Derek Chisora suffered a points defeat to Deontay Wilder in a bruising heavyweight clash at London’s O2 Arena, in what is expected to be the Briton’s final professional bout.
Chisora, 42, was dropped in the eighth round and sent through the ropes, appearing close to being stopped on several occasions as Wilder pressed for a finish. However, the veteran showed resilience to survive until the final bell.
Wilder, 40, was awarded a split decision victory, with judges scoring the bout 115–111 and 115–113 in his favour, while one judge scored it 115–112 for Chisora.
“I had an adorable opponent. I knew Derek was going to bring everything he had,” Wilder said afterwards.
“In the ring I saw his temple start to swell, I said ‘you’ve got to live for your kids’. Too many lives have been lost in this ring, nobody gives a damn about us. Us fighters have to look out for each other.
“Tonight, I looked out for him, I want him to live for his kids. It’s time for us to take care of each other. I have seven of my own, those are my best friends.”
Both fighters absorbed heavy punishment in a contest that, despite its intensity, went the full distance. Chisora had moments of success, notably stunning Wilder in the fifth round, but the American’s power and consistency ultimately proved decisive.
Remarkably, it marked the 50th professional bout for both men. Chisora, now with 14 defeats, had indicated before the fight that it would be his last, but stopped short of confirming his retirement after being joined in the ring by his family.
The contest delivered entertainment despite lacking technical quality, with both fighters tumbling to the canvas multiple times during a chaotic encounter.
Chisora made a dramatic entrance to fight week, arriving at a news conference in an army tank and later travelling to the arena via the London Underground, drawing a loud reception from fans.
A bizarre opening round saw both heavyweights tangled on the ropes, continuing to throw punches while ignoring the referee’s instructions to break, with a member of Chisora’s team briefly entering the ring before order was restored.
Chisora struggled early on, with his trainer urging him to “Go back to your boxing. Get that jab working,” though his jab remained ineffective for much of the fight.
The Zimbabwe-born fighter found success with an overhand right in the fifth round, briefly rocking Wilder and shifting momentum, as Anthony Joshua encouraged him from ringside.
However, Wilder regained control, landing a decisive right hand in the eighth round, a punch that has defined much of his knockout success sending Chisora partly through the ropes.
Wilder was later docked a point for pushing, and both fighters again hit the canvas in the 11th round, though neither incident was ruled a knockdown.
Despite the punishment, Chisora remarkably lasted the distance, with both men embracing at the end in a show of mutual respect after a punishing contest.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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