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LONDON. — Dereck Chisora finally got his hands on the European heavyweight boxing title by stopping German Edmund Gerber at the Copper Box Arena in London.Two years after he was controversially beaten by Robert Helenius in Finland for the same belt, Zimbabwe-born Chisora dominated from the first bell on Saturday night, finally ending his opponent’s challenge in the fifth round.
The Londoner recorded his third win in succession since losing to David Haye last summer, having stopped both Hector Alfredo Avila and Malik Scott earlier this year.
Both men were content to fight on the inside in the opening round but it was Chisora who made the more aggressive start. The Londoner had particular success with the uppercut and he had Gerber under pressure in the final minute.
Chisora focused almost exclusively on the German’s body in the second session, landing a succession of spiteful hooks as his opponent’s midriff began to redden.
And the punishment began to take its toll in the third stanza as Gerber continued to soak up the onslaught. Holding with increasing regularity, he was pinned to the ropes on more than one occasion as Chisora unloaded.
Just as he looked to be in for a comfort- able night, however, Chisora was rocked by a straight right which sent him staggering back to the ropes. He circled the ring for a good 60 seconds to allow his head to clear before finishing the fourth round strongly.
But normal service was resumed in the next session as the sheer volume of punches coming from Chisora overwhelmed the visitor. Pinned to the ropes, the German was clearly in trouble and after surviving one flurry, was put out of his misery when the referee stepped in with 10 seconds remaining.
The 29-year-old Chisora was visibly emotional before the fight following the recent death of close friend Dean Powell but managed to keep focused during a one-sided contest. Chisora, who has now won three straight fights after four defeats in five, came into the bout at the lightest weight of his career and looked very sharp against an opponent who had lost just once in 24 fights.
“One of my main guys is not here any more. I cried a bit but kept my composure,” Chisora told Box Nation of his mentor Powell.
He added: “I’ve been training every day. I told my team that I’m going to give myself three years in this game. The next time you see me I’ll probably be hitting 15 stones.
“(I’ll have) two days off the gym then I’ll be back in the gym again. I’m better than all these fighters in Great Britain, I don’t know why I let myself down (sometimes). I’m back to normal and I’ll push on.”
Chisora asserted himself straight away as a number of accurate uppercuts thudded into Gerber’s chin. He stayed on top in the early going and when he really started to unload with left and right hooks in round three, it looked like the end could be imminent.
But Gerber seemed to hurt Chisora with a beauty of a straight right in the fourth and the British fighter was noticeably more circumspect for the rest of that round.
Chisora was back on the attack in the fifth, however, pinning Gerber on the ropes with left hooks and overhand rights, prompting referee Guido Cavelleri to step in with nothing coming back from the Germany. — Mailonline.
Online Reporter