Atlas says Wilder’s straight right can land clean against Chisora’s looping punches
Teddy Atlas says Deontay Wilder will beat Derek Chisora on April 4 at the O2 Arena in London. He believes the straight right hand will decide the fight.
Wilder enters the bout needing a result after a difficult run that has seen him lose four of his last six fights. Another defeat would leave him with five losses in seven and push him further from contention at heavyweight level.
Chisora, now 43, steps in for his 50th professional fight and is aiming to close his career on his own terms. His approach remains familiar, working forward and throwing looping shots in exchanges.
Atlas expects that style to open the door.
Straight punches beat looping shots when they land first, especially at heavyweight.
“I’m not sure who has more left, but theoretically, it should be Wilder. He should have a little more left. And if he does, the one thing he has is a right hand.
“Chisora throws round punches. That’s not going to change. When he throws round punches, there’s an opportunity to throw a straight punch.
“At the end of the day, I think that will play out. And because of that, I would probably favour Wilder.”
Wilder’s reputation was built on landing that single equalizer late, but recent fights have shown a decline in his ability to find it under pressure. This fight offers a chance to re-establish that threat.
A win could bring Wilder back into the mix for a shot at Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the unified heavyweight titles.