Scott Christ (44-23)
Chisora didn’t earn the judge’s card he got in a split loss to Pulev six years ago, and I actually think he has a harder time with the Bulgarian now. Time may have taken a toll on both, but the 41-year-old Pulev has looked much fresher than the 38-year-old Chisora in recent outings. Personally, I didn’t at all like what I saw of Chisora in his two losses to Joseph Parker; he had some success here and there in the first fight, but Parker had him pretty well worked out, and Chisora was broken down to nothing but laborious flailing in the second bout.
I think Pulev is more spiteful and willing to turn the screw than Parker is, broadly speaking, and that this spells doom for a possibly really ragged Chisora. I like Derek, he’s given us many years of entertainment in and out of the ring, one of his generation’s true wild-eyed weirdos, and I respect that he’s doing this instead of some crummy fight with Kash Ali or Iago Kiladze or somebody. But I really don’t see this one going well for him. The end may be here for his career.
Pulev TKO-8
Wil Esco (52-15)
Derek Chisora is sort of a hard luck fighter that I’d love to see win but it’s difficult to pick him with any real certainty. Chisora always pours his heart out in fights which makes him a really easy person to root for, but wearing his heart on his sleeve also makes him a very predictable fighter to prepare for. Everyone who faces Chisora knows he’s coming for war and he’s not so much a tactician as he is a force of will. If you’re able to deal with the ferocity of his come-forward style there’s not much else to deal with.
As for Pulev, well, he’s 41 years old and could end up showing his age in just about any fight at this point, but he does have way less miles on him than Chisora who’s been in many frequent wars. I find Chisora to be the much more compelling personality in this fight, but that’s not going to actually help him win the fight itself. I see this being a pretty decent fight where Chisora has some moments, but I don’t think he’ll be able to sustain his success for long enough to win it on the cards. I’m going to take Pulev to win a decision over the distance.
Pulev MD-12
John Hansen (52-15)
If these guys had waited a few more years, maybe this rematch could have gotten them senior circuit “exhibition” money from whoever buys what’s left of Triller someday. Instead, we get the rematch that I don’t recall anyone really asking for.
Chisora is the younger man by three years, but Scott already explained in
this week’s podcast that years and mileage aren’t the same thing. Pulev is 41 to Chisora’s 38. But by comparison to Chisora, Pulev’s like a garage-kept 1980 Corvette. Chisora is like a much newer Acura Integra, but one being sold by a scuzzy kid who smells like spray deodorant laid over a foundation of weed vape. And he’s willing to leave in a subwoofer and some neon undercarriage lights as long as you close the deal in cash, today, because there’s really no need for a mechanic to check anything out, bro.
Miles and maintenance matter more than years. Pulev already won convincingly the first time, and Chisora has endured a lot of punishing fights since then. He’s lost three in a row, and he’ll probably make it four on Saturday.
Pulev TKO-10
Patrick Stumberg (53-14)
Two of Chisora’s three recent losses look a lot worse on paper than in reality; he gave Oleksandr Usyk all kinds of hell and should have gotten the decision in his first meeting with Joseph Parker, albeit due to the latter’s complete lack of urgency. The same can’t be said about his rematch with Parker, though, as he found himself repeatedly plugged with clean right hands that he only barely had the durability to withstand. Pulev can’t move or punch like Parker, but he still looked plenty sharp against Jerry Forrest just two fights back. The accuracy and crispness are still there, and that right hand still has more bite to it than his finishing rate would suggest.
Chisora should have an easier time getting in on Pulev than he did Parker, at least in the early going. Once Pulev gets dialed in and Chisora once again starts to flag, though, he’s going to spend the rest of the fight getting absolutely peppered with jabs and crosses. Not even UK judges will be able to bail Chisora out of this one.
Pulev UD-12