CHISORA’S SHOOTING FOR THE MOON

Underdog training for Usyk clash by hunting pheasants and listening to records VERY LOUD

DEREK CHISORA spends his down time in training camp shooting pheasants.

And he is hunting for a huge upset when he takes on Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night. Chisora is a massive underdog against the former undisputed cruiserweight king Usyk on Halloween.

The 33-year-old Ukrainian is the mandatory for Anthony Joshua’s WBO heavyweight title and the London Olympic gold medallist is so far unbeaten as a professional.

“It mot iv a t e s me, p e o p l e thinking I am past it and don’t have a chance drives me on,” said Chisora, who, at 36, is 32-9 as a professional. “What is great is the guys around me are motivating me and pushing me hard, so I know it will be amazing when I get in the ring.”

Chisora trains at manager David Haye’s gym in Vauxhall, but lives on a farm in north London. The former world title challenger revealed: “I just came back from hunting. I shoot pheasants. Shooting and killing stuff is an amazing feeling.”

Usyk (below left) has been known to use some alternative training methods, such as juggling, for hand-eye coordination. But you will not find Chisora up to any of that in his regimented camp.

He said: “I am working on mental and physical stuff. I am lifting a lot of big weights and my mental side is good. I am not as crazy as I once was, I am more calm. But it’s about getting in the ring and enjoying i t . If you are enjoying it, you are calm.

“I haven’t been doing any of that juggling stuff – that’s for sissies. I like going shooting, hunting and killing stuff.” Chisora and Usyk were due to meet back in May until the Covid-19 pandemic hit. And when the UK government ended hopes of fans returning, it looked like this fight might never happen.

The pair have taken pay cuts to get the fight on behind closed doors at Wembley Arena. And the Finchley fighter insists there will be no bad blood in the build-up because Usyk’s achievements mean Chisora would look like he had anger problems if he kicked off like he has in the past.

But whoever is next door to the man now nicknamed ‘War’ in the coronavirus-secure bubble may want some ear plugs.

“I love playing old records, like Ray Charles and Motown, so I will bring my own record player in because I have to play it loud,” added Chisora (celebrating victory over David Price last year, left).

“I will have my Union Jack flag, 100 per cent, and probably my massage chair. But the main thing is a very loud record player.”

Sounds about right.