Good fight, great challenge.

I'm of the mindset that most HW's greatest test came from the term:gatekeeper or fighters on the losing side of betting odds.

Think LHW Conn drubbing the Brown Bomber for 12rds, Jones forcing Clay to go toe2toe to the distance, Shavers for Holmes, 10-1 underdog Tucker nursing a broken right hand going distance with Tyson, Bert Cooper standing 8 count over Holyfield, McCall over Lewis & recently a fat chaloopa stopping Joshua.

Chisora did what Usyk needed. He needed to feel the clinch of a fighter placing him in a headlock then literally laying ALL that weight on his neck & back. Lennox did it, Vitali did it, Wladimir did it and Fury does it. Oleksander needed to feel the burn in his lungs because the other guy is willing to throw over 600. Damn how it looks. Which is harder for Uysk? Fending off 350 well placed shots over 12 rds? Or fending off 600 over 12 rds from every which-a-away?

Usyk can have the utmost confidence aint no Joshua, Fury or Wilder is gonna throw what that old wily master of a gatekeeper Derek did: throw over 600.
A David Haye or Fury & AJ are too busy thinking, setting traps, looking to counter. Wilder is too busy looking for the bronze bomb. That plays to Usyk's strength which is a thinking fighter with the punch output of a CW (more).


Derek is just awesome at fighting through fatigue. So much so that he gained my respect in the latter 1/2 of his career. Thats what real fighters do, fight thru it.

Larry Holmes is one of our greatest and guess what he lacked? KO power. Holyfield looked like a KO artist, but he never had a 1-hitter quitter. Ruiz' stoppage is via accumulation. So in that group, Usyk can find his way to a title at HW.
He has enough power to keep a fighter honest. But if the HW with a heavier shot isnt willing to deplete Uysk's gas tank....well the HW division just got that much more interesting!!

Congrats Usyk you survived this era's best gatekeeper!

for a brash talking old' dude Chisora must have a lot of respect to provide 5 guy burgers for the whole crew!!!! I just watched it & thought they did us proud!