There’s something fitting about Deontay Wilder-Derek Chisora at The O2 in London on April 4.
Don’t get me wrong, I harbor significant concerns about Chisora’s long-term health and have done so for years. I seem to have far more concern for it than he does, and that’s fine – obviously.
But I think I make him a steady favorite against Wilder, who has been on a disastrous run of form and will struggle to match Chisora’s work rate.
When Chisora announced he would have one more fight, it was hard to think of who he would get. If he got a title fight – and won – surely it wouldn’t be the end. It needed to be someone meaningful.
And Wilder said on Wednesday it’s a fight that he needs more than Chisora. You can see why he would think that.
What is astonishing is when this fight was speculated about years ago, there were plenty who were concerned about Wilder’s health. If the so-called immovable object – in Chisora – faced the irresistible force, Wilder’s power, what would happen?
Wilder’s power is not so irresistible anymore and one of these days Chisora will not be immovable.
It is interesting that DAZN clearly wanted the fight more than Sky Sports, who this week confirmed their return to boxing having struck a deal with MVP. It seems that Sky will also work with Zuffa Boxing moving forwards, too, as the new world order of boxing gathers pace.
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The biggest fight for Shakur Stevenson is surely Gervonta Davis. But Davis has far more on his plate than boxing so that means looking elsewhere. It was bizarre Stevenson called out Conor Benn after defeating Teofimo Lopez so stylishly, but at the same time it wasn’t. Stevenson knows Benn represents low risk and high reward. He knows it would introduce him to a new fanbase and allow him to be cast as the brilliant antagonist. Boxing is more and more a money business and they’d likely fill Wembley Stadium with it. But I prefer Benn against Josh Kelly (and the Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia winner), and Stevenson against Abdullah Mason, Devin Haney, Lamont Roach, Keyshawn Davis or Raymond Muratalla for starters. Haney has, on social media, volunteered to fight Shakur and Keyshawn Davis. The WBC being in such a hurry to strip Shakur of the lightweight belt having moved up to win a championship at 140lbs was yet another example of the current construct of boxing taking a gun to its own foot and firing off a couple of rounds.
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Lopez went from future hall of famer to overrated in one fight and that sums up many of boxing’s ills. Stevenson was not a good style match for him – as many had feared. His corner was found wanting. But he’s not become a bad fighter overnight. Come on. I’d still like to see him against the likes of Haney, Garcia, Davis, and Smith. You cannot forget what he’s done or try to downplay it. This is why we get fighters nursing records. Sure, Lopez has lost before, but he’s put himself in with fighters who matter. Good for him. We need more of that.
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Kudos to Top Rank but what a weird night it must have been for their top brass to see talents they’ve built, created and launched in Teo, Shakur and Bruce Carrington plying their trade on a show hosted by another promoter on another channel. I’m sure they don’t want sympathy – they’d rather have a TV deal – but I sympathised with them.
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The sad news about the vandalism of the statue of Teddy Baldock struck a chord. For many years, I’ve visited boxing statues wherever I’ve gone, from Leavander Johnson to Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis to Joey Giardello. But there was something particularly unsavory about seeing the gang shaking Baldock’s statue loose and making off with it. I really felt for Baldock’s family in particular.
*****
What a bolt from the blue from Radivoje “Hotrod” Kalajdzic against Oleksandr Gvozdyk. I figured that Gvozdyk was going to fall apart against David Benavidez and was wrong. He was tough that night, as he was in the life-changing effort against Artur Beterbiev. If that is the end for “The Nail”, he’s had a stellar career. Credit to Kalajdzic, too. He never gives up and is a handful for anyone.
