Oleksandr Usyk didn’t waste any time. He went from a predictable victory in his heavyweight debut to saying he wanted a shot at a title in his next fight.
Not so fast.
It’s beginning to sound as if Usyk is altering his timetable.
Usyk manager Egis Klimas said the former cruiserweight-turned-heavyweight would be interested in a bout with Derek Chisora. No title there. But Chisora would keep Usyk busy in what would also be a chance to get some more experience at his new weight.
Usyk plans to be Saudi Arabia on December 7 for the Andy Ruiz Jr.-Anthony Joshua rematch on DAZN. Three of the major belts are at stake in that one. The fourth is at stake on November 23 in champion Deontay Wilder’s rematch with Luis Ortiz in Las Vegas on pay-per-view.
“We don’t know what happens on December 7,’’ Klimas told Sky Sports. “But if it is possible to fight in between and not to wait for another six months, I think Chisora will be a good fight for Usyk.”
Usyk, who held all of the cruiserweight belts, is already the mandatory challenger for one of the heavyweight belts held by Ruiz, who upset Joshua on June 1 in New York.
Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn has said that the December 7 winner will probably vacate one of the belts.