Age has caught up to Derek Chisora a long time ago. The 39-year-old’s punches don’t come out with the same speed, power, or accuracy. His once endless gas tank empties after just a few rounds and even his ability to take a shot doesn’t appear to be the same anymore.
Coming fresh off a one-sided beating against Tyson Fury, Chisora (34-13, 23 KOs) was given a much softer touch. On the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Robert Helenius this past weekend, Chisora took on fellow fringe contender, Gerald Washington.
Things weren’t pretty for the hometown guy. He fought listlessly at times and never appeared to get out of first gear. Luckily for him, Washington couldn’t get it going either.
The win may have led to countless cheers from his fans at the O2 arena but Chisora has also heard the critics urging him to retire. While he understands that he isn’t quite what he used to be, Chisora doesn’t believe that it’s time for him to walk away.
“I’m not stopping, f— off,” Chisora told iFL TV. “Not yet.”
Fighting for a world title isn’t exactly in the cards for Chisora. He isn’t ranked in the top five in any of the four sanctioning bodies and his name hasn’t been connected to the likes of Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, or any of the top contenders in a while.
Still, regardless of his beltless waist, Chisora has always been able to pack arenas in the United Kingdom. But where does the former title challenger find his motivation? Is he interested in making one final push up the heavyweight ladder? Maybe the roar of the crowd is too addicting to give up. How about the gigantic wads of cash he deposits into his account after each appearance? Although it remains unclear when he’ll decide to hang up his gloves for good, for now, he simply isn’t ready to go that route.
“It’s not time yet.”
By Hans Themistode