By By Will Humphries: After a mixed bag of results on what looked like a highly promising card last week, yet again British boxing fans are treated to some tantalizing prospects this weekend. First up is the eagerly awaited clash of two undefeated British heavyweights when British champion Derek Chisora takes on the giant Tyson Fury.
This bout has all the hallmarks of a domestic classic. The trash-talking, the pre-fight scuffle and identical 14-0 records seems certain to make an entertaining fight. Chisora will be hungrier than ever having now twice missed out on a clash with Wladimir Klitschko. In his last outing ten months ago, “Delboy” both outclassed and outgunned Sam Sexton and turned in his most polished performance to date taking the Norwich man out in the 9th round. Fury however looked just as good in his last fight, stopping Brazilian Marcelo Luiz Nascimento in the fifth round with a highlight reel knockout.
The stage then is perfectly set for these two feuding heavyweights to settle who really is the best heavyweight on the British domestic scene. And with Wladimir once again talking about the winner of this fight as a future opponent it?s not just bragging rights to be fought over. Expect both fighters to start cautiously before sparking into life after a couple of tense rounds. Whilst Chisora has the size disadvantage his more accomplished boxing skill set should mean he is able to punish the sometimes clumsy looking Fury. As usual with undefeated fighters questions could still be asked about heart and chin and in particular with Fury did not seem at all comfortable in some tough exchanges with John McDermott despite winning both of their encounters. And this is where Chisora gets the nod, after some back and forth action in the mid rounds the slicker shots from Chisora are likely to take their toll on Fury and may well even hand the spectacularly-named big man his first defeat via a late stoppage.
Across the pond on the same night Amir Khan steps into the ring in a light-welterweight unification fight against ?been there, done that? titlist Zab Judah. Once again consigned to fringe PPV channel Primetime, Khan is sure to be tested by his second southpaw in a row. And as frustrating a fight he endured against Paul McCloskey last time out it should no doubt have served as a wake-up call for the Khan camp. Judah has been around at the top of this division (and of course a former unified welterweight champion) for a long time and will certainly offer a sterner test than the Northern Irishman. But with the lessons learned from the McCloskey fight this chance for Judah to firmly re-establish himself may have come one fight too late. With the masterful Freddie Roach in his corner a repeat of that disappointing win last time out is unlikely and Khan will surely be looking to prove a point to those nagging critics and the bosses at Sky.
Whilst Judah’s talent has never been in question his career in the ring has been consistently inconsistent. Even within fights Judah can go from a super slick southpaw to a seemingly defensively flawed and chinny wannabe. Khan?s speed and power is seemingly on a never-ending rise and sadly for Judah this is likely to be his downfall. For sure he will have his moments and Khan?s chin will once again be tested, but a prime Khan is a formidable opponent and Judah will have to put in a career-defining performance to get a win but more likely, just box well to last the distance.