On Saturday night, veteran UK heavyweight Derek Chisora (36-13, 23KOs) continued his late-career revival by convincingly beating Otto Wallin (27-3, 15KOs) of Sweden at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. The fighter, known as “WAR,” has now won three fights in a row and five of his last six dating back to July 2022.
Chisora produced an intense and tactically astute performance, which was too much for the well-regarded Wallin to handle. Despite suffering a nasty cut above and below his right eye courtesy of a fifth-round clash of heads, Chisora maintained and built on his dominant start to the fight.
Although the matchup looked like a bad one on paper for Chisora, the 41-year-old London resident was able to dictate every aspect of the fight against his younger, taller opponent. Chisora’s dominance in the contest was underlined by two knockdowns – in the ninth and twelfth rounds – which had the fans in the packed arena on their feet.
Wallin heard the final bell but had been well beaten in a bout that was also a final eliminator for a shot at the IBF heavyweight title – Daniel Dubois is the current holder of that strap and defends it on February 22 against Joseph Parker in Riyadh. The scores were 117-109, 114-112 and 116-110 in Chisora’s favor. The scores should have been wider and the 114-112 card turned in by Bence Kovacs of Hungary should be investigated.
How Chisora vs. Wallin Played Out
After showing some emotion when filmed entering the building, Chisora was fully focused by the time he made his ring walk to the sounds of the classic Eagles hit “Hotel California.” When the bell rang, it was Wallin who looked like he was lost on a dark, desert highway though. Chisora’s energy and eagerness to take the fight to his foe surprised the Swedish southpaw. Front foot aggression won Chisora the opening session and would serve him well throughout the contest.
As the rounds wore on, Wallin continued to look a combination of shocked and frightened by the veteran powerhouse that kept swarming him with punches. Wallin’s plan seemed to be to flick jabs at Chisora occasionally then back off to the ropes or the corner like he was some kind of ringmaster waiting for his opponent to punch himself out.
That didn’t happen. Considering his age and lengthy career, Chisora was in incredible shape, and his engine kept running for the duration. With the exception of round ten, Chisora was constantly taking the fight to Wallin, and once he had him in range, he regularly looked to throw combinations of power punches.
Derek Chisora promised us war, and WAR we got 💥
Thank you, @DerekWarChisora 🫡 #ChisoraWallin pic.twitter.com/U8P1yCA2YH
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) February 9, 2025
The one issue Chisora did have to contend with was the aforementioned cut above his right eye. An accidental head clash did the damage, but it left Chisora and cutman Russ Abner, who did a fantastic job between rounds with the running repairs, with a problem that had to be managed for the remainder of the fight.
Chisora was managing very well. A round eight onslaught of power punches thrown by him when Wallin was backed up on the ropes signaled the home fighters’ intent – Chisora was looking for the stoppage. That possibility looked even closer in the ninth round as a looping overhand right caught enough of Wallin’s temple to send him stumbling backwards and then down onto the seat of his pants. It was enough of a connection to floor him but not quite enough to close the show.
Chisora took a breather in the tenth round, but he was back in “WAR” mode for the championship rounds. He didn’t want to leave anything to chance. A late knockdown in the final session put the cap on what could be one of the best performances of Chisora’s career.
What’s Next For Chisora?
Should Chisora face Usyk, Dubois or AJ next? 👀#ChisoraWallin pic.twitter.com/MrlyfqEXXE
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 9, 2025
After Chisora’s unanimous decision win had been announced, an elaborate post-fight interview commenced. Chisora asked his friends – UK rappers Chipmunk, Tinie Tempah, and Skepta – to join him in the ring. He then produced posters of three fighters and asked his pals from the music industry to hold them up so the crowd could vote on who he should face in his 50th contest.
Oleksandr Usyk, Daniel Dubois, and Anthony Joshua were the fighters featured on the posters. Chisora has thought this through – he will have one more fight and wants it to be a big one.
Reacting To Chisora’s Final Opponent Options
It’s difficult to strike the correct balance between career longevity and hanging around too long in what is an unforgiving sport. Plenty of boxers have carried on too long and suffered the consequences. Will Chisora end up being another one? Hopefully not. If he wants to continue to fight to end his career with a 50th contest, then so be it.
Promoter Frank Warren said he would try to make whatever fight Chisora wanted but suggested that as he was now the IBF mandatory, it would make sense for Chisora to face the winner of Dubois versus Parker. Warren also mentioned Chisora deserves a large payday for his final bout, especially if it takes place in Saudi Arabia.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of him tonight” 🥹@FrankWarren gives @DerekWarChisora his flowers 💐#ChisoraWallin | LIVE on @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/VCYlXFIRfO
— Boxing on TNT Sports (@boxingontnt) February 8, 2025
Speaking as a pundit on the TNT Sports broadcast in the UK, former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton indicated that he would like to see Chisora ending his career with a win. Reading between the lines, Frampton was intimating that he would be happier if Chisora called it a career now and rode off into the sunset on the back of last night’s win.
As boxing observers and fans, we can discuss it with our friends and work colleagues in the coming days. It makes for good conversation, if nothing else.
You Can Check Out Anytime You Like….. But You Can Never Leave
Derek Chisora clearly still loves boxing, and to sort of mirror the famous Hotel California lyric, he isn’t checking out or leaving the sport behind just yet. Saturday, February 8, 2025, was billed as “The Last Dance” for Chisora, and in terms of him boxing in the UK, this may very well be the case.
Chisora wants one more night under the lights though. With his recent performances, he has earned the right to glove up for the 50th time and be well paid for his efforts. Now we just need to wait and see who his dance partner will be for that occasion.
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