Derek Chisora overcame a badly cut eye to deliver a gusty unanimous points win over Otto Wallin in Manchester in what was billed as his final fight on British soil. If this showdown at the Co-op Live Arena really was his home swansong, it was a fitting send-off.
Chisora started on the front foot and maintained his momentum despite picking up a deep cut above his right eye in the fifth round, as well as one below, which poured with blood, before going on to twice put Wallin on the canvas. Despite not being able to find a knockout blow, Chisora was handed a unanimous decision, which could now set him up for a shot at the IBF heavyweight title against either the champion Daniel Dubois or Joseph Parker, who will meet on 22 February.
after newsletter promotion
Chisora made a solid start, landing plenty of body shots on the 6ft 5ins Swede, whose only two previous defeats had come against Tyson Fury, by unanimous decision in 2019, and then when he was stopped by Anthony Joshua in December 2023.
With Wallin not offering much during the first couple of rounds, Chisora landed a big right hand over the top in the third to continue his early dominance with little coming back the other way from the southpaw. Wallin remained static, which invited Chisora forwards, and the British fighter picked up a cut above his right eye from a clash of heads. As the blood flowed, the referee paused the contest in the sixth round to allow further checks from the doctor on the damage to Chisora’s eye, but he was allowed to continue.
Chisora’s corner went to work to patch up their man ahead of the seventh, and he was soon on the offensive again with Wallin left on the ropes by a flurry of combination shots before the bell. After continuing to take more punishment, Wallin was eventually sent sprawling back across the ring and on to the canvas by a massive right from Chisora in the ninth round, but got up to take a standing eight count.
With Chisora running out of gas, the tempo of the contest dropped heading into the final couple of rounds. Wallin was down again just before the final bell but Chisora had already done enough and is expected to hold his 50th and last fight abroad, with Saudi Arabia or an African country among the possible destinations.
