Chisora’s 50th fight brings Deontay Wilder back to London

Derek Chisora will mark Chisora’s 50th fight by facing former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in London this April, bringing together two veterans whose careers have long intersected without ever quite colliding.

The bout, scheduled for 4 April, reverses Chisora’s earlier intention to stage his farewell overseas. Instead, the 42-year-old Londoner has opted for one final night at home against an opponent he was meant to face 13 years ago.

That original contest fell apart in 2011 when Wilder was unable to travel to the UK following an arrest in the United States. More than a decade later, the pairing finally materialises, though both fighters arrive in very different places.

Wilder, now 40, once tore through the heavyweight division, winning his first 40 professional fights and holding the WBC title with ten successful defences. His trilogy with Tyson Fury, beginning with a draw in 2018 and followed by two defeats, marked a turning point.

Since then, Wilder’s aura has faded. Back-to-back stoppage losses to Joseph Parker in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang in 2024 left serious questions about his durability. A modest return in June against Tyrrell Anthony Herndon steadied him, but did little to restore his former menace.

Chisora’s recent form tells a different story. Written off many times before, he enters Chisora’s 50th fight on a three-bout winning run, including points victories over Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin. There had been talk of a third meeting with Dillian Whyte or a tilt at Fabio Wardley’s WBO belt, but this fight offers something more resonant.

Tyson Fury, who has beaten both men, believes the contest deserves greater stakes. “There should be a belt on the line,” he said. “You’ve got two legendary fighters here. A world champion with ten defences from the USA, and an absolute warlord from the United Kingdom.”

The appeal lies in contrast as much as history. Chisora remains a pressure fighter who thrives on chaos, dragging opponents into exchanges few enjoy. Wilder, for all his technical flaws, still carries the kind of power that can end a contest in an instant.

If Wilder is viewing this as a stepping stone towards a future meeting with Oleksandr Usyk, he may find the night more demanding than expected. Chisora’s 50th fight comes with nothing to conserve and little to lose, and London crowds have never needed much encouragement.

What remains unclear is whether Wilder still has enough of his old self to hold back one last surge from a fighter determined to leave on his own terms.

Chisora and Wilder’s bout will be overseen under British boxing regulations set out by the British Boxing Board of Control, which licenses professional contests in the UK.

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[Image Credit | 32red.com]

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