Tyson Fury will take another step towards the undisputed heavyweight crown when he takes on Derek Chisora on Saturday night to defend his WBC world title, exclusively live on BT Sport.
The Gypsy King is determined this will be the last stop on the Oleksandr Usyk road in the first half of 2023, but he needs to be in top form against one of the toughest contenders in recent British heavyweight history, 38-year-old Chisora.
Daniel Dubois also returns Saturday night for his first defense of the WBA regular heavyweight title he won in a sweeping and dominant KO win over Trevor Bryan over the summer.
Anger against Chisora
Also, Daniel Dubois defends his WBA world title at an unmissable boxing night in north London. Book your seat now for Fury vs Chisora, exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office HD from 19:00.
A fascinating duel between reigning European lightweight champion Yvan Mendy and undefeated Ukrainian crowd favorite Denys Berinchyk also awaits you at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
But who will trump on one of the biggest cards of the year, exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office? Read on for our picks for the three big fights of the night.
Denys Berinchyk warming up at media practice on Tuesday
Yvan Mendy vs Denys Berinchyk
Yvan Mendy will put his European lightweight title on the line when he welcomes Denys Berinchyk in a square fight that he hopes will entertain crowds in north London.
The heavy-hitting Frenchman will fight for only the second time since May 2020 when he makes his ringwalk on Saturday night but comes into the fight in April after a dominant 12-round win over Gianluca Ceglia.
However, Mendy spoke to Queensberry Boxing ahead of this weekend’s fight, urging Berinchyk to hit him head-on in the ring after being frustrated by a string of evasive opponents in the past.
“I have five point losses,” Mendy said.
“Three of my opponents have competed in World Championship matches. [Luke] Campbell, [Viktor] Postol u [Edis] fact These three boxers beat me at home and by escape on points.”
Whether Berinchyk will answer his call remains to be seen, but the 2012 Olympic silver medalist comes from a rich boxing stock who fought alongside Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk at the London Games a decade ago.
16-0 (9 KOs)
Berinchyk’s boxing record
The 34-year-old has been a distinguished amateur and has not faulted since turning professional in 2015, winning all 16 of his professional competitions.
Known for his flashy ring walks, Berinchyk has previously gone into battle in a straight jacket, ridden into the arena on horseback and even come to the ring on a stretcher in a full body cast!
Berinchyk has also dabbled in bare-knuckle boxing recently, defeating former UFC star Artem Lobov by TKO last July.
But for all his showmanship outside the ring, Berinchyk could prove to be another frustrating opponent for Mendy to contend with this weekend as he relies on speed, technique and movement rather than brute force as the path to victory.
It’s an approach that has paid off for Berinchyk so far and I think that trend will continue with a masterful performance expected from the Ukrainian, who would secure the European lightweight crown ahead of his former teammate Usyk, who is expected to be in attendance will be weekend.
Verdict: Berinchyk over UD
Daniel Dubois versus Kevin Leren
Daniel Dubois has bounced back in impressive fashion since the first loss of his promising professional career to Joe Joyce exactly two years ago.
Three consecutive KO wins have put the 25-year-old back on the rise to blockbuster heavyweight bouts, while also earning the regular WBA world title along the way.
It’s that version of the heavyweight belt that Dubois will defend for the first time on Saturday after it took him just four rounds to snatch the title from previous holder Trevor Bryan in June.
It will also be the fourth fight in a blossoming fighter-trainer relationship between Dubois and esteemed cornerman Shane McGuigan – and the results are certainly beginning to bear fruit.
At this week’s media workouts, Dubois looked like a well-oiled machine and maybe a little lighter than we’ve seen in recent bouts as he put in a snappy routine on the pads.
He’ll have to rely on his pace against the smaller Lerena, who many fight fans won’t have seen in the flesh for the first time until Tuesday afternoon’s practice session.
A small, burly, solid entity, the 30-year-old former IBO cruiserweight champion clearly packs a punch, with half his career wins dwindling.
It should prove an intriguing challenge for Dubois to train, especially given that Lerena is fighting from a southpaw stance and presenting a different look than “DDD” has seen for most of his career to date.
Lerena will also not lie down after suffering defeat just once; The South African star knows that if he can top a fine performance with victory on the biggest night of his career, he will pave the way to huge fortunes in a red-hot heavyweight division.
It may take a while for Dubois to work out Lerena, but over 12 rounds it seems likely the towering Briton will eventually break him and find a home for that fight-ending left hook.
Hopefully Lerena Dubois can pose some problems in the meantime so we can see how much he’s come on since losing to Joyce – but anything less than a KO for Dubois would be a real surprise to me.
Verdict: Dubois via TKO, R9
Tyson Fury vs Derek Chisora
The Gypsy King will be in search of the mother of all banana peels on Saturday night when he takes on known foe Derek Chisora in what he is hoping is the final stop on the road to the undisputed heavyweight title fight.
IBF, WBO and WBA champion Oleksandr Usyk is scheduled to ringside Saturday night in anticipation that a victorious Fury will declare the Ukrainian his next opponent in a blockbuster heavyweight showdown for all marbles in early 2023.
That could all collapse, however, unless Fury plays his A-game against a man who’s seen it all in the boxing game, 38-year-old Chisora.
By all accounts, this will likely be Chisora’s last attempt to secure an elusive world title after being beaten by Vitali Klitschko on his only previous attempt in 2012.
That could make Del Boy the most dangerous he’s ever been, especially considering how big an underdog going into the fight is; All the pressure is on Fury’s shoulders to defeat an aging Chisora with ease.
What Chisora may lack in technical ability, he more than makes up for in spirit – and that relentless desire to get forward and apply pressure could be his best weapon against Fury.
However, it’s nothing Fury hasn’t come across before – especially having previously shared the ring with Chisora twice and easily won both times.
Aside from a massive shot from the gods, it’s difficult to plead for Chisora to win this fight anywhere against Fury, who has proven to be one of the most versatile and adaptable heavyweight fighters.
I expect Fury to pressure early on from Chisora in the first four rounds, staying mobile like a matador and selecting shots to beat the tiring challenger.
I think Fury will try to make a statement in the later rounds by doing what Usyk couldn’t and securing the KO finish against Chisora - although I think referee intervention is more likely than that a direct KO.
Verdict: Anger at TKO, R11
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