Bellew pinpoints potential Usyk weakness

Tony Bellew has pinpointed a potential weakness in master boxer Oleksandr Usyk ahead of the Ukrainian’s big Halloween showdown with Dereck Chisora.

