Who would YOU rather see British heavyweight warhorse Dereck Chisora fight next: Oleksandr Usyk or Joseph Parker? There has been talk that Usyk, 1-0 as a heavyweight courtesy of his recent stoppage win over Chazz Witherspoon, might risk his lofty WBO heavyweight ranking by taking a fight with Chisora. Chisora is up for the fight, as is the manager of “War,” David Haye.
But what about Parker? Dave Higgins, the manager of the former WBO heavyweight champ, has told Sky Sports that in his opinion Chisora taking a fight with the former four-belt cruiserweight king is a “retirement fight.” Higgins says Chisora should “stop running” and give the fans the fight they want: Chisora Vs. Parker.
As you may recall, Chisora (who really does seem to have been around at or near top level for ages) was set to fight Parker last month, only for the New Zealander to have to pull out of the fight after being bitten by a spider. In stepped David Price, who Chisora duly dispatched in lively fashion. Now Parker and Higgins want to get the fight back on for next March.
Higgins began by ranting at manager Haye:
“Don’t play games with Chisora’s head, don’t play games for two years with the British public, don’t play games with Eddie Hearn, who has always done right by everyone. Stick to your word both of you and give the fans what they want,” Higgins said to Sky Sports. “Stop running away, trying to take another option because you think there might be a little bit more money. My message is – if Chisora and Haye decide to go with Usyk, they are putting up a white flag. Chisora is saying ‘I’m finished with boxing and I just want to take the money.’
“But if Chisora is serious, he’ll deliver what he’s been crowing about. He’ll fight Parker. He says he can beat Parker, then he can fight Usyk anyway.”
Higgins says that if Chisora does go the Usyk route, his man Parker “will fight someone else, and it will be whoever is put in front of him.”
So again, who would YOU rather see Chisora fight out of the two men? In Chisora’s defense, it wasn’t his fault Parker pulled out of the fight last month (nor was it Parker’s fight, that darn spider!) and if he has turned his attention to Usyk – and a possible fight with him that would contest the vacant WBO title – who can blame him, really?
Both match-ups are very interesting and, knowing Chisora the way we do, there would be fireworks in ether fight. Is the ball in Chisora’s court? Should this loyal servant of the sport have the luxury of being able to take his pick here? Maybe he’s earned it.
