Oleksandr Usyk is plotting his next move carefully and now Derek Chisora has dropped a bombshell about who it might be against.
Usyk is a generational talent, pound-for-pound king and a two-time undisputed champion. He was also undisputed down at cruiserweight, which is his more natural division, and has beaten stars of the game, including Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois.
He is now approaching 40 and wants big fights only, which is why he vacated his WBO belt instead of facing his mandatory challenger, Fabio Wardley.
Since then, he has called out former WBC king and big-hitting American Deontay Wilder, but Wilder will first need a tune-up, which is why he has been lined up as Derek Chisora’s 50th opponent.
Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, Chisora admitted his next fight might not end up being his last after all and then dropped a hint about who Usyk could be fighting next.
“Listen, if [my] fight with Deontay happens and the winner fights Usyk that would be amazing. Right now I’m hearing Usyk is fighting that Mexican kid, what’s his name? Andy Ruiz, that’s what I’m hearing right now.”
Ruiz is a former unified champion of the world who shocked everybody when he secured an upset win over Antony Joshua back in June 2019.
He was a late stand-in opponent for Jarrell Miller who failed a drug test late in the day and he knocked Joshua down several times before the referee stopped the fight in the mid-rounds.
Ruiz lost the rematch six months later after coming to the ring in poor shape, and has fought just a couple of times since, including a draw with Miller.
