Derek Chisora and Otto Wallin are getting ready for a big fight this Saturday. The two heavyweights will face off at Co-Op Live in Manchester, and there's more on the line than when the bout was first announced.
The fight has been upgraded to an IBF heavyweight title eliminator. The winner will move up to the number two spot in the IBF rankings, putting them in a great position for a future title shot.
Chisora comes into this fight on a good run. He beat Gerald Washington by unanimous decision in August 2023, following a points win over Joe Joyce in July. These wins have breathed new life into his career as he approaches his 50th professional fight in what could be his final year in the ring.
The British fighter has had two cracks at world titles before. In February 2012, he lost a unanimous decision to Vitali Klitschko for the WBC heavyweight belt in Munich, Germany. More recently, Tyson Fury stopped him in the 10th round at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December 2022.
Wallin, the Swedish heavyweight, has also shared the ring with some big names. He's lost to both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in his career, but will be looking to use that experience to his advantage against Chisora.
The current IBF heavyweight champion, Daniel Dubois, is set to defend his title against Joseph Parker on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The number one contender spot will be decided in May when Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba meet in a final eliminator.
If Chisora wins on Saturday and Bakole beats Ajagba, we could see those two fighting for the world title later this year. That's if the IBF belt becomes vacant after the Dubois-Parker fight.
There's also talk of an undisputed title fight this summer between the Dubois-Parker winner and Oleksandr Usyk, but that depends on what happens with the IBF title after this weekend's fight.
The news of the fight's elevated status was reported by Everything Boxing on social media.
With so much at stake, both Chisora and Wallin will be giving it their all on Saturday night. It's a fight that could reshape the heavyweight division and set up some exciting matchups for the rest of the year.
