Derek Chisora ​​breathed up-to-date life into his long and hard-fought career by winning the vacant WBA International Heavyweight title with a split decision victory over Kubrat Pulev at the O2 Arena in London.

Chisora ​​was coming off three straight defeats, albeit in decent company, the last being a points loss to Joseph Parker in a rematch last December, while Pulev had twice failed to challenge for world titles in the intervening years of defeats to Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua.

The pair previously met in 2016 in a fight for the vacant European title, with Pulev winning a split decision in Germany, but this time it was the Zimbabwean-born Londoner who tasted victory.

Chisora ​​(33-12, 23 KO) started the fight brilliantly, pressing as usual, fighting back with decisive moments in the crucial early rounds, but allowed the Bulgarian back into the fight after the halfway point as he began to tire.

There was plenty to play for in the championship rounds, and both men put it all on the line once they realized exactly what was at stake.

In a competition that was tough to score points, it all came down to the scorecards and, understandably, the verdict was split.

Pulev (29-3, 14 KO) had one score of 116-112, but was overtaken by the other judges, who scored it 116-112 and 116-114 in favour of Chisora.

Madrimov-Soro ends in header clash

The main supporter got a rematch and it was neither a repeat nor revenge as Israil Madrimov (8-0-1, 6 KO) and Michel Soro (35-3-2, 24 KO) had to settle for a technical draw, with Soro unable to continue due to a nasty eye cut and the fight being stopped in the third round.

TECHNICAL DRAWING!

After accidentally clashing heads, #MadrimovSoro2 he was waved in round 3 😳 #ChisoraPulev2 pic.twitter.com/LXF6cfjdzE

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) July 9, 2022

Remaining Undercard

Ramla Ali (6-0, 1 KO) lost her eight-round super bantamweight fight to Augustina Rojas (6-2).

Caoimhin Agyarko (12-0, 7 KOs) won the vacant WBA International super welterweight title with a convincing points victory over Łukasz Maćc (28-5-1, 5 KOs) over ten rounds.

Two scores of 100-90 and a third of 99-93 sealed the victory for the Irishman.

Heavyweight Fabio Wardley was due to face Kingsley Ibeh but the American was unable to get to the UK and Chris Healey stepped in, but the Stockport fighter proved to be little match for the win as Wardley (14-0, 13 KO) recorded a second-round stoppage.

Healey (9-10, 2 KO) went down in the first and again in the second before being saved.

Solomon Dacres (4-0, 1 KO) remained undefeated, winning every round of his eight-round fight against Argentine Kevin Nicolas Espindola (7-5, 2 KO).

In the super bantamweight division, Yousuf Ibrahim (2-0) also remained undefeated, winning all four rounds against Spaniard Francisco Rodriguez (1-7, 1 KO).

Arnold Barboza Jr stayed on course for a world title fight, winning the vacant WBO Intercontinental super lightweight title by a landslide decision Danielito Zorilla at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California.

Both men came into the scheduled ten-round contest undefeated, and the home team emerged victorious. Barboza Jr (27-0, KO10) was on a three-fight winning streak of ten rounds, the last of which nearly knocked out Antonio Moran last August, while the Puerto Rican Zorilla (16-1, KO12) was unknown but ended with a stunning second-round knockout of former world title challenger Pablo Cesar Cano.

Barboza was simply too lively for Zorrilla in this one, starting with a solid body shot in the opening frame before countering well and landing an uppercut in the second. After a still third, Barboza seemed to briefly stun Zorrilla with a right hand in the fourth and landed another solid combination to end the fifth frame.

Barboza was almost always one step ahead, and after a few more confident rounds in which he repeatedly wobbled the guy, he seemed well ahead heading into the final session. Zorrilla rallied for the finish, landing an uppercut of his own in the ninth, and as the fight wound down, he landed a few flush shots on the tiring Barboza who reached the final bell.

One score of 98-92 and a third score of 97-93 secured the match victory for the 30-year-old Barboza.

Elsewhere, also with a super lithe, substantial hit Raymond Muratalla (15-0, KO12) they had to settle for winning eight rounds Jair Valtierra (16-2, KO8).Muratalla scored a fourth-round knockdown but was unable to dislodge Valtierra from the fight, ultimately winning 80-71 on all three scorecards.

