AS Derek Chisora’s ‘Last Dance’ edges closer, the veteran heavyweight is in a confident mood ahead of his Co-op Live Arena clash with Otto Wallin on Saturday night. Hunched in his seat at the press conference, brooding with the usual air of menace, Chisora had a few choice words for his genial Swedish opponent.
“I’m going to stop him. I’m being honest. I’m going to stop him. I believe that,” growled Chisora, wearing a Reform UK cowboy hat. “You’re going to have to hit me like a truck for me to stop coming, but how about that, boy? Delicious. I don’t care. I am coming.”
This is the kind of attitude Chisora, 35-13 (23 KOs), has displayed across an 18-year career that started on the Michael Katsidis-Graham Earl undercard. Wallin, 27-2 (15 KOs), began in 2013, treading the boards on the Northern European and Scandinavian circuit before settling in America. Much of his career has been ruffled by periods of irritation.
Competing in his 49th contest, Chisora continued: “I know for a fact your coach has watched me fight, but he hasn’t trained you to prevent me to get to where I need to get to.
“And where I need to get to is to you, and I will get to you either way, so I’m not bothered. But when I get in the ring, I will come and find you and hit you wherever I want to hit you. You’ll see.”
A calculated southpaw who has shown himself capable of meeting the best while not beating them, Otto Wallin claimed that he will win the fight by any means necessary. Those means will need to be a mix of fair and foul, across 12 hard rounds.
The version of Otto Wallin that gave Tyson Fury a tricky early portion of the fight in 2019 can do that. So can the version that outboxed Murat Gassiev for spells in a 2023 eliminator. The Wallin that turned up against Anthony Joshua in Saudi might find himself squished by Chisora’s metaphorical truck sooner than he thinks.
Promoter Frank Warren was on hand to offer some nostalgic words on the man he has been working with, on and off, for almost 20 years.
“He’s been a magnificent warrior for the British boxing. We’ve had some seriously entertaining moments,” said Warren.
“I’ve had some frustrating moments with him. I’ve had my ups and downs, but I think it’s quite fitting that his last fight is with Queensberry myself here, and this is a good fight. A very good fight.
“Otto Wallin’s not just showing up, and they’ve got the spice, and that massive carrot dangled before him for an eliminator for the IBF title.”
