Dereck Chisora dropped a close decision to Joseph Parker last night and he is in no mood to retire, instead he is calling for a rematch. The exact same thing can be said of fellow veteran, Chris Arreola, who dropped a wider decision in losing to Andy Ruiz (though not as wide as the three judges had it, as Arreola is at pains to point out); Arreola too is not ready to retire and he also wants a rematch.
Though both old dudes lost last night, Chisora and Arreola showed they are not done; far from it in fact. Both men whipped themselves into fantastic shape, and at age 37 (Chisora) and 40 (Arreola) this in itself is hugely commendable. So what next for the two ageing yet still gritty warriors? Chisora seems to have more of a shot at getting a rematch with Parker than Arreola does of getting one with Ruiz. Chisora got the nod on one of the three judges’ cards and the fight in Manchester was closer than close.
Like Chisora, Arreola scored the only knockdown of the fight in his bout with Ruiz, yet unlike Chisora, Arreola was unable to keep the heavy pressure on his rival during the second half of the bout. Still, Arreola sure stuck it to those “experts” who said he would be KO’d or stopped in pretty short order; and like Ruiz, Arreola was battling ring-rust. Both Arreola and Chisora showed, at the very least, that they have the right to go out when they want to go out. Who has a problem with both men carrying on fighting if they want to do so?
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But if Arreola cannot get a return with Ruiz (and again, it does seem doubtful he will), then who could he fight? There are fights out there for as exciting a warrior as Arreola, for sure, but the 40 year old would have to have meaningful fights. As for Chisora, if he cannot get a return with Parker, where would he go next?
Chisora has spoken with Sky Sports, and “War” says he is certainly not retiring:
“I was putting in more power punches, inside work, but I can’t get upset anymore,” Chisora said, clearly feeling he won last night’s fight. “But you know what, I won’t let them slow me down. No way. I will not let them slow me down. I will go again. They want to see me retire, but I’m not retiring, forget that.”
One could be forgiven for thinking that Chisora is a fighting man who never seems to get a break. Many people (this writer included) had him edging last night’s fight, while the decisions that went against Chisora in the Robert Helenius fight, the first Dillian Whyte fight, and the Agit Kabayel fight were also hugely debatable.
Overall, even though they both lost, Chisora, 32-11(23) and Arreola, 38-7-1(33) both had a more than a respectable night at the fights.
