Fearless Chisora set for Klitschko gamble
Dereck Chisora has dared to go where David Haye currently dare not by agreeing to challenge IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in Mannheim on 11 December. It’s a audacious bid from the reigning British champion who at 26 and after just 14 fights is giving away height, reach and power to the vastly experienced Klitschko who hasn’t lost for six years. Chisora’s surprise chance comes on the back of his impressive ninth round stoppage of Sam Sexton in Birmingham last month which saw the Finchley man add the Commonwealth title to his British crown. “Wladimir is a good strong champion, technically excellent, but I believe I can bring something new to beat him. I'm a young, fresh and hungry challenger and I've got the punch to back me up. An opportunity like this may not come around again or for a long time so I've got to take it now and believe me, one shot is all I need,” said Chisora in a statement. I’m not convinced that Chisora’s power is a serious threat to Klitschko’s famed fragile chin – ‘Del Boy’s’ punches appear to have a more accumulative effect on his opponents for him to be considered a genuine one-punch knockout artist in the Corrie Sanders mould (who famously shocked Wladimir in two rounds in 2003). However, very much like Sanders, Chisora possesses fast hands and is a real handful when he launches his impressive two-fisted barrages which could trouble a tiring Klitschko if the Briton is still in there pitching after the halfway mark. While many will contest whether Chisora is deserving of his chance and that his prospects of winning remain slim, I think Dereck may surprise a few by putting up a very credible challenge. The talented Finchley man certainly isn’t of the shopworn variety like some of Klitschko’s more recent challengers in the shape of Samuel Peter or Hasim Rahman. It’s difficult to envisage the cocky Chisora freezing as Eddie Chambers and Ruslan Chagaev did against Wladimir. And, it’s hard to envisage Chisora being as out-of-his depth as Americans Tony Thompson and Ray Austin were in their, frankly, pathetic attempts to dethrone Klitschko. “This is about glory for me and becoming the heavyweight champion of the world, something I've dreamed about since I started boxing. Haye will not fight the Klitschkos as long as they are champions, but I'm up for the fight and will take them on.” “The Klitschkos have ruled for too long and I can't wait to get into the ring in Germany and smash the living daylights out of Wladimir first. Vitali is waiting in the background and I'll deal with him once I've dealt with Wladimir," added Chisora. As part of his contractual obligations, Chisora’s “reward” for upsetting Wladimir would be to accommodate his brother Vitali in his first world championship defence. One step at a time though ‘Del Boy’, eh.
