Saturday in Manchester, Derek Chisora and Otto Wallin clash for a 12-round heavyweight slugfest. Chisora, who has battled some of the best in the division during his prime, will be eager to savour yet another triumph in what could well be the last fight of his career. Can he pull off an upset against Wallin? Here’s our Derek Chisora vs Otto Wallin prediction.
Tale of the tape
Chisora is a heavyweight veteran with 48 fights under his belt. He has won 35 of them and lost 13. The Zimbabwean also has 13 knockout victories to his name.
At the peak of his career, Chisora has taken home the WBA International and WBO International, WBA Inter-Continental and British Heavyweight straps. His most noteworthy triumphs are over Joe Joyce, Kubrat Pulev, Artur Szpilka, Carlos Takam, Malik Scott, and Kevin Johnson. Though he did rise to the occasion against Joyce, Takam, and Pulev, he has often struggled when he faced elite competition inside the ring.
Wallin is a Swedish southpaw with an impressive 27-2 record, including 15 KOs. His only losses came against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
The Sundsvall slugger has not fought against many top-profile boxers up until now. He lost both to Joshua and Fury, but his performance against the latter caught our eye. Fury picked up a unanimous decision win against the Swede, but he had to get 47 stitches after the fight. Wallin did not make it easy for Joshua to walk away with the bragging rights either.
Winning the WBA Continental Heavyweight title remains the highlight of his career so far.
Chisora vs Wallin hot tip: Wallins to win via decision
As touched on above, Chisora used to be one of the division’s fiercest boxers, but those days are behind him. He is now 41 years old and it feels like ‘The War’ is now in the final pages of the final chapter of his career. He will be after a swansong worth looking back upon, but reality could be different.
Chisora did secure a brilliant win against Joyce in his last fight six months ago, but Wallin comes with a different profile. He is an excellent out-fighter who loves to torment the opposition from a distance. Chisora doesn’t have the legs to neutralise that threat and will struggle to outbox the towering opposition. So, this should be a decision victory for Wallin.
Derek Chisora vs Otto Wallin: Key stats
- The measurements show that Wallin has a four-inch reach and a four-inch height advantage over Chisora.
- Chisora is seven years older than Wallin and has fought 334 rounds of professional boxing since his debut. Wallin, on the other hand, has fought 163 rounds.
- Chisora has a 66 percent knockout rate. Wallin, meanwhile, has knocked out 55.5 percent of his opponents.
- Chisora (14) is three steps below Wallin (11) in the WBO rankings. Wallin (12), however, is two steps below Chisora (10) in IBF rankings.
Fight odds and win probability
Here are the current Derek Chisora vs Otto Wallin odds:
Derek Chisora: 2/1 (3.00) – Implied probability 33.33%
Otto Wallin: 8/15 (1.53) – Implied probability 65.23%
*Derek Chisora vs Otto Wallin betting odds from Boylesports, subject to change.
Keys to victory
Chisora boasts the most decorated career among these two fighters, but this won’t be an easy fight for him since he is on the wrong side of 40 now. Wallin, meanwhile, will be looking to move closer to a title fight with a statement win against a proven champion.
Derek Chisora: Turn this into a dogfight
Chisora cannot afford to let Wallin take advantage of his mobility. His best bet would be to keep this a close-quarter battle. Chisora should not allow Wallin to move outside of his reach and drag him into a slugfest.
Wallin has shown tenacity against elite opposition, most famously covering the distance with Fury, but constant body blows is Chisora's best path to success. Later in the battle, aiming the ribs and midsection could weaken Wallin's movement and potency.
Otto Wallin: Control the distance
Since he is the better technician with perfect jab and good movement, Wallin should look to control the distance. He must rely on his nimble footwork and steady jabs to prevent his British nemesis from closing the distance and land some body shots.
Wallin has to be mindful of his position throughout the fight. He will be handing the fight to Chisora if he stands in front of him for too long. So, he needs to make proper use of the angles to avoid Chisora’s onslaught and frustrate him.
Bren is our resident Kiwi, and has been playing or watching sports down under in New Zealand for the better part of three decades. With 12+ years experience as a professional writer, Bren loves to dive deep into all things sport to bring the best betting analysis and predictions here at Mr Fixits Tips.
