British promoter Eddie Hearn praised former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder for his performance against veteran Derek Chisora, saying the American was a deserving winner and showed signs of regaining his old confidence.
Eddie Hearn believes Deontay Wilder did enough to beat Derek Chisora in their April 4 heavyweight main event at The O2 in London, arguing the former WBC champion deserved the decision and looked more like himself in the process. For Wilder, the result matters beyond one night, because the heavyweight division has been waiting to see whether the 39-year-old still has a meaningful second act left in him.
The bout ended in a split decision for Wilder, with scorecards of 115-111 and 115-113 for the American, while one judge had it 115-112 for Chisora.
Hearn’s view was clear: Wilder won a close, entertaining fight, but not by a huge margin. He said Wilder was ahead by roughly two or three rounds, while also crediting Chisora for making the fight difficult and pushing a hard pace. In Hearn’s assessment, Wilder handled sustained pressure well, took shots, and kept working—an encouraging sign after recent performances raised real questions about his confidence and consistency.
That is the larger storyline here. Wilder has long been one of boxing’s most dangerous punchers, but his recent run has been uneven, and American fans have spent the last few years wondering whether the explosive finisher who once dominated highlights could still win rounds when the knockout was not there. Against Chisora, he apparently answered at least part of that question by staying composed in a grueling fight rather than relying on a single right hand.
Hearn also pushed back on the idea that Chisora clearly controlled the contest. While he acknowledged Chisora closed strong and may have taken the final round, he did not agree with the argument that the British veteran won by three rounds. From a divisional standpoint, a Wilder win keeps him relevant in a crowded heavyweight picture, while a loss would have intensified calls for him to step away from the top tier.
Now the focus shifts to whether Wilder can build on this performance and turn a narrow win into real momentum against a younger, more dangerous contender.
