04/04/26 06:35:00
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04/04 18:33 CDT Wilder edges a wild win over retiring Chisora in heavyweight
fight
Wilder edges a wild win over retiring Chisora in heavyweight fight
LONDON (AP) --- Former world champion Deontay Wilder sent Derek Chisora into
retirement by edging their chaotic heavyweight fight in the O2 Arena on
Saturday.
The boxers, aged 40 and 42 respectively, threw hopeful knockout punches and
barely jabbed. Both slipped and fell to the canvas frequently.
Wilder got the only knockdown in the eighth round, sending Chisora through the
ropes, but the American was deducted a point in the same round for pushing.
Chisora was rattled but Wilder didn't press his advantage.
Wilder dominated the early rounds and Chisora rallied late. The judges were
split: Wilder received scores of 115-111 and 115-113, and the third picked
Chisora by 115-112.
Wilder said the fight was fun and suggested he didn't want to knock out Chisora.
"Tonight, I looked out for him, I want him to live for his kids," he told
broadcaster DAZN. "It's time for us to take care of each other."
Chisora said in the buildup the fight was to be his last, but the Londoner was
reluctant to confirm it afterwards.
"I'm going to go home with the boss lady and see," he told DAZN. "I'm going to
go home and drop the kids, do the school run."
It was the 50th fight for both in the professional ranks.
Wilder improved his record to 45-4-1. The WBC titleholder from 2015-20 came to
London having lost four of his last six fights.
Chisora's record since 2007, when he turned pro a year before Wilder, dropped
to 36-14. He lost his only two title shots against Vitali Klitschko in 2012 and
Tyson Fury in 2022.
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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing
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