When has a boxer had enough?
Before Derek Chisora left Manchester, following his heavyweight showdown loss against Joseph Parker, he posted a video on his Twitter account. With a left eye that refused to open properly and a face that was still swollen, the Zimbabwean-born fighter thanked the city for its hospitality and the fans for their support, he finished by saying his career was not done yet and he’ll see everyone in the summer.
Now, it’s hard to know what potential match-up Chisora is talking about given that, if you’re betting on boxing matches scheduled to take place in the summer of 2022, you won’t see any sign of Chisora’s name in the upcoming bouts. In fact, the latest boxing predictions are heavily focused on Tyson Fury’s bout with Dillian Whyte to decide the WBC championship in 2022, with the experts forecasting a win for Fury, who is currently priced at 1/7 odds. As for Chisora, well, there isn’t anything pencilled in for him yet and strictly speaking, it should stay that way as the 37-year-old has run out of road.
Manchester, thanks for having me again. A big shoutout to @joeboxerparker for winning it. Thankyou to everybody who came to the Arena or tuned in on @DAZNBoxing last night. I hope everyone has an amazing Christmas and I’ll see you all next year. We are not done yet. #warchisora pic.twitter.com/e20hVOatc0
— Derek Chisora 🥊 (@DerekWarChisora) December 19, 2021
As briefly touched on, Chisora has just come off a loss to Parker, who executed his strategy provided by Irish trainer Andy Lee to perfection. All in all, Parker dropped Chisora three times before recording a unanimous win by way of the judges’ scorecard. Now, whilst Chisora didn’t suffer a powerful knockout, he was still on the receiving end of a few haymakers that would have added further mileage to his clock. It’s worth pointing out that this was also his third consecutive loss over the course of a career where he has lost a dozen times and suffered three brutal knockouts.
The 37-year-old has, of course, recorded 32 wins which far outweighs his losses but even during those victories, he would have sustained heavy blows that would have taken their own toll. Irrespective of whichever way you look at it, 44 professional bouts in the heavyweight division is probably nine too many and the consequences on a boxer’s long-term health become all the direr the closer to 50 fights they get.
With this in mind and given how determined Chisora is to carry on, the question has to be asked, how much is enough?
📅ON THIS DAY: Whyte v Chisora II💥
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) December 22, 2021
⏪Back in 2018 @DillianWhyte landed that huge left hook against Derek Chisora at the 02 Arena🧨 pic.twitter.com/gxXCbTFUXg
In many instances, you can’t help but become quite cynical when a boxer begins to push their luck by putting a healthy retirement at stake by carrying on. Indeed, the conversation centres around money and whether the boxer in question have done enough to save their fight purses over the course of their careers to ensure that they can retire on their own terms.
In Chisora’s case, it’s beginning to look desperate and the losses are racking up. Could there be an argument to be made for his promoters refusing to take on any more fights for him in a bid to ensure that the 37-year-old is able to thrive when he begins his second act? In many respects, life is just beginning for the charismatic Chisora and he’s given us some unforgettable nights in the ring over the last 15 years, but the time has come to say enough is enough.
