By Charles Brun: IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk found it confusing & amusing that Tyson Fury has chosen Derek Chisora as his next opponent to defend his WBC title.
Although Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) doesn’t come right out and say, the obvious question is why Fury would choose an old washed-up fighter with a 1-3 record in his last four fights rather than one of the talented contenders in the division?
Not only does it make Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) look weak in the process, but it also brings up questions about where his mind is at after his war with former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder last year in October.
Wilder basically knocked Fury out in the fourth round, with the referee giving what many boxing fans felt was a slow count, which saved Tyson from being stopped by the powerful 6’7″ Deontay.
The question is, did Wilder knock something out of Fury in that fight in terms of his ambition and willingness to fight other fighters that could finish the job that he started on that night?
“It kind of makes me laugh a little bit. Why’s he doing this?” said Oleksandr Usyk via talkSPORT about Tyson Fury’s decision to fight journeyman Derek Chisora.
I totally agree with Usyk. Why in the world is Fury fighting a 38-year-old Chisora with 12 losses on his record and not even the fourth-best British heavyweight? Why this dreadful opponent rather than a more talented fighter?
I hate to say it, but that fight against Deontay may have chipped away something from Fury, leaving him afraid to take on another puncher for fear they would finish him off and ruin his chances for a big payday against Usyk in February or March of next year.
Fans already believe that Fury purposefully wrecked the negotiations for a fight against Anthony Joshua with the two deadlines that he set.
Fury defends Chisora
“I’m not going to sit here and call Chisora names. I respect him,” said Fury to TheSun.
“I’ve got nothing bad to say about Derek; he’s a good fighting man, and he brings his A-game every time. [But] In my reign right now, I’m reigning supreme. I’ll beat him, and then I’ll beat the little middleweight guy [Usyk].
“He says he’s going to knock me out; I want to see him do it. If he does, I’ll be the first to congratulate him,” said Fury.
