Deontay Wilder denied Derek Chisora the fairytale farewell after the American edged a bruising heavyweight blockbuster at London’s The O2 Arena by split decision.
‘The Bronze Bomber’ promised to show his old self after a string of tough losses since the halcyon days of his trilogy encounters with Tyson Fury half-a-decade ago.
Underneath the Millennium Dome, the veteran American undoubtedly showed flashes across an oft-scrappy but entertaining 115-111, 115-113 and 112-115 slugfest.
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“It has just been two gunslingers, shooting it out,” one commentator said.
Wilder’s hopes that victory here will reignite another bid for a potential world title reign may still prove to be something of a stretch for the onetime WBC champion.
But at the same time, success over Chisora marks arguably the biggest win of his career for a generation, and sends his rival into retirement on a defeated note.
For ‘Del Boy’, on what was intended to be a triumphant goodbye after two decades as a British favourite, he will be left to rue missed chances to force his foe down.
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At the same time however, he feel that he left everything he could in a frequently absorbing headliner that proved its elder statesmen still had something to give.
After a busy undercard and a pair of typically grandiose ringwalks – Wilder to Fred Hammond, then Chisora to the Eagles – both men got down to the brawl-or-bust business.
Chisora moved low, attempting to work under his opponent’s superior range, backing him into the ropes as Wilder attempted to detonate his famed right hand in response.
Repeated clinches proved common betwween the two, with one such incident almost sending the pair toppling off the canvas late in the first round before official intervention.
Neither man let up the output in the second, with Wilder seemingly stunning Chisora in the corner before the latter counted with his own crunching lunges back to the body.
Further exchanges in the third concluded with the Briton stunned by a ferocious hook to the head from the American, but both men began to slow as the fourth unfolded.
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Wilder slipped to the floor midway through, and weathered some booming blows from Chisora, before the latter took a few tumbles in the fifth, aided by a push or two in return.
At the midway point of the contest, it felt like something had to give, yet both men refused to buckle across a more sedate sixth round as the tanks slowly began to run dry.
Each fighter found purchase in a similarly slowed seventh, though further warnings were issued from the referee after another tangled embrace put them back to earth again.
The contest erupted back into life in the eighth however when Chisora went through the ropes twice in succession after a heavy exchange sent shockwaves across Greenwich.
Though the first was ruled as a knockdown, the officials intervened after the second, deeming foul conduct from Wilder and deducting a point, giving his rival time to recover.
A quieter ninth found the home favourite with a little more purchase, even as both men proceeded to grow increasingly ragged, working to further tire each other out the most.
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Wilder snapped a grin late in the tenth when Chisora found him flush on the chin, but heading into the championship rounds, it seemed tough to split either on the scorecards.
Another tumble for the Briton through the ropes saw another count midway through the eleventh, but a knockdown in return brought the crowd towards a fever-pitch mood.
With both men chasing the knockout in the final round, each star threw wild swings and haymakers in the hopes of a showreel clincher – but none was ultimately forthcoming.
As the final bell rang, Wilder lifted his hand with a toothy grin before embracing his foe. When his arm was raised five minutes later, even the boos could not deny his triumph.
This story originally appeared on DAZN News and was republished with permission.
Deontay Wilder def. Derek Chisora (112-115, 115-111, 115-113) by split decision.