At 40 and with a classic performance in his win against Joe Joyce, me think this is the right time for the Zimbabwean British heavyweight boxer, Derek Chisora, to bid active boxing goodbye.
Chisora brought war and what I will describe as “Holy Smoke” into boxing ring with 49 bouts, 35 wins, 23 by way of knockout and 13 loses. He was a former British heavyweight champion, European champion but his skills and tactics were not enough to make him a world champion when he stepped in as a contender for the WBC title.
Chisora, one of the most active boxers of this era, who kept this game alive. At the time the division was suffering and boxers were so reluctant to step into the ring and fight, Chisora was around to create happiness for boxing fans around the world.
Not minding his rating in the heavyweight class, Chisora would always throw his hat in the ring for whosoever was ready to feel his heat. He is a warrior, a fighter, resilient, yet very humble personality inside and outside the ring.
Thrice he fought Tyson Fury, twice he fought Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker and lost all the fights. Chisora lost to Robert Helenius, Kubrat Pulev, Vitali Klitschko, David Haye, Joseph Parker, Agit Kabayel, Oleksandr Usyk, yet he refused to quit.
He would always show up as the underdog to take punishment so that boxing can live. Chisora has entertained us and I think all those who beat him will not only remember their victories against this African warrior but his sense of professionalism and the sacrifice he had made for boxing.
I love Chisora to quit now because of his age and his last record when he beat Joyce.
Chisora is 40, no one ever thought that he would beat Joyce. Most fans that came to watch the match wanted to feel Chisora’s smoke that would surprisingly earn him a hard fought victory.
He knocked down Joyce twice in the 12 -round-bout to take his record of victory to 36 in 49 professional fights.
At the post match press conference , Chisora said, “It’s Hard To Say Goodbye But It’s Almost”.
How hard will it be for this warrior to quit? It should not be hard anymore. It is time for this old horse to ride away.
Chisora is a warhorse and as the great country singer, Willie Nelson, sings it in, “Ride me back home”, Chisora must ride back home to a greener place with much space bigger than the ring to enjoy life.
He has paid his due, he has seen it all. Chisora has made boxing so good.
He rode into every battle, took so much wounds so that other boxers could have a place to hide.
The world will mention Chisora each time boxing is being discussed, especially in the United Kingdom.
