Tony Bellew says unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will NOT give Derek Chisora the send-off retirement fight he’s asking for. There’s nothing for Usyk to gain with a fight of that level, and it makes no sense financially because there would be scant interest from fans outside of the UK.
The Harsh Reality
Chisora, 41, sounded delusional, calling out Usyk and Anthony Joshua following his win over Otto Wallin last Saturday night in Manchester, England. His face was beaten up, showing worse swelling than any other fight he’s had during his 18-year professional.
They tried to play it off, saying the facial damage was from a head clash, but that wasn’t the truth. Wallin had been beaten up in his loss. He would have won if he’d shown some courage because Chisora (36-13, 23 KOs) was exhausted by the eighth round and resembled a punching bag throughout the remainder of the fight.
Chisora’s promoter can probably dig up a domestic-level heavyweight for his 50th and final fight, but not more than that. If Chisora wants to wait until 2026, he can use his IBF mandatory spot to challenge champion Daniel Dubois, but that will not be the big payday he’s obviously looking for. He wants the AJ and Usyk money.
You can’t expect Usyk to fight to stoop to the level of indulging a down-and-out journeyman like Chisora. Once he does that, he’ll have every ham & egger pressuring him for a fight night and day. It would be a nightmare for the champion.
“I don’t think there’s anything for Oleksandr Usyk to gain in that fight. Now, believe you me, he is the boss of the [heavyweight] division],” said Tony Bellew to talkSport Boxing about unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk unlikely being interested in giving 41-year-old Derek Chisora a rematch.
“So, nothing really being at stake for him and nothing that he wants, I don’t see him going over old ground. He’s not someone he rarely does. A rematch he wins so easily unless it’s financially hugely beneficial. I just don’t see it.
“For Derek, he deserves that one big ride into the sunset. 50-0 and out. I’d like to see him. There are so many. He’s even called his friend. He said he wants to fight me, the lunatic,” said Bellew about Chisora.
Scrap Heap Options
Chisora must forget about being given a fight against Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua in his retirement 50th fight. A more realistic option would be for Chisora to talk to Frank Warren and have him match him against one of these British heavyweights:
– Moses Itauma
– Frazer Clarke
– Fabio Wardley
– David Adeleye
– Lawrence Okole
– David Allen
– Johnny Fisher
– Nick Webb
Those are fighters right up Chisora’s alley, and he might be able to beat one or two of them. Obviously, it would end badly for Chisora if he fought Itauma, Okolie, Wardley, or Clarke, but at least it would be entertaining.
It wouldn’t be fair to the fans to match Chisora against IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois because Derek doesn’t deserve to fight for a title. Beating a woefully bad Otto Wallin was not enough. It wouldn’t be a good look for the sport for the 41-year-old Chisora to be trotted out as the opponent for Dubois to slaughter in one round. You can only imagine the anger of the fans who paid to watch the farce live. They would feel they were tricked with this sham fight.
Last Updated on 02/12/2025
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