Eddie Hearn wants to put together a rematch between heavyweights Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker due to the controversy surrounding their fight last Saturday night at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
Parker (29-2, 21 KOs) won a questionable 12 round split decision over Chisora (32-11, 23 KOs) in a fight thought could have gone the other way.
Chisora, 37, knocked Parker down in the opening round and appeared to win five of the first six rounds. Former WBO heavyweight champion Parker came back strong in the middle rounds, but Chisora finished strong in the 12th round.
The scores: 115-113, 116-111 Parker, 115-113 Chisora. Hearn says the Chisora vs. Parker fight numbers are similar to the Dillian Whyte vs. Alexander Povetkin clash on Sky Box Office.
If boxing fans are interested in seeing Parker and Chisora to it one more time, it’s a possibility we could see them do it again.
Hearn says the only thing that could prevent the rematch from happening is if Parker is given a title eliminator opportunity or a world title shot.
Hearn: “Hi Delboy.”
Chisora: “Why are you avoiding me?”
Hearn: “Avoiding you?
Chisora: “Yes, you are.”
Hearn: “I had you winning; I already put it out there. Nobody everybody agrees with me, but I had you winning the fight.”
Chisora: “Are you going to give me a rematch?”
Hearn: “I think so. He wants it, I want it, but I had you winning the 12th to win the fight. I had you falling asleep a little bit in eight, nine, ten, but your start was amazing.
But I thought you won the fight. When you fought Usyk when I watched it here, I thought you won the fight. But when I watched it back, I didn’t think you won the fight.
But I just felt tonight, after five or six rounds, you’d already won the fight. So when the fight was finished, I thought you’d won it.
We turned to Sky; big Johnny Nelson went, ‘Parker by one.’ Me, Tony and David, as always thought [you’d won]. Well, they thought you’d pissed it.
I thought you’d won it by a round, but when you threw the left hook, you should have thrown it to the head more. He was hurt. I know you’re pissed off, but you always bring it.
Chisora: “Are you going to give me a rematch? You can’t slow me down. You can’t cry over spilled milk.”
Hearn looked visibly scared when Chisora walked up to him while he was giving an interview after the fight. Chisora confronted Hearn to gauge his thoughts on a rematch with Parker.
The ratings are there to justify a rematch, so it could come down whether Parker will be free. If Parker is given a fight against Andy Ruiz Jr, he would likely take that over a rematch with Chisora.
“It was a great fight; I thought Delboy was going to chin me there for a minute,” said Hearn to iFL TV in commenting on Chisora’s fight with Parker.
“I thought he won it; I thought he won the 12th round to win the fight. I Tweeted that out.
A lot of people thought Parker. I have to go back and watch it again to see what everyone thought. Some people had it Chisora, some Parker.
It was a heavy-duty fight. Delboy controlled the early part of the fight with obviously the knockdown in the first, but then he kind of went to sleep a little bit.
Parker had a good middle stage of the fight, and Derek winning the last. It was a great fight,” said Hearn.
“I’d like to do the rematch. Unless Joseph gets a final eliminator or a shot at a world title, why not do that fight. Delboy certainly lives to fight another day.
A lot of people thought he won the fight. So we’ll see what’s next for the both of them,” said Hearn.
