If any fight fan is willing to give Tyson Fury a pass for fighting Derek Chisora next, it’s likely he or she is willing to do so because it is understood Fury will next fight Oleksandr Usyk. Fury, his co-promoter Frank Warren has said, “could have played the waiting game, but he wanted to fight.” So to the “tune-up” that is Fury-Chisora III (tickets on sale now and, according to Warren, selling well).
Nobody out there seems to be willing to give Chisora any shot whatsoever in the trilogy fight, and with good reason; Fury has twice beaten Chisora in comprehensive fashion. Fury should have no problems on December 3rd and then, hopefully, he will be a man of his word and will fight Usyk early next year. Usyk said after his repeat win over Anthony Joshua in August that he wants Fury next, next year, this after having healed and rested up sufficiently. So, there really should be no problem getting the four-belt heavyweight unification showdown over the line, should there?
We all know it’s never as simple as it could be in the sport of boxing, and Bob Arum – who told Sky Sports he will be meeting with Usyk and his team this week in New York – knows this better than anyone. Arum says he will sit down with Usyk and his manager, Egis Klimas, at dinner this week.
“Oleksandr Usyk I look at as a very good friend because he is the best friend of Vasiliy Lomachenko,” Arum said. “They’re very close and they share a manager in Egis Klimas who’s a very good friend of ours and coincidentally we will be promoting Vasiliy’s next fight on October 29. Egis and Oleksandr will be there and I’ll be having dinner with them without any question, probably the Thursday night before the fight and so I’ll have a very long discussion with them about what their plans are and when it could be in their best interests to get the fight on. I know from previous conversations with both of them that they want that fight against Tyson Fury. If there’s anybody around who really has a god, good chance with Tyson Fury, it’s Usyk.”
Arum added that nothing will be signed until the Chisora fight is done, with the Top Rank boss again stating how the trilogy fight is a “dangerous” assignment for Fury. However, assuming Fury does win, and assuming he does so whilst avoiding any injuries, the massive unification clash could potentially happen as early as February or March of next year.
We’ve seen some big fights disappear just recently (maybe for good), and it is to be hoped Fury-Usyk does not go the same way.