Oleksandr Usyk cleaned out the cruiserweight division and feels he is more than capable of repeating that trick against the beasts of the heavyweights.
Some have questioned whether the talented Ukrainian has the size and physicality to overcome the behemoths of the heavyweight class, but Usyk doesn’t feel that size will be a factor.
“In that case, the king of animals would be considered according to the size, then it would be the elephant, not the lion,” Usyk told Sky Sports, ahead of his October 31 clash with Dereck Chisora at the SSE Arena, Wembley.
“Everyone speaks about the [heavyweight] test. The real test for me,” continued Usyk. “[Chisora’s manager] David Haye mentioned the test. People say it’s going to be a test for me. All our life contains challenges and overcoming the challenges. It’s going to be a fight that I really want so much. That is exactly what I am expecting of Chisora now – and that is what I’ve been preparing for.
“Every man has the same chin. You cannot work it out somehow in the gym. The shot should not be really hard to make a man fall down.”
Meanwhile, Chisora aims to bring intense pressure from the opening bell, knowing he has next to no chance of trumping Usyk at range.
“He has to fight my fight, that’s all I can say,” Chisora told Sky Sports. “I can’t fight his fight, I’m going to bring him down to the trenches. Yes, I’m going to eat some leather, but I can guarantee you, when I land my leather, he would know.
“I’m prepared to eat leather, 100 per cent. Is he prepared to eat my leather as well? I don’t think so. I’m ready to eat all he’s got.
“I’m cranking up the heat from round one to whenever the fight stops.”