In the heavyweight division Stephan Shaw (17-0, KO13) I wasted some time dropping Bernardo Marquez (14-5-1, KO10) three times en route to a first-round victory. The heavyweight’s second highlight also lasted less than a round, as Richard Torrez (2-0, KO2) sent Roberto Zavala Jr. (2-2-1, KO2) in less than a minute.

Jorge Marron Jr (20-3-2, KO7) AND Adrian Yung (28-7-3, KO22) couldn’t be separated in their six-round welterweight bout as both fought to a majority draw.

Floyd Diaz (6-0, KO2) arrested Pedro Salome (3-1-1, KO1) in three rounds and a featherweight prospect Austin Brooks (7-0, KO2) won all four rounds against Victor Saravia (1-3, KO1).

Hamza Sheraz headlined the Frank Warren-promoted event at the Copperbox in London last night, winning the vacant WBC Silver middleweight title with a fifth-round stoppage Francisco Emanuel Torres in a wild fight that included four knockdowns.

Sheeraz has made peaceful progress in professional boxing thus far, while Torres was held to a ten-round draw by the incoming Jose Benavidez Jr.

Sheraz (16-0, KO12) he started steadily and after a serene opening, a straight right hand staggered the guest in the second quarter, and the Argentine fell in the third quarter after a shot Sheraz left hand Sheraz made a mistake reaching the finish line, and Torres scored a knockdown of his own with a counter right hand.

It was a lightning-fast knockdown and Sheraz nailed Torres (17-4-1, KO5) a strenuous right hand for the third time knocking down the frame. After a milder fourth, Sheraz counter sprung into action, ending the fight with a powerful right hand that dropped Torres once again, but this time the referee stopped the action.

Watch the full fight here:

In what could have been a major event in itself, Mark Heffron (28-2-1, KO22) won the British, Commonwealth and vacant IBF Intercontinental super middleweight titles via fifth-round stoppage Lennox Clarke (20-2-1, KO8).

Heffron hurt Clarke in the first round with a solid right to the head and the pair took turns dishing out punishment, but Heffron was always looking one step ahead and hurt Clarke again in the fourth with body shots. A left hand disoriented Clarke in the fifth set and another attack with volleys to the head and body forced the referee to intervene, much to Clarke’s protest. Third time lucky for Heffron, who had failed on his two previous attempts at the Lonsdale Belt.

Dennis McCann (13-0, KO7) he won the vacant WBC International Silver featherweight title, then fell and stopped James Buk Jr (14-3, KO2) in the eighth round. McCann stunned Beech early on and swarmed all over the Midlander until he finally touched down. McCann dominated the fight and scored another knockdown in the eighth with a right hand chop, and although Beech beat the count, another attack sent Beech into a frenzy.

Nick Ball (16-0, KO9) backed up his impressive stoppage of Isaac Lowe in his last fight and defended his WBC Silver featherweight title with a stoppage in the twelfth and final round Nathanael Kakololo (14-4-1, KO6). A right hand hit the guy in the final quarter and another attack left Kakololo defenseless and the referee rightly stopped the fight.

Pierce O’Leary (10-0, KO6) would live up to its nickname “Gigantic Bang” if it stopped Robin Zamora (17-15, KO8) in the second round of a scheduled eighth round in the super lightweight division. A stiff right hand froze Zamora and the referee wisely stopped the fight immediately.

Ryan Garner (12-0, KO6) he won every eighth round in the featherweight division against Christian Lopez Flores (13-19-2, KO11).

Karol Itauma (8-0, KO6) it’s worth watching and the airy heavyweight was stopped Michal Gazdik (6-24-1, KO4) in the fourth round of a scheduled six-round airy heavyweight fight. Masoud Abdullah (5-0, KO4) he won this distance for the first time in his career and was pushed strenuous Tinko Banabakov (3-1, KO0) in the featherweight division, winning 77-75.

Sean Noakes (2-0, KO1) remained undefeated and scored an impressive second-round victory against the usually hard-wearing MJ Hall (2-85-2, KO0) in the welterweight division. Also in the welterweight division Khalid Ali (3-0, KO2) arrested December Newton (8-25, KO2) in the second round.

Wonderfully named Sonny Liston Ali (4-0, KO0) continued his education, winning 60-55 Chris Adaway (10-73-4, KO1) at superlight. Umar Khan (4-0, KO) he was knocked out in the second round but eventually won the featherweight title in six rounds Angel Gomez (8-13-1, KO4).

TO READ: Ryan Garcia destroys Javier Fortuna in six rounds.