by Jack Whittaker
THIS Saturday night Derek Chisora fights for the final time in the UK when he faces Otto Wallin at the Co-op Arena in Manchester.
The veteran heavyweight has never been one to shy away from tough fights and promoter Frank Warren admitted that Wallin will be another significant test.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani and Ade Oladipo on DAZN Boxing, Warren said: “He’s got his hands full, Otto Wallin on his day can give Derek a lot of problems, he can be an awkward customer so it’s going to be an interesting fight.
“For Derek this is his last fight in the UK, so we called it ‘The Last Dance’, and he’ll want to go out on a high and for Wallin it’s a fight he cannot afford to lose or he becomes a stepping stone for up-and-coming young fighters.”
Chisora has undoubtedly been one of British boxing’s biggest characters over the years and despite being a complex man out of the ring, fans know exactly what they can expect when he steps in it.
“His moniker is ‘War’ and that’s what you get every time he goes in the ring, says Warren.
“He doesn’t leave anything outside it’s all left in the ring, and the fans love him for it.”
Chisora has 13 losses on his record but has barely left a stone unturned in the heavyweight division fighting huge names including, Tyson Fury, Oleksander Usyk, Joseph Parker and Vitali Klitschko to name a few.
The 41-year-old is familiar with being the underdog and is still capable of surprising fans, as he did in his last fight with Joe Joyce.
Warren said: “His last fight he went in again as an underdog and it was a cracking fight and up until the stoppage there was nothing in it, and I think we will get something on Saturday similar to that because it’s the way he fights.”
The bout with Joyce was dubbed a ‘slug fest’ but that is nothing derogatory of the skill shown by both fighters.
Chisora dispelled the calls for his retirement with a typical gutsy display, dropping Joyce in the ninth and demonstrating that nobody is safe if he drags them into a dog fight.
Warren even had doubts over Chisora continuing in the sport, but declared that the 50th fight, which is planned for this summer, needs to be his last.
“I said a couple of years ago he should have retired and he’s proven me wrong on that, but hopefully he comes through Saturday and the 50th must be it for him because every punch he takes now is going to catch up with him when he’s older.
“I just want him now to enjoy his family and his life.”
