Derek Chisora will face Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin on February 8th in Manchester, England in what’s being promoted as his final bout on UK soil before considering retirement. Chisora has seen unwarranted attention online which threatens to detract from this monumental achievement of a fight in his 40-year professional career despite this positive milestone moment for himself and the sport at large.
Chisora made headlines after his planned fight with Jarrell Miller was called off, due to a major disagreement between Miller and Dmitry Salita of Queensberry Promotions, respectively. Chisora quickly became the source of much joke-telling online after Queensberry Promotions posted an Instagram video by Queensberry Promoitons showing him as being on his opponent’s corner during this chaotic incident.
Derek Chisora and his jests
In what was meant to be a light-hearted moment, Queensberry Promotions shared a video of Chisora trying out a punch machine, aiming to measure punching power. With a tongue-in-cheek effort, he scored a lowly 143 points, placing him at the bottom of a leaderboard, even below talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, who boasted a score of 794.
Following his bout with Wallin at the Co-op Live Arena, Chisora expressed a desire to conclude his boxing career with a cross-over match against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, a notable figure who has faced defeat against both Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
The reaction to the punch machine clip was far from what Chisora or Queensberry had anticipated. Instead of laughter, the comment section overflowed with critique and ridicule.
Fans criticize Chisora
The humor intended by Chisora did not go as planned, attracting comments that highlighted his recent professional setbacks rather than his sportsmanship. One commentator pointed out Chisora’s ‘loss on points,’ referring to his professional record where decisions rather than knockouts have dictated the outcome of most of his losses.
Another comment suggested that Chisora’s jokey demeanor was a cover-up for embarrassment, a way to sidestep direct comparison with his peers. Critics continued to chide Chisora, albeit now focusing on his position at the bottom of the scoreboard, underscoring a career that has been notable yet devoid of any major heavyweight championship titles.
Some users attributed Chisora’s actions as indicative of insecurity; suggesting his playacting as a defense mechanism against not topping the scoreboard. Yet Chisora continued competing after 13 professional losses, showing his resilience rather than any fear of failure.
Derek Chisora has found himself under scrutiny since the incident occurred, sparking heated discussions over whether his mockery is justified and drawing comparisons between humor and critique in how we perceive boxers’ legacy and athletes often operate under scrutiny.