The peculiar bromance between former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and never world champ Derek Chisora brings them into a manosphere clinch this Saturday night.
The testosterone will be pumping full flood at London’s O2 in their fight for nothing much more than personal bragging rights when they go for a beer after their brawl. Assuming both of them are able to make it to the bar.
That is the more serious question than which of them is going to win. Forty is a dangerous age, so the saying goes. Not least for boxers. That is Wilder’s age, while Chisora is 42.
They protest that age is only a number but in their cases the years are scarred by the brutal punishment both have suffered prior to their coming together in what is the 50th professional fight for each of them.
‘Fifty Fifty’ is the nifty banner for this event which alludes also to the prediction as to what the result will be. But there is nothing cute about two good ol’ boys beating the last of the living daylights out of each other. Something brutal, more likely.
The more heroic these warriors the louder the crowd will roar, the armchair audience love it. Blood lust is inevitable with prizefighting and neither of these men will falter under fire. The danger is that they will be too brave for their own good. They’ve proven that down almost two decades.
The peculiar bromance between former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and never world champ Derek Chisora brings them into a manosphere clinch this Saturday night
Wilder, a devout son of a preacher man, needed what he described as ‘a great deal of help to mend me physically, mentally and spiritually’ after defeat to Fury
Whether or not it is wise to encourage them to do it one more time their promoters, managers and TV paymasters will not know for sure until the final bell tolls.
London’s Del Warboy hardly knows what an easy fight looks like. He has lost 13 of his 49 bouts and has been taken the distance in 13 of his victories, many of which were battles royal.
America’s Bronze Bomber launched the titanic missiles in his armoury of freakishly massive punches to win his first 40 fights, all but one of them by quick-fire knock-outs, Then came the murderous trilogy with Tyson Fury – riddled with knock-downs of both – which imposed a first draw on the pride of Tuscaloosa and then the loss of the world heavyweight title by which he had reigned supreme for six years.
Gypsy King fight one ended with Fury and Wilder believing they should have won. Both hit the canvas in fight two, which Fury won decisively by seventh-round KO. If that was not punishing enough, fight three was a slugfest which profoundly affected the two of them. After two knockdowns apiece – with Fury’s fabled powers of recovery severely tested – Wilder’s face was the more damaged as he was flattened nose-down in the 11th round.
Fury would say later that the last fight had taken something out of him permanently. Wilder, this devout son of a preacher man, needed what he described as ‘a great deal of help to mend me physically, mentally and spiritually.’
It was a year after hinting at quitting before he spurred himself into a return to the ring. The comeback has yielded two quick stoppages of lesser opponents but more significantly a pair of defeats by world title contenders Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
So disturbing can be the psychological effects of so much violence that Wilder and Chisora have been fortunate to escape prison sentences for domestic abuse. For which both have apologised profusely.
Chisora, too, has flirted with retirement but admits himself addicted to the hardest game in all its thrills and glamour. And, of course, the money.
Chisora donned a Fury mask at Friday’s weigh-in in a not-so-subtle reminder of Wilder’s defeat
Both have accused the boxing moguls of robbing them of rafts of their hard earned purses.
Chisora is believed to have harboured more of his millions wisely. Wilder has not only his expensive lifestyle to finance but also the funding of three mothers of his eight children.
Of the latter, he is constantly and heartwarmingly dedicated to the special care of his youngest. A daughter with spina bifida whose every small step towards a normal life infuses him with pride and delight.
Chisora, also a Christian, has two children. This weekend’s substantial rewards from a potentially last hurrah will help secure a lot of futures.
And in its unusual way, solidify their affection and respect for each other.
Says Chisora: ‘We’ve been friends a long time now. There will be none of my usual chair-smashing or table-throwing before this fight. No insults or menacing. Win or lose we will go for a pint once it’s over.’
Wilder: ‘Derek is my brother. You don’t hurl threats at your brother. We are looking forward to this and will fight each other hard and honest. Then we’ll have a drink, maybe dinner, together.’
Del Warboy promises his family and friends he will hang up the gloves on Sunday morning, adding: ‘I just want to go out on my 50th fight.’ We who have admired his courage and persistence for so long and been amused by his antics hope he means it this time. For his own sake.
The Bronze Bomber sounds like he will only retire if he loses the battle of his half-century: ‘We’ll see how it goes. Whether it can lead to another world title fight.’ We who have marvelled at the mightiest puncher since Mike Tyson hope he knows when his race is run.
There appear to be two possible outcomes on the banks of the Thames. Either Wilder, who has looked the more washed up lately, rediscovers his lost timing for pulling that deadly trigger and lands the knock-out early, Or Chisora survives the first few rounds and prevails late by non-stop attrition.
Perhaps the perfect outcome for this pair of trans-Atlantic buddies would be one of extreme rarity. That of two boxers launching concussive blows simultaneously, then being counted out simultaneously for a draw.
That way they could ride off into the sunset together.
Chisora v Wilder will be streamed live on DAZN this Saturday night.
