Oleksandr Usyk vs. Derek Chisora Back In Play For March
By
Jake Donovan
Published On Fri Jan 31, 2020, 03:19 PM EST
MIAMI--It looks like it’s back to the originally offered plan for Oleksandr Usyk, after all.
Efforts by the unbeaten former World cruiserweight champion and his team to force the hand of Anthony Joshua and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) didn’t quite go as planned, but also won’t leave him empty handed. Usyk’s place in line for the heavyweight title remains secure, just not as close to the front of the list as desired—and now having to go through England’s Derek Chisora to get there.
“It’s pretty much established now, chronologically, that [Kubrat] Pulev is first,” Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s career-long promoter—and Usyk’s co-promoter—told BoxingScene.com of where the Ukrainian southpaw ranks in the list of mandatory challengers in waiting. “But of course, the WBO wants to know what’s happening with Usyk as their mandatory challenger.”
What has happened, is the conclusion of more than a month of determining the pecking order for which sanctioning body is next in line to order their mandatory title fight. In the event of a unified divisional titlist, there exists a rotation and thus an extended deadline with each organization rather than the standard nine-month period.
In this case, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) is up next which means Bulgaria’s Pulev (28-1, 14KOs) will most likely next face Joshua (23-1, 21KOs), barring a bizarre shift in current talks. As previously reported by BoxingScene.com, such a bout is likely to take place in late May or early June, with a high probability of it landing in the United Kingdom and London as the current frontrunner.
As for Usyk (17-0, 13KOs), the next likely fight for the 2012 Olympic Gold medalist and now current heavyweight title hopeful is a March 28 clash with Chisora (32-9, 23KOs). The bout will be a step up from Usyk’s introduction to the heavyweight division, scoring a 7th round stoppage of late replacement and badly faded Chazz Witherspoon last October. It came 11 months after an 8th round knockout of Tony Bellew for the sixth and final defense of his cruiserweight title reign, with the gap in between fights attributed to a torn biceps injury which canceled his planned heavyweight debut last May.
In Chisora, Usyk will find a brash former title challenger currently riding a three-fight win streak including back-to-back knockout wins over Artur Szpilka and David Price. With a win, Usyk will maintain his place in line—whether versus Joshua or for the vacant title, and this time around without exception.
“So, we get Usyk and Chisora, hopefully in late March, and then AJ and Pulev late May, early June,” noted Hearn. “Then, the winners will square off later this year.”
The only potential disruptor would be if Joshua were to pursue the winner of the February 22 rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. Should he go that route, there no longer exists the opportunity to request an exception since his mandatory will be overdue, which would mean his potentially being stripped of the title.
It may not take place in the preferred order for Usyk, but it’s an agreement which gives all parties what they ultimately want.
_11.jpg)
meanwhile i gotta go outside w 16 coats on 
