DEREK CHISORA fights for the 49th time in a remarkable career this Saturday night when he takes on Otto Wallin at the Co-op Live Arena.
Feb 07 2025
Chisora’s record reads like a who’s who of the heavyweight division over the last two decades but which of his 35 wins stand out from the rest?
Recency bias perhaps, but this was simply one of the most bruising heavyweight fights you will ever see. With both men long in the tooth and with absolutely no intention of boxing and moving, it was simply a battle to see who could absorb the most punishment without buckling.
As it happened, Chisora dropped Joyce in the ninth round and it ultimately won him the fight on the cards, with Mark Bates and Victor Loughlin both giving it to Chisora by just one round at 96-94. A 97-92 scorecard from Kieran McCann sealed an unforgettable UD victory for War Chisora.
Chisora has 23 KOs from 35 wins but has never really been considered a huge puncher like some other heavyweights. However, this quick win against former world title challenger Artur Szpilka was a showcase of Chisora’s power.
It remains one of the most chilling KOs in modern heavyweight history as Szpilka, against the ropes, is seemingly out on his feet from a previous right hand as Chisora tees off on him. A few more huge shots find the target before the last one sends Szpilka slithering down the ropes unconscious.
This classic comeback is maybe the most underrated win of Chisora’s career against a capable world level campaigner in Carlos Takam. The Frenchman had hammered Chisora in the early rounds and looked to be on the verge of winning by stoppage during the sixth.
But back roared Chisora, as the crowd sang his name, and he dropped Takam with an overhand right early in the eighth. Up jumped Takam but he was back on the canvas from the very next punch, a picturebook one-punch knockout.
This was a big night for 12-0 Chisora outdoors at West Ham and, although it was not a prime Danny Williams, he was still only 36, five years younger than Chisora is now. After beating Carl Baker in a British title eliminator in February 2010, Del Boy got this shot at the belt three months later.
And he took it with both hands, dropping Williams heavily with a left hook a minute into the second round. Williams climbed back to his feet but Chisora was straight onto him, forcing Howard Foster to wave it off after 1:41.
Probably the least spectacular of the wins on this list but a crucial one, given Chisora was on a three-fight losing streak. It was said that defeat against Pulev, a seasoned two-time world title challenger, would send Chisora into retirement but the Zimbabwe-born bruiser gained revenge against the man who beat him in 2016 to keep his career going.
Judge Yordan Ezekiev made Pulev a 116-112 winner but when Steve Gray (116-114) and Guillermo Perez Pineda (116-112) both gave it to Chisora, he became only the third man to beat Pulev after Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.
