Oleksandr Usyk passed his first major test in the heavyweight division, beating veteran Derek Chisora in a points decision at The SSE Arena, Wembley on Saturday night. The win means Osyk remains on course for a WBO world title shot against current WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who was ringside watching the action.
The judges unanimously chose Usyk as the winner with scores of 117-112 115-113 115-113.
Despite falling to a unanimous decision, Chisora was adamant after the fight that he should have won the bout.
Starting the fight brightly
In the early stages, Chisora gave Osyk a halloween scare and was the stronger opponent when he sent Usyk staggering in the opening 30 seconds. However, Usyk kept coming at him, landing a couple of deathing blows.
And, in round seven, it looked like Usyk had stolen the win and when he dealt Chisora with a strong right hook and then sent in a further flurry of attacks that sent Chisora staggering backwards into the ropes. Albeit, he was able to continue.
Fighting back
In the ninth round, Chisora got his groove back and sent in a surge of striking punches, reminding the Ukrainian that he is the professional in this weight. But he couldn’t find a chink in the Ukrainian’s armour despite a valiant display.
This was Usyk’s first major challenger since his move to the heavyweight division. He previously fought Chazz Witherspoon on the 12th October, where he won on round seven when Witherspoon retired in his corner. Usyk is now unbeaten in his previous 18 pro fights.
Chisora was surprised by the decision, feeling like he had done enough for the win. Speaking to Sky Sports, Chisora said: “I feel great, just disappointed, Yeah, 100 per cent (I thought I won). I was pushing the pace. Yeah, I gave a couple of rounds away, but I was pushing the pace. But the judges saw it a different way.”