Well, British warhorse Derek Chisora did it again last night. In battling through a cut eye, fatigue, and a whole load of emotion, the amazing 41 year old scored two late knockdowns to secure a decision win over a significantly younger foe in Otto Wallin. And as he did it, Chisora was showered with cheers and a whole lot of respect and admiration.
The 50th and out fight Chisora will next have promises to be an even more emotional event, and a much bigger fight. And Chisora, who says he believes he has earned the right to have a “blockbuster” fight in his career finale, is aiming high – Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua, and Oleksandr Usyk high!
Chisora will of course need a good rest before he can fight again, this for the very last time, and he really has set the bar high in calling for either one of the three fighters he listed (with posters of all three potential dance partners paraded around the ring last night in Manchester).
Usyk has already beaten Chisora, this in what was a pretty hard night’s work for the Ukrainian who, at the time, was still adjusting to boxing up at heavyweight. Would Usyk really want to fight Chisora a second time? AJ, we don’t know what his next move may be, but there is talk of a fight in Africa with Martin Bakole, while Turki Alalshikh still wants to see Joshua and Deontay Wilder fight. Dubois has to get past Joe Parker before he can think about doing anything else. Last night’s Chisora-Wallin fight was in fact an IBF eliminator, though, so on paper Chisora has earned a shot at the strap.
Frank Warren said of Chisora last night that “Whatever he wants, we will make it happen. We will sit down and make it happen. He’s now won an eliminator for the IBF title, and that’s Daniel Dubois’s, so he has that in the bank.”
Could it really be a world title fight for Chisora, 36-13(23) in his very last fight? If so, what an amazing end to his storied ring career it really would be. And don’t get me started on how truly astonishing it would be if Chisora boxed for the IBF title in his career finale and actually won it! That would be miraculous stuff, but Chisora, with so many miles on his clock, has put on near-miracle-like performances during his career.
Dubois is a popular, and exciting young puncher, but if Chisora did fight him later this year, you just know who the lion’s share of the packed out audience, inside whatever venue it is that plays host to Chisora’s final curtain of a fight, would be rooting for.
