Don Charles, trainer of Derek Chisora, has defended his reluctance to throw in the towel during Chisora’s recent defeat to Tyson Fury after many fans and critics believed that the fighter was taking unnecessary damage.
To say that Chisora lost the fight convincingly is an understatement, with many viewers even admitting that they felt uncomfortable watching the fight due to the beating that the veteran was taking.
Couple that with a history of tough fights and an opponent who is arguably the best heavyweight on the planet and there is a recipe for a serious, life-changing injury.
However, Charles disagrees with his critics and argued that this was likely Chisora’s final chance at becoming a world champion. Therefore, he wanted his man to have every opportunity to do so, he told ID Boxing.
“Will he ever fight for that WBC title again? Highly unlikely. So this is your opportunity to see if we can do it. Without putting him into unnecessary danger or being really hurt.
I’m actually known as a compassionate coach in the industry. So this compassionate coach, how comes on the night that I wasn’t so compassionate? No. I know my fighter really well, I know what he can take and what he can’t take.
That is the most prestigious belt in boxing. My guy is not getting beaten from post to post, yes he was taking shots, but you’ve got to give your fighter every opportunity to maybe release that once punch, that you know he has got in his locker. It didn’t happen but it is my duty to give him every chance.”
Charles went on to say that he knew Chisora more than anybody, including those who were calling for the fight to be stopped before the referee took that responsibility in the tenth.
“Also, I know my fighter, I’ve been working with him for a long, long time, all his career, we’ve had a couple of breaks but generally I’ve spent a lot of time studying this guy.
Not just during fights, during sparring over the years, you get to learn about your fighter, body language, facial expressions, you get to learn when they are really hurt and when they are okay. From where I was standing, yes, he was getting hit, but nothing we haven’t seen before, whether that is in the gym or in a live competition.”
There has been calls for Chisora to retire from the sport following the dominant defeat, however there have been no signs from the 38-year-old that he is considering hanging up the gloves, and many fans would like to see the heavyweight veteran end on a win considering his contribution to the sport.