By Dean Berman: Eddie Hearn is considering putting together a huge heavyweight card in February. Hearn’s vision of a heavyweight card could hinge on whether he can get Oleksandr Usyk and Dereck Chisora to agree to take part.
Given that WBO mandatory challenger Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) doesn’t want to take any more warm-up fights before facing the Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. rematch winner, he’ll likely tell Hearn he’s not interested in fighting in February. Hearn wants Usyk to face Chisora, but he’s probably not going to agree to that contest and put his guaranteed title shot at risk.
Hearn says wants the following heavyweights on the card:
- Dereck Chisora
- Filip Hrgovic
- Michael Hunter vs. Alexander Povetkin winner
- Oleksandr Usyk
- Dave Allen
Hearn talks heavyweight card in February
“I’d love to do a heavyweight card [in February],” said Hearn to IFL TV. “Dillian Whyte, you’ve got [Filip] Hrgovic, you’ve got Hunter-Povetkin winner, you’ve got Dave Allen, who will be ready to come back then, and you’ve got Chisora.
Dereck looked good in stopping David Price in the 4th round last Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, UK. Had that been Usyk inside the ring with Chisora, he would have been in for a rough night’s work. Chisora hits hard, and he’s in shape now.
Hearn isn’t saying who he would match domestic level heavyweight Dave Allen (17-5-2, 14 KOs) against. If this is going to be a Sky Box Office card, Hearn will need to have quality match-ups. He can’t just have a bunch of mismatches involving guys with no talent. Allen is coming off of a 10th round stoppage loss to David Price last July.
If Hearn is going to include Allen on the card, he needs to put him in with beatable guys. He can’t stick Allen in with Michael Hunter, Hrgovic, Povetkin, Usyk or Chisora.
Chisora could fight for world title in 2020
“No,” said Hearn to IFL TV when asked if Chisora has a shot at fighting Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller on December 7th Saudi Arabia card. “I’d like to see the [Joseph] Parker fight. There is a chance that Dereck may wind up fighting for a world title in 2020.”
There would be angry boxing fans if Chisora is given a world title shot in 2020, because he still hasn’t beaten anyone good since his loss to Dillian Whyte last December. Chisora’s three wins since then have come against this lower level group:
- David Price
- Artur Szpilka
- Senad Gashi
Those are all second tier journeyman level fighters that Chisora has beaten recently. If Chisora is going to fight for a world title in 2020, Hearn needs to at least put him in with one live body. The boxing public wouldn’t object to Chisora fighting Michael Hunter, Povetkin or Hrgovic.
Hearn wants Chisora to face Usyk or Parker in February
“Personally, I’d like to see the Usyk fight and the Parker fight. So I predict that fight will come in February of next year. My instructions from Usyk is, ‘I want a world title fight next.’ Exactly,” said Hearn when told that Usyk doesn’t have to fight anybody until then. “Unless he comes to me and says, ‘You know what, I’ll fight Chisora.’
But Chisora is a problem. He’s a horrible geezer to fight, you know? And he’s clever and he’s smart, and he’s got great pressure and great body work, he’s relentless and he’s great to watch. I thought Pricey boxed really well. At the end of the third round, I thought he was done. So if Usyk turns around and says, ‘I’ll take that fight [with Chisora] in February. I’d love to do that fight.’ I’d love to do the Parker [vs. Chisora] fight,” said Hearn.
It might be a risk for Hearn to reschedule a fight between Chisora and Joseph Parker. The fans might not have faith in Parker after the way he pulled out last time after being bitten by a spider. It would be better for Chisora to face someone else.
