By: Hans Themistode
The losses are rapidly piling up for heavyweight fringe contender Dereck Chisora.
At the age of 38, Chisora has yet to pick up a win since facing off against David Price in 2019. Since then, the British native has found himself on the losing end of three razor-close decisions.
On Halloween day in 2020, Chisora gave current unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk all he could handle. While the rough and rugged contender would push the Ukrainian star, he was unable to secure the victory. Seven months later, Chisora would suffer defeat again, this time at the hands of Joseph Parker.
Most recently, both Chisora and Parker locked horns in an immediate rematch. Although he gave it everything he had, Chisora was dropped three times before losing a close unanimous decision.
With another defeat smeared on his resume, many, including Parker, have urged the 38-year-old to call it a career. Promoter Eddie Hearn, on the other hand, doesn’t believe Chisora is necessarily slowing down.
“I don’t see Dereck Chisora deteriorating,” said Hearn during an interview with IFL TV. “But what I do see is him in a lot of tough fights. He’s losing to elite heavyweights.”
Even with Chisora hitting a rough patch and seemingly near the end of his rope, Hearn believes he can still compete with some of the division’s best. With former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder currently in the midst of his own difficult stretch, having suffered back-to-back stoppage defeats at the hands of Tyson Fury, Hearn has begun fantasizing about a showdown between the pair.
In no way, shape, or form does Hearn believe Chisora will be outclassed by the former titlist. In fact, if the long-time promoter were a gambling man, he’d wager that Chisora could pull off the upset, provided he stayed out of harm’s way.
“I wouldn’t suggest it but if Del [Chisora] wants to fight Deontay Wilder, he can beat Deontay Wilder. If he gets hit in the first three or four rounds, well, maybe at any time in the fight, it’s potentially over but he can outlast Deontay Wilder and wear him down. For me, I’m not out there actively looking for a fight for Dereck Chisora vs. Deontay Wilder but I can’t deny, I’m interested to watch it.”
