The champ and the challenger were all smiles as they continually (and, it must be said, somewhat strangely) shook hands, patted one another on the back and acted like old friends. Okay, it’s good to see two pros acting as such, with none of the trash-talking that has become so dull as of late, but a little bit of needle can go a long way towards shifting tickets.
Still, despite the pleasantries, “Del Boy,” dressed in a Muhammad Ali cap and T-shirt, had some interesting things to say to the beaming WBC ruler.
“You getting ready?” Chisora asked.
“Of course,” replied Vitali.
“Good, that’s what I wanna hear. We’re gonna have fun. This is going to be the best fight you’ve ever had.
“I hope so,” said Klitschko.
Later on, Vitali, dressed in a smart jacket, looked at Chisora’s T-shirt and asked him if he wants to be like Ali.
“No, you’re trying to be like Ali,” Chisora said.
Both men then posed whilst raising a fist, the pair looking in fighting shape already. Klitschko, as we know, never gets out of shape, and Chisora looked today to be in better shape than he was on the actual day of his losing fight with Tyson Fury.
With over a month to go until fight time, both men are certain to be in magnificent condition. Underneath his smile, Klitschko, 43-2(40) might just be expecting a tough night. Chisora, despite his own laidback manner, is clearly pumped up big time for this chance.
There will hopefully be no repeat of what happened ahead of his shot at Wladimir, when Chisora saw his chance disappear twice (the last time agonisingly close to the first bell) – and this time the sometimes eccentric, sometimes charismatic, sometimes exciting former British heavyweight champ will be able to test his stuff against the best (or second best) big man on the planet.
Something tells me we are in for a classic on Feb. 18th!
“Where’s his title – my title soon-to-be?” Chisora asked a cameraman. “I’ll be taking that title home.”
Maybe he will.