Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora Can Steal Anthony Joshua's Show in Manchester

There is something special about watching heavyweights fight.

Any bout can change in an instant, but seeing two evenly matched big men go toe-to-toe provides an added sense of drama. The sheer size and power on display brings about a sense of anticipation that you just do not get at the lower weights.

You sit there, watching, waiting, willing something to happen. Like a game of Buckaroo!, you know that a moment of drama is coming at some stage in proceedings, you just don't know exactly when.

There was a period not so long ago when the heavyweight scene appeared to be dying: History will remember it as The Klitschko Years. Brothers Wladimir and Vitali dominated all the belts as a dearth of talent around the world provided us with few fights to remember. 

We harked back to better times, to those great days when heavyweights were sporting superstars.

But, after a period on life support, boxing's glamour division looks to be in better health now (despite the current absence of one of its stars in Tyson Fury).

While this is not yet a golden age that can be compared with the great periods of the past, there are reasons to be hopeful about the long-term future for heavyweights again.

Anthony Joshua's emergence has helped speed up the recovery process. All smiles outside the ring but all business in it, the Englishman's marketability, combined with his penchant for knocking opponents out, quickly made him a star in Britain.

JUSTIN TALLIS/Getty Images

Already crowned the IBF champion, his second defence of the title takes place on December 10.

After much speculation over a showdown with Wladimir Klitschko before Christmas, Joshua will now have to wait until next year to face the Ukrainian. According to Kevin Mitchell of the Guardian, the fight will "probably take place outdoors in the UK next summer."

So, instead of Dr. Steelhammer in December, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist has booked an appointment with Eric Molina in Manchester, England. It's a test—of sorts.

The American challenger's career highlight is lasting into Round 9 against WBC champion Deontay Wilder. Joshua can lay down a marker by doing the job in a quicker time, particularly with Showtime broadcasting the bout live in Wilder's homeland of the United States.

But, for once, the heavyweight headline act may end up being overshadowed by two domestic rivals desperate for an invitation to join Joshua at the top table.

The clash (and clash is the right word to use here) between Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora has all the ingredients to steal the show at the Manchester Arena.

Neither man is afraid to make a scene—and already things are heating up.

Their long-running feud, which has been endlessly stirred up on social media, threatened to boil over when the two heavyweights sat down to record Sky Sports' The Gloves Are Off show on Thursday.

"

Whyte and Chisora separated by security as Gloves Are Off filming stopped. #WhyteChisora https://t.co/ofsGBidVJH pic.twitter.com/p9b3AOfZoz

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 3, 2016"

Promoter Eddie Hearn explained what happened to Tim Hobbs of SkySports.com:

"

After a fairly mild press conference [on Thursday], Dillian and Dereck made their way to Sky Sports HQ to film The Gloves Are Off.

We were 22 minutes into an entertaining exchange when tempers flared and the pair had to be separated by security.

We decided to call off filming and let the fighters calm down and return to camp. The show will still be aired on Sky Sports in the build-up to December 10.

"

Whyte, the reigning British champion, rarely fails to deliver action...before the first bell sounds.

He played the role of pantomime villain to perfection when going up against amateur rival Joshua in December 2015—and also remains the only opponent to have troubled him to date.

But, much like Molina, the Jamaican-born fighter's reputation is built on showing bravery in defeat. In terms of foundations, it's the boxing equivalent of constructing a house on sand.

That is not to say he doesn't have serious potential. We're yet to find out exactly how good Joshua is, but Whyte made him look distinctly average, for a few seconds at least:

Whyte also displayed tremendous toughness to withstand heavy punishment in what was a barnstorming battle between two men with a real dislike for each other. While he eventually succumbed in Round 7, he'd shown enough to suggest there was a future for him in a division always in need of fresh blood.

The question is: How far can Whyte go?

He's won three on the spin since losing to Joshua, although a laboured victory over Ivica Bacurin in June was merely an outing to blow away the cobwebs after shoulder surgery.

