Slapping, Spitting and Scuffling: The Night British Boxing Will Want To Forget

Described by many as an 'embarrassment to British boxing', the post-bout clash between Dereck Chisora and David Haye has thrust heavyweight boxing back into the limelight for less than savoury reasons.

Reading the morning papers, anyone unfortunate enough to have missed the actual fight could be forgiven for thinking that the match had been between Chisora and Haye, with what should have been the story of the night becoming somewhat overshadowed.

Chisora was actually in Germany to fight the Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko for the WBC Heavyweight championship, and if truth be told, he put up a brave fight that should have endeared him not only to British boxing fans, but the world.

He went down fighting, and despite Chisora's defeat it was clear that the 40-year-old Klitschko knew he had been in a proper fight. So often he and his brother appear to demolish their opponents with a frightening level of ease. This was certainly not the case in this one.

But if sportsmanship and humility are two of the most admired traits in British sportsmen and women, the Zimbabwe-born 28-year-old displayed neither of them.

"Considering this is now Chisora's third defeat on the bounce... it seems only right that he must now join the queue."

Barely a minute after the final bell had sounded, Chisora was already goading his opponent and brother Wladimir, squaring up to them and calling for a rematch.

A rematch would certainly be a spectacle, but considering this is now Chisora's third defeat on the bounce, combined with the fact that Vitali Klitschko was the clear and deserved winner of the fight, it seems only right that he must now join the queue.

Having already slapped Vitali at the weigh-in, Chisora then proceeded to spit a mouthful of water into Wladimir's face just moments before the fight was to begin.

At the post-fight press conference he brought further shame upon himself by getting involved in that tussle with David Haye.

Some will argue that this raises the profile of British heavyweight boxing, and the sensible money would surely now have to go on the summer's big fight being between Chisora and Haye.

If this were to come to fruition, promoters would be sure to have no problem selling tickets, while Sky TV would be desperate to book it for one of their pay-per-view channels.

It would be a spectacle that few will want to miss, and quite possibly the most hyped all British heavyweight fight since the 'Battle of Britain' between Lennox Lewis and Frank Bruno back in 1993.

With both fighters renowned for their pre-fight publicity stunts, there would no doubt be plenty of drama and controversy leading up to it.

For now though, the inquest into how damaging Chisora's recent antics have been for the reputation of British boxing will surely rumble on for weeks to come.