Derek Chisora threatens to pull out of Joseph Parker fight over ring walk coin toss row

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Derek Chisora has threatened to withdraw from tomorrow night’s heavyweight clash with Joseph Parker in a bizarre row over the order of the duo’s ring walks. 

Chisora is due to face Parker at the Manchester Arena but the fight is in doubt after a coin toss was used to decide which boxer walks out first. 

Chisora said in his final pre-fight interview on Sky Sports: “They want to do a coin flip, who comes in the ring first and who comes in the ring last. Either I come in second or I go home right now.”

Chisora’s manager and former foe David Haye lost the resulting coin toss after the Briton had stormed off and Parker elected to walk out after his rival, leading to an apparent impasse and a nervous wait for the next 24 hours.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: “We all agreed and signed that we’d do a coin toss on the day of the weigh-in to establish who would walk first and second.

“Unfortunately Derek being Derek decided he’s walking second, walked off, wouldn’t do the coin toss. Horrifically, David Haye on behalf of Derek Chisora lost the coin toss and Andy Lee and Joseph Parker said ‘we will walk second’.

“Right now Derek Chisora is refusing to fight unless he walks second. I don’t think the fight’s in jeopardy but I’m very interested to see how it’s going to play out. One way or another, it’ll work itself out.

“It might be in the next 10 minutes, it might be at five to 10 tomorrow night.

“If this is not resolved, we’re going to get to a point tomorrow in the arena where Derek Chisora’s told it’s time for his ring walk and he may not leave his dressing room. Or he might just go home tonight.

“We’ll see what happens. It’s going to be fun, just another day at the office.”

Additional reporting by PA.

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