‘Vulnerable’ Deontay Wilder warned Derek Chisora mistake could end his career

Deontay Wilder has been told he has taken a huge gamble with his career taking on Derek Chisora in a fight that could send him into retirement.

Wilder, 40, and Chisora, 42, collide at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday in what will be the 50^th professional fight in the celebrated careers of both men.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ reigned as WBC heavyweight champion for five years until Tyson Fury took the belt from him in February 2020, beaten again by ‘The Gypsy King’ in a thrilling trilogy fight a year later.

The American has fought just four times since then, suffering damaging back-to-back defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang that appeared to push him out of the world title picture for good.

Despite those setbacks, reigning IBF, WBA and WBC heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk named Wilder as his preferred next opponent last year with advanced talks taking place for that fight to go ahead.

Usyk will instead fight Rico Verhoeven this summer with Wilder hoping a victory over Chisora this weekend will leave him next in line for a title shot against the Ukrainian.

The battle-scarred Chisora meanwhile has vowed to walk away from boxing on Saturday night regardless of the result.

Off the back of victories over Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin, ‘Del Boy’ is in dangerous form with former world champion Johnny Nelson believing Wilder has made a grave mistake taking the fight at this stage of his career.

Wilder has looked a shadow of the fighter who stood as one of the division’s most destructive knockout artists during his reign at the top but former the cruiserweight king believes the former champion is an ‘old and vulnerable’ fighter, one who is there for the taking in the capital this weekend.

‘Fights with Derek are wars,’ Nelson told Metro. ‘It is a gamble for Deontay, I think it is for both fighters.

‘When Derek was talking about fighting Deontay two or three years ago, I warned Deontay was still too dangerous.

‘But he has turned very old and vulnerable almost overnight. So Derrek is capable of beating him now, definitely.

‘But here we have two fighters who need to pack it in. I think Derek will do it after this fight. The loser should retire and the winner, it is one last big pay day ahead for the winner.’

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