Derek Chisora Triumphs Over Otto Wallin in IBF Eli...

Derek Chisora Triumphs Over Otto Wallin in IBF Eliminator

Gilbert Munetsi

Zim Now Writer

Zimbabwe-born British heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora delivered a stunning performance on Saturday night, securing a unanimous decision victory over Sweden’s Otto Wallin in an IBF eliminator at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, UK.

The judges’ scorecards read 117-109, 114-112, and 116-110, all in favour of Chisora, who was born in Mbare. His boxing career, which began in 2007 at the relatively late age of 19, has seen him take on some of the biggest names in the sport.

This latest victory improves Chisora’s professional record to 36 wins (23 by knockout) and 13 losses from 49 fights. If he follows through on his promise to retire after his 50th bout, his final match could be against the winner of the February 22 showdown between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker.

According to his camp, the fight against Wallin was his last on British soil. Overcome with emotion as he bid farewell to his UK fan base, Chisora shed tears in the ring. Determined to leave a lasting impression, he pushed through despite sustaining a cut to his eye from an early head clash.

"When I arrived, I told myself I wouldn’t cry, but I ended up crying like a baby," Chisora admitted in his post-fight speech.

"I was emotional because I love the sport, I love the fans, and I love everything about it—the ups and downs. It was a tough night. When I got the cut, something also happened in the third round—I didn’t tell my trainers, but my ears popped. Still, I said to myself, ‘I’m going to carry on.’"

Looking ahead to his final fight, Chisora has expressed interest in facing Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua, or Oleksandr Usyk. Given the latest developments, a match against Dubois seems the most likely scenario.

Chisora’s victory over Wallin ranks among the best performances of his 18-year career, thrilling the crowd with his aggressive approach. He came out swinging, landing powerful body shots early before connecting with heavy right hands to the head in the third round.

The fight was briefly halted in Round 6 due to blood streaming from Chisora’s cut eye, but he persevered, knocking Wallin down twice—once in the ninth round and again in the twelfth.

There is also growing speculation that Chisora could stage his final fight in Zimbabwe. Last year, he indicated his desire to bring a high-profile boxing event to his home country, not only as a tribute but also to promote Zimbabwe as a sporting and tourism destination. If it materialises, such a bout could help develop local boxing and contribute to the country’s economy.

A former paramedic at Churchill Boys High School in Harare, Chisora has earned global respect for his fearless approach to the sport, consistently taking on elite opponents without hesitation. They include fighting Tyson Fury twice; Vitali Klitschko; David Haye; Oleksandr Usyk; Dillian Whyte; Joseph Parker; Kubrat Pulev and Carlos Takam.

Currently ranked the world’s 10th best heavyweight by BoxRec, his highest ranking came in 2013 and 2020, when he reached No. 5.