BILLED as ‘The Last Dance’, Saturday night’s card almost acts as a tribute to the career of Derek Chisora, 35-13 (23 KOs), who is set to fight in the United Kingdom for the 43rd and final time, as he takes on Otto Wallin, 27-2 (15 KOs), in Manchester.
However, unlike testimonials in other sports, there will be nothing friendly about the action once ‘Del Boy’ steps through the ropes against the Swede, who will be desperate to prove that he can be victorious at the world level and spoil the party.
Ahead of the intriguing Queensberry card, we at Boxing News took a look at five key talking points.
IS JACK RAFFERTY THE BRIT TO BEAT AT 140LBS?
For years now, the domestic super-lightweight scene has been dominated by names such as Jack Catterall and Dalton Smith, whilst others licked their lips at Adam Azim as a budding British superstar at the weight.
With all three moving beyond the British level, someone needed to fill their shoes, and it was Manchester’s Jack Rafferty, 24-0 (15 KOs), who was able to capture the vacant Lonsdale Belt with a destructive win against Liverpool’s Henry Turner on away soil.
Now, Raffery is poised for a first defence of the coveted British title on Saturday’s undercard, where ‘The Demolition Man’ is being tasked with Reece MacMillan, 17-1 (2 KOs), 10 weeks after he upset Kane Gardner in November to earn his shot.
With Rafferty finally stepping up his opposition but still entering the bout as a clear favourite, a statement win could stamp his authority on the domestic super-lightweight scene and cement his worth as a British champion.
WHAT IS NELSON HYSA CAPABLE OF?
As a nation, Albania is a country on the rise in the world of boxing and although they are yet to claim a world title, they can be expected to do so relatively soon. However, one man who is wasting no time is 40-year-old heavyweight Nelson Hysa, 19-0 (17 KOs), who is eager to enter the world rankings as soon as possible.
Debuting in May 2022, Hysa will be fighting for the 20th time in 33 months as he defends his WBO European heavyweight title against Macedonia’s Todorche Cvetkov, 12-0 (9 KOs), in a clash that is unlikely to require the judges’ intervention.
Hard-hitting Hysa is yet to go past the sixth round as a professional and will have intentions of ending that run here as he continues to build his record and push towards a top 15 ranking, seeking to prove that age is just a number.
HOW MUCH DID BRAD PAULS TAKE OUT OF NATHAN HEANEY?
Renowned for his gutsy, never-say-die approach to fighting, it is easy to see why the ever-popular Nathan Heaney, 18-1-1 (6 KOs), has built such a strong following. Although, after being mentioned for a world title shot against Carlos Adames, Heaney underwent a winless 2024, drawing and then losing via final-round knockout in equally arduous contests against Brad Pauls.
At 35 years old, a first knockout defeat for the ‘Hitman’ will take some coming back from, and those encounters with Pauls will surely have taken their toll on the body of the Stoke fan-favourite.
Yet, if there is anybody spirited enough to mount a comeback to silence his doubters, it is Heaney, who bids to begin his return with a victory over Frenchman Sofiane Khati, 17-5 (6 KOs), where we will see how much Heaney has left in the tank.
HOW GOOD IS/WAS OTTO WALLIN?
Otto Wallin had been consistently referred to as a heavyweight bogeyman before his brutal defeat to Anthony Joshua, with his awkward, southpaw style proving a difficult hurdle to overcome for Tyson Fury back in 2019.
As a result, despite 29 fights to his name, Wallin remains a somewhat unknown quantity due to his contrasting performances against the big-name Brits in the division. Here, Wallin has the opportunity to showcase his skills and climb the rankings once again, in what has to be considered as a last chance saloon for the 34-year-old lefty.
Should he come through Chisora unscathed, Wallin would likely sit amongst the top 10 in each of the WBC, WBO and IBF rankings. If he were to lose to the 41-year-old veteran, it could be the last we see of Wallin on the big stage.
DOES CHISORA HAVE THE POWER TO CAUSE WALLIN PROBLEMS?
Prior to a one-round stoppage of a vulnerable Onoriode Ehwarieme in July, Wallin had not recorded a win inside of the distance since August 2020 and lacked the power to deter an aggressive ‘AJ’ when they collided in late 2023 – where he tasted a knockout defeat for the first time.
Consequently, a front-footed power-punching style seems to be the formula to trump the jerky style of Wallin and although Chisora is fabled for his wild swings and aggressive nature, the much-loved Briton hasn’t registered a stoppage since overcoming David Price in 2019.
That being said, Chisora was able to stun Joe Joyce on numerous occasions upon his last outing and there could be lasting damage from Wallin’s defeat to AJ that impacts his punch resistance.
Pressure and physicality could prove enough for Chisora come fight night, but sufficient power would likely prove decisive.
Chisora vs Wallin takes place on Saturday, February 8, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, and the full card is available to watch live on TNT Sports.
