A black T-shirt with a bold white slogan: “Retirement is for pussy’s.” That’s how Derek Chisora showed up at last Saturday’s fight between his fellow countryman Tyson Fury and Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov, making it clear what many had already suspected—his intention to retire from boxing was far from final.
Sometimes, saying goodbye to boxing is difficult—extremely difficult—for a fighter who has made it a way of life. That’s because boxing is not just a sport, but a world that gives its practitioners identity, purpose, and, quite evidently, a compass that provides direction to their days.
There are countless stories of champions who have struggled with a sense of emptiness at the end of their careers, many who have lost themselves in the dead ends of substance abuse, and not a few who have had to battle the demons of mental health issues. The latest in a long line of announced retirements later denied is that of Chisora.
A fighter who, at 42 years old and with a highly respectable résumé, no longer needs to prove anything. In fact, just a few days before his most recent bout on April 4 against Wilder, he had stated: “Regardless of the result, this will be my last fight.”
In the end, he suffered a split decision loss in a bout where he was ruled down twice—once in the eighth round and again in the eleventh. Before even having time to process the fight and swallow the bitter taste of defeat, Chisora immediately called for a rematch. And he did so, he said, out of a sense of justice.
“I’m very upset with the scoring, the two knockdowns that were given [against me] were pushes. The ropes were so loose it was an embarrassment, I’m not happy with that. I’ll be honest with you, the whole thing was a shambles, on my side and on his side as well. But I wanna get a rematch.”
Will it really be the desire to erase the controversy of the last fight that brings him back, or is it the fear of facing an uncertain future that is keeping him from retirement? Will Wilder accept the rematch? We’ll find out soon. As they say—to be continued…