The 40-year-old Wilder realizes he isn’t in position to overlook anyone, let alone a resurrected Chisora who has fared much better than the more accomplished Wilder since their respective knockout defeats to Tyson Fury.

London’s Chisora has won three straight fights since Fury stopped him in the 10th round of their December 2022 bout, whereas Wilder is 2-2 since Fury brutally knocked him out in the 11th round of their third fight in October 2021.

Though the 6-foot-7 Wilder was a long-reigning WBC champion and is lauded as one of the most pulverizing punchers in boxing history, the 42-year-old Chisora is consistently listed as a 2-1 favorite to win their 12-round fight Saturday night at O2 Arena in London. Wilder views Chisora (36-13, 23 KOs) as the type of stubborn opponent who will let him know if he is the fighter he was before Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang beat him during a difficult 5½-month stretch from December 2023 until June 2024.

Wilder (44-4-1, 43 KOs) defeated overmatched American Tyrrell Herndon (24-6, 15 KOs) in the seventh round of his most recent bout. The Tuscaloosa, Alabama native nevertheless realizes that he has more to prove than winning what was designed as a tuneup fight June 27 in Wichita, Kansas.

“I don’t look at him as a warm-up at all,” Wilder told The Ring’s Rick Reeno during a recent episode of the “Mr. Verzace Podcast,” available on The Ring’s YouTube channel.

“You know what I’m saying? To get me prepared for anybody else, as far as me coming back, getting myself back together and stuff like that, I think Derek is the perfect person. You know what I mean? Like you say, he got that ‘War’ engine. He’s gonna be coming all night and that’s what Imma need most.

“Everything that makes up Derek ‘War’ Chisora, Deontay Wilder need it in his life. … I need all that to get myself prepared for whoever else is in the division. If I get past him, nobody else, I ain’t worried about nothing else. I’ll know – this will be my true test to see if I’m back for sure, because I know he’s coming to fight. And I’m coming to fight as well. It’s gonna be a great fight. And what’s so unique about this, this is both of our 50th fight. I don’t think it’s ever been done in history.”

Chisora insists that he will retire after he faces Wilder – win, lose or draw.

The Zimbabwe-born veteran has enjoyed a resurgence sustained by beating Gerald Washington, Joe Joyce and Otto Wallin in his past three bouts, all on points. Chisora lost four of his previous five fights, but to top opponents in Oleksandr Usyk, Parker (twice) and Fury.

Subscribers to DAZN’s Ultimate plan, which costs $44.99 monthly in the United States and $24.99 in the United Kingdom, can watch the Wilder-Chisora card for no additional charge. Non-subscribers can purchase the show on pay-per-view in the U.S. ($49.99) and the UK ($24.99).