Should Derek Chisora fight again or step out the ring for good?
Should Derek Chisora fight again or step out the ring for good?
By Oli Dickson-Jefford
Derek Chisora endured the 12th defeat of his professional career when he lost to former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker on Saturday night.
The Brit fought admirably and showed serious firepower at times, though was knocked down by Parker three times and the New Zealander sealed a points victory after 12 gruelling rounds.
Chisora has fought some of the biggest names of his generation during his career but as he approaches his 38th birthday, questions are growing about where he goes from here.
After another defeat, is it time for the Londoner to hang up his gloves and call time on his career?
Where does he go from here?
Chisora has now lost three times in a row; twice to Parker this year at the Manchester Arena, and to Oleksandr Usyk at the Wembley Arena in 2020.
The 37-year-old has lost three fights in a row before but is in a very different stage of his career now.
It has been almost a decade since his one world title fight, which he lost to Vitali Klitschko, and it is hard to see which of boxing’s big names would want to take him on now.
Most of his losses have come to notable names: aside from losses Klitschko, Usyk and to Parker twice, he’s lost to David Haye, Kubrat Pulev, and on two occasions to Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury.
With Fury and Usyk both currently world champions who will most likely be fighting each other next year, Chisora will be well off the radar for both of them.
He will also be off Whyte’s radar having twice lost to his fellow Brit and with Whyte pushing for a world title shot, while Parker will feel he has finished business with two wins over ‘Del Boy’ in the space of seven months.
Someone who is also looking to rebound is Anthony Joshua following his loss to Usyk, but is this a match up that AJ would want? It seems unlikely considering the calibre of opponents he’s faced in recent years.
There are other heavyweights such as Andy Ruiz, Deontay Wilder and Otto Wallin who are yet to confirm a next opponent, with British fighters Joe Joyce and Daniel Dubois also looking for their next match-up.
However, it is likely that all of them will be eyeing a more attractive and marketable fight than Chisora, who no longer carries the same weight as some of the bigger names in the division.
Is it time to call it a day?
It is time for Chisora to call it a day.
He undoubtedly boxed well at times on Saturday but the fact he was knocked down three times and fell to Parker for a second straight contest suggests his best days are behind him.
He won’t be the first name on anyone’s lips looking for a fight in 2022, with his best shot at a fight likely to be in an all-British fight against the likes of Joyce, Dubois or Fabio Wardley with little at stake.
It is difficult for professional athletes in any sport to admit that their best days are behind them, and that is the situation Del Boy finds himself in.
He could well fight next year, but it is hard to see who he would beat and whether it would draw fans in as he has done in the past.
It probably is time for Chisora to step out of the ring and enjoy a well-earned retirement.
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