Farewell to Del Boy, the last of arare breed of fighters

Derek "Del Boy" Chisora has been climbing through the boxing ropes since 2007, and on Saturday night he insists his journey will come to an end.

- STEVE BUNCE

Chisora will have his 49th and final fight, in Manchester against Otto Wallin, in what will be his 19th year as a professional boxer. He is the last of a breed of heavyweight contenders.

Chisora, who is now 41, claims that Wallin will be his final fight, the last in a long, long line of hard fights; a win would certainly make him popular, and a defeat, which is a very real prospect, might convince him that enough is finally enough. However, trying to guess Chisora’s next move is one of boxing’s hardest games.

There is bold talk of fights in Africa and Saudi Arabia. Still, “I have nothing left to prove in boxing,” Chisora said. “I have enjoyed it, that is why I do it: I just love to fight.”

He went a full 10 years once between world title fights, he loves a challenge, and his profile means he is unlikely to be allowed to walk away. He has shaved half of his head, but what remains would still be a valuable scalp for any of the hungry, young pretenders out there.