By Huck Allen: Derek Chisora (33-12, 32 KOs) done the job tonight beating Kubrat Pulev (29-3, 14 KOs) by a 12-round split decision in a fight that could have gone either way at the O2 Arena in London.
Derek said in the post-fight interview that he wants his promoter Eddie Hearn to match him against Deontay Wilder next. If that fight gets made, it would be one of the last couple of fights for Chisora, who plans on retiring soon.
It’s a tall order for Hearn to get Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) to agree to a fight with Chisora because he would want a lot of money, and it’s not a fight that would sell.
If Wilder does come back, boxing fans would prefer to see him fight Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, or Andy Ruiz rather than Chisora. The only way Wilder would agree to take a fight with Chisora is under these two conditions:
- He’s paid a ton of money
- Desperate for an easy tune-up
- Wants to use the fight to increase popularity in the UK
It would make sense for Wilder to fight Chisora in the UK if he hopes to use the clash to sell a fight between him and Anthony Joshua in 2023. But apart from that, Wilder gains nothing by fighting Chisora other than a payday.
Chisora, 38, landed some big shots to edge the 41-year-old Pulev in the rounds that were close, allowing him to win by the scores 116-114, 116-112 for Derek, and 116-112 for Pulev.
The fight was there for Pulev to win, but he didn’t do enough in the earlier rounds to put himself in a position to win. Pulev frequently tied Chisora up and tried to keep him from getting his shots off.
Although there were plenty of opportunities for Pulev to land punches against Chisora, who showed very little head movement, he wasn’t throwing because of his slow hand speed.
The Pulev that fans remember from many years ago when he was beating the likes of Alexander Dimitrenko, Tony Thompson, and Derric Rossy is gone. Pulev is a lot older now, and his speed has slowed to a crawl.
If the 2011 version of Pulev had been inside the ring tonight, he would have jabbed Chisora into submission. When Pulev was in his 20s and early 30s, he had one of the best jabs in the heavyweight division.
Tonight, we rarely saw Pulev throw jabs because he’s lost too much hand speed for him to use it effectively.
“I don’t have many left in me, but what I have, I’m going to give all to you guys,” said Chisora to the crowd at the O2 Arena, moments after he was announced as the winner of Pulev.
“I don’t have many left. So my next couple of fights, I’m on my way out. I don’t want no easy fights, I want the hard fights. I told Eddie [Hearn] the other day if he can get me the ‘Bronze Bomber’ [Deontay Wilder], I’d be happy.
“I want to fight everybody in my era. Win or lose, I just want to fight. Thank you very much to Eddie [Hearn] and Matchroom. My kids are here today. It’s the first time they’ve seen me fight. I needed a win. I’ve lost so many fights on the road, I needed a win, and what a way to win it.
“At the O2 Arena, I’m buzzing right now. It feels great to be a winner, you understand. When you train for these fights, you have to go to the deep end. You have to physically, mentally body-perish, die in that ring while you’re training.
“Your numbers have to be amazing. You can’t cheat in this game and come back and try and do 12 rounds. It’s a life. I’m used to it,” said Chisora when asked what were his thoughts when he heard the 116-112 score read in favor of Pulev.
“If they’d have given it to him, I would have jumped on the train again and carried on. I’m used to getting robbed. It won’t be new to me. I won’t be upset. I’ll move on. God has got a plan for me.
“When I went back to my corner [my trainer] Don [Charles] said, ‘If you cut the distance, we’ll win the fight.’ I’m happy I won in front of my kids. I’m proud,” said Chisora.
“It was a tough brutal fight, grueling. It was sloppy at times, but we knew it would be like that,” said Eddie Hearn. “Pulev likes to hold and hit around the back of the head. But Chisora deserved one tonight.
“It was a very, very close fight, and when they read out the split, I said, ‘Please, no, because I was going to run from the ring, as soon as he comes looking for me. He [Chisora] deserves it tonight. For everything that he’s put in for the sport.
“He’s had so many close decisions that haven’t gone his way. Tonight, one did go his way, and by the way, he just beat a world top 15 fighter, probably a top 10 heavyweight.
“You talk about what Derek Chisora has got left. Don’t take away what he’s achieved in the ring, which is beat a top fifteen, top ten heavyweight. We’ll see what the future holds, but I was just desperate to see him win tonight.
“He’s got such a big heart, you’ve seen that. He never ever quits, and like I said, he’s just beaten a top ten, top fifteen in the world heavyweight. So why not roll on for bigger fights?” said Hearn.
“Eddie, you’re paying Conor [Benn] so much money and you’re paying AJ so much money. Let’s share some money,” said Chisora to Eddie Hearn. “If you don’t give me money, I’m going to the other side [retirement?]. So pay me some money now,” said Chisora.
“You do alright, we look after you,” said Hearn to Chisora.
“I want to put my kids in private school,” said Chisora. “I need to get paid now. ”
“We already look after you,” Hearn said again.
“He looks after me, but not the way that I want to be looked after,” said Chisora. “I want to have some caviar. I’m tired of having fish & chips. ”
“The caviar is coming,” said Hearn.