Bulgarian heavyweight force Kubrat Pulev returned to action with a 12-round split decision win over the volatile Dereck Chisora in Hamburg, Germany, on Saturday, and picked up the vacant European championship. The official tallies were 118-110, 116-112 for Pulev with the third judge inexplicably scoring the bout 115-113 to the Englishman.

In a bout that suddenly became eagerly anticipated due to Chisora’s explosive pre-fight behavior, Pulev (23-1, 12 KOs) proved to be the superior fighter in the ring.

The jab and right hand found the mark early and although Chisora bobbed and weaved well, his potentially damaging hooks and overhand rights were mostly out of range.

Pulev relied on his immense amateur experience to control time and distance and although Chisora worked the body well at times, he could not exact a toll on the savvy veteran.

A big right hand from Chisora briefly threatened to turn the momentum in the sixth but Pulev had regained control by the end of the session.

In the eighth, the enigmatic Englishman was trapped in a neutral corner and was nailed by half a dozen big right hands. At this point the action was becoming uncomfortable to watch and Chisora appeared to be out of answers.

That made his efforts in the ninth all the more remarkable. Chisora broke through Pulev’s defenses and landed well to head and body but unfortunately the British pressure fighter couldn’t keep it going and Pulev pulled away in the championship rounds.

Pulev’s lone career setback came against former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who produced a quality performance to stop the Bulgarian inside five rounds in November 2014. But at 35 years old, the clock is ticking and he will be looking to position himself for a world title challenge as quickly as possible.

Chisora (25-6, 17 KOs) had his moments, as always, but subpar opposition since losing a rematch to Tyson Fury two years ago may have proved costly.

Tom Gray is a member of the British Boxing Writers’ Association and has contributed to various publications. Follow him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing