Derek Chisora, a veteran in the boxing world, has hinted that his upcoming fight against Joe Joyce may mark the end of his 17-year professional career. The 40-year-old Chisora, with a record of 34 wins and 13 losses, has stated that this bout at the O2 Arena in London will be his last appearance at the venue. Surprisingly, Chisora has boldly declared that he does not care about winning this fight, given his estimated fortune of £12m ($15 million). This cavalier attitude towards winning suggests that Chisora is in a unique position where the outcome of the fight holds little significance to him.
Joe Joyce’s Vulnerability
On the other side of the ring, Joe Joyce, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist with a record of 16 wins and 2 losses, is the clear favorite to win the upcoming 12-round bout against Chisora. However, Chisora believes that Joyce may still be mentally affected by his recent knockout losses to Zhilei Zhang in 2023. In his last fight against British journeyman Kash Ali, Joyce displayed signs of lacking confidence, freezing momentarily after taking solid shots from his opponent. This suggests that Joyce’s punch resistance may have been compromised by his previous defeats. Chisora’s strategy for victory involves targeting Joyce’s head from the start and delivering powerful punches without focusing on the body, exploiting what he perceives as a weakness in Joyce’s defense.
Exploiting the Weakness
In a statement to the Frank Queensberry Promotion, Chisora expressed his belief that Zhang’s victories over Joyce had a lasting impact on the latter’s confidence. Chisora confidently predicts that someone will be knocked out in the upcoming fight, but asserts that it will not be him. The fight between Chisora and Joyce holds high stakes, as the career of one of the fighters is likely to come to an end after the bout. While Joyce may dismiss the possibility of being knocked out, the reality remains that either fighter, due to their age and recent performances, may struggle to secure headlining opportunities in the future. Chisora’s nonchalant attitude towards the outcome of the fight indicates that he is more focused on the experience and less on the result, as he acknowledges the uncertainty of the outcome but remains untroubled by the prospect of winning or losing.