DerekChisora
"war"
Former WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight Champion
Derek Chisora, now also known as “War”, is a British professional boxer - originally hailing from Zimbabwe - and icon of the sport. He holds a professional record of 35 wins (23 via KO) and 13 losses. Currently, the puncher who formerly went by the name of “Del Boy” fights under the guidance of the legendary boxing promoter Frank Warren and his team at Queensberry Promotions.
This is the fighter profile of Derek “War” Chisora and over the next few sections, we will introduce you to his early life and background, fighting style and techniques, recent fights, and current status. And in the end, we’ll touch upon his legacy and influence in the world of boxing.
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WINS
35
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LOSES
13
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DRAW
0
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kOs
23
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WEIGHT
256 lbs
(116 Kg) -
HEIGHT
6’1”
(187 cm) -
REACH
74”
(188 cm)
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Trainer
Don Charles
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Born
29 December 1983
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Born in
Mbare, Zimbabwe
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nation
British
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residence
London, UK
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KO Percentage
65.71%
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Stance
Orthodox
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Rounds
334
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Debut
17 February 2022
Early Life and Background
Chisora was born on the 29th of December 1983 in a suburb called Mbare, located just a couple of miles south of Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare. He is the son of Viola and Paul Chisora.
Unfortunately, at the tender age of four, his parents split up. Following Paul and Viola’s divorce, young Derek moved in with his maternal grandmother and step-grandfather in Hatfield, where he spent many of his early years. As a teenager, Chisora attended the Churchill School where he became a paramedic for his school’s sports team.
In 1999, Derek’s family made the decision to move to the United Kingdom and found themselves living in the district of Finchley in London. Chisora was just 16 years old at the time and that is where his passion for boxing started to take shape.
It wasn’t until three years later, in 2002, that Chisora would join the now famous Finchley’s ABC boxing gym and start boxing. Under the guidance of his trainers at the time, Chisora would become better and better after every session - making his natural talent and grit evident right from the beginning.
In the space of a couple of years, Chisora would take part in around 20 amateur bouts, some of which include his win over Tom Dallas, winning him the 2006 ABA super-heavyweight title. In the same year, Chisora would also win a gold medal at the Four Nations Championships in London.
Despite being a late starter in the sport, after a successful amateur career in boxing, Chisora turned professional under the tutelage of the legendary boxing promoter Frank Warren and his team at Queensberry Promotions.
Almost immediately, on the 17th of February 2007, Chisora made his professional debut at the Wembley Arena in London, beating István Kecskés of Hungary by a TKO in the second round.
Less than two months later, on the 7th of April 2007, Chisora was scheduled to face up against the English heavyweight Tony Booth at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. He won the fight via a points decision (40-36).
After winning his first two bouts as a professional boxer, Chisora would continue to dominate for a number of years. By September 2010, he would have a professional record of 14 wins and 0 losses, making him one of the most popular and dangerous opponents in the division at the time.
Fighting Style & Techniques
Derek Chisora’s fighting style mainly revolves around applying constant pressure, cutting off the ring, and forcing his opponent into grueling exchanges. And this comes as no surprise considering Chisora’s poundage (118kg or 260-ish pounds), which plays a huge advantage in these close-quarters battles.
Unique Style and Approach
As a result of his way of fighting, over the years, Chisora became well-known for having the ability to make fights very physical and uncomfortable for his opponents. One great example of his relentless pressure and aggression is his bout against the former WBO interim heavyweight champion Joe Joyce.
Throughout the 10-round fight, Chisora’s relentless forward movement and close-quarters combat forced Joyce to fight on the back foot. This put Joyce in a situation that he rarely found himself in, which ultimately played a key role in Derek’s toppling of the Juggernaut.
Strengths and Key Techniques in the Ring
In terms of technique, Chisora is renowned for his use of overhand rights and compact hooks. He’s a specialist at those and often delivers them with great force and precision.
While Derek Chisora’s main strengths lie in his offensive abilities, his defensive approach is also one that is often talked about. The “War” regularly relies on high guard to block punches, which works incredibly well the majority of the time.
Derek’s head movement is also quite subtle (a common sight in the heavyweight division), but it’s effective enough to avoid some of the most obvious shots.
