Veteran Chisora Wants Usyk Next After Wallin Win

Journeyman Derek Chisora (36-13, 23 KOs) says he wants to challenge Oleksandr Usyk for his three heavyweight titles next following his 12-round unanimous decision victory over #12-ranked IBF contender Otto Wallin (27-3, 15 KOs) in a title eliminator for that belt on Saturday night at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England.

The scores were 114-112, 116-110 and 117-109. Chisora got a couple of knockdowns in the ninth and twelfth to get the win.

Usyk Dreamin’

Although the commentators and fans at the Co-op Live Arena were going mad for the 41-year-old Chisora, he did NOT look impressive like someone who rates a world title shot against Usyk or IBF champion Daniel Dubois. Those would be pure mismatches and not a good image to portray to the sport. Chisora would be humiliated by either of those guys.

Matchmaking Magic

Tonight’s fight was about matchmaking. Wallin was well-chosen, vetted carefully for weakness, and the ideal bottom dweller contender that Chisora could beat. If Derek’s promoters had matched him against a quality fighter in the heavyweight rankings, like Martin Bakole, Agit Kabayel, Zhilei Zhang, Moses Itauma, or Joseph Parker, he would have been knocked out by all of them.

I doubt Usyk will humor Chisora for a world title shot because fans would roast him for cherry-picking a journeyman, which is what Derek is. Tonight’s win shows what happens when management chooses the perfect opponent for an old, over-the-hill fighter to beat.

“I’m going to sell out Tottenham [in London]. I’m going to call Oleksandr [Usyk] and see it we can do it,” said Derek Chisora to talkSport Boxing about wanting to challenge WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at the end of the year following his victory over #12 ranked IBF contender Otto Wallin on Saturday night.

“Oleksandr Usyk, yeah. I think I won that fight [in 2020],” said Chisora when asked why he wants to fight Usyk again. “You want me to fight AJ? He’ll be fighting at the end of the year. So, we’ll see what happens. It might not happen [Joshua]. I want Oleksandr right now.”