Ricky Hatton: Derek Chisora vs Joseph Parker loser might have to call it a day

In his latest column with Metro.co.uk, the British boxing legend previews this weekend’s heavyweight action and Fightzone’s last card of the year while also reacting to another sublime win for Conor Benn.

Tough decision awaits Parker or Chisora

I enjoyed the first fight between Derek Chisora and Jopseh Parker so I can see why we are getting the second. But I think now it is the simple case that the winner stays in contention to fight for another world title shot somewhere along the line and for the loser, maybe it is time to hang the gloves up.

I think both have seen ever so slightly better days. It will still be a good win for whoever does get their hand raised at the end of the night, one that opens up big opportunities. But the loser will have to have a serious look at where they are going next in their career.

Derek is a good friend of mine, he has been to the well so many times, he has been in so many ding dongs and he has had a couple of heavy knockout defeats too. He seems to have been around forever and we don’t want to see him get hurt.

That’s not to say I think he’ll lose, I mean to speak for both fighters there. We don’t want see any fighter get hurt. But whoever is looking after the loser, managers, promoters, the team in the corner, they will have to be honest with them when the dust settles. It is a make or break fight for both men.

Benn 100 per cent a future champion

Conor Benn has had an incredible 2021. he has improved so much, of course there are tougher tests to come but he is fighting very decent opposition and he is breezing past them at the minute, making it look a lot easier than many of us thought he would be.

Chris Algieri in particular, he arrived looking in brilliant condition and I think there were a few of us thinking he might cause Conor one or two problems.

But that wasn’t the case at all. It has been a fantastic year for him. In a recent column I spoke about Great Britain’s next world champions – if Conor keeps improving at the rate he has done this year he is going to be one them.

Porter fight wouldn’t make sense right now

In terms of his next challenge, there are so many names out there for him. Conor wants the Adrien Broner fight, possibly Shawn Porter if he can be convinced to come back and the winner of Amir Khan vs Kell Brook maybe.

Because he is improving so much, I think it is important to still be patient. He’s with the best person in Eddie Hearn at the moment. He has had three good wins this year against Samuel Vargas, Adrian Granados and Algieri but I think it is important we don’t get too giddy and throw him in with the wrong person.

Terence Crawford is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and he’s just fought Porter who again gave a great account of himself. I don’t think it is the case where Conor can’t win those fights against someone the likes of Porter, it is whether he needs that big a step just quite yet.

I think he would be more than capable of winning those fights but as good as he has been lately, he is still improving, he is still a bit of a work in progress. Brook or Khan would be a more realistic one for him I think.

If you go straight in against someone who has just gone up against Terence Crawford, I just think that might be moving him too fast. But he has had a great year and I expect an even better one in 2022.

Fightzone ends 2021 with seven-fight card

Fightzone is closing the year with a bang with a stacked card on Friday in Sheffield. Anthony Tomlinson is back in action, looking to get back on track after his defeat to Dante Jardon back in August.

It was the first defeat of his career that night, stopped in nine rounds but he will be determined to end the year on a positive note to get back into title contention in 2022.

We’ll also get another look at Tommy Frank who’s had a mixed year. There was disappointment for him with a rematch defeat to Rosendo Hugo Guarneros in the summer but he bounced back in a cracker against Matt Windle, becoming the first fighter from Sheffield to win the Lonsdale Belt at flyweight.

There will also be the chance to get a good look at Tommy Hodgson, a very promising amateur now two fights into his professional career from North Shields.

2022 could be a very big year for him with Fightzone planning shows in his neck of the woods in the northeast in the future.

There have been some brilliant Fightzone shows up and down the country this year, we’ve seen world champions crowned and some of the UK’s emerging talent given a huge platform to show what they are all about. More of the same next year.

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