Derek Chisora's eyes were swollen almost completely shut in the aftermath of his brutal trilogy defeat by Tyson Fury.
'WAR' Chisora came in as an unlikely challenge for a trilogy contest with former two-time rival Fury at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night. He was an overwhelming underdog and the event played out as expected, with Fury dominating from the opening bell and inflicting constant damage on his fellow heavyweight.
Chisora took brutal punishment in the fight, which the referee wanted to call time on way before the 10th round when the stoppage was eventually called, with his pleas met with resistance from the Finchley native. The pair came together after the fight in the ring and in the dressing room, with Chisora's eyes swollen shut from the facial damage.
He had swelling and marking all over his face from the repetitive power punches he endured during the contest, which saw the fight halted before the final bell. He even posed for a photo with Fury before putting sunglasses on to cover up his swelling for the images which were later shared on the pair's social media accounts.
During an extremely respectful dressing-room exchange, Chisora and Fury shared a Five Guys burger before discussing the fight and their children, who were also present. Fury then ended the conversation by leaving with a classy message, adding: "Listen, if you ever need anything, you know where I am. My gym's your gym."
On Sunday, Fury posted another message for his former rival, writing: "What can I say mush? You truly embody the warrior spirit and there is nothing but love and respect between us and our teams. You took the challenge to step up against the Gypsy King when none of them would, no excuses. Thank you for a trilogy that has spanned over an eleven year era. Del Boy you are a legend in the game."
The gap in class was clear for all to see during the fight, with Chisora having already been beaten soundly by his British counterpart back in 2011 and 2014. He has faced calls by many to retire which have been echoed by WBC champion Fury, who believes his fellow Brit would go out as a hero of the sport.
"I know where Derek is coming from right now, I can't speak for any other man, I can't make decisions for anybody," Fury said at the post-fight press conference. " Derek will make his own decisions. Because he's a legend of this game. In British boxing, he's like a folk hero.
"For me, I'd love to see him retire. Who wouldn't tune in for Derek's fights? People love him and he is always entertaining and always gives his all. He is a good fighting man for sure and he has been around for so long."
