Oleksandr Usyk to face Derek Chisora on May 23 at O2 Arena in heavyweight PPV clash
OLEKSANDR USYK is set to face Derek Chisora on May 23 at the O2 Arena in London.
The blockbuster clash with be televised on Sky Sports pay-per-view in the UK in what will be Usyk’s second trip to the UK as a professional.
According to The Athletic, Eddie Hearn has confirmed a deal is in place for the heavyweights to fight in the capital.
They were scheduled to meet in March, before Usyk suffered a suspected elbow injury.
Ex-undisputed cruserweight king Usyk – who knocked out Tony Bellew in Manchester in November 2018 – is mandatory challenger for Anthony Joshua’s WBO title.
But AJ is already obligated to first fight Kubrat Pulev by the IBF, with that fight taking place on June 20 with Tottenham’s stadium due to host the event.
Usyk was already promised the winner, but things have complicated after Tyson Fury won the WBC title after stopping Deontay Wilder in seven rounds last weekend.
Promoter Eddie Hearn wants Joshua to jump in for an undisputed clash with Fury next.
But with Wilder wanting to activate his right to a third fight against Fury, AJ will likely have to first beat Pulev.
Should Fury and Joshua come through their unwanted interim bouts, the WBO could give the unified champion permission to face the Gypsy King for all the marbles, leaving Usyk out in the cold.
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But equally the Ukrainian southpaw could also find himself fighting for a vacant belt if the governing body are not willing to budge and AJ fancies going after a Battle of Britain against Fury.
Usyk won his heavyweight debut against Chazz Witherspoon in October, while Chisora has won his last three fights, beating Artur Szpilka and David Price last year.
British heavyweight Dillian Whyte – who must fight for Fury’s WBC title before February 2021 – is also set to fight Alexander Povetkin in Manchester in May.