LONDON — Dereck Chisora admitted he quit boxing after his defeat to David Haye — only to change his mind just two weeks later.
The 29-year-old heavyweight told promoter Frank Warren he was retiring after his knockout by Haye.
Chisora revealed Warren accepted his decision without argument, before the Zimbabwe-born fighter changed his mind a fortnight on.
Warren is confident Chisora can position himself for another shot at the heavyweight world title and is in talks with 32-year-old Kubrat Pulev’s representatives Sauerland Event, for a potential eliminator.
Chisora will return to the ring against undefeated Italian heavyweight champion Matteo Modugno on November 30 at the Copper Box Arena.
The London-based boxer admitted he must win the Queen Elizabeth Park, Stratford fight – or any hopes of a world title challenge would evaporate.
Chisora said: “After I lost to David Haye most people don’t know I went away for a while and had to think long and hard about what I was going to do.
“Then I went to see Frank at his office, and said ‘Frank, I don’t want to fight any more’. And he was fine with that, he told me he was always here for me though,” he said.
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“I went away and kept thinking about it, though, and two weeks later I went back to Frank and we signed a new contract.
“My mum told me you can’t do this if you don’t give it 100% and that’s exactly right.
“But I remembered when I started amateur boxing and the impression I wanted to make and that drove me back into it.”
Chisora will fight on the same card as Nathan Cleverly, making his first foray into life as a cruiserweight.
Warren might be talking world titles and the Klitschko brothers, but Chisora knows he can ill afford to lose focus.
He added: “I feel I am in a better place mentally and physically now.
“I’ve committed to better training, I’m in good shape and that’s all a mental challenge.
“Any time you take on an undefeated fighter it’s dangerous, because they don’t have any fear, they just come at you and they are confident.
“So I can’t afford to look beyond this fight, I must concentrate totally on giving everything for this fight.
“It’s great that Frank is talking about eliminators and things like that — but if I don’t win at the end of the month, that will never happen.”
— SkySports
