Tyson Fury vs. Derek Chisora is official for December 3, whether some fans like it or not.
It’s been a wild ride getting to this Chisora fight, however. It’s been a ride where super fights had been teased, but never came through and where fresher, more worthy world title challengers for WBC heavyweight champ Fury never got their feet in the proverbial door.
At the end of the journey, Chisora– who’s already lost twice to Fury (in 2011 and 2014)– was selected despite a troubling 1-3 mark in his last four bouts and a less than sparkling 33-12 career record.
“It has been a nightmare,” Fury co-promoter Frank Warren said of the opponent selection dramas. “Originally it was going to [3-belt heavyweight champ Oleksandr] Usyk and then unfortunately after the fight [with Anthonh Joshua], he said he wasn’t going to be ready until December, and that’s been pushed back to late February, early March. And then we tried for AJ and thought we were going to get it done, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
“No. 1 was Usyk, I just told you, he’s out. No. 2 was Joshua, didn’t want to know. Deontay Wilder, fought over the weekend, he’s not available. Andy Ruiz now looks like he’s fighting Wilder for the elimination. Dillian Whyte, he’s just beat. Joe Joyce, he’s not going to be available because he’s just had a fight and he’s on holiday.
“Luis Ortiz, he got beaten a month ago. Joseph Parker got beaten by Joe Joyce. And the next one in the independent rankings is Derek Chisora. And the one after that is Pulev, who he knocked out.
“I think Tyson is head and shoulders over all the other heavyweights, whoever he’s in the ring with. Of course, he’s going to beat Derek Chisora, but I know Chisora is going to come to fight.”
Despite the negativity aimed at the heavyweight title clash, Chisora as a challenger for Fury is not without some merits.
In Chisora’s last bout, he beat world ranked Kubrat Pulev via split decision. In his three losses before that, he twice accounted well for himself against former world champ Joseph Parker and against then-future world champ Oleksandr Usyk.
The London-based battler also has a well-earned reputation as a tenacious fighter who talks trash before bouts and then tries his best to back it up inside the ring.
“He comes and does exactly what it says on the tin – he goes to war,” Fury said about Chisora in their recent press conference to hype the event. “He has changed his name from Del Boy to War and we’re going to get a war.
“I did outbox him comfortably the second time, but Chisora’s style has changed and so has mine! I used to be a tip-tap boxer on the back foot, jibbing and jabbing around the ring, but now I’m an HMS destroyer!
“When you’ve got two heavy forces colliding then someone is getting knocked out. If he lands a punch on me, a big swing, I’m getting knocked out. If I land a big swing on him then he’s getting knocked out, so the fans are going to win.”
Fury, in support of Chisora’s legitimacy as a challenger, brought up his solid showing against Usyk in 2020.
“He done very well against Usyk,” Fury pointed out.
“Listen, I rate Derek Chisora as highly as I rate Usyk, and I will train as hard for Derek as I will for any man in the world. If I didn’t, I would have to be an absolute idiot– I will not underestimate Derek Chisora.”
Come December 3, fans are getting Fury-Chisora. Like it or not, support it or not.
