Derek Chisora was denied his perfect sendoff by Deontay Wilder at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night.
Wilder dropped Chisora twice in an enthralling fight that was full of controversy.
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Chisora was tangled in the ropes multiple timesCredit: Getty
In the end, Wilder got his hand raised via split decision with scorecards of 115-111, 115-113 in his favour, while a third judge sided with Chisora by a margin of 115-112.
Chisora didn’t fully commit to confirming his retirement in the immediate aftermath, but he had promised to hang up his gloves befor the fight.
And if it is to be Chisora’s last dance, then he went out the way he came in: swinging.
“Some of the rounds were very close,” said a dejected Chisora post-fight.
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“I’m just upset that I came out of the ropes.
“If I didn’t come out of the ropes, I would have won that fight…
“I’m going to go home and do the school run.”
Chisora was tangled in the ropes on more than one occasion.
At the end of the second round, Wilder forced ‘Del Boy’ over the top rope and began raining down shots.
As he did, Chisora’s trainer Alexis Demetriades stormed the ring and attempted to break them up while referee Mark Bates wrestled the two behemoths apart.
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Wilder bundled Chisora over the ropes in the second round and rained down shotsCredit: Getty
Under British Boxing Board of Control rules, seconds are not allowed in the ring during an active round.
It is down to the referee’s discretion to choose whether to issue a warning or a disqualification.
Thankfully, for Chisora, Bates let it slide, although Demetriades got a ticking off from General Secretary of the Board Robert Smith.
Chisora was then sent hurtling through the ropes again in round eight after eating a clubbing right hand, in the first knockdown of the fight.
Seconds later, Wilder was deducted a point for, this time, pushing his adversary out of the ring.
There was more drama in round 11 when Wilder scored another knockdown through the ropes.
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Wilder beat Chisora via split decision on Saturday in a crazy heavyweight showdownCredit: Getty
It looked as though Chisora had turned the tables when he sent Wilder tumbling to the canvas moments later, but it was ruled a slip.
The 12th and final round saw both men throw hell to the wind in a grandstand finish that had the packed-out O2 Arena on its feet.
“Man I feel good…Derek, he’s a warrior, he came like a lion to fight,” said Wilder.
“London, you were all witness tonight to what power, destiny, glory is all about.
“Tonight was very fun, Derek got a lot of good shots off but that’s nothing to a king, I’m a king.
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Chisora and Wilder threw hell to the wind for 12 roundsCredit: Getty
“It took a long time for me to come back, but I’m back, I’m better.
“I was telling him in the ring as I could see his eyes swelling, he’s got to keep going for his kids, so I started having fun in there…
“I looked after Derek in there, I saw his vein on his temple, I want him to live for his kids.”
talkSPORT’s Gareth A Davies perhaps summed up the fight best.
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“It’s been a very odd, barbaric, peculiar 50th fight for these two men,” said the long-serving journalist.