This weekend in London, Derek Chisora became just the second man to lose to Deontay Wilder and hear the final bell.
The veteran heavyweight clash was suitably chaotic and entertaining, with both the Brit and the American having success in spurts. It was Wilder who scored the only two knockdowns in the fight, but he was also deducted a point for what referee Mark Bates deemed a push through the ropes.
Both men showed impressive chins, and Chisora, though he hit the canvas, appeared to go down as much through exhaustion as from being hurt. Wilder, however, claimed post-fight that he saw his opponent was in trouble and chose to have mercy, putting less into his shots and targeting the body.
However it happened, the 40-year-old from Tuscaloosa, Alabama managed to secure the 45th win of his career, but his knockout tally remains at 43.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Chisora said Wilder’s power does indeed matched the hype.
“Good 12 rounds. He can hit … Yeah [the power was as good as expected]. He loads it up though. He’s got tell signs before he chucks. But, when he gets you, he can hit.”
“Wilder’s got power for the first three rounds, then after he fades away. I’m not gonna take that away from him. He has got power.”
Asked if anything surprised him about the former WBC heavyweight champion, Chisora said:
“He likes to hold a lot. I thought he was good on the inside but he’s not. I know what I did. I love Deontay, but I know he broke two things – his hand and his rib.”
While Chisora did not fully commit on his pre-fight promise to retire after the bout, Wilder has left little doubt that he will carry on, and is expected to pursue fights with either Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua
