Tyson Fury says Derek Chisora is as good as Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury speaks on the mic at a news conferencePA Media

Tyson Fury is undefeated in 32 fights with 23 knockouts

By Coral Barry
BBC Sport

Tyson Fury says he rates Derek Chisora as highly as unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk before their trilogy bout in London on 3 December.

WBC champion Fury defended his decision to fight 38-year-old fellow Briton Chisora, having beaten him twice.

He also said he intends to take on Usyk in an undisputed bout next year.

"I can beat anybody in the world - always have been able to and always will be able to," said 34-year-old Fury.

"There's nobody that can touch me. I'm in a league of my own."

After moving up from cruiserweight in 2019, Usyk's second fight at heavyweight was an unanimous points win over Chisora.

He beat Britain's Anthony Joshua for a second time in August to retain his WBA (Super), WBO and IBF titles.

"Usyk was a little small heavyweight, who wasn't going to do anything against AJ, when Chisora fought him," Fury said.

"But then he stepped up and beat the big bodybuilder [Joshua] and all of sudden he's a killer? I don't think so. I rate Derek Chisora as highly as I rate Usyk."

Chisora was well beaten by Fury in 2011 and 2014 and has suffered three defeats in his past four fights.

Fury, who stood up for most of Thursday's news conference, said he always planned a third fight against Chisora, who he insisted was a worthy opponent.

"As for me trying to sit here and try to sell Derek Chisora to the fans, I ain't got to sell absolutely nothing to nobody," he said.

"With Chisora, it does exactly what it says on the tin: he goes to war. He's changed his name from 'Delboy' to 'War', and we're going to get a war.

"I did outbox him comfortably the second time. Chisora's style has changed and guess what - so has mine. I used to be a tip-tap boxer jabbing around the ring.

"I'm now a HMS destroyer. When you've got two heavy forces colliding, someone's getting knocked out."

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Fury was in talks to fight Anthony Joshua

Joshua and Usyk cast big shadows

Before the news conference Fury suggested buying League One football club Morecambe and flashed around £10,000 in cash.

It was the money he gained from his promoter Frank Warren after winning a bet that former champion Joshua would not sign a contract to face him.

Joshua and Fury failed to come to terms over a fight last month, forcing Fury's team to switch their primary focus to fighting Chisora.

Joshua and Usyk were repeatedly mentioned on Thursday, while Chisora tried to call Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn and also questioned why Fury's team had such a "chip on their shoulder" when it came to Joshua.

"Don't forget you've got the so-called top guys in the division - we offer them big fights, no smoke. You offer it to Derek Chisora. Boom, he's sat here opposite me," said Fury.

Chisora, who is managed by Joshua's management company, snapped back at Fury's insults during the customary face-off, telling the 'Gypsy King' Joshua would face him in the future.

There is little debate that Fury in his current form is levels above Chisora. Even the Chisora who was at the top of his game at the age of 27 could not live with a then 23-year-old Fury in their first fight in 2011. The rematch in 2014 was even more one-sided.

But Fury's team insist he was left with little choice of opponent after the Joshua fight collapsed, and Warren began the news conference by defending the fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Warren listed several boxers who were unavailable to fight, including Briton Joe Joyce and Usyk. Chisora, according to Fury's team, was the best option at 14th in the WBC rankings.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said: "Look at what Derek did with Oleksandr Usyk. That was a touch-and-go fight.

"Every time you match hard-hitting opponents you have to say a prayer that something bad doesn't happen. I'll be as nervous as anyone on the night."

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