LONDON (Reuters) – Zimbabwean heavyweight Derek Chisora defeated Kubrat Pulev on Saturday to avenge his 2016 loss to the Bulgarian and revive his career after three consecutive defeats.
The 38-year-old veteran and former WBC title contender won 116-112 116-114 and 112-116 over the three judges’ scorecards at 02 Arena in London and in front of a crowd of nearly 7,000 spectators.
Reuters reports that the fight was for the vacant WBA title, a belt that looks impressive but ranks well below a world title.
It was the 41-year-old’s third defeat in 32 professional matches, and the other two matches came in two matches for the world heavyweight title against Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko and Britain’s Anthony Joshua.
Promoter Eddie Hearn saw more fights on the horizon for Chisora, who took part in Saturday’s fight as an underdog in the twilight of his career.
“People talk about Shisora and say ‘should he hang up the gloves,'” Hearn said. “He just beat the top 15 of the top 10 heavyweights in the world, so how can you criticize him?”
“If he wins such fights against the Kubrat Pulev standard, why not continue in the sport?”
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