Dereck Chisora spars with Anthony Joshua to stay ready for potential Oleksandr Usyk fight, reveals David Haye
Haye manages Chisora and revealed that a fight with Usyk in February is likely
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Your support makes all the difference.Dereck Chisora is sparring with Anthony Joshua to stay ready for a likely fight with Oleksandr Usyk, David Haye has revealed.
Haye now manages Chisora, who has won each of his three fights this year to move back up the heavyweight pecking order after being knocked out by Dillian Whyte last December.
And with the winner of the Andy Ruiz Jr vs Anthony Joshua rematch set to relinquish one of the belts on the line, Haye has confirmed that a fight between his client and former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk may happen.
“He’s in a position now where he’s looking at fighting Oleksandr Usyk and Oleksandr Usyk is looking at fighting him,” Haye told Talksport.
“Oleksandr Usyk is the mandatory for the WBO heavyweight title… Whoever wins out of AJ and Ruiz has to relinquish one of the belts, either the WBO or the IBF [Kubrat Pulev is IBF mandatory].
“I believe they’ll relinquish the WBO and, if that is the case, there’s a strong possibility that Derek Chisora could fight Oleksandr Usyk for the vacant WBO title.
“In which case, Derek’s one fight away from becoming the heavyweight champion in the world, doing something so many people would never in a million years believe that he could do…”
“It showed people [against Dillian Whyte] that Derek, in actual fact, he can really fight. He really deserves to be at the top level in the heavyweight division.”
Haye was hired by his former rival Chisora last year as his new manager, and after that Whyte defeat has overseen three consecutive victories, the latest coming against David Price at the O2.
The former heavyweight champion has helped revolutionise Chisora’s training regime, and thinks a fight with Usyk is a logical next step.
“I like February,” Haye continued, “I spoke to Eddie [Hearn]. Eddie said that Usyk’s people really like the sound of fighting Derek Chisora.
“Derek loves the thought of fighting Oleksandr Usyk. It makes perfect sense. Let’s get that pencilled in for February and we’ve got ourselves a hell of a fight.
“Whether it’s for the title or not, worst ways it’d be for the number one mandatory position, which is a good position to be in.
“Derek’s up for it, yesterday he went to Sheffield and was sparring with Anthony Joshua.
“So that shows, even when he’s not in a training camp, he’s willing to put the headguard on and go out there and trade blows with one of the best.
“He said he sparred great and Anthony Joshua was very thankful for Derek coming there and giving him some good work.
“Hopefully Anthony Joshua can win those titles back off Andy Ruiz Jr and right those wrongs.”
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