Dereck Chisora has credited showdown talks with mum Viola and Frank Warren that reduced the veteran promoter to tears for his transformation from bad boy to committed heavyweight contender.

A leaner and happier Chisora has undertaken anger-management lessons and swapped binges on Jaffa Cakes for a carefully-controlled diet in preparation for Saturday's clash with unbeaten American Malik Scott at Wembley Arena.

Four defeats in his last six fights have left the 29-year-old from Finchley facing a pivotal moment in his career and a fifth loss must be avoided if he is to regain credibility.

A meeting with Viola and Warren after he laboured to an awful ninth-round stoppage of cruiserweight journeyman Hector Alfredo Avila in April convinced Chisora that it was time for change.

"One day my mother had had enough and she said 'why can't you just listen to me for once in your life?'," he said.

"She told me what to do and I thought I'll do it for six months and if it doesn't work out I'll do it my own way. So it was my mother who made me change, she said I needed to start listening to people.

"Then Frank got me in his office and had a go at me in front of my mum and trainer. Frank said 'I don't understand' and I saw tears in his ears.

"Me and Frank have come a long way and I thought, 'you know what, I'll listen'.

"Frank cares for his fighters and he had a go at me like he was my own father. It was the first time Frank had sat me down and talked to me like that. He told me that he believed in me.

"I feel good in myself right now, everything is great. The diet has gone well, the anger management lessons are going well. Everything for me is amazing. I've seen the light, Amen!"

Chisora was dire against Avila in his last visit to Wembley Arena, prompting Warren to intervene to save a controversial career that was in danger of self-destructing.

"He looked like a load of blubber. He'd been going down the gym and coming home and having a pie. You and I can do that, but not him," Warren said.

"I just sat down him and told him straight - you can't live like that and have the career you should have. He has a lot of talent but was letting himself down.

"I got in Viola's ear about it and she got on to him as well. We both let him know that he could be doing things better and it looks like he got the message. He looks fantastic right now.

"Before he was carrying all that weight around, how are you supposed to move like that? But I am sure we will see an improvement from him now."

Chisora shares top billing with middleweight Billy Joe Saunders, who meets unbeaten Irishman Gary O'Sullivan.