However, with victories over David Allen and then Ian Lewison, the 28-year-old demonstrated he can move up beyond domestic level. The only surprise was, despite controlling both men comfortably throughout, Whyte failed to turn his domination into highlight-material finishes.

While Allen went the distance in their 10-rounder before losing easily on points, Lewison's corner withdrew their man after Round 10. 

Whyte has a career KO ratio of 75 per cent, yet many of his stoppage wins came against inferior foes. Now he needs to show he has the power to put away sturdier opposition who come with more than just the intent to survive.

Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images

If Whyte looks to be heading on the right career path at this moment, Chisora is at a crossroads.

He was in his foe's position six years ago, when he held both the British and Commonwealth titles after 14 successive victories as a pro.

Since then, though, Del Boy has lost six times, although a points defeat to Robert Helenius was dubious to say the least. Against Tyson Fury (twice), David Haye and Vitali Klitschko, he was durable but somewhat limited. When trying to make that step up to the elite level, he fell short.

In losing on points to Kubrat Pulev in May, Chisora not only missed out on the European belt but also a lucrative shot at IBF champion Joshua.

Now, at 32 and without a win over a recognisable name since out-pointing Kevin Johnson early in 2014, he needs a notable scalp to remain relevant. There will always be opportunities for a heavyweight with a reputation as a loose cannon (see: Briggs, Shannon), but it can be a painful way to earn a living.

Chisora went the distance with Klitschko in 2012, yet most will remember the slap he delivered to Vitali at the weigh-in over any punch he threw in the ring during the actual bout.

That was the same night the loser also brawled with Haye at a press conference, another moment that sticks in the memory bank.

When we look back on Chisora's career, will we recall his in-ring performances, or his out-of-ring antics? Do you immediately think of the boxer who went 22 rounds over two meetings with Fury, or the attention-seeker who planted a kiss on Carl Baker's lips before their domestic bout in 2010?

While he may not want to believe it now, Whyte could end up following in his next opponent's footsteps.

He, too, has courted controversy, as Sky Sports Boxing proved in a montage produced to promote the fight:

Whyte also revealed to Sky Sports (h/t Richard Damerell of SkySports.com) how he "put the beat down" on Chisora when they sparred together, pouring fuel on an already volatile situation that looked ready to explode at the slightest spark.

Sure enough, during filming of The Gloves Are Off, security needed to step in to split the pair apart. It's unlikely to be the last time intervention is required to stop the duo exchanging blows ahead of schedule.

Anything could happen with these two, and you wouldn't be shocked. 

Could Chisora turn up to the next press event with a life-size cake of his opponent and proceed to hand out slices to the media in attendance? Probably not, but you could picture it happening, right?

Or perhaps Whyte may reject the head-to-head photo opportunity after the weigh-in and instead burst into songs from the hit musical The Lion King? A ridiculous idea, yet impossible to rule out.

Whyte and Chisora bring an element of uncertainty that compels you to watch. While the actual fight may be a slow-burning affair because so much is on the line, it will only take one incident—fair or foul—to suddenly jolt it into life.

That is why the chief support has the potential to be a greater spectacle than those given top billing on December 10.

Molina, as a late substitute, is a decent enough opponent for Joshua, but after coming so close to securing Klitschko, it is a tough sell for a pay-per-view event so close to Christmas.

However, Whyte-Chisora makes the outlay for viewers a little easier to justify.

As Hearn told John Dennen of Boxing News: "As always we’ll put the show together. You have the option to buy it. I believe you’re going to get great value for money. I believe it’s going to be a great show."

The promoter knew booking a grudge match between two heavyweights with short fuses and unwilling to take a backward step would bolster a bill where the main event is lacklustre, if not still a little intriguing. If you expect the unexpected, it's impossible to look away.

Yes, there is something special about watching heavyweights fight.