Although Derek Chisora isn’t necessarily saying he is better than Oleksandr Usyk and Joseph Parker, two heavyweights who have beaten him, he does have every reason to believe he is more popular than them, at least in the UK.
It is because of this belief that he maintains that Daniel Dubois’ next opponent should be him, Chisora, rather than the two men who have previously defeated him. According to Chisora, in fact, it is only by choosing him over Usyk and Parker that Dubois, the IBF heavyweight champion, stands a chance of selling out venues such as Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I want my world title shot with Daniel at Wembley,” Chisora told Gareth A. Davies and Spencer Oliver on talkSPORT’s Fight Night show. “We can sell out Wembley.
“I know Daniel pulled out of the fight with Joseph Parker [in February], but he’s learning. He’s a good fighter learning his craft right now. People should give him some slack. He will defend his title against me because I know Joseph Parker wants to fight for the WBO [title] with Oleksandr Usyk.
“Listen, I want that fight. We want good fights and we want good business. If I know good business, it’s me and Daniel. Usyk and Daniel Dubois will not sell out Tottenham or Wembley. I know that for a fact.”
Much of Chisora’s belief stems from knowing that in recent years he has become quite the cult hero in British boxing. Whether in victory or defeat, he has always left a piece of himself in the ring and this sacrifice rarely goes unnoticed. Indeed, it is why British fans have long shown their appreciation for Chisora, both vocally on fight night and with their eagerness to purchase tickets to watch him live.
Whether that’s enough to warrant Chisora, now 36-13 (23 KOs), getting a shot at Dubois in his next and presumably final fight is another matter. But certainly, in a sport concerned as much with entertainment as what is fair and right, Chisora’s argument is a strong, persuasive one. Dubois, after all, is not yet at the stage where either his reputation or personality lends itself to selling out football stadium shows on his name alone.
