Paulie Malignaggi has strong views on who will come out on top when Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder come up against one another in the ring.
This is an intriguing match-up between veteran heavyweights. Both men have had 49 fights, and both are now over 40 years of age.
Chisora is the more in-form, having beaten Otto Wallin, Gerald Washington and Joe Joyce in his last three fights, while Wilder has fought just once in well over a year when he stopped Tyrrell Herndon after a torrid few years that saw him twice get stopped by Tyson Fury, knocked out by Zhilei Zhang and beaten on points by Joseph Parker.
Speaking to New Betting Offers, Malignaggi didn’t pull any punches with his prediction that ‘Del Boy’ will win.
“I would be shocked if Chisora doesn’t knock him out, probably in the first 6 rounds, and Chisora doesn’t have a lot left either, but one thing about Chisora, he comes out 100 miles an hour for the first few rounds.
“And I don’t know that Deontay, the way he’s been looking, can deal with a guy coming at him at 100 miles an hour. He doesn’t really have that set himself and punch and confidently rip into you type of stuff that he used to do before, and he’s gonna have to get that started right away.
“Power’s the last thing to go. If Deontay can set and fire, he may be able to catch him, but Chisora relies heavily on backing you up, and Wilder’s not a good fighter when he backs up. We’ll see.”
Wilder has continued with his claims that Fury cheated when they fought, which has led Fury to reach out with a message of support and concern for his old foe. Another loss here for ‘The Bronze Bomber’ would surely be the end for the former WBC champion.
