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Dereck Chisora (left) convinced the judges against Kubrat Pulev with effective hits like this one
Photo: Bradley Collyer/AP
English heavyweight boxer Dereck Chisora secured the WBA international title by beating Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev on points.
The title ranks far below a world championship title.
Nevertheless, it was a successful revenge after six years: Chisora and Pulev met for the first time in 2016 in the fight for the EBU European Championship.
Pulev then won on points.
This time, Chisora (33:12 wins, 23 KOs) went into the 12-round fight at London's O2 Arena as the underdog.
It became an open exchange of blows: Chisora hit Pulev several times in the head, bleeding cuts over both eyes caused the 41-year-old Bulgarian to struggle.
Chisora also had to take a few impact hits and was briefly knocked on the ropes in the eighth round.
In the ninth round, both boxers score effective hits.
In the tenth round, the referee admonished Pulev for hitting after the gong.
Pulev continued to work on Chisora after that, but Chisora got the most noticeable hits in the last round.
In front of around 7,000 spectators, the three judges scored 116:112 for Pulev and 116:112 and 116:114 for Chisora.
Zimbabwe-born British heavyweight Chisora has reignited his career after three consecutive defeats and was already looking ahead after the fight: »I said to Eddie Hearn (editor's note: British boxing promoter) if you would give me the › Bronze Bomber‹, I'm happy.« »Bronze Bomber« is the nickname of the US former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder.
It was Pulev's third loss in 32 professional fights, the other two he suffered in heavyweight world championship fights against Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko and Briton Anthony Joshua.
Promoter sees Chisora's career blossom
Promoter Eddie Hearn thinks more fights are possible for Chisora.
“People talk about Chisora and tell him to hang up his gloves.
He just beat a top 15 or top 10 heavyweight in the world, so how can you criticize him?”
Chisora is considered a scandal boxer.
He's made headlines time and time again in the past.
In December 2016, before the fight for the British heavyweight title, he threw a table at his opponent Dillian Whyte at a press conference.
Before his world championship fight in 2012 against the then world champion Vitali Klitschko, he gave him a slap in the face, and he also clashed with his compatriot David Haye.
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