By Jake Donovan
While all eyes will be on the anticipated grudge match between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, another heavyweight has been added to the loaded December 12 bill at O2 Arena in London, England.
Veteran contender Dereck Chisora will appear on the show, fighting for the second time in as many weekends as he continues the rebuilding tour. Just one week after scoring a 5th round knockout of Peter Erdos in Germany, Chisora steps in short notice against an opponent to be determined.
His placement on the card comes as a consolation prize to the fallout of featherweight contender Josh Warrington, who was due to face fellow unbeaten boxer Jorge Sanchez of Panama. Warrington was forced to withdraw from the show after coming down with a virus earlier this week.
Chisora (23-5, 15KOs) - who turns 32 later this month - has won three straight following a 10th round stoppage loss in his rematch with Tyson Fury last November. Fury has since claimed the World heavyweight championship, having outpointed Wladimir Klitschko last month in Germany.
While a third fight with Fury is a massive longshot, Chisora for now has his sights set on another potential domestic clash as he angles for the winner of Joshua-Whyte. For now, he will simply settle for keeping active and rebuilding his brand.
The inclusion of Chisora adds a new dimension to an already sold-out show in London. Joshua (14-0, 14KOs) - who captured a Gold medal for Great Britain in the 2012 London Olympics - looks to avenge an amateur loss to longtime rival Whyte (16-0, 13KOs), who has scored seven straight knockouts since returning last November following a two-year ban due to testing positive for a banned substance.
In addition to the two heavyweight fights, the card also includes:
- A middleweight elimination bout between Chris Eubank Jr. and Gary O'Sullivan;
- Kevin Mitchell versus unbeaten Venezuelan southpaw Ismael Barrosso in an interim lighweight title fight;
- Tony Bellew and Mateusz Masternak colliding in a European cruiserweight title clash;
- Former two-division titlist Paul Malignaggi facing Antonio Moscatiello, who replaces Gianluca Branco;
- Luke Campbell - who joined Joshua in taking home the gold for Great Britain in the 2012 London Olympics - in a 12-round lightweight battle versus France's Yvan Mendy
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
