course, yeah. But let's put it this way. It wasn't really the generation of characters. No, no, no, that's true. This one has an abundance of character.

You know, Uzik is a fantastic character. Ousick, Fury, Del Boy. They're all exciting. But let's face it, the world champion. Untouchable. Undisputed of all white classes. No WBC belts, sadly. No, no, belt's required.

It's Delboy, right? So it's like, you know, it's, yeah, just the, like I said, you know, I'm a bit of a fanboy this week. Because if I could, I felt the same way this week. If I could make a fight on some computer game, right, boxing fantasy manager. And you go to this generation every week. And it's been a fun generation. And it's coming to an end now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

We know it's coming to an end now. And hopefully we get Fury A.J. Stil and that sort of draws the line under it and who's it retired. You know, and it draws it lovely. This is going to be. part of that generation. And, you know, we can sing it all up now. That's my job. I'm a promoter.

But ultimately, if this fight rock and rolls on Saturday night and all the experts saying it will, right, this will go down in history as a very important part of that generation. The only way this night could possibly be improved is if there were two men on the undercard, close your eyes, son, because you know what's coming. Arta Abraham. He had 764 professional fights with you, as you know,

and Marco the Captain Huck. Hook, those two on the undercard and it's the greatest night ever. You know what's funny? Is the co-features, so we got Vidal Riley, Mastanat, great co-feature European title. At the same weight?

You can bring in Marco Hook, bring him in there, and you're bringing half for Abram in the middleweight when we got the world title with Dental Bentley. Cala, when I say it's a pleasure, I'm on the rest of it. I'm standing up. It's worth standing up.

It's an absolute pleasure, so. Thank you very much. Calla, thank you. That was Cala. Sauerland and myself there, just giving each other a hug, a bit of a man hug. We've been friends for an awful long time, and you can just tell that excitement in his voice, because I've got it as well. This is that type of fight, a generational fight, and sure he might have lost some Derek,

sure he might have lost some world out. It's irrelevant. This is all about alchemy. It's right. Now, we are live from about 7 o'clock on Sports Extra on Saturday night, and then from 10, it will be me, Ritchie Woodall, Jonathan Overend. for Derek Del Boy Chisora against Deonti Wilder.

It's a special fight. It's got just about everything. It's been a busy week and there's also boxing on Sunday but I'm not going to bore you with that right now. I'm Steve Bunce and this has been five live boxing. Welcome to the Wayne Rooney show. Wayne Rooney, Kay Kerd and me, Kelly Summers

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and doing things that shouldn't have really been doing, but you do it because you feel like you have to and I helped us drive on and win the FA Club. The Wayne Rooney show. Watch an eye player, listen on sounds.