What next for Derek Chisora? Five opponents in line for July 9 showdown
- Chris Brannan
- 23 May 2022
Derek Chisora is looking at a return to the ring after his rematch loss to Joseph Parker in December last year.
In his 44-fight long career, Chisora has shared the ring with the likes of David Haye, Vitali Klitschko and Tyson Fury twice.
But now at 38 years of age, the Zimbabwe-born heavy hitter has reached the tail-end of his career.
After three losses in his last three fights - Oleksandr Usyk and Parker twice - Chisora will be looking for a change in fortune in his results, and to potentially end his career with that much-needed win.
With the rumour mill circulating, Planet Sport will be taking a look at five potential opponents for the Finchley heavyweight.
Adam Kownacki
The front-runner to face Chisora is the Pole Adam Kownacki.
With Eddie Hearn having already offered the 33-year-old a seven-figure deal to fight in the UK for the first time, the fight was looking likely.
Yet a halt in the proceedings occurred recently when Kownacki and his team were deciding whether take the deal with Matchroom or stick with Premier Boxing Champions for a summertime fight.
'Babyface' would be a good match for Chisora, after the back of his first two career losses both to Robert Helenius - also a former opponent of the Brit.
Before the two losses, Kownacki built up a solid 20-fight win streak with former world champion Charles Martin being his standout win.
Hearn has been looking to break into the Polish market since Lawrence Okolie's win over Michael Cieslak brought many Polish fans into the O2 - so a heavyweight clash involving Kownacki would look to do relatively big numbers for DAZN as well as a good test for both fighters.
Chris Arreola
Possibly the most competitive and winnable fight on the list for Chisora on the list is the veteran heavyweight Chris Arreola.
Three years Chisora's senior at 41 years old, the bout would be a great way for both fighters to bow out of the sport.
Arreola was last seen in the ring a year ago when he took on the returning Andy Ruiz Jr, flooring the former world champion in the second round.
Despite this, the self-proclaimed 'Nightmare' finished on the receiving end of a points loss.
Having also shared a ring with the likes of Deontay Wilder and Bermane Stiverne, Arreola has fought some world class operators in a 46-fight career.
This along with the American having a similar looking record to Chisora makes the contest between the two heavyweights an even more intriguing one and a real 50/50 contest that fans would get behind.
Charles Martin
The last and only time Charles Martin stepped into a UK ring it took just two rounds before Anthony Joshua's right hand blasted him onto the canvas.
Since then, the American has won five of his last seven, with his two losses coming to the aforementioned Kownacki as well as his most recent bout with Luis Ortiz.
Even though Martin may see Chisora as a step below some of his recent opponents, a good performance with a knockout could send a big statement into the heavyweight division especially if 'Prince Charles' could finish Chisora unlike Parker or Usyk could.
The contest would also be an interesting technical fight with the orthodox vs southpaw clash, with Martin favouring his left hand.
Yet, three of Chisora's last five opponents have been southpaws - Senad Gashi, Artur Szpilka, and Usyk - meaning 'War' does have valuable experience when facing them.
With a fair amount riding on the contest for both men, it seems like a viable fight to make in the careers for the fighters.
Kubrat Pulev
After a solid win over Jerry Forrest, seeing Kubrat Pulev in the ring against Derek Chisora could mean fireworks.
Pulev is most remembered by British fans for his world title fight against Anthony Joshua in December 2020 - which saw a series of uppercuts bounce off the chin of the Bulgarian before a brutal one-two knocked Pulev out cold.
The only other loss of 'The Cobra's career came at the hands of Wladimir Klitschko.
Just like Arreola, Pulev would be the older fighter heading into the ring with Chisora at 41 years old although the Sofia native has faced Chisora before, defeating him via split-decision in 2016.
Deontay Wilder
Lastly and definitely the most unlikely, we have the 'Bronze Bomber'.
The fight between the heavyweight counterparts had been rumoured earlier in the year after Eddie Hearn revealed it was a fight he would love to make. Chisora responded to this sharing a mutual interest in the bout.
Wilder hasn't been seen in the ring since his loss in the final saga of the Tyson Fury trilogy, but unlike Fury who has gone on to enter a potential retirement, the American has made his intentions clear on wanting to continue fighting.
With 41 knockouts from his 42 wins, the power of Wilder would be a feeling that Chisora had never quite felt before, even after his devastating knockout loss to Dillian Whyte.
Despite that, the Brit has shown in the past he has a strong punch resistance which could make the bout an interesting one.
With fans teetering on this one due to them not wanting to see Chisora take any unneeded risks, it's hard to see anything more materialising on this one other than just rumours and whispers.
But this is boxing, and stranger things have happened.
