The Final Curtain Looming

On Saturday Evening we will gather at the magnificent Co-op Live Arena for what we hope will be a fond farewell to a fine servant of British boxing.

It is our opening show of 2025, our first at what I believe to be the finest venue in Europe, plus the place will be pretty much packed to the rafters. Ticket sales have literally boomed.

I simply couldn’t have imagined that, when I handed Derek Chisora his professional debut back in February 2007, I would be promoting his 49th fight some 18 years later. We’ve both been around the block a few times since and had a few ups and downs, which makes it all the more special for me to be back promoting Derek at the conclusion of his career.

I cannot hide from the fact that I prescribed a well-deserved retirement to Derek a couple of years or so back. I wouldn’t have been alone, but Derek is one of a kind and, if he set himself a goal of reaching 50 fights, nobody was going to be able to advise him otherwise.

According to Derek, this is the end of the road for him as far as fighting in Britain is concerned and he made a special request for this occasion to happen in Manchester. He has enjoyed several big fights there over the years and ticket sales do indicate that his affection for this city is reciprocated.

Derek has fought anyone and almost everyone across his stellar career and what cannot be claimed is that he has been winding down in terms of opposition. His six fights previous to his July defeat of Joe Joyce featured names such as Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Joseph Parker and Kubrat Pulev.

He has been a two-time world title challenger - against Tyson and Vitali Klitschko - and has been competing in significant title fights since 2010. From this time he has fought in some 20 title fights for either British, Commonwealth, European, International or world championship honours.

Derek is going to be up against it too against the world ranked southpaw Otto Wallin, who will view this as his own ticket to the heavyweight party. The Swede has only tasted defeat against Tyson and Anthony Joshua and, as I always say, is not coming to make up the numbers.

There is the added incentive of this fight carrying the status of an IBF world title eliminator, so there is a significant bounty on the line for the winner.

So let’s all get behind Derek, celebrate a special British heavyweight and cheer him towards a new and final page 50 of his incredible story.

We’ve got a strong local flavour on the undercard with a couple of potentially thrilling clashes with the treasured British title at stake.

The British and Commonwealth super lightweight champion Jack Rafferty will make a first defence of his British belt against Reece MacMillan from Morecambe and Jack has pulled out all the stops when it comes to having a big support inside this fine arena.

Trained by the excellent Steve Maylett, who we worked closely with back in the days of his world champion Terry Flanagan, Jack impressively secured his Lonsdale belt with a stoppage of previously undefeated talent Henry Turner in October. It was Jack’s big chance, he took it and we are delighted to have him on board with us at Queensberry. There are massive fights ahead for him if he can find his way past the challenge of Reece.

We’ve also got a real tasty scrap at featherweight, where Masood Abdulah - who hails from my hometown of Islington - defends his Commonwealth title and challenges for the vacant British championship against another popular young local lad in Zak Miller.

Masood has done everything asked of him in his 11 fights to date and has really stepped up his progress in recent fights. His wins over Marc Leach, Qais Ashfaq and George Stewart have properly put a marker down and identified him as a potential future challenger to our world champion Nick Ball.

Zak has other ideas and he showed us what he is all about a year or so ago at the Manchester Arena when he ran then British champion Nathaniel Collins very close in a real nip and tuck affair that probably could have gone either way. Since this time he has won the English title and fully deserves his next big opportunity.

We also welcome back Nathan Heaney and in title action for the WBA Continental middleweight title. Losing his British title last year to Brad Pauls will have hit Nathan hard, considering he was on the brink of world level fights. But Nathan is made of the right stuff and is a genuine competitor and person. We are with him all the way and so are his people from Stoke who follow him in such incredible numbers.

Zach Parker, although having to overcome the disappointment of his big fight against Willy Hutchinson falling through due to injury, will have to be at his best against the tough Frenchman Michael Diallo, who holds a more than respectable record of 21-1.

Returning to the heavyweight scene, we get to welcome the undefeated Albanian Nelson Hysa to the show. Nelson holds the WBO European title and is looking to hammer his way into contention at the next level. We also have the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Lewis Williams having his second professional fight. Completing the card, I am looking forward to seeing the progress of Joe Cooper and Walter Fury, along with Derek Chisora’s nephew Jermaine Dhliwayo.