Aside from pure talent and ability, one of Chisora’s secret weapons that cannot be learned is his mental fortitude. Over the course of his career, he has withstood many heavy blows from powerful opponents but kept coming forward.
And despite not having the most successful of records compared to other heavyweights in the division, his “never-back-down” attitude has made him a fan favourite and a highly respected figure in the world of boxing.
Recent Fights and Current Status
Having fought professionally for nearly two decades, Derek Chisora’s magnificent career is sadly now coming to an end.
With only two fights left in his career, next up, the Zimbabwean-British professional boxer is set to fight Otto Wallin on the 8th of February 2025 at the brand-new Co-op Live Arena in Manchester. The bout is set to be the main event of the evening.
In regards to recent fights, Chisora’s most recent bout was on the 27th of July 2024 against the former WBO interim heavyweight champion Joe Joyce at London’s O2 Arena.
The bout went on for all ten rounds, with both fighters delivering for the fans. In the end, Chisora was the one who came out victorious after the referees Victor Loughlin, Kieran McCann, and Mark Bates unanimously scored the fight in his favour (94-96, 92-97, and 94-96, respectively).
Before facing Joyce, in August of 2023, Chisora fought the former world title challenger Gerald Washington at The O2 Arena in London. After a dominant performance over all ten rounds, Chisora secured a unanimous decision win. The judge’s scorecards read 96-94, 98-93, and 97-94.
Prior to clashing against Gerald Washington, in December of 2022, Chisora took on Fury in a trilogy bout for the WBC world heavyweight title at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Unfortunately for Derek, the younger Tyson Fury was the better fighter on the night, dominating from the very beginning.
The two heavyweights fought a hard fight for 10 out of the 12 rounds before the referee Victor Laughlin stopped the fight with ten seconds to go in round number 10. The referee’s decision declared the Gypsy King the winner by TKO.
Prior to this, Chisora won his fight against Kubrat Pulev and lost on two occasions against Joseph Parker in 2021 for the WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight titl
Legacy and Influence
While Chisora is yet to become a world champion, his legacy in heavyweight boxing is undeniable. His gritty style, relentless determination, and “never-back-down” mentality made him a household name that boxing fans will remember long after his eventual retirement.
His career may not have included a world title success despite challenging for it twice (once in 2012 and once in 2022), Derek Chisora remains one of the most well-known names in the world of boxing. Over the course of his career, he has faced some of the biggest names in the sport, including Tyson Fury, Joseph Parker, and Joe Joyce, to name a few.
As far as his influence on the sport is concerned, Chisora played a crucial role in shaping the heavyweight division as we know it today.
His willingness to fight anyone, anytime, regardless of the odds or stakes has set a standard for future heavyweights - showing that success in the ring isn’t solely measured by titles and achievements but by being courageous and brave enough to face the toughest of challenges, no matter what.
Fighting History
Upcoming
Otto Wallin
Co-op Live Arena, Manchester, UK
8 Feb 2025
win
10 round ud
Joe Joyce MBE
O2 Arena, London, UK
27 jul 2024
win
10 round ud
Gerald Washington
O2 Arena, London, UK
12 aug 2023
Loss
10 round tko
Tyson Fury
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
WBC World Heavyweight Championship
3 DEc 2022
win
12 round sd
Kubrat Pulev
O2 Arena, London, UK
9 jul 2022
Loss
12 round ud
Joseph Parker
Manchester Arena, Manchester, UK
WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight championship
18 dec 2021
Loss
12 round sd
Joseph Parker
Manchester Arena, Manchester, UK
WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight championship
1 may 2021
Loss
12 round UD
Oleksandr Usyk
Wembley Arena, London, UK
WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight championship
31 oct 2020
win
4 round tko
David Price
O2 Arena, London, UK
Vacant WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight championship
26 Oct 2019
win
2 round ko
Artur Szpilka
O2 Arena, London, UK
20 jul 2019
win
10 round ud
Senad Gashi
O2 Arena, London, UK
20 apr 2019
Loss
11 round KO
Dillian Whyte
O2 Arena, London, UK
WBO International & WBC Silver Heavyweight championship
22 Dec 2018
win
8 round TKO
Carlos Takam
O2 Arena, London, UK
28 Jul 2018
win
2 round TKO
Zakaria Azzouzi
O2 Arena, London, UK
24 Mar 2018
Loss
12 round MD
Agit Kabayel
Casino de Monte Carlo Salle Medecin, Monte Carlo, Monaco
EBU European Heavyweight championship
22 Dec 2018
win
5 round TKO
Robert Filipovic
Echo Arena, Liverpool, UK
30 Sep 2017
Loss
12 round SD
Dillian Whyte
Manchester Arena, Manchester, UK
WBC International Heavyweight championship
10 Dec 2016
win
2 round KO
Drazan Janjanin
Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden
10 Sep 2016
Loss
12 round SD
Kubrat Pulev
Barclaycard Arena, Hamburg. Germany
Vacant EBU European Heavyweight championship
7 May 2016
win
2 round TKO
Andras Csomor
Baden-Arena, Offenburg, Germany
9 Jan 2016
win
3 round TKO
Jakov Gospic
O2 Arena, London, UK
12 Dec 2015
win
5 round TKO
Peter Erdos
Inselparkhalle, Wilhelmsburg, Germany
5 Dec 2015
win
10 round PTS
Marcelo Nascimento
Wembley Arena, London, UK
26 Sep 2015
win
1 round KO
Beka Lobjanidze
Wembley Arena, London, UK
24 Jul 2015
Loss
10 round rtd
Tyson Fury
ExCel Arena, London, UK
Vacant British, EBU European & WBO International Heavyweight
29 Sep 2014
win
12 round UD
Kevin Johnson
Copper Box Arena, London, UK
WBO International Heavyweight Championship
15 FEB 2014
win
3 round tko
Ondrej Pala
Copper Box Arena, London, UK
WBO International Heavyweight Championship
30 Nov 2013
win
5 round tko
Edmund Gerber
Copper Box Arena, London, UK
WBO International Heavyweight Championship
21 Sep 2013
win
6 round tko
Malik Scott
Wembley Arena, London, UK
WBO International Heavyweight Championship
7 Jul 2013
win
9 round tko
Hector Alfredo Avila
Wembley Arena, London, UK
20 Apr 2013
Loss
5 round TKO
David Haye
Upton Park, West Ham, UK
Vacant WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight championship
14 Jul 2012
Loss
12 round UD
Vitali Klitschko
Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
WBC World Heavyweight Champion
18 Feb 2012
Loss
12 round UD
Robert Helenius
Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland
Vacant EBU European & WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight Championship
3 Dec 2011
win
6 round pts
Remigijus Ziausys
North Bridge Leisure Centre, Halifax, UK
11 Nov 2011
Loss
12 round UD
Tyson Fury
Wembley Arena, London, UK
British & Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
23 Jul 2011
win
9 round tko
Sam Sexton
Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, UK
British & Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship
18 Sep 2010
win
2 round tko
Danny Williams
Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, UK
British Heavyweight Championship
15 May 2010
win
2 round tko
Carl Baker
Wembley Arena, London, UK
16 Feb 2010
win
3 round tko
Zurab Noniashvili
York Hall, London, UK
9 Oct 2009
win
8 round pts
Paul Butlin
York Hall, London, UK
22 May 2009
win
8 round pts
Daniil Peretyatko
York Hall, London, UK
30 Jan 2009
win
2 round rtd
Neil Simpson
ExCel Centre, London, UK
6 Dec 2008
win
3 round tko
Lee Swaby
York Hall, London, UK
26 Dec 2008
win
6 round tko
Shawn McLean
Grosvenor House, London, UK
12 SEp 2008
win
6 round tko
Sam Sexton
York Hall, London, UK
16 Jun 2008
win
4 round pts
Paul Butlin
York Hall, London, UK
12 Jan 2008
win
4 round pts
Darren Morgan
York Hall, London, UK
13 Oct 2007
win
4 round pts
Tony Booth
York Hall, London, UK
7 Apr 2007
win
2 round tko
Istvan Kecskes
York Hall, London, UK
17 Feb 2007
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