'Legend Derek Chisora has nothing left to prove - he should walk away'

2 years ago 65

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There are many overused cliches in boxing, but Derek Chisora is a living and breathing legend, warrior and throwback fighter.

After his points loss to Joseph Parker in Manchester on Saturday and a 12th career loss, however, my desire for Chisora is to walk away.

He has nothing left to prove. Nothing left to do. And nothing left to earn.

I want to be ringside in another decade where 'Del Boy' is introduced to the fans as he gets in the ring and is treated to the same reception given to the likes of Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis - a deserved 10-minute standing ovation.

Not just a brave, old-fashioned slugger

We could write a whole column dedicated to Chisora's infringements outside of and leading up to the ring - like spitting water at the Klitschko brothers in Munich, throwing tables, being involved in fisticuffs or any of the other misdemeanours.

But underneath all of those infringements and lunacy, Chisora is a generous guy who always gives up his time for others and loves the business of boxing.

Away from the brave fights where he has gone down slugging, he is also a very smart boxer.

If he was just a brave, old-fashioned slugger then he would not have reached 44 fights and topped the bill nearly 30 times against close to 20 genuinely world-class opponents.

Before the Parker fight, a lot of the talk was that both boxers are on the edge of world-title level. But that is not true - both are inside the top eight heavyweights in the world.

We have three or four dominant heavyweights but Chisora and Parker are at the very front of challenging those men.

There are 30 young contenders and pretenders out there but none of them has met a man like Chisora, let alone beaten a man like Chisora.

They have unbeaten records and hyped-up knockout sequences, but they have never been with a real fighter, with hard men.

Chisora can beat Ruiz Jr or Wilder

Chisora has made enough money and does not need more. He understands his worth. I can assure you, all those young pretenders who want his scalp, none of them will bring to the table the money needed to get him back in the ring.

If he does continue, like he said he plans to, the fights available for him are quite simple: former world champions Andy Ruiz Jr or Deontay Wilder.

Both of those will deliver the money to get Chisora back in action and he can beat either of those two.

But can he also be knocked out by them? Yes, because you cannot keep taking the punches Chisora has taken in his long career. He took more clean punches against Parker than he has in any other fight.

A fight against Wilder is a great attraction and would sell out any indoor venue - maybe even outdoors.

But while Wilder will not hit Chisora 60 times on the chin like Parker did, he is an exceptionally gifted puncher and it is not a fight I want to see.

The last of the throwbacks

Anybody who is old, a bit rough and loses is called a throwback. I have a feeling that Chisora might be the last of the throwbacks.

I do not think in the decades ahead we will see a world-class heavyweight with 44 fights on his record.

You look at Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, Joe Joyce or any of the heavyweights - they are not going to have another 15 or 20 fights.

When we look back at Chisora's career, we might reflect on that February night in 2012 when he pushed Vitali Klitschko all the way. Chisora lost on points but it was a hard fight for Vitali.

We might also wonder how Chisora, who has lost only to good men since then, never got another crack at a world title.

Some 29 men have fought for a version of the four world titles after Chisora's loss to Vitali.

Some of those men - Artur Szpilka, Gerald Washington, Johann Duhaupas, Vyacheslav Glazkov, Francesco Pianeta and Alex Leapai - are not even close to Chisora's level.

While I want him to hang up the gloves, I cannot help feeling that for all the glorious nights Chisora has given us, he should have been given at least one more shot at world glory.

Steve Bunce was speaking to BBC Sport's Kal Sajad.

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