Derek Chisora: a true boxing legend

Sometimes, it isn’t about the world championships you win and the people you beat – but it’s about the lasting impact you leave on the sport. That has never been more evident than when we talk about Derek Chisora.

The 41-year-old Derek Chisora headed into his fight with Otto Wallin last night knowing that it was his final appearance in the United Kingdom. He made it clear that this was going to serve as the last time that he competed in the UK, and he would be doing so in an IBF title eliminator against Otto Wallin. In the eyes of many, this was going to serve as a tough matchup for ‘Del Boy’ given the style and size of his opponent.

In the end, though, none of that mattered. What did matter was that Derek Chisora was able to put on arguably the best performance of his career, springing a huge upset – in a contest that even saw him drop Wallin on two occasions.

So, at this point, we have to ask: is there anyone out there who is still trying to suggest that Derek Chisora isn’t a legend of heavyweight boxing?

The great Derek Chisora

Derek Chisora falls into the rare breed of fighter that has a cult hero status. No, he isn’t perfect, and he’s made a lot of mistakes throughout his career and life, but he’s still easily one of the most entertaining heavyweights of his generation.

The win over Wallin also speaks volumes to just how much he’s still got left in the tank. A lot of people have called him washed, past his prime and any other number of things, but he proved that he knows how to dig deep and pull a big performance out of the bag when it matters most.

Great work, Derek Chisora – we look forward to number 50.