Derek Chisora has made it clear that pre-fight mind games don't matter to him. The heavyweight boxer says fighters who let these tactics get to them are "weak."
Chisora, known as 'Del Boy', shared his thoughts in a recent interview with BoxNation. The 41-year-old fighter, who has built his career on a 'War' mantra, didn't mince words when talking about the psychological side of boxing.
"Face-offs don't pay the bills. Winning pays the bills. I don't believe in that."
Chisora's boxing record speaks for itself. He's stepped into the ring 48 times, winning 35 fights with 28 knockouts. He's faced some of the biggest names in boxing, including Dillian Whyte, Joseph Parker, Tyson Fury, Vitali Klitschko, and Oleksandr Usyk. His recent wins over Joe Joyce, Kubrat Pulev, and Gerald Washington have kept him in the spotlight, even though he's never held a world title.
When asked about Wladimir Klitschko's admission that he lost the mental battle to Tyson Fury before their 2015 fight, Chisora didn't hold back. He told BoxNation:
"That's Wladimir cause he's weak. He's weak. I don't believe in any man getting in my head. Those are just words. We're cool but I'm saying he's weak. Who cares."
Chisora's comment refers to the end of the Klitschko brothers' reign over the heavyweight division from 2004 to 2015. Wladimir's clear decision loss to Fury marked the end of that era. Wladimir tried to make a comeback but was stopped by Anthony Joshua in his last fight before retiring.
There's been talk of Wladimir returning to the ring, possibly to face Daniel Dubois and try to beat George Foreman's record as the oldest heavyweight champion. However, he's made it clear he won't fight his fellow Ukrainian, Oleksandr Usyk.
As for Chisora, he's set to face Otto Wallin on February 8 in Manchester. He plans to have one more fight after that, aiming to reach 50 total contests before hanging up his gloves.
