The festive season always brings a huge fight, and this weekend doesn’t disappoint! Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora return to the ring to go head-to-head once again in front of a packed AO Arena in Manchester.
The pair first met at the same venue in May and produced an exciting and competitive fight, which saw New Zealand born Parker win by split decision. After the final bell, both fighters knew it was close, with Chisora believing he had done enough to warrant a 33rd win in his 14-year professional career.
Having watched the fight back himself, Parker believes he did enough to earn the win outright, but with Chisora’s protests to the result, he’s going back into the ring with him to put those claims to bed.
What We Learned from the First Fight
‘Del Boy’ started in his typical aggressive fashion, stunning Parker to the canvas within the first 10 seconds of the bout. He didn’t quite capitalise on that early pressure, allowing the Kiwi to get a foothold in the middle rounds with silky work. Ultimately resulting in the judges favouring the eye-catching stuff from Parker.
Their styles couldn’t be any further from each other. Parker is known for his movement and boxing at range, developing his craft in camps with Tyson Fury to improve his footwork, head movement and punch combinations.
On the other hand, Chisora’s cannonball-like approach has proved to be a handful in the early rounds for anyone. This fast-paced tempo from the opening bell stems from his below average height of 6’1” in the heavyweight division. Standing the shorter of the pair by 3 inches, he’ll look to get straight back into fifth gear from the outset and catch Parker by surprise again. But with pace comes fatigue…
At 37 years old, Chisora will know his limits. Previously known for not training right, causing a few lethargic losses during his time, he’s become a rejuvenated man in the latter stages of his career, ready to cause anyone a big upset!
Can Chisora pull off one last big win in his career? Or will Parker continue his route back to a world title fight and become a two-time world champion? With ring walks expected at 10PM, there’s going to be some serious fireworks!
Also in action on Saturday night is undefeated prospect Lerrone Richards, taking on Carlos Gongora for the IBO Super-Middleweight title. While the talented Zelfa Barrett steps up against Bruno Tarimo in the Super Featherweight division.
Ready for a mega night of boxing? To watch all the drama unfold, tune into DAZN from 7PM!
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