Does Chisora Need Protecting After IBF’s Controversial Move?

Boxing fans have slammed the IBF’s decision to order Daniel Dubois to face his mandatory Derek Chisora.

The primary bone of contention has been based on whether it is safe for Chisora to continue with boxing. The heavyweight has boxed 49 times with a 36-13-0 record. He is coming off three wins in a row, two of which are arguably the best on his resume. He defeated Joe Joyce in a unanimous decision, followed by a victory against Otto Wallin. The Wallin victory put him in a mandatory shot for Dubois’ full IBF Heavyweight Belt.

However, there has been significant concern over his welfare. Chisora has started to show signs of slurred speech, which can be indicative of CTE. CTE is where boxers suffer cognitive impairment after taking repeated blows to the head. Chisora is already 40 years old with nothing else to prove in the sport. He has taken on the biggest names, including Oleksandr Usyk, David Haye and Dillian Whyte, to name a few. Chisora did call out Dubois after the Wallin win. That was met with a lot of criticism, specifically from Dillian Whyte.

Chisora’s Health

“No, [Dubois] ain’t going to fight, no. Dubois will kill Derek. He might actually die. Seriously. There are bigger and better fights for Dubois to take right now. It’s just business. Derek Chisora is at the bottom of that list. There are bigger and better guys at the top of the list,” Whyte said

He has been in the ring with Chisora twice, having won on both occasions. Whyte advised Chisora not to take that fight, saying Dubois would kill him. Dubois has less of an incentive to take this fight since he is reportedly in talks to face Usyk, which would be for the Undisputed Heavyweight Title. However, there is also a scenario where Chisora may wait for the winner. Boxing fans have come out in droves to express strong condemnation at the boxing authorities, feeling Chisora needs protecting from himself.