Oleksandr Usyk picked apart a courageous Derek Chisora to claim a decision after 12 brutal rounds to remain on course for a world title shot against Anthony Joshua.
The magnificent Ukrainian dished out a treat on Halloween by showcasing his array of tricks, though a determined Chisora admirably lasted the duration.
The Briton immediately charged out like a bull enticed by a matador, throwing wide hooks to send the Ukrainian dancing into the ropes.
But Usyk settled quickly, finding his rhythm with his feet kissing the canvas and setting up the traps for a relentless Chisora. The veteran Briton quickly started soaking up a series of one-twos, which became metronomic and the foundation of all of Usyk’s best work.
The third round fittingly saw the mysterious Usyk expand his box of tricks on Halloween, which have become a treat to boxing fans for many years.
Usyk sent several chopping shots to the body of Chisora before a swiping left hook staggered the Londoner.
Chisora, with Tony Bellew barking encouragement from ringside, continued to storm forward to no real effect.
A puzzling character himself, Chisora switched briefly to southpaw in the fifth, perhaps defying Bellew’s claim that he could do this “all night” and suggesting a optimistic Plan A was failing.
Breathing heavily in the corner as the round closed, Usyk refused to let the tempo drop, circling Chisora to leave a blur of white as his gloves stung him from an assortment of angles.
A maniacal grin then begun to spread over Usyk’s face, with Chisora finally relenting to the accuracy and conceding ground, seemingly disorientated as the seventh came to a close.
The mind games resurfaced from Chisora as he switched up his stance, but this appeared to rile Usyk for the first time, with the smooth work shelved for a more disorganised, but spiteful combination of shots.
Anthony Joshua pondered his future, both immediately in this peculiar environment that faces even superstar fighters following the pandemic, but also the prospect of facing the mercurial Ukrainian, who has the coveted mandatory status to face the unified heavyweight champion of the world.
Deontay Wilder finally broke his silence to sprinkle even more intrigue into this most compelling of heavyweight landscapes, with Tyson Fury defiantly marching on despite the initial plan for the pair to meet again.
Usyk adds another exciting piece to the puzzle, able to bring beauty to an otherwise brutal game, even the magnificent Fury partially traded some of his technical game for a brutal arsenal that did for Wilder earlier this year.
A proud Chisora continued to force Usyk to work hard to dish out just enough punishment to maintain control, with his left hook the most trusted weapon of the night.
Despite capturing a comprehensive victory, Usyk’s admission that his performance deserved a “three” out of 10 shows the test ahead to capture the status he covets most: Undisputed.
