Dillian Whyte vs Dereck Chisora 2 Preview & Prediction
AT A GLANCE
When is Whyte vs Chisora? Saturday 22nd December, 2018 - 17:00 start (UK)
Where is Whyte vs Chisora? The O2 Arena, London, England
What channel is Whyte vs Chisora? Sky Box Office
Are tickets still available for Whyte vs Chisora?
https://www.axs.com/uk/events/...
THE BREAKDOWN
The first encounter between these London rivals back on 10th December 2016 certainly lived up to the hype after a cauldron of bad blood simmered during the build-up. Heated words (and tables) were exchanged, ramping up the anticipation for the bout but on the night they both stepped up and put on one of the best fights of the year with Dillian Whyte clinching a split decision.
Let’s take a look at the tale of the tape two years on:
So, will this fight live up to the first? It’s hard to see this rematch being more entertaining as their fortunes have differed since their first clash. Whyte has won four impressive fights on the trot, putting him in contention to take on Deontay Wilder or a rematch with Anthony Joshua, whereas Dereck Chisora has gone 3-1. However, he is coming off two very impressive TKO wins over Zakaria Azzouzi and Carlos Takam.
Let’s take a closer look at their last ten fights:
What is interesting to note here is that they have been very active and fought with the same regularity. Whyte’s only blemish on his record was against Anthony Joshua but he has responded with eight straight wins - firmly boosting his stock. Chisora on the other hand has suffered three losses in his last ten fights, slipping behind in the pecking order. Many expected a big name and top contender for Whyte’s next fight but mone talks in boxing and after the spectacle they produced in their last fight, no doubt the fans will tune in again in full force.
Although Whyte has been more successful in the last few years, their fight was incredibly close. It was an epic back and fourth battle where they threw combination after combination and absorbed each other’s power with amazing heart. They exchanged leather until the final round and there was very little between them as the judges scores suggested:
In the end, Whyte’s cardio gave him the edge but what can we expect two years on? Chisora looked superb in his last couple of fights - especially against Takam - but it is a question of how many big performances he has left in him at this stage of his career. Whyte has improved with each fight and proved that winning a hard-fought 12-round fight was not a one-off. He went on to outclass Robert Helenius and secured a decision against Joseph Parker in arguably his most impressive performance to date.
All the confidence should be with Whyte, but can we expect another 12-round war or is a finish likely? We know what happened in their fight in 2016 but let’s look at their last 20 opponents and see how long each fight lasted:
Chisora has a higher average of rounds but they have equally gone the distance in their last few fights. Interestingly, Whyte has earned the win in every decision he has gone to whereas Chisora has only won eight out of his 14 decisions.
See below for their results and method of victory (last 20 fights):
THE PREDICTION
We should expect this fight to be very similar, to begin with at least. They will throw with a steady output in the pocket, attacking the body and head. As the fight goes on we should expect Whyte to get more comfortable with more footwork but he has to evade the heavy shots of Chisora – in particular the rip to the liver followed by the left hook.
Whyte will go into this fight with more confidence than Chisora – not just because he has beaten him but the fact he continues to evolve and has racked up some big wins. His cardio is also likely to be better which will be crucial in a closely fought fight.
That said, Chisora is always dangerous. He has ferocious power and possesses his own confidence of rocking Whyte on more than one occasion in their first fight and has the momentum of putting away Azzouzi and Takam who are very tough.
This should be a great fight but don’t expect it to live up to their first one. Chisora is still a huge threat but has not added much to his game whereas Whyte is a more improved fighter who will have the tools to cause enough damage in the early rounds and potentially secure a finish.
Winner: Whyte via KO/TKO
