Dereck Chisora believes Oleksandr Usyk will be the best fighter he has ever faced and that’s high praise when you consider the Finchley man has fought Tyson Fury twice in his career.
The dogged Chisora (32-9, 23 KOs) has it all to do in Saturday’s bout at the SSE Arena, Wembley, when he meets the cultured Usyk who is still establishing himself as a heavyweight force after cleaning out the cruiserweight division.
Chisora is under no illusions about the task at hand. “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 Nick Parkinson of ESPN.com.
“He moves about the ring well. I’m trying to find the right sparring for him and it’s not been easy.
“It will be difficult to stop his movement, get to him, but it’s what I have got to do.”
Chisora hopes an unlikely victory against Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) will see him seize the Ukrainian’s No.1 contender spot with the WBO and a potential shot at reigning champion Anthony Joshua. Chisora and Joshua are good friends so a contest between the two would feel odd, says the fighter dubbed ‘War’.
“We are friends and very good friends at that,” said Chisora. “I did some sparring with him up in Sheffield before the Andy Ruiz fight.
“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.
“I left Finchley [ABC] before AJ was properly there, but I saw him first when he was being coached by Sean Murphy. He was the first guy in the gym and he wanted it more than anyone else, I remember that. He was only a novice back then. I saw him when he was first there and he made rapid progress.”