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Boxing

Derek Chisora says he won't retire, wants immediate rematch with Joseph Parker

Liam Happe
Derek Chisora says he won't retire, wants immediate rematch with Joseph ParkerDAZN
The Londoner claims that even Parker's own corner thought Chisora had won the bout, ruled a close split decision in the New Zealander's favour.

Derek Chisora was quick to close down talk that his second straight loss, a narrow split decision against Joseph Parker in Manchester on Saturday, would be the 37-year-old's last fight.

Chisora wasted no time showing Parker what he was capable of, scoring a quick first-round knockdown before going on to match his performance last October vs. the unbeaten Oleksandr Usyk as he impressed many with his workrate despite visibly feeling the effects of the 12-rounder.

Nonetheless, the result left the veteran seething and he told Sky Sports after the fight he has every intention of putting it right.

"I was putting in more power punches, inside work, but I can't get upset anymore," Chisora told Sky Sports Box Office.

"I won't let them slow me down. No way. I will not let them slow me down. I will go again. They want to see me retire, but I'm not retiring yet, forget that.

"This is horrible. I train hard every day, I give everything in the gym, and when I put it all in there, these are the results I get.

"But Joe said he wants to give me a rematch. If he wants to give me a rematch, I'll take the rematch easy, but this is unbelievable. I won the fight, even his coach Andy Lee said I won the fight."

Lee, a former world middleweight champion who was working with Parker for the very first time in this contest, did at the very least admit to Sky that there was an element of doubt prior to the scorecards being read out.

"After the fight, Joseph Parker came back and said, 'I'm not sure I'm going to get this'," said Lee. "We will give you a rematch. We'll have to do a rematch straight away."

Though two wins in three months to start 2021 has done Parker's hopes of earning another world title fight a world of good, the less-than-convincing nature of both the Chisora fight and the unfathomably-wide scorecards he claimed against Junior Fa in Auckland mean he is unlikely to be able to demand a title fight straight away.

In this case, a Chisora rematch may well be the right path. A more convincing win over the Brit would almost certainly put him at the front of the line for one of the various heavyweight titles, following whatever happens in the ongoing Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury unification saga.

Chisora vs. Parker, as well as Katie Taylor's thrilling win over Natasha Jonas and more, aired on DAZN worldwide except the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Samoa and China. You can check out a full replay or highlights if you are not in those countries.