Chisora one Del of a big gamble
DAVID HAYE has warned Oleksandr Usyk he has picked the wrong opponent in Dereck Chisora.
The pair are now set to meet in October after their original May date was postponed, for what will be former unified cruiserweight world champion Usyk’s second fight at heavyweight after his win over Chazz Witherspoon last year.
Usyk believes a win against Britain’s Del Boy will catapult him towards his target of becoming a two-weight world champion but Haye – Chisora’s manager – is adamant it’s not as straightforward a fight as the Ukrainian believes.
Haye said: “Usyk has picked someone who is too heavy a puncher – I hope that’s the case.
“I’m hoping that they have made a gross miscalculation with what they believe is going to happen.
“Dereck is very difficult to beat – only the very best can do it.
“Usyk believes he’s significantly better but it’s a weight category that he is not acclimatised to.
“He’s not had the pressure put on him like Dereck can put it on him and can he be prepared for that?
“He believes he is but I don’t believe he can be.
“It is going to be a tough, tough night at the office for Dereck, he knows that, and it’s why he trained all the way through the period when it was difficult to train.”
Haye also believes if Chisora can pull off the victory, much bigger things await.
He added: “If he wins this there’s a potential opportunity to fight Anthony Joshua for the undisputed position.
“But that only happens if he gets through Usyk.
“For many people, Dereck was the gatekeeper a few years ago, but he is knocking on the door for some massive paydays and unification fights himself.”