Derek Chisora stunned Otto Wallin with two knockdowns on his way to a unanimous victory on Saturday in his last match in England.
Chisora is ready to retire after his next match, the 50th in his career, and delivered a remarkable performance, despite having a cut eye for half the match, with the three judges, Bout scored 117-109, 114-112 and 116- 110 to the British fighter.
The 41-year-old is now in the Line Werdstittellot after his match with Wallin was upgraded earlier this month to an eliminator for the IBF tungweight title held by Daniel Dubois, who takes Joseph Parker on February 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
“When I arrived I said to myself that I am not crying but I started crying like a baby [before the fight]”Said Chisora after the match.
“I was in tears because I love the sport and love the fans. I love everything by it, ups and downs.
“It was a very emotional day for me today. It was very difficult. When I got the cut, something happened in the third round that I didn’t tell my coaches, my ears showed up.”
After the match, Chisora’s camp brought three photos into the ring of heavyweight masters Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk, plus Anthony Joshua.
He asked the audience to choose who he fought next, with Manchester spectators who seemed to cheer the highest when the Usyk and Joshua’s photos were stopped.
Chisora has previously said he wants to fight Dillian Whyte or Francis Ngannou in his 50th match, before retirement, with the fight to take place outside the UK.
Derek Chisora will apparently fight
“Whatever he wants, we will make it happen. We will sit down and make it happen,” said his promoter Frank Warren.
“He has now won an eliminator for the IBF title, and that’s Daniel Dubois, so he has it in the bank.
“Whatever he wants to do, we’ll do. Tonight, what notion. I can’t tell you how proud I am over how he fought in there, also Otto because it takes two to fight.”
How Chisora stunned Wallin
Chisora produced one of her best victories of the 36 in his 18-year-old career to the delight of the crowd at the Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester.
He came flying out of blocks, with large swinging shots to Wallin’s body in the opening rounds and landed a pair of big right hands to the head in the third.
However, a seeming clash of heads in the fifth round, Chisora saw cut his right eye. In the sixth, blood constantly dripped off the eye, so the judge was forced to immediately stop the fight.
Derek Chisora beat down Otto Wallin twice
After being controlled by doctors, Chisora did not let up the intensity and released several shots at Wallin in the seventh, before an incredible attack in the eighth with about 30 consecutive swings shook his opponent.
He looked at Wallin with a right hand in the ninth to send the Swedish tumbling and then pulled him tactically into the corner over the rest of the battle to land more strokes to the body, including another knockdown in the final round before the bell went .
Daniel Dubois against Joseph Parker and Artur Betterbiev v Dmitry Bivol Rematch will be live on Saturday 22 February at Sky Sports Box Office. Book now!