“I’m sorry, I love you.” Those were the words offered by Shawn Michaels before he Sweet Chin Music’d pro wrestling icon Ric Flair into what should’ve been a perfect retirement at WrestleMania 24. Deontay Wilder, 18 years on, tried to give Derek Chisora the same poetic sendoff - repeating those exact words - in a slugfest for the ages. Unlike Flair, who at the tender age of 59 backtracked on his retirement and continued to painstakingly wrestle into his 70s, Chisora should accept this 50th fight for what it is: his rightful finale.
It wasn’t the fairytale ending, with Wilder, 40, edging out victory by split decision after 12 rounds of spine-tingling, back-and-forth brawling. But 42-year-old Chisora, now on 14 losses, isn’t the fairytale type. He’s a loveable brute with a maniacal smile and, after an up-and-down career, victory on this night didn’t feel imperative for “Delboy” to deliver. Chaos was all his adoring fans asked for, and that’s what they got.
