By James McKnight @jamesmcknight83
Dereck 'Del Boy' Chisora and unbeaten American Malik 'King' Scott will headline Frank Warren's 'Behind Enemy Lines' show at Wembley arena, London, England. The pair will battle it out over 10 rounds for the WBO International heavyweight title on July 20. David Haye is the only fighter to have claimed the title when he beat Chisora (TKO 5), last July.
The title is not really what these two fighters are after. It's not a well recognized title in all honesty. The main objective of both Chisora and Scott is to win this fight which will push them towards competing on the World stage. Both these men have something to prove.
Chisora (16-4-0, 10 KO's), is a controversial figure. The 29-year-old has done things that has sparked outrage. He's previously bitten an opponent, kissed an opponent, slapped Vitali Klitschko, spat water at his brother Wladimir and started a press conference brawl with David Haye. He gets people talking, whether it be good or bad and people do tune in to see him. But, despite all of this, he is respected. You ask how is this? Well, it's because of his fighting qualities. Many fight fans like him. He's a throwback fighter who likes to come forward and pressure his opponents. He's aggressive and throws combinations. He's not the most techically gifted fighter, but when his head is screwed on right and he's in shape he's a tough man to beat.
Scott (35-0-1, 12 KO's), will be in uncharted territory on July 20. Not only will the Philadelphian be facing Chisora, who, many believe is a major step-up for him, he'll be fighting outside of his native U.S.A for the first time. The majority of the 12,500 in attendance on the night will be pro-Chisora. Wembley arena has its own unique atmosphere and the crowd will be well on top of the action. It's not quite the O2 arena, but it'll be interesting to see how the American deals with it all.
Scott, 32, is a good technical boxer. He has shown competence in the ring. He's tall and has a good jab, moves well and looks quite slick. He's fought more rounds than Chisora (215-119), but his record is padded as he just hasn't fought any serious competition. Chisora, on the other hand, has a more distinguished career. He's faced the likes of Robert Helenius, David Haye and Vitali Klitschko. This is a step-up for Scott.
Many people believe that Scott is a protected fighter, who has never been seriously taken out of his comfort zone. They believe that when he faces Chisora he'll get found out. This is a classic 'boxer vs brawler' styles matchup. Chisora has a very aggressive, raw-like style and it's up to Scott to tame him. Scott has only 12 knockouts from 36 contests so it remains to be seen if he is able to discourage Chisora. It's unlikely that Scott will knock Chisora out, but this is heavyweight boxing so you never know. Chisora may well be able to unsettle Scott early on and turn it into his kind of fight. If he's able to cut off the ring then Chisora stands a great chance of winning. He may be able to grind Scott down. If Scott is able to establish his jab early, use the ring, measure and time Chisora then he stands a great chance of winning. It also depends on who's hungry enough to want to win.
Both men are eager to fight now. In the past, Chisora has been known to come in on fight night overweight and not mentally focused. For this fight with Scott, not only does he look in fantastic shape (arguably the best shape of his career), he's focused and he's hungry. He's aiming to do a real job on Scott and wants to pack him back off to America with a first loss on his résumé. Scott is also in confident mood and believes he has the tools to win.
I just hope the fight is as good as the build up has been!
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