The conqueror of two weight divisions Briton David Haye does not agree with the opinion of many ring colleagues, experts and fans that it is time for the age-old heavyweight compatriot Derek Chisora (32-12, 23 KOs) to hang up his gloves on a nail. Already this Saturday, Chisora will fight in a rematch with Kubrat Pulev (29-2, 14 KOs) from Bulgaria.
WATCH FIGHT Chisora vs Pulev 2 ON DAZN
Hei is familiar with Chisora firsthand. In 2012, they met twice in a row: first they fought in February at a press conference in Munich (Germany), and in July they had a real fight in London (England). In both cases, the victory was for Haye – read about this and about the revenge of Chisora with Pulev in the preview Primacy by nature. Later, David was Chisora’s manager.
“I believe that everything is actually exactly the opposite, —
Hay says. – You are talking about the fact that a fighter at a respectable age can get injuries in the ring that will affect the rest of his life. But why don’t you think about what a boxer should do after retirement? Have you thought at least once about the fact that it is better to let him continue to amuse his fans instead of sitting at home, drinking and smoking? But in this case, he would have harmed himself much more and faster. It is boxing that keeps him and others like him afloat. It is thanks to boxing that he is now alive and well. Including for the reason that because of boxing, he is forced to constantly undergo medical tests and follow a diet, eat right.”
“You shouldn’t worry so much about his health, because professionals are involved in this business – british boxing council would not give him a license if he had any kind of brain disorder. And also think about the fact that he is a great example for other fighters at a respectable age: he earns solid money, due to which he fully provides his family with everything necessary. When will he retire? Not sure if he will do it voluntarily. Perhaps after some kind of defeat, which he had not had before – when he was completely outplayed or beaten solidly, ”said Haye.
According to David, Chisora was already once close to retirement: “It happened after the second defeat to Tyson Fury. That’s when I understood when the fans urged Derek to end his career. After all, in that battle, he did not manage to do absolutely nothing. But he’s had a lot of fights since then and they’re all competitive. Including a competitive fight with the unified heavyweight champion Alexander Usik. So why are we even talking about the fact that a fighter of this level should definitely retire immediately? He doesn’t owe anyone anything. And he has more than enough fuel. But then, when the fuel is gone, it will be necessary to leave. Then he gets knocked out. In the meantime, he forces to work at the limit of the elite heavyweights. It’s wild to even talk about retirement.”
Haye smiles: “I would never have thought that after our face-to-face fight he would spend more than 10 years in boxing. Not with that style, dudes! I sincerely did not believe that with such a style it was possible to perform at this level for so long. So he proved me wrong. I don’t know what kind of dough it’s made of. But this is something solid. And the fans love him for it. He is not the fastest, not the most technical, but the most daring. Chisora is a bag or even bags of courage. That’s why fans love him. And he constantly wants to fight only with the strongest. He doesn’t take passes. After all, only for the sake of fighting with the elite opposition, he is ready to plow in the hall. And he wanted this revenge with Pulev, which on paper is very uncomfortable and difficult for him. But this is Derek.
Chisora lost to Pulev in 2016 by split decision. Haye believes that Derek will win this time: “He will stop him in the later rounds. I think he will get close to him first, take his jab away, wear him down with body shots. I don’t think Pulev would like that. This is the way to go against fighters who rely on their jab. Chisora will also get well in the course of the battle, here without question. But he will be able to survive, and then break the opponent.
In the meantime, the old robbers are fueling interest in a head-to-head fight. Pulev said that he was “like the sun” – and poked at the camera, and Chisora scored for training and played hot chairs with fans. Show promoter Eddie Hearn is confident that Derek is better than 99% of the heavyweights.
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