ZIMBABWE-BORN heavyweight boxing star Dereck Chisora believes he will need to pull off one of the biggest wins of his career when he takes on Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Arena in London on Saturday night if he is to set up a bout against Anthony Joshua.
The 33-year-old Usyk is a former undisputed world cruiserweight champion but Saturday’s fight will be the southpaw’s first major test at heavyweight.
However, the Ukrainian is a supremely gifted boxer, who boasts a 17-fight undefeated record, and Chisora will need something special if he is to upset the odds.
Del Boy is under no illusions about the task awaiting him, and he rates Usyk as a better fighter than former world heavyweight champions Vitali Klitschko and David Haye, as well as the current WBC champ Tyson Fury.
Chisora, who moved to London from Zimbabwe during his childhood, has been in the ring with all three of those fighters but he appears more dedicated and focused at this stage of his career.
“I think Usyk is the top, number one fighter out of all the fighters I have faced because he’s bringing movement, agility and picks his punches well,” Chisora told ESPN.
“It will be difficult to stop his movement, get to him, but it’s what I have got to do.”
The 36-year-old is hoping a win on Saturday night will see him inherit the WBO mandatory shot at his friend Joshua, the two-time unified heavyweight champion who has held the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO titles since December 2019.
“We are friends and very good friends at that,” he said.
“I did some sparring with him up in Sheffield before the Andy Ruiz fight [last year].
“If we ever fight, it could be strange, but I just look at it as business and after we will hug each other and be friends again.”
Chisora, who has had 41 fights during his career, winning 32 of them and losing nine, will be hoping for a winning comeback when he faces Spain-based German Gachi, who holds a modest 17-2 record.
He challenged for the WBC world heavyweight title in 2012 when he fought and lost to Vitali Klitschko. Chisora has held multiple heavyweight titles, including the British and Commonwealth titles from 2010 to 2011, and the European title from 2013 to 2014.
The Mbare-born boxer hasn’t fought since last October 26, when he defeated England’s David Price by fourth-round technical knockout at O2 Arena in London.
