Realistically there is only one winner but this is a massive test for Usyk. There’s no guarantee his skills translate well to heavyweight. That first fight was a joke, this is a proper acid test.
Surely you should have 0 problem with a cruiser weight stepping up, facing a respectable gatekeeper and then going on to challenge for the unified world title in his next fight?
If some of you think Usyk will be a Saturday fight night fighter your deluded. It is a quality fight and it builds the fight with AJ which should be a blockbuster.
Usyk was going to fight Takam and people didn't seem to have a problem with that, this is a decent test for Usyk or indeed most Heavyweights, Chisora is a handful for anyone and probably has 2 or 3 more fights of this level left in him.
Good card, first good card of the year really? Not a fan of the Quigg Vs Carroll card, full of mismatches and TBAs. Sheffield card looks rubbish too.
Usyk is taller than Ruiz and also has a longer reach. Ruiz is a very fat cruiserweight. Joshua struggles against fighters who are smaller in stature and mobile. Usyk is all wrong for Joshua. Usyk will have to be on his toes early on against Chisora but I think he stops him late or takes it on a wide points win.
I don't see the need for Usyk to rush and I think this is a good matchup for him. Chisora has a goid chin, good power and can hang at world level on his day so it's a good early professional heavyweight fight for Usyk.
Usyk style gets opponents working harder than they want to work. Hes a skilled operator. Draws their punches with it....even to keep him off them makes them work...plus just the intent tires opponents out cause you,ve to be on your toes constantly to be competetive against him. As a fight goes on he basically drowns them in the end. Its tiredness that does it. Dont get me wrong...its his skill that causes that tiredness tho. But thats when all things are even. Wait till he doesnt carry as much threat. Wait till hes the one that has to work to get inside. Hes got a good tank usyk....but his tank will go first against joshua. Dont think people realise how much harder you have to work against these bigger guys. Joshua wont have to punch to keep usyk off him like the rest do. He wont need to punch with usyk. As good as usyk is he wont be able to draw joshuas punches like he does with most of them. Hes usually just out of range. If hes just out of range against joshua....joshua wont need to punch....the gap will be too big to fall for it. That,ll be the difference. U/d for joshua for me without too much trouble. Think your right about chisora v usyk bud. But chisora will cause him more problems than people think. Hard jump moving from cruiser to heavyweight. Even harder when your main attribute isnt power.
Ruiz was/is a tank. He was stronger than joshua. Ruiz punches a lot harder than usyk does. Usyk punches to get an opponent working mainly. Gets them working hard...they tire....he then gets them. He doesnt punch to damage you like ruiz does. Joshua was on dodgy ground against ruiz in the first fight. People say ruiz isnt a puncher but a 270 lb man that can punch that fast can hurt you. Joshua should have backed him up that first fight. Running/boxing without being prepared for it like the second fight was always gonna get him hurt. Ruiz was stronger, faster with a better tank. The best way to do it would have been to back ruiz up....and commit to his punches. Done it another way the second time round but he was prepared for it with a whole game plan around running lost weight for more stamina and ruiz wasn,t as prepared.
Pudding Chisora should be an easy night's work for any genuine World Heavyweight Champion or Contender. All Pudding Chisora has is 12 rounds of plodding with a big overhead right which is a bit like a red bus in London that people see coming a mile away. If the red bus hits the target then damage will be done regardless of who is facing this pudding. Tyson Fury put on a clinic against Chisora and I would expect the same with Usyk unless that overhead right lands.
Difference is, Usyk ain't 7 inches taller than Chisora, with a 13 inch reach advantage. And Usyk is very hittable. So logic dictates there is a high chance Uysk is going to get ruffed up in there, Fury dances around short guys leaning back, slipping shots, and jabbing with an 85 inch arm to keep them at bay Usyk doesnt have an 85 inch jab or anything to make Chisora think twice about going for the kill.
Have my doubts but on paper that's a really good card. I like Usyk-Chisora. Chisora is a sizeable guy and the way he fights tell us more about Usyk at HW than a Parker fight would IMO
Chisora has been completely and utterly outclassed only thrice in his career, against Fury, Haye and Pulev. No one else but those three guys have had an easy night with Chisora. Nobody. It would be impressive if Usyk makes him look completely out of his depth, just like those three guys, who are the only ones who have been able to do it.
You appear to have overlooked Pudding Chisora's masterclass in Monte Carlo when fighting Agit Kabayel where he schooled his man for 12 rounds then knocked him out of the casino and into the Monte Carlo swimming pool next to the harbour.
He was outclassed against Vitali. He was given quite a lot of plaudits for lasting the distance but he won about two rounds. Fury totally outclassed him twice as well to be fair. I think Chisora might have won the first round and had him in a bit of bother for a second but Tyson won that fight by miles.
