Derek Chisora is gearing up for the 50th and final bout of his decorated career on Saturday, and while one of British boxing’s toughest fighters prepares to bow out he remains as big a fan of his sport as anybody.
Such is the case, he has championed the return of Tyson Fury with the knowledge that all roads could still lead towards a long-awaited all-British clash with Anthony Joshua.
Fury returns to the ring in April when he takes on Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I’m happy he’s back because we can finally get onto that big fight with him and Anthony Joshua,” Chisora told Sky Sports.
“I see Anthony Joshua winning that fight in four or five rounds.”
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Chisora, now 42, was speaking ahead of what is set to mark his career-closing fight against Deontay Wilder at The O2 this weekend.
It will cap two decades of his role among the most prominent names in British boxing, a star-studded resumé of opponents featuring Fury, Vitali Klitschko, David Haye and Oleksandr Usyk, the latter of whom has previously credited Chisora as one of his toughest tests.
Three-time undisputed world champion Usyk has been training with Joshua recently as the British heavyweight eyes another marquee fight.
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“Beautiful, amazing,” Chisora said of Joshua’s work with Usyk. “You can tell the way he’s moving and the way he’s throwing his shots.
“I always say to everybody in boxing if you want to be a killer in the game you hang out with killers. You hang out with people who train hard, who push you hard, do everything the right way, those are the killers.
“If you hang out with people who tell you you look good when you don’t look good, nah. You train with killers you become a killer. It’s exactly what he needs.”
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Chisora is confident British heavyweight boxing remains in good hands as he prepares to bid farewell, Moses Itauma’s rise to stardom a recent reminder of as much.
The 21-year-old produced a stunning fifth-round knockout victory over Jermaine Franklin last weekend to extend his perfect record to 14-0. But as title clamour ramps up, Chisora insists Itauma must be given time.
“Leave the guy alone, let him get more rounds in, let him enjoy it, let him enjoy boxing,” he said. “Let him win a British title, a Commonwealth, a European, let him enjoy it.
“He doesn’t need to be rushed, he’ll be there for years and years. Let him enjoy it.”
Watch the Caroline Dubois-Terri Harper and Ellie Scotney-Mayelli Flores bill live on Sky Sports on Sunday April 5.
