'That thing hasn't healed' - Derek Chisora targets Tyson Fury's cut as huge advantage for Oleksandr Usyk
Published 17/05/2024 at 17:19 GMT+1
Derek Chisora, the only professional boxer to share the ring with both Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, believes the cut that the Briton sustained in February before the initial fight was planned has yet to heal fully, and will be something the Ukrainian will target on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia. Fury received the cut in sparring in February and had to have 11 stitches.
'That thing hasn't healed properly' - Chisora says Usyk will target Fury's eye in their clash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Derek Chisora has predicted that Oleksandr Usyk will target Tyson Fury’s eye during their undisputed heavyweight clash on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The fight was originally scheduled for February until Fury suffered a cut in sparring, which required 11 stitches and pushed back the historic heavyweight to this weekend.
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The fellow heavyweight believes the cut Fury sustained a matter of months ago could be his downfall.
“The last time Tyson was here, he was sparring and got cut," Chisora said while speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the clash.
"And I know for a fact, it doesn’t matter who you are, that thing hasn’t healed properly. He hasn’t been sparring, so he’s probably doing more cardio.
“So I think Oleksandr and his team, they’re gonna aim for that eye, and that eye is gonna open up. I think the eye will open up in round three or four.
“On top of that, he doesn’t do well with southpaws."
David Haye, who Fury was due to fight in 2013 and 2014 only for Haye to be sidelined, is another Brit who thinks the cut will affect Fury's vision.
But Fury's trainer SugarHill Steward has assured people that the cut is good to go.
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'Tyson is winning by knockout' - SugarHill Steward says Fury is in perfect condition
Video credit: TNT Sports
Whoever stands victorious in the ring on Saturday will be the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis over two decades ago. That Usyk has got this chance with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war tearing apart his homeland is no small feat.
"They're both boxing for different reasons. One is boxing for himself. And one is boxing for his whole country, you understand?"
"I think the one who is boxing for his whole country and uniting people, might have the advantage of, when it gets harder he's going to keep going."
Chisora is the only fighter to meet both Fury and Usyk in the ring, fighting Fury as recently as 2022 after fighting Usyk in just his second fight at heavyweight in 2020. Naturally, he is in a good position to discuss their respective strengths and personalities.
Chisora added: "The guy (Usyk) is nuts, man.
"Tyson is not nuts, Usyk is more nuts than Tyson. Remember that. Everything he does is to the death.
"If you remember when he boxed in Saudi versus AJ, his manager was saying 'We don't know how to stop him because he gets on a bike in Dubai, and rides 100km in the sun.' Is that a normal person? That's a crazy person."
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'I hope Fury does go for a knockout' - David Haye previews Fury v Usyk
Video credit: TNT Sports
While it may sound as if Chisora is backing Usyk, he's candidly supporting his fellow Brit.
"Listen, I want the British guy to win, I'm Union Jack all day all long, but the Union Jack guy has to go all out," he said.
"For Fury to go all out he'll no doubt have to utilise and weaponise the size advantage he has over Usyk. The height and reach he holds over the Ukrainian has been a major part of the pre-fight discourse.
"Even with a height advantage of five inches and a reach of seven, he's dropped more weight than usual with many guessing he's done so to increase his agility and match Usyk's speed.
"Tyson is gonna be more mobile for the first three rounds, that is 100 per cent. He's going to fake and move around.
"But this is the best part about it, we're just playing the guessing game right now... nobody knows.
"There's a famous saying, 'Man makes plans and God laughs at him."
How to watch Fury v Usyk in the UK
Fury v Usyk on TNT Sports Box Office costs £24.99 in the UK and can be watched on discovery+, EE TV, Virgin Media TV and Prime Video.
You do not need to be a TNT Sports subscriber to buy this event.
discovery+ - TNT Sports Box Office events are now available to purchase and watch in the discovery+ app – on smart TV’s, computer or mobile device, viewers wanting to watch the fight should visit https://www.discoveryplus.com/gb/ppv-purchases and follow instructions to subscribe and then purchase the event.
Virgin Media TV - Customers with a TiVo and/or V6 set-top-box should visit the On-Demand section and choose Live Events; customers with a Virgin TV 360 and/or Stream set-top-box should go to the Pay Per View events rail.
EE TV - Customers can purchase the event via their STB on channel 494.
Prime Video - This TNT Sports Box Office event will now be available to buy and watch on Prime Video in the UK. Customers do not need to have any channel or Prime subscription to access. You can find live and upcoming PPV events in the “Live and upcoming events” row on the Prime Video homepage and sports page, or by searching for a specific event title.
What time will Fury v Usyk start and when are ring walks?
Fury and Usyk will meet in Riyadh on Saturday, May 18.
The live coverage of the event will start at 14:30 UK time on TNT Sports Box Office with a stacked undercard ahead of the headline fight.
The ring walk for Fury v Usyk is expected to be around 23:00 UK time.
Live coverage details
TNT Sports Box Office coverage will be presented by Laura Woods alongside Carl Frampton, David Haye and Steve Bunce with commentary from Darren Fletcher and Richie Woodall.
Three early bouts will also be broadcast, available for anyone to watch, on TNT Sports 3 and TNT Sports Box Office.
The Weigh In will also be broadcast on TNT Sports 1 and YouTube on Friday, May 17 at 18:45 UK time, and will feature insight from the last undisputed heavyweight world champion, Lennox Lewis.
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
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