DEREK CHISORA beat Joe Joyce on points after a brilliant fight of the year contender at the O2 Arena.
The match was billed as a crossroads bout with both men in desperate need of a win – and at 40 and 38, respectively, Chisora and Joyce could very well face calls to retire if they lose.
In a brutal and bloody battle, Chisora came out on top – FLOORING Joyce in the ninth – in a brilliant win.
Usyk sings ‘Sweet Caroline’ in O2
Oleksandr Usyk fancied a Derek Chisora victory tonight and he predicted well.
When asked about his fight against Tyson Fury later this year, he seemed unphased with the prospect.
The Ukrainian then led the crowd in singing immediately after.
Chisora gets huge win in London
Many questioned whether at 40-years-old Derek Chisora should still be fighting.
To go 12 rounds and still have the energy in the locker to land so many big shots just showed the passion of the man.
It was a great fight and a victory that Chisora fully deserved.
Del Boy answers critics at the O2
Derek Chisora put in a mammoth performance to beat Joe Joyce this evening in the main event.
Speaking with TNT Sports after the fight, he said:
I had to dig deep, Joe was a good fighter, I knew I would drop him with one. Frank Warren, come up here. This is the man I wanted to work with to retire. This is not my last fight, I got two more fights left.
Derek Chisora
Derek Chisora wins by unanimous decision
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 10)
Joyce knows he has three minutes to win this fight.
Chisora seems to be running on empty now and is looking to get into the clinch to see the round out.
Joyce’s career hangs in the balance here, he needs to put Chisora down before the end of this round.
Chisora then lands a series of big right hands and it seems Joyce is the one struggling.
The bell sounds and this is some performance from Chisora.
Credit: PA Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 9)
Joyce is starting to land punches that seem to be hurting Chisora.
As he is against the ropes Chisora throws a sweeping right hand trying to land the haymaker punch.
This is a big chance for Joyce now with Chisora physically spent it seems.
Then Chisora lands a big right and sends Joyce to the canvas and he is given a stnading eight count.
Joyce then puts the pressure on again and it almost seems like Chisora is the man who was just knocked down.
Crazy fight.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 8)
Joyce really isn’t doing enough to turn the tide in this fight.
You have to wonder whether Joyce think the card looks completely different.
Unless he starts landing some big punches that do some damage, he is going to need a knockout to win this fight.
Joyce seems to have Chisora in trouble, landing some big hits as the ropes holds him up.
The bell comes to save Chisora but that was a big chance for Joe Joyce.
Credit: PA Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 7)
Joyce never seems to have a guard and it allows Chisora to keep on landing right hooks.
They are not rocking Joyce at all but they are costing him when it comes to the judges’ scorecard.
Both fighters are starting to look a little laboured now.
Chisora keeps throwing big right hands, looking for that punch to stop the fight.
Credit where it is due, Joyce is absorbing them well.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 6)
Chisora walks onto a punch from Joyce and you can see it hurt him.
Joyce tries to get a load of punches off with Chisora on the ropes.
He manages to dodge and weave most of them and regathers his energy.
So far the pundits have Chisora leading on the scorecard.
Chisora is landing some big right hands again but Joyce is just taking them.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 5)
Joyce keeps Chisora at bay early on, not letting him get any big shots in.
As the round opens up and the boxers get closer, the pair exchange some big punches.
Chisora walks onto an uppercut from Joyce and looks to reply with a big upward punch,
The crowd are loving every punch that Chisora lands at the moment.
Joyce catches him after the bell and apologises.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 4)
Joyce lands a big shot to the head which seems to rock Chisora.
He takes a moment on the ropes to gather himself before launching into his own attack.
Chisora catches Joyce with a number of big punches which the crowd love.
Already in round four, Chisora seems to be feeling the pace.
Credit: PA Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 3)
Chisora dodges and ducks the punches from Joyce.
Both fighters keep landing the punches, with Chisora having hit the chin of Joyce on many occasions.
Joyce can take a punch, that you cannot deny, but he has to remember what happened in the Zhang fight.
Neither boxer has quick hands but there is power behind the punches.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 2)
Both fighters land some big punches early in the round.
This is turning into a real slugfest between the pair.
Chisora is landing some big punches but Joyce is absorbing them.
When Joyce lands his Chisora seems to feel them more.
Credit: PA Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora (Round 1)
Chisora comes out of his corner and goes on the offensive.
He get some bodyshots in and an overhand punch to the head.
Joyce is looking to counter attack but is also drawing Chisora into the clinch, looking to wear him down early on.
Derek Chisora lands a big left and right towards the end of the round.
Joe Joyce then lands a couple of counter punches that seem to have his opponent in trouble but he recovers.
Good first round there.
Joe Joyce vs Derek Chisora
Now for the main event of the evening.
Joyce looks focussed as he heads to the ring.
Chisora walks out to ‘Hotel California’ and looks ready for war with a union jack masked across his face.
Garner with impressive defence of belt
This fight was always going to be fiery one with these two having some needle with each other.
Garner brought his game and although Sharp put in an impressive display, there was no doubting the winner.
Ryan Garner showed why he holds that belt tonight.
Ryan Garner wins by unanimous decision
Ryan Garner vs Archie Sharp (Round 10)
The pundits have Garner winning this convincingly on the card.
Obviously the judges may think differently.
We are into the final round and if he is to stand any chance of winning, Archie Sharp has to have a big round.
Ryan Garner has not changed his approach for the entire fight and he continues to look to get inside and land big shots.
The final bell sounds and Garner celebrates feeling he has done enough for the win but so does Sharp.
Ryan Garner vs Archie Sharp (Round 9)
Both fighters are giving it their all still.
You have to give credit where it is due, this pair have gone for it from the first round to the last.
The one telling factor is that when they go toe-to-toe, Garner seems to be landing the bigger hits.
Credit: PA Ryan Garner vs Archie Sharp (Round 8)
Archie Sharp is really coming back into this fight now.
It is almost as if his game plan all along was to keep something in the tank to go on the front foot in the latter rounds.
Garner lands some big body shots and a hook to the head late on in the round.
Ryan Garner vs Archie Sharp (Round 7)
Sharp starts the round quick on his feet and landing some good shots.
He seems to tire then and that allows Garner to go on the offensive.
Archie Sharp has done well to find that second wind as he seemed in real trouble at one stage.
The pair exchange blows for the remainder of the round and this could be a tough one to call.
Ryan Garner vs Archie Sharp (Round 6)
Garner continues to land some good head shots and seems to have Sharp in some serious trouble.
He gets him on the ropes and it looks like he just needs to put that finishing touch to the fight.
Sharp does well to withstand it and lands a great body shot but Garner replies in kind.
There is still a lot of head contact between the pair in the clinch.
Ryan Garner vs Archie Sharp (Round 5)
Sharp is trying to work the body of his opponent.
Garner is landing the bigger punches so far in the fight, mainly to areas that will hurt Sharp.
He seems to be trying to hold on more now, possibly feeling the barrage he having to withstand.
Credit: PA Ryan Garner vs Archie Sharp (Round 4)
Garner is starting to work the cut above Sharp’s eye.
It is pouring with blood down his face now.
At some point that is going to affect his field of vision unless his cut man can patch it up.
As the round ends, they have a bit of afters between the pair.
It is evident that Sharp now has two cuts to the eye, one is particularly deep.
Spectator looking for Reform in ring
Nigel Farage has been spotted ringside at the event tonight.
He seems to be enjoying the action so far.
We have not seen him in Derek Chisora’s dressing room giving any sort of pep talk just yet.
Credit: PA
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
