As the heavyweight smoke begins to clear, both Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have emerged as the cream of the crop. Fury, of course, violently ended his protracted rivalry with Deontay Wilder, stopping his man in the 11th round following a back-and-forth brawl in October of 2021. For an encore, Fury easily defended his WBC crown against fellow British native, Dillian Whyte.

While impressive, Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) has put together his own remarkable run. An upset win over Anthony Joshua, followed by a repeat performance in their immediate rematch, solidified Usyk’s heavyweight dominance. With three of the four major titles in the Ukrainian’s possession, Usyk had hoped that an undisputed showdown against Fury would take place next.

Yet, after bloviating and chastising his man publicly, Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs) made a complete 180, opting to take on fringe contender Derek Chisora. Affectionately known as Del Boy, Chisora’s recent run has been uninspiring. Over a two-year span, the 38-year-old failed to register a single victory. Although he would eventually put an end to his losing skid, scoring a split-decision win over Kubrat Pulev, Chisora (33-12, 23 KOs) is just 1-3 in his last three ring appearances.

Still, despite returning to the win column, Chisora’s history with Fury has left many doubting his chances at pulling off the victory on December 3rd. In both 2011 and 2014, a much younger and fresher Chisora was pounded in two bouts against Fury. Considering his age and current form, Eddie Hearn understands why the betting public has placed the aging contender as a heavy underdog.

Nevertheless, the longtime promoter isn't willing to simply dismiss Chisora’s chances at nabbing the victory. Though he admits that it isn't likely, Hearn reveals that he’ll be rooting loudly for Chisora in the hopes that he does the unthinkable. 

“I think Del Boy is a gem,” said Hearn during an interview with FightHype.com. “He’s got one of the biggest hearts in boxing, he’s a great man, he’ll always give it everything. Of course, on paper, Fury’s beaten him twice. People are not expecting Chisora to have a chance in the fight. But don’t rule Derek out. He’s got a huge heart and he’s a warrior.”

As mentioned by Hearn, Chisora’s heart was on full display during his heavyweight showdown against Joseph Parker in December of 2021. Although he was forced to kiss the canvas on three separate occasions, the lovable British heavyweight peeled himself up off the deck before losing a fairly close unanimous decision.

By and large, Hearn has a difficult time envisioning his good friend coming out with the WBC crown resting safely around his waist. But, in spite of what he believes will ultimately happen, Hearn will be the happiest promoter in the world if Chisora blasts Fury into next week.

“I’d love to see him chin Tyson Fury.”