Dereck Chisora starts to push his chips into the middle.

He surges through the barrage of blows to land a compact left hand on Pulev's chin. That looping overhand right finds the mark as well. Pulev grins, but the home fighter's own punches are looking a little ragged now.

Pulev is gripping and grappling to try and keep a lid on Chisora's resurgence.

That was Chisora's first round on my scorecard and it was the first time that Pulev looked a little doubtful. He gets a ticking-off from his cornerman.

Intriguing.

Dereck Chisora has a barney with the referee as he gets a warning for a shot to the back of the head. The Londoner tries to tie up Kubrat Pulev and turn it into a wrestling match.

That slows up the Bulgarian, but is not going to change the tide of the fight. Pulev finally gets Chisora at the range he wants him, pummeling with the jab with the Briton backed into the ropes.

Chisora shakes his head dismissively, but he needs something sensational to snatch victory in the next four rounds.

A slower round after the frantic sixth.

Kubrat Pulev goes high, Dereck Chisora goes for the body and the Bulgarian has more success.

Pulev is in dialogue with the referee, trying to keep Chisora from getting away with any rough stuff.

Pulev saves his most eye-catching stuff for the final seconds of the round. He would have won the round without that age-old tactic anyway. 

Kubrat Pulev wants this done. He is irritated by Dereck Chisora wiping his glove across his eyes in a clinch and ups the tempo. But the Bulgarian has left a few gaps.

Chisora catches Pulev with a clouting right hook- his best shot of the fight so far. Pulev felt that. His legs do a little wobble and Chisora goes in searching for a follow-up, Pulev stays at bay though.

The Bulgarian finishes the round the stronger. Even. And more promise for Chisora who probably needs a knockout now.

A big one-two combination from Kubrat Pulev lands cleanly and Dereck Chisora backs up. Chisora is darting in low jabs to the Bulgarian's belly, but there is nothing much behind them.

Chisora is warned for a shot to the back of the head. And apologises. Is that him starting to lose heart?

Pulev is calling the tune and it has a heavy bassline of pinpoint jabs.

Dereck Chisora shakes his head dismissively as Kubrat Pulev catches him with a roundhouse left counter.

Chisora has success with a new tactic, landing with a looping overhand right hand. But the jabs are taking the toll.

Chisora is backed up on the ropes. Pulev peppers his man with jabs. Now big combinations. Not a lot coming back. The crowd baying for a knockout blow. 

Chisora survives as he summons his might and sees out the round. But he is being over-powered so far.

Dereck Chisora takes a deep breath and puffs out the cheeks before battle resumes. He is already looking a little tired.

Kubrat Pulev sticks to a winning formula, jabbing hard and fast at Chisora's head. Chisora gets in tight and rattles the ribs. But it is heavy going still. Pulev clatters an uppercut through Chisora's guard and clams up tight to keep safe as the Briton gets in tight at the end of the round.

A better round for Chisora, but still not enough to claim it... for my money.

Image source, EPA

Kubrat Pulev lands a chopping short left hand to cheers.

And a stinging jab catches Chisora on the way in. The Londoner is paying a heavy price for the privilege of getting within range. Has he got the movement to get close?

At the moment his head is being knocked back with a flurry of precise jabs. Pulev wraps in his man as Chisora finally gets into close quarters at the end of the round.

Two-nil to the home fighter.  

Image source, EPA

Dereck Chisora looks busy in the opening minute, lunging in to try and overcome Kubrat Pulev's greater reach. Looking for the body shot, but he is failing to land much on the Bulgarian.

The referee has already been in to peel the pair apart from some clinches. Cagey stuff. Chisora gets a bit of a ticking off.

Heavy overhand right from Pulev is the first meaningful shot. Chisora soaks it up and keeps coming forward. A couple more spicy shots rain in from the Bulgarian just before the bell and that is his round.

Chisora has been full of industry but has struggled to find a way through.

Image source, EPA

Kubrat Pulev is definitely the straight man to Dereck Chisora's heel.  

The Briton holds a fist aloft to acknowledge his reception which, apart from Tyson Fury, is all boos.

Here we go.

Time for the anthems.

Kubrat Pulev stands ram-rod straight as the Bulgarian national tune is played.

Dereck Chisora, camouflage cap and Union Jack mask still in place, hops from foot to foot as God Save the Queen blares out. 

Dereck Chisora is invited to the ring and his name is jeered by the home crowd who perhaps remember his Klitschko-baiting on previous visits to Germany.

Chisora emerges in a Union Jack get-up complete with trademark Billy-the-Kid mask across the bottom half of his face.

Right, ring-walk time in Germany.

The usual glossy Eurorock build-up in Germany with Beyond the Black - a power metal combo - performing in front of a screen showing smoke, wolves and searchlights as Kubrat Pulev makes his way to the ring.

I imagine Dereck Chisora has something a little more grime-y up the sleeve of his gown.

And heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury is on the scene, slapping high fives and bumping chests with his fellow Briton in the dressing room.

If Chisora bags the European heavyweight belt up for grabs, Fury has promised that he and the new champion will hit the town together.

Start battening down the hatches Hamburg.

"Calm down Dereck, calm down."

Is there any more fruitless task than trying to reunite Dereck Chisora with his temper?

The 32-year-old, on a run of five wins since his November 2014 defeat by Tyson Fury, is taking on Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in Germany tonight.

And it wouldn't be a Chisora fight without some build-up face-off shenanigans.

One of Pulev's entourage threw a bottle at the Briton, who then set off after him like a menacing slow-motion Benny Hill sequence around a Hamburg hotel.

Click through to watch the antics.

We will bring you updates from Germany when the fisticuffs transfer to the ring. We are expecting the fighters soon.

Anthony Crolla has tapped in his final pre-fight words on social media before taping up.

The Manchester Arena is bubbling nicely.

Now it is phone off and gloves on.

He is expected to make his way to the ring at around 10:50 GMT.

Image source, Rex Features

According to the bookies Crolla is the underdog in his first defence of his world title.

Ismael Barroso - the man in the opposite corner tonight - is unbeaten in his 21-fight career.

In the Venezuelan's last fight he silenced the O2 Arena in London by sending Kevin Mitchell into retirement with a fifth-round stoppage defeat.

The 33-year-old has heavy hands and is granite tough. 

Crolla has saved his ducking and diving for the ring rather than his work diary.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Rex Features

From hospital bed to world title in less than a year.

In December 2014, Anthony Crolla suffered a fractured skull when two burglers he confronted at his neighbour's home in Manchester hit him with a concrete slab.

In November 2015, he knocked out Colombia's Darleys Perez in front of a bouncing Manchester Arena crowd to claim the WBA lightweight title.

The 29-year-old relishes upsetting the odds.

Which is just as well.

Image source, Getty Images