Perennial bridesmaid Derek Chisora finally landed on the right side of a decision.

The former title challenger upset Joe Joyce via 10-round unanimous decision in an action-filled bout between faded heavyweights. Chisora prevailed by scores of 97-92, 96-94 and 96-94 in their TNT Sports/ESPN+ main event Saturday at London’s O2 Arena.

Joyce (16-3, 15 KOs), rated No. 8 by The Ring at heavyweight, entered the ring first before Chisora came out to a hero’s welcome.

Joyce, 38, marched forward in typical fashion and landed a nice left hand to get Chisora’s respect. In the second round, Chisora found a home for a right hand that bounced off Joyce’s chin. Several other shots thudded home, but the Juggernaut showed no ill effects.

The younger man hit Chisora with a right hand to get his attention. However, the popular Brit responded with a big left hand of his own. The two exchanged punches and Chisora notably connected with a clipping left hand.

Joyce started the fifth round quickly and pinned the visibly tiring Chisora on the ropes. It appeared that Chisora might wilt under the pressure, but true to character, he fired back. At the conclusion of the round, the two exchanged punches, much to the delight of the crowd.

Joyce, who entered the contest having only lost to Zhilei Zhang (TKO 6/ KO 3) last year before returning against Kash Ali (KO 10) in March, must have felt things starting to get away from him and had Chisora covering up on the ropes. Not for the first time, Chisora landed a big right that smashed into the face of Joyce. With no visible sign of being hurt, Joyce’s work rate helped him take the round.

Meanwhile, Chisora, whose right eye showed signs of swelling, refused to go down despite looking fatigued. And just as it looked like he might be overwhelmed, he landed a big shot of his own.

The pattern is set: Joyce’s work rate against Chisora’s accuracy and more eye-catching single shots.

The pressure looked like it might finally prevail as the weary Chisora was hurt and fighting on instinct. But he somehow caught Joyce coming forward and dropped him on his back. Joyce quickly got up from the flash knockdown and, still looking like the fresher fighter, charged back in and had Chisora stumbling on unsteady legs in a remarkable turn of events.

Both men were rightly cheered at the end as they embraced.

Joyce threw and landed more punches than Chisora but wasn’t as accurate. Joyce threw 887 punches and landed 332, while Chisora’s output was 610 and he connected with 301.

Congratulations @DerekWarChisora. He wins by a points decision #JoyceChisora | NOW | Live on @boxingontnt pic.twitter.com/rPFhshNssM

— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) July 27, 2024

“I haven’t boxed for a year, so things were off a bit. I had to dig deep,” said Chisora. “Joe’s a good fighter. I knew I was going to drop him.

“I want to thank Frank Warren, who kept faith in me. It’s not my last fight, I’ve got two more. Now I go to Manchester in December.”

Joyce, despite the loss, appeared to appreciate his rival’s effort.

“I enjoyed the fight. I thought it was close,” said Joyce. “That was a brilliant performance he gave. I was happy to share a ring with him. I don’t know if I’m done yet. I’m still pretty fresh.”

While Chisora can continue his farewell tour, it remains to be seen just what and where Joyce, whose career has taken a significant downturn after the two Zhang defeats, goes.

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