A battle of polar opposites: one polarizing, one unknown; one overexposed and another perhaps underexposed. All of these distinctions seem to accurately describe Saturday's clash between Dereck "Del Boy" Chisora (16-4, 10 KO) and Malik Scott (32-0-1, 12 KO) at Wembley Arena in London.
Chisora's bad boy persona has created a commercial appeal that somewhat camouflages the fact that he's failed miserably against upper-echelon competition. In contrast, Scott's forgettable presence, lack of KO power, personal problems and hiatus from the sport have kept him as a relative unknown—despite his unbeaten record.
The two men will meet for the vacant WBO International heavyweight title, but even more importantly, they will fight to see which one can take the next step toward challenging one of the Klitschko's for a title that actually matters.
Chisora had a shot at Vitali Klitschko that ended in a lopsided unanimous decision. Despite the edge in experience, Scott hasn't been anywhere close to that level of competition.
Del Boy will certainly have the fans behind him in his home country. So Scott will be facing his toughest opponent and doing battle behind enemy lines—which is actually the catch phrase of the event.
If nothing else, watching what Chisora might do and what Scott can do makes the fight interesting enough to tune in. Here's how you can watch:
| Date and Time | TV Coverage | Live Stream |
| Saturday, July 20, 4 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. BST | Box Nation | Box Nation Region Restrictions Apply |
The Book on Chisora
Del Boy Still Trying to Be the Bully on Boxing's Block
Leading up to the bout, Chisora has already made claims that Scott is afraid of him. According to an interview done with the Telegraph's Gareth A. Davies, Chisora said: "I'm happy now that I've looked into his eyes and I see that the boy is scared."
Scott was a no-show at the original press conference on Monday. He claimed he was unaware of the event, per Davies. Chisora added:
I don't believe all this rubbish he's saying that he didn't know about the press conference yesterday, he just didn't want to see me. He even had to be forced to take off his sunglasses as we went face-to-face.
What counts is what happens in the ring on Saturday and I'm going to do a real good job on this boy and pack him back off to America, defeated.
Chisora's biggest weapon has been his ability to intimidate opponents. When that hasn't worked, he's failed due to his lack of reach and underdeveloped boxing skills. The base of talent is there for Del Boy, but he's lost four of his last six fights, so another loss would be devastating for him.
If Scott is intimidated, Chisora has already won half the battle.
In the Ring
At only 6'1.5", Chisora is short for the heavyweight division. His 74" reach has left his arms too short to box with the elite heavyweights in the world. The last three wins on his resume have come against shorter heavyweights with a shorter or equal reach.
Del Boy has not yet found a way to beat good, tall heavyweights who know how to use their reach advantage. Scott stands 6'4" and his reach is unlisted, but if you've seen him fight, you know he out-measures Chisora from armpit to knuckles.
Del Boy will have to find a way to get inside to be effective.
The Book on Scott
Looking to Fight His Way Out of Obscurity
You would think an undefeated American heavyweight that stands 6'4" would be a household name, but that isn't the case for Scott. His career had some momentum in 2008 until injuries and other issues kept him away from the ring for four years.
In his most recent bout, Scott was robbed of a victory against Vyacheslav Glazkov in February. He clearly out-boxed the young Ukrainian, but the fight was scored a split-decision draw. Scott's biggest flaws are that he isn't a KO fighter and he's not aggressive. He fights to win rounds, not necessarily to hurt his opponent, and that is frowned upon in many boxing circles.
Nevertheless, Scott has landed this potentially more beneficial bout against Chisora. Though Del Boy has lost four of his last six, he still has a recognizable name. If Scott can handle him, he will advance his career.
In the Ring
Scott is too athletic and possesses a potentially dominant jab. If he keeps his distance, doesn't get careless and doesn't allow Chisora to turn the fight into a brawl, he should win easily.
Scott has all the tools to make this a very tough night for Chisora.
Prediction
Scott should win a pretty easy unanimous decision. Then again, I thought he deserved the win over Glazkov. Because he isn't likely to go in for the finish, Scott will leave the door open for Chisora, but the lack of length will again hurt Del Boy.
Follow me for boxing news, rumors and spirited opinions.
Follow @BrianMazique
Read more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment