bet365's Rob Tebbutt gives us the lowdown on the third instalment of Fury v Chisora as the heavyweights get set to collide in London on Saturday night.

Tyson Fury (1/20) makes the third defence of his WBC heavyweight title this weekend against old adversary Derek Chisora (9/1), in a fight that presents more challenges outside of the ring than in it for ‘The Gypsy King'.

After talks of an all-British blockbuster against Anthony Joshua fell by the wayside and an undisputed title clash against Ukrainian maestro Oleksandr Usyk shelved until 2023, Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) finds himself days away from a third bout with his former foe and long-time friend Chisora (33-12, 23 KOs). 

With Fury having already secured dominant wins over the Finchley fighter in 2011 and 2014, the bout has drawn harsh criticism from the boxing public, with fans and media alike questioning the world title credentials of the 38-year-old Chisora. 

A record-high PPV price of £26.95 has also drawn ire from fans, with the result of the fight considered by many to be a mere formality. 

Despite a narrow split decision win over former world title challenger Kubrat Pulev in July, Chisora is considered by many to be in the twilight of a long, hard career that has seen him take on all-comers: win, lose or draw. 

Following a unanimous decision loss to now-unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in October 2020, Chisora would succumb to back-to-back defeats to former WBO champion Joseph Parker. 

However, a win over fellow veteran Pulev last time out has seen ‘War’ handed an unlikely chance at glory - as well as a reported £2m purse. 

While Chisora has become something of a cult figure among the boxing public in recent years, the gulf in quality between himself and Fury has arguably never been greater. 

Under the guidance of trainer SugarHill Steward, Fury, who is 3/10 to claim a KO/TKO victory, has looked increasingly formidable in stoppage wins over Deontay Wilder (x2) and Brixton’s Dillian Whyte; and the Morecambe-native is rightfully an overwhelming favourite to secure a hat-trick of wins over Chisora when the two square off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.

Pound-for-pound star Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) is expected be ringside for the bout, with negotiations ongoing for the first four-belt heavyweight title unification in history. 

The build-up to the fight has been dominated by talk of a potential Fury-Usyk bout, with Chisora relegated to a role of potential ‘party pooper’ - no matter how unlikely. 

Fury has rightfully claimed his spot as the sport’s premier heavyweight, and is expected to solidify that status in style this weekend with another comprehensive victory over an, in truth, overmatched dance partner in Chisora.
 

Rob Tebbutt

• • 
  •