Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) took the verdict over 12 rounds at the O2 Arena, with scores of 115-111 and 115-113 in his favor, and 115-112 for Chisora. The fight was billed as a milestone night for both veterans, yet it played out as a scrappy, physical contest that never fully settled into control for either man.
Chisora (36-14, 23 KOs) did what he always does. He walked forward from the opening bell, crowded Wilder, and forced him to work at a pace he rarely prefers. Early rounds saw Chisora land to the body and push Wilder back, using his weight and pressure to disrupt any clean rhythm. Wilder had moments with the jab and right hand, but he also spent long stretches reacting rather than dictating.
The middle rounds turned messy. Wilder found more success when he kept space and timed Chisora coming in, landing the cleaner shots of the two, but the fight never became comfortable. There were knockdowns reported on both sides during the exchanges, and Wilder was docked a point in the eighth round for pushing during clinches, which added to the sense that the fight was slipping into chaos rather than control.
Chisora’s work rate and willingness to absorb punishment kept him in every round. He continued to press inside, landing hooks and short shots, and made Wilder earn every second of the fight. The London crowd responded to his effort, especially during the later rounds when fatigue set in, but the pressure did not.
Wilder’s best moments came when he stayed composed behind the jab. His right hand still carried threat, and in the closing rounds, he landed enough clean shots to separate himself in what had been a close fight. The final stretch was difficult to score, with both men trading and holding in a fight that leaned more on effort than precision.
The decision reflected that split view. Two judges sided with Wilder’s cleaner punching, while the third preferred Chisora’s pressure and volume. It was not a dominant win, and it did little to suggest Wilder is back at the level he once occupied.
Afterward, Wilder spoke about another run at a world title. The performance suggested he remains dangerous, but also showed the limitations that have appeared in recent fights. Chisora, meanwhile, left the ring to a strong reception after another night built on toughness and pressure, even in defeat.
If you’re a Wilder fan, but it’s becoming harder to ignore his missing right-hand power. He’d talked about having suffered a right shoulder injury before his last fight against Anthony Herndon and had undergone surgery for the problem. Jeff ‘Left Hook’ Lacy was never the same after that rotator cuff tear in that shoulder against Vitali Tszyu, and we might be seeing a similar extinction of a signature weapon with Wilder’s right hand.
Against a fighter like “Del Boy,” who is essentially a stationary target for long periods, the old Wilder would have found a home for the right hand within six rounds. Instead, he relied on a pawing jab and clinching. The fact that he won a split decision against a 42-year-old Chisora without ever really hurting him with the straight right says a lot.
Wilder actually admitted after the Zhilei Zhang loss that he had been fighting with a broken arm and two shoulder tears that he hadn’t fully realized were that severe. While he had surgery and claimed to be 100% for the “return” against Herndon, the biomechanics just don’t look the same.
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