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Boxing live Updated 2m ago Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder meet today for a fiery heavyweight fight at the O2 Arena. Two of the sport's most destructive fighters of the last decade face off in London for the 50th bout of their careers. Chisora (36-13) intends to retire after the bout while Wilder (43-4-1) is aiming to climb back to the top of the heavyweight division. GO FURTHER The decline of U. S. heavyweight boxing feels terminal. Can it be saved? The last few results for Deontay Wilder suggest that it really is now or never if he is to work his way back up the heavyweight division. He might be in the twilight of his career, but Derek Chisora arrives for today's fight having won four of his last five bouts on points. All that said, a U. S. revival in the heavyweight division should not be discounted. There has been a significant influx of cash from new broadcasters, notably streaming services such as DAZN and Netflix, and Saudi Arabia, which has become a significant player in the sport. “The landscape of the sport is changing dramatically, " says Chris Algieri, an American former light-welterweight world champion. “We're seeing a lot of money getting thrown around. I think that could be enticing for a lot of young athletes growing up here in the States. ” There are title contenders coming in the United States. Californian Richard Torrez Jr, a 26-year-old who is unbeaten in 14 bouts as a pro, is well placed among different sanctioning bodies’ rankings and improving in his performances. Ohio’s Jared Anderson, also 26, recently signed a co-promotional deal with Warren’s Queensberry to continue his career alongside Top Rank. Anderson lost in 2024 to Martin Bakole in what was his 18th professional fight but he is rebuilding. Joshua Edwards, 25, is a 2024 Olympian who is unbeaten in six bouts as a professional. Jarrell Miller, 37, may have served a suspension for doping violations but continues to be given opportunities, even if arguably his most famous moment in the ring came in February when he was punched so hard by Nigerian Kingsley Ibeh his hairpiece flew off. GO FURTHER The decline of U. S. heavyweight boxing feels terminal. Can it be saved? The decline of the U. S. heavyweight is not a new phenomenon, but it is also difficult to pinpoint exactly why it began. The Athletic spoke to a multitude of boxing experts — fighters, coaches, pundits and promoters — for their view. A common refrain was how boxing had been squeezed out by the rise of other sports in the U. S. and the money big athletes can earn elsewhere, notably in basketball and American football, sports where the earning potential has sky-rocketed in the last two decades. “The sports landscape in the U. S. has changed a lot, ” boxing manager Shelly Finkel, who worked with Tyson, Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, and now Wilder, tells The Athletic. “When you have a large, young male athlete they may opt to go into football or basketball where they have large contracts paying them large amounts from the start. “It is also a couple of years as a pro before you can make any money unless you’re coming out of an amateur programme and being well known. ” There is not just money to be made in the professional game — where teams in the NBA and NFL will stock up on talent — but also colleges, who cast their nets wide to ensure no potential star is missed. Scholarships offer a chance of education as well as high-class training facilities. Beaten-down boxing gyms and a professional career in a sport where fighters often don’t know when the next fight or pay cheque is coming is not so attractive. GO FURTHER The decline of U. S. heavyweight boxing feels terminal. Can it be saved? Although he seems pretty adamant that he will go on after this fight, there is every chance that defeat for Deontay Wilder tonight will signal the end of his career. Whenever it comes, his retirement will mark a sad day for boxing and, above all else, a sad day for American heavyweights. For the last half century, it has always felt like there is another big name rising just as one falls. Anyone who knows the sport of boxing would be able to reel off the names of American heavyweight icons. Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield immediately come to my mind. After Wilder, it is hard where America's next big name in the division is coming from. Chris Mc Kenna and Sarah Shephard wrote a brilliant piece on the potentially terminal decline and I would thoroughly recommend reading it before this evening's fight — you can find it at the link below. GO FURTHER The decline of U. S. heavyweight boxing feels terminal. Can it be saved? Before donning his Tyson Fury mask, Derek Chisora was catching the eye on fight week by arriving to Thursday's press conference in a tank. Yes, a tank. He made quite the entrance to York Hall in London, sharing the tank with long-time associate and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. The build-up to this fight has been as cordial and harmonious as you will see from two heavyweights on fight week, but Derek Chisora did engage in some old-fashioned mind games at yesterday's weigh-in. The Englishman arrived for the face off wearing a Tyson Fury mask. Fury was the first boxer to deny Deontay Wilder a victory after the pair drew in 2018; he then became the first boxer to defeat Wilder, beating him twice in the space of 17 months. Asked about the mask, Wilder said: “Hilarious, I didn't know it was Halloween. ” A grinning Chisora followed it up by saying: “I just wanted to put it on because I know he has PTSD with Tyson Fury. ” Deontay Wilder admitted he was the one who raised concerns about the tightness of his gloves ahead of Friday’s weigh in against Derek Chisora. Wilder weighed in at 226. 4 pounds at York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, and afterwards, insisted concerns put forward about each fighter’s gloves were by him. Earlier in the day, reports had emerged that the two teams were arguing about glove size, yet, having faced off with each other before Saturday night’s clash at London’s 02 Arena, the issue has since been ironed out. Chisora, meanwhile, weighed in much heavier, coming in at a career high of 266. 7 pounds for his 50th fight, which he claims will be his last. When the pair faced off, Chisora wore a Tyson Fury mask, reminding Wilder of his two knockout losses to the British heavyweight. This, though, did not seem to faze the 40-year-old, who re-affirmed that he is “healed” and has got “myself together” following four losses in his previous six bouts. While Chisora is at his heaviest tonight, Deontay Wilder has left a few pounds on the table. The American isn't expecting the fight to last beyond the first few rounds, but is significantly lighter than the Brit, tipping the scales at 226. 4lbs (102. 69kg). It is almost exactly the same weight as he carried into his most recent fight in June of last year and is somewhere in between his weight for the two Tyson Fury fights, where he felt he was too light first time around and perhaps added a couple of pounds too many for the rematch. Wilder has often looked more of an athlete compared to the man standing opposite him in the ring and tonight will undoubtedly be no different. Derek Chisora comes into today's fight heavier than he has been for any of his 49 previous professional bouts. The 42-year-old tipped the scales at 266. 7lbs (120. 97kg), 7lbs than he was when he beat Otto Wallin back in February last year. He has spoken of his expectation to end the fight early on, so will hope that the extra weight doesn't cost him in the later rounds. It is hard to believe, but this will be Deontay Wilder's first fight in London. In fact, only one of the Americans 49 professional bouts has been in the United Kingdom — and, like many of his outings, didn't last very long. In 2013, Wilder took on a 41-year-old Audley Harrison — who had won an Olympic gold medal 13 years prior — and dispatched him within 70 seconds in Sheffield. A ferocious flurry of punches, not many of which landing, knocked Harrison to the ground and he was unable to beat the count after gingerly returning to his feet. It brought an end to the Brit's career and extended Wilder's record to 28-0. Should this be the last fight of Derek Chisora's career, it would be fitting that it comes at an arena he has become so familiar with. The Englishman has fought three times previously at the O2 Arena and all three were fascinating contests. His first outing in this part of London came at the back end of December for his much-anticipated rematch with compatriot Dillian Whyte. Unfortunately for Chisora, like the first fight, it ended in defeat — he was knocked out in the 11th round of an epic slugfest by a devastating left hook. Chisora was able to avenge that loss to some extent in his next two visits to the O2 Arena, beating Kubret Pulev in their rematch and then beating Joe Joyce, both victories on points. Will Chisora extend his record here to 3-1 or will it level out at 2-2? Today's fight will take place at the O2 Arena in London. The multi-purpose venue has a capacity of 20, 000 and regularly hosts music, performance, and sporting events, including previous heavyweight clashes. Derek Chisora has fought here three times before, while other big names in British boxing — including Anthony Joshua, Dillian Whyte, and David Haye — have also contested bouts at the O2. Deontay Wilder has been beaten in two of his past three fights but remains determined to climb back to the top of the heavyweight division. He lost against Joseph Parker by unanimous decision in December 2023 before being stopped by Zhilei Zhang in June the following year. A win against Tyrrell Herndon last year got his career back on track, though Chisora will likely provide a sterner test as Wilder looks to extend his career in his 40s. Chisora has had a late and unexpected career resurgence since losing against Tyson Fury in late 2022. He has won all three of his most recent fights by unanimous decision, against Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce, and Otto Wallin. One bout remains for Chisora as he looks to sign off from his career on a high. Derek Chisora vs. Deontay Wilder Deontay Wilder's two fights against Tyson Fury, either side of the Covid-19 pandemic, will live long in the memory of boxing fans around the world. But the two defeats for the American affected his standing in the heavyweight division and he has not reached the same heights since. In the four-and-a-half years since his second loss against Fury, Wilder has fought just four times and lost two of them. That has left the 40-year-old scrambling to climb the steps of the heavyweight division, with chances to get back in the title conversation dwindling. Given the two fighters' lack of fights in the last few years, there are no belts on the line this evening but Wilder views this as the next step on his comeback trail to the top of the sport. We want to hear from you, our readers! How do you think tonight's main event will play out? Are there are any fighters you're looking forward to seeing on the undercard? And what other fights are you looking out for in this big year of boxing? Let us know by emailing live@theathletic. com.