The stakes have been raised for the Derek Chisora vs Otto Wallin fight this weekend.
Chisora faces Wallin in an intriguing heavyweight battle at Co-Op Live in Manchester, looking to keep up his good run of form over the past 18 months.
He defeated former world title challenger Gerald Washington by unanimous decision in August 2023, before following that up with another points victory over domestic rival Joe Joyce last July.
Chisora now turns his attention to Wallin, The man who has previously shared the ring with both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, though he was beaten in each of those contests.
Ahead of Saturday’s meeting, it has been reported by Everything Boxing that the bout is now an official eliminator for the IBF heavyweight title, meaning the winner will be elevated to the number two position in the IBF rankings, making them the highest-ranked contender with that governing body, for now.
The IBF heavyweight title is currently held by Daniel Dubois, who defends his belt against Joseph Parker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia later this month on February 22.
It means a victory for Chisora this weekend could move him a step closer to finally becoming world champion, as he approaches his 50th professional bout and most likely his final year in the sport.
Chisora has previously challenged for the world heavyweight title on two occasions, the first coming in February 2012 when he was beaten by unanimous decision against long-reigning WBC champion Vitali Klitschko in Munich, Germany.
His next crack at world honours came over a decade later, where he suffered a 10th round stoppage defeat to Fury at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in December 2022.
An interested spectator in the Chisora vs Wallin fight will be Martin Bakole, who faces Efe Ajagba in an IBF final eliminator in May, with the winner of that contest claiming the number one position in the IBF rankings, thus overtaking this weekend’s winner.
This month’s Dubois vs. Parker winner may be set for an undisputed clash with unified champion Oleksandr Usyk this summer, and if the IBF title was to become vacant after that, Bakole and Chisora – should they come through Ajagba and Wallin – could collide in a huge bout for a world title later this year.
