Boxing is a crazy sport with volatile characters and epic rivalries, but the fighting often begins before the first bell.
The biggest fights in the sport always capture the imagination from the very beginning, with a storyline or a feud easily attracting the eyes of millions.
But it isn’t always the 12 rounds that are the most captivating, with the talking beforehand between brash characters and their entourages fascinating.
Quite often, however, talking leads one thing to another and unexpected wild brawls break out, with the action starting early in front of the cameras.
Some wild stunts have been seen over the years, particularly in the heavyweight division, where the pressure of the lights lands most.
Here, talkSPORT.com breaks down seven of the maddest pre-fight spectacles…
Dillian Whyte v Derek Chisora – 2016
One of the most iconic British heavyweight boxing rivalries in recent years descended into chaos before the bell had even sounded.
‘WAR’ had regularly been notorious for his verbal sparring with opponents, but things got out of hand as Chisora became wound up with his bitter rival.
Things turned into a dangerous riot as Chisora then elected to pick up the table he was sat in front of and launch it straight towards his rival and his team.
Luckily no permanent fight-threatening injuries were called, but wild pandemonium broke out on stage, with promoter Eddie Hearn caught between the crazed teams.
KSI vs Tommy Fury/ Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis fight week [John Fury in cage] – 2023
With events having unfolded at a chaotic launch press conference, influencer-turned-boxer KSI and Fury were deliberately kept apart.
In a never-seen-before moment, the pair’s final face-off was to take place in a steel cage, a WWE-like stunt to prevent scuffles from jeopardising the Misfits Boxing card.
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KSI and Fury threatened to try and dismantle the cage as they tried desperately to break through, but it was Fury’s father John who caused the chaos again.
He entered the cage and began furiously battering the screen with some powerful shots, with KSI luckily protected by the structure.
Luckily the object took most of the damage and the promotion were indeed able to keep things less hostile.
Also Paul and Danis clashed just moments before which left ‘The Maverick’ cut and his participation in the event in jeopardy.
KSI vs Tommy Fury [launch] – 2023
The drama that unfolded at the opening press conference was somehow even more chaotic than on fight week.
Logan Paul and Dillon Danis were involved and that first sparked the drama as Paul brought a cake which he threw in pieces towards Fury and Danis on the other side of the table.
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Fury Sr, Tommy’s father, became more and more agitated with the antics and the childish back and forth so decided to take things into his own hand.
He first kicked a table over before destroying the entire set piece-by-piece, with security storming the stage to try and stop his charge.
Objects were thrown and the two sets of two teams clashed, as the riot was eventually de-escalated.
That was precisely the moment that led to the aforementioned cage being set up to protect the athletes.
Bernard Hopkins vs Felix Trinidad – 2001
Hopkins was in seeming home territory for a fight week press conference in New York against popular Puerto Rican rival Trinidad.
But things quickly got out of hand as the American tried to gain a psychological edge, but ended up completely disrespecting his opponent’s nation of Puerto Rico.
He threw a flag of Puerto Rico to the floor before stepping on it, and the amount of backlash from the crowd sparked a riot.
They began crazily charging towards the stage, while others threw objects towards Hopkins who was under complete ambush.
Luckily he was able to escape any injury and leave with security, but it was carnage like never seen before.
Larry Holmes vs Trevor Berbick – 1981
In one of the craziest stunts ever seen in the history of sport, it was Holmes who caught the spotlights.
The pair had been embroiled in a bitter back and forth, which saw Berbick accuse his fellow American of having a mistress which crossed the line.
Both heavyweights scuffled on stage in a brawl that was eventually broken up by a sea of security and police officers.
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But it was moments after where Holmes wrote his name in press conference history as he sought further confrontation.
He climbed the roof of a car, and dived off knocking over a series of police officers and security like human bowling as he tried to get near his rival.
The pair were eventually halted from doing more damage, and things were then left to compete until the ring.
Mike Tyson v Lennox Lewis – 2002
Tyson and Lewis were at the pinnacle of their stardom and met in a huge battle for the unified heavyweight titles held by the latter.
Things quickly became intense with a sea of people on stage, and in no great surprise ‘Iron Mike’ decided to let his hands go.
He threw a wild punch which actually ended up clipping a member of Lewis’ team.
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A mass ruckus descended, incredibly to the background noise of western music, before things eventually simmered down.
Things took a final turn as a post-conference rant from Tyson then ended proceedings nicely.
David Haye v Derek Chisora – 2012
Events that stemmed from his press conference are barely believable as Chisora makes a second appearance on this list.
It wasn’t even an event for their fight, with the brawl coming after Vitali Klitsc`hko’s win over Chisora.
Haye dropped his opponent in a scuffle with a ferocious combination, and things descended into carnage.
Despite being stopped, the trouble continued afterwards and Chisora began scrapping with Haye’s trainer.
It eventually led to Chisora’s arrest before being questioned and bailed in Munich, having threatened to ‘shoot’ and ‘burn’ Haye for which he later apologises.