Derek Chisora’s heavyweight odyssey refuses to slow down

Even after repeatedly falling short at the highest level, the British public still flock out to watch Chisora. It is a rare distinction for a heavyweight who has always worn his heart on his sleeve

There have been so many supposed endings to Derek Chisora’s heavyweight odyssey that few could ever safely declare its final hurrah. It has already been five years since the greying but enigmatic veteran’s first hateful encounter with Dillian Whyte; almost ten since he was knocked out by David Haye in a grudge match so crude and acrimonious it was repudiated by the BBBoC. He has been beaten, bruised and bloodied by the best of more than one generation, written off repeatedly by the next and yet, no matter how many times Chisora has been felled to the canvas, this Lazarus of British boxing refuses to lie down.

On Saturday at the Manchester Arena, the public will duly rally behind Chisora with the sort of passion reserved only for boxing’s true survivors. After all, courageous defeats have only enhanced his unlikely ascension from villain to hero. Once reviled for his histrionics - from slapping and kissing to death threats and table-throwing - the 37-year-old has slowly mellowed into a sort of lovable rogue, taking solace from boxing’s mad society on a farm outside north London. But all these years later, nowhere has the lure of home quite like the centre of the boxing ring.

If losses haven’t been the bottom line, Chisora’s currency has instead always been excitement. There is an element of chaos to whatever he does, an unpredictable explosiveness that never fails to generate interest inside and outside the ring. He can be sluggish and cumbersome before throwing an explosive Hail Mary, as he did to knock out Carlos Takam in 2018. He can seem to love and hate boxing vividly within the course of one bout, switching from deranged intent or sinking ennui at the flick of a switch that perhaps even Chisora himself doesn’t wholly control.

That was true for much of his first bout against Joseph Parker. He started in electric fashion, catching Parker cold and dropping the former heavyweight champion within seven seconds of the opening bell. But as the rounds wore on and the weariness set in, the holes in his technique became stretched. Chisora bit down on his gumshield like all the days of old, absorbing punches to land his own, roughing and scrapping with few whims of finesse. It is a sense of bravery and adamance ingrained into his very nature, and yet one that has always prevented him from breaching the very elite.

But while dreams of winning a world title are destined to remain imaginary, Chisora’s rudimentary style is still more than a worthy adversary for Parker. The New Zealander was considered fortunate by many at ringside to win their first encounter on the scorecards, and there would have been few cries of foul had Chisora been given the nod. Parker’s technique is more traditional and well-rounded, but it can be blunt, one-paced and a little gun-shy.

That made for a messy fight the first time around, with most semblances of strategy smothered in clinches. Parker should be sharper now, having had the benefit of time to properly work with his new trainer, former middleweight world champion Andy Lee, but there is no guarantee the 29-year-old can withstand the tide if Chisora is able to start fast and sustain a rip-roaring pace over twelve rounds. The distance that separates the pair in age can be bridged by making it a battle of sheer heaving will but, the moment Chisora lets that pressure up, Parker’s skill will naturally prevail.

For Parker, there is everything to lose as he sets his sights on reclaiming a version of the world title. But the beauty of Chisora’s career is that it has never succumbed to such status or logic. He has rolled the dice on a dozen occasions, landed on sixes and ones, but always returned to the table, and neither damage nor defeat has robbed him of his desire. It is a rare feat of survival in a business where idols must first be sacrificed to then be replaced. Chisora is a prizefighter, pure, entertaining and unashamed. Be it in victory or defeat, that is why the British boxing public keep coming back for more.