Eddie Hearn sounded like a politician on Thursday, building Derek Chisora up ahead of his fight this Saturday night against Derek Chisora at the O2 Arena in London, England.
While Hearn wasn’t making light of the fact that the 38-year-old Chisora (32-12, 23 KOs) has lost his last three fights, he surprised the media by saying that he’s better than 99% of the heavyweights in the division.
Chisora is what you call an ‘entertainer’ type of fighter, and he’s not a contender in the division. He fits into the same category as Alen Babic & David Allen.
He’s an entertainer, so he doesn’t belong inside the ring with fighters like Pulev, Joseph Parker, or Oleksandr Usyk. To sell Chisora’s fights, he needs to be matched against the top heavyweights. Hence, he’s facing Pulev (29-2, 14 KOs), who is way out of his league, even at 41.
It would be better for the fans if Chisora were matched against fighters on his level because it’s not interesting watching him take beatings from fighters above his level.
“When you’re fighting these top-level guys, Derek is better than 99% of the heavyweights out there,” said Eddie Hearn to Boxing Social.
“Unfortunately, he keeps fighting this 1% and he can’t beat them, but that’s the fights he wants.”
If Hearn dropped down a couple of levels to pick heavyweights at the bottom half, he’d discover that Chisora would likely lose to them as well.
“I’m ready for this fight and it’s going to be a really dangerous moment. I have a lot of energy and a lot of power,” said Pulev to iFL TV.
“He tried to save himself. He’s so scared,” said Pulev about Hearn grabbing his hand during his altercation with Chisora at the final press conference on Thursday.
“I’m not so dangerous out of the ring. A little bit, but he was so scared. He took my hand.
“He don’t believe that I win in that moment. I don’t know. Maybe he was sleeping or dreaming,” said Pulev about Chisora saying that he was robbed in his first fight with Kubrat in 2016.
“I beat him really good in that moment in 2016, and now it’s going to be the same thing. I feel smarter and more prepared and more power. I feel a lot of power.
“It was just talk, nothing important, and it was fun for me,” said Pulev when asked what Chisora said to him during their head-to-head altercation.
“It doesn’t matter to me. It’s not important. I know he’s not a gentleman. It’s okay, I like that style,” said Pulev when asked if he felt insulted when Chisora repeatedly told him to ‘Shut the f*** up’ during the final press conference on Thursday.
“I feel he’s scared because he knows what’s going to happen. The final message [to Chisora]. This [Pulev’s fists] are coming for you and this for the finish,” said Pulev.
