Does former heavyweight champion need a knockout against British legend?

The veteran heavyweights will clash at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, April 4, live on DAZN PPV, as both men make their 50th appearance as a professional, hence the show being billed as ‘100’.

Given the respective stages of their careers, retirement beckons for the loser and it really is a must-win contest for both men.

However, Wilder (44-4-1) has gone one step further by stating that a victory alone will not suffice for him and that only a knockout will do.

Speaking at Wednesday’s press conference, Wilder said: “This is a must-win for me. Not only a win, but I need a devastating win. I need a knockout. That’s what people come to see.

"We have question marks on our backs because we’re unpredictable as fighters, but his style matches my style, and mine matches his.”

The American is right to say they are both unpredictable, especially these days, but there is no doubt that he has more questions to answer right now.

While Chisora has always been on the fringe of world level, a victory in April would spring him to new heights in the twilight of his career.

Wilder has already reached the top of the mountain and is looking to return to the summit.

The man from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, won the WBC heavyweight title with a unanimous decision win over Bermane Stiverne at the start of 2015 and went on to defend the belt 10 times (including a draw with Tyson Fury) over the next five years.

Since losing the title to Fury in February 2020, ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has had a turbulent time, both in an out of the ring, and the 40-year-old is looking to turn back the clock against Chisora.

Wilder has lost four of his last six, including three stoppage defeats, and it is widely believed that his best days are behind him now, which is why he needs to remind us what he is capable of with a knockout.

He insists the old ‘Bronze Bomber’ is still there and that "It’s ready to bust out. It will on April 4”, but we will only know if that is true on fight night.

When he talks about being back, he is referencing those days when his infamous power had the heavyweight division running scared and he was flattening foes for fun.

Even now, all but one of Wilder’s 44 wins have come by stoppage and it is those destructive tendencies that made him so exciting to watch in his pomp.

Will we ever see that version of Wilder again? We should get the answer on April 4.

Chris Oliver, DAZN News

I think Wilder is right in saying that only a knockout will do against Chisora.

Plenty of fans have already consigned that version of the KO artist to the past and he has to stop his man in April if he’s to remind everyone why he was so popular at his peak.

It’s not only in the eyes of the fans that he needs to redeem himself, but there is also a serious carrot being dangled ahead of this bout between the ageing stars.

Frank Warren has intimated that the winner of this contest could get a mandatory shot at Oleksandr Usyk's IBF title, so there is an awful lot on the line for both men.

If Usyk is to view Wilder as a legitimate challenge and one worthy of defending his titles again, then the latter must look good in London and that means getting rid of Chisora inside the distance.

Anything less than that and the boxing world’s already tainted current view of Wilder the prize fighter will remain the same.

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