Deontay Wilder denied Derek Chisora a storybook farewell, eking out a split-decision victory at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday. The judges scored the bout 115-111, 112-115 and 115-113 as both men marked the 50th fight of their careers in a bruising, high-stakes showdown.
With Chisora hinting this would be his final contest and Wilder searching for a late-career flash of the power that defined him in years past, the fight unfolded like a last-chance battle. It was a physical, often chaotic encounter: thunderous exchanges, dramatic tumbles through the ropes, two counts against Chisora and relentless pressure that kept the crowd invested.
The opening rounds set the tone. A heated ropes exchange almost spilled Chisora from the ring and required intervention, and Wilder landed a heavy right in the second that rocked the Londoner. Chisora hit the deck twice during the night — one fall came as he went through the ropes — and Wilder himself was penalised a point after the referee ruled he had pushed Chisora through the ropes following a big right in round eight.
Chisora, who arrived at the arena via public transport with his daughter and entered through the crowd, remained combative throughout. “I’m going to go home, do a school run… I’m going to say thank you very much. I know why I lost the fight,” he told DAZN after the result.
Wilder’s quality work and increasing output from mid-fight helped him build rounds on the cards. He landed telling uppercuts and late right hooks in several sessions and produced a severe right in the eighth that sent Chisora sprawling between the ropes. Chisora recovered to trade fiercely, however, and both men staggered at times as fatigue set in; clinches became more frequent and the action turned scrappier late.
The penultimate session saw both fighters hit the floor again — Chisora again through the ropes and Wilder after a heavy shot — but neither conceded momentum. The pair traded until the final bell in a fight that felt like it could close the chapter on Chisora’s long career.
Elsewhere on the card, Viddal Riley continued his rise by defeating Mateusz Masternak via unanimous decision to claim the European cruiserweight title and secure an IBF world title eliminator. Riley used speed and movement to control the bout against the experienced Masternak (50-6), improving his unbeaten record to 14-0. “It feels good! European champion sounds good,” Riley said, adding that the win showed he could compete at the highest level.
London’s Denzel Bentley also returned to action, stopping Endry Saavedra in round seven to lift the WBO interim middleweight belt. Fans can catch Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper and Ellie Scotney vs Mayelli Flores live on Sky Sports from 7pm on Sunday.