Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora have ‘unfinished business’ which could be settled in a trilogy fight, says David Haye

Dillian Whyte has been challenged by David Haye to prove “he would fight anyone” by accepting a third clash with Derek Chisora in two weeks’ time.

Chisora and his manager Haye are campaigning for a quick turnaround to relight their rivalry with Whyte, whose bout on November 21 against Alexander Povetkin has been postponed because the Russian is in hospital with Covid-19.

Chisora was outpointed by Oleksandr Usyk last weekend but told promoter Eddie Hearn he would take the fight against Whyte just three weeks later.

“The proposition of Whyte-Chisora III? Both fights were epic,” Haye told Sky Sports News.

Whyte won their first fight via a controversial split decision, then knocked out Chisora in the second.

“The first was a fight of the year,” Haye said. “The second? It was back and forth, Derek was winning, had a couple of points taken off and got stopped in the 11th round.

“There is unfinished business there.”

Old rivals Whyte and Chisora have already clashed on social media.

Chisora said: “I’m ready to go, donkey.” But Whyte replied: “No you are not ready.”

Haye continued: “Eddie Hearn wants Whyte to jump in with Tyson Fury who still hasn’t got an opponent [for December 5] but I’ve heard (Fury’s UK-based promoter) Frank Warren say that categorically isn’t going to happen.

“Why would the WBC champion fight someone who just got knocked spark out in his last fight? If he beat Povetkin, then for sure, he would be mandatory challenger. But after getting knocked out so spectacularly? That position evaporates.

“I can’t see another fight that Whyte could have that is worthy with an opponent that is in shape.

“You could pick Andy Ruiz Jr or Luis Ortiz but how good would they be on two weeks’ notice?

“Derek is in shape. They saw him at the weekend pushing in every moment of every round.

“I think it’s a great fight. Dillian said he’s the ‘can man’.

“‘Anyone who wants it can get it!’.

“We’ve heard him say he would fight anyone but everyone is running from him. Well, we’ve got someone here! What are you going to do?”

Haye says Chisora is “ageing like a fine wine” and has emerged unscathed from 12 rounds in the ring with Usyk.

“Derek is 36. Opportunities like this to avenge a loss? He knows Whyte isn’t going to give him 12 weeks for a rematch,” Haye explained.

“He knows that he’s better than Whyte. He reviewed their last fight – unfortunately he got scrappy and desperate after getting points deducted. He knows that he underperformed.

“Now he’s significantly fitter, his punch volume is better, his defence is better.

“On two weeks’ notice he would put forth a significantly better effort than he did in their second fight.

“Derek might be 85 or 90 per cent but that is more than enough to beat Whyte.

“Povetkin has a similar style to Chisora – short, wide, stocky, big-punching, come-forward fighters. In theory Whyte would have an advantage because he has trained for someone of Derek’s style.

“The benefit is in Dillian’s favour but Derek doesn’t care.

“Usyk didn’t fight, he ran away. Derek fights better when people come at him.

“Derek lost 7-5 on two of the judges’ scorecards [against Usyk]. That’s a close fight. Meaning that one more round to Derek and it would have been a draw.

“No-one gave Chisora a chance but it was a spirited effort. He’s just getting going now.”

Haye has warned that Chisora is much-improved from the two previous occasions he faced Whyte.

“Who is the better fighter? Dillian thinks he is. But he hasn’t watched his most recent fight too many times,” said Haye.

“We’ll see what Dillian’s appetite is for this trilogy.

“This version of Derek? The Derek we saw on Saturday would knock out the Whyte that we saw against Povetkin.

“I talked to Derek. I gave him the news that Povetkin has pulled out.

“I’ve heard Whyte has asked for Carlos Takam who was knocked out by Chisora!

“Derek said, ‘I’ll take it, I’m fresh, my hands and face are fine, I’m good to go’.”

Will Whyte wait for Povetkin?

Whyte’s rematch with Povetkin is now being targeted for January 30.

Povetkin’s promoter Andrey Ryabinskiy said: “The Povetkin-Whyte rematch has been postponed. Povetkin fell ill with a coronavirus infection and is now under the supervision of doctors in one of the Moscow clinics, taking care of his health.

“The course of the disease is normal: there is a fever, but there are no critical complications. We will hope that he will be able to recover quickly enough, but we think that the fight will only take place next year.

“There is no talk about changing the opponent at the moment. Povetkin will box with Whyte.”

Haye reacted to the fight’s postponement, saying: “I was shocked. I was looking forward to a much-anticipated rematch.

“Getting knocked spark out was the polar opposite result that people expected. People expected Whyte to be too much, too young, too fresh.

“I thought Whyte would win the rematch, right the wrongs, stay away from the left uppercut and win comfortably, probably with a stoppage in the first six rounds.”

Whyte lost his status as the mandatory challenger to Tyson Fury’s WBC heavyweight champion in August when, after flooring Povetkin twice, he suffered a come-from-behind knockout defeat.

(c) Sky Sports 2020: Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora have ‘unfinished business’ which could be settled in a trilogy fight, says David Haye