It’s a new weight. The second step in a new beginning. But the path looks familiar to Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk’s pursuit of a heavyweight title resumes on May 23 against Dereck Chisora at London’s O2 Arena in a bout that reminds him of his run to an undisputed reign at cruiserweight.
“As a cruiserweight, I reached the highest heights as undisputed champion, and now I am following the same path as a heavyweight,’’ Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) said Wednesday in a Matchroom Boxing statement formally announcing the bout.
Usyk, the 2018 Fighter of the Year and No. 5 in Boxing Junkie’s latest pound-for-pound poll, is coming off a tentative performance in his heavyweight debut, a seventh-round stoppage in October of Chazz Witherspoon, a late stand-in for the original opponent.
There were questions about whether the 6-foor-3 Usyk was big enough for current generation of heavyweight champions. He was at 215 pounds against Witherspoon, who was at 246. Tyson Fury is 6-9. Anthony Joshua is 6-6. Former champion Deontay Wilder is 6-6.
Against the 6-2 Chisora (32-9, 23 KOs), Usyk will have a one-inch advantage in height, but he fights at 240-plus pounds.
“I expect a real test in Chisora,’’ Usyk said. “He is strong, tough and resilient. I recall being an amateur and watching his fight with (then-heavyweight titlist) Vitali Klitschko (in 2012). It seemed so big and far away. Now, I am myself taking a fight against Chisora. I am working hard in my training camp to show a spectacular performance on May 23.”
In the 36-year-old Chisora, Usyk, 33, faces a heavyweight with word-class experience. He has faced Fury, Vitali Klitschko, Kubrat Pulev, Dillian Whyte and David Haye, now his manager. He lost to them all, too.
“War is coming,” Chisora said. “Usyk reckons he can step up and survive with the big boys. He may be the (former) undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world, but on May 23 he will find out what it feels like to be hit by a real heavyweight. He is coming to my backyard. I’m going to remind him exactly why he hid in the cruiserweight division.’’
Follow Norm Frauenheim on Twitter @FrauenheimNorm
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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Dereck Chisora announcement set for Friday