daniel chigunwe
It was supposed to be the final time his fans in the United Kingdom, and maybe everyone, saw him in a ring.
Zimbabwe-born British heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora always walks around with his chest puffed out and mean muggin. But strolling into the Co-op Live Arena for what was seemingly the final time last weekend, he cried like a baby. After that emotional release, he had a main event fight to prepare for.
Although the night was all about Chisora, oddsmakers counted him out. Even Eddie Hearn was unsure if the 41-year-old had enough in the tank to get it done against Otto Wallin.
Officially, Chisora (36-13, 23 KOs) went out there and quieted the dubious voices by winning a lopsided decision.
Considering everything that surrounded their showdown, Hearn wasn’t mad with the outcome.
“I wasn’t sure he’d beat Otto Wallin if I’m honest,” admitted Hearn to Boxing News. “Then it was a bit of a weird performance by Otto, but a lot of it was because he was overwhelmed. That’s what Derek does.”
Retirement seems like a logical option, but Chisora loathes that idea.
Still, even he knows that he’ll have to walk away relatively soon.
For his next and possibly final fight, Chisora named three opponents.
One was Oleksandr Usyk, The Ring and current unified heavyweight champion. In 2020, Chisora gave him all he could handle before losing a close decision. Next on his list was Daniel Dubois, the IBF belt holder.
Last and certainly not least came Anthony Joshua, the former two-time unified champion and arguably the division’s biggest name.
Finding Chisora’s next opponent will take some time, but even when he locks someone in, Hearn doesn’t believe it will be his final dance.
Exiting the game willingly isn’t likely for Chisora from Hearn’s point of view. Instead, if the British star is going to leave, he’ll have to be dragged out.
“I don’t think Derek is gonna retire until he gets bashed up. While you’re winning and you love it, it’s very difficult to walk away.” — Boxing News/Sports Reporter.
Online Reporter