Derek Chisora gets a third shot at ‘The Gypsy King’ on December 3. Many fans think, given his first two losses, he’s not up to it – but he disagrees.
Given that there was a time not long ago that the British public though a Tyson Fury – Anthony Joshua fight was finally on the horizon, it’s no wonder that there was an air of disappointment when Derek Chisora was announced as the opponent instead.
‘Del Boy’ is paying no mind to it, though. A re-invented fighter himself, he’s upset the odds before and is planning on doing the very same at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this winter. BT Sport asked if he could beat Fury. He answered yes, due to a change in the champion alongside his own preparation and style.
“This time, yeah. When he was with Peter Fury, he was a very tricky fighter cause Peter Fury is a very tricky coach. He likes to surprise fighters, but I think … if he’s still training with this American trainer [SugarHill Steward], Tyson’s very strong and very big, so he’s been training like just use your strength, and your size, and just go forward. So that will be interesting.”
“For me, the biggest thing that I got right now is I’m sparring two people – I got orthodox and I got southpaws in the gym I’m sparring with. Because you never know what he’s going to come out as.”
“What’s difficult is that no heavyweight out there fights like Tyson. You get bigger guys, but they don’t move like him. It’s difficult. It’s hard for him to get other fighters who fight like me [as well] … Only God knows what’s gonna happen on December the 3rd.”
Chisora’s confidence is admirable, but not many in the sport share it. Despite good ticket sales, fans and pundits alike are branding the scrap a warm-up for ‘The Gypsy King’ as he ploughs forward towards a chance at undisputed.
It’s worth remembering though that the last time a Fury and ‘AJ’ fight fell through, fans grumbled at another the Deontay Wilder trilogy being made. Yes, Fury won again, but we were treated to one of the best heavyweight fights of recent years. Who’s to say the same might not happen again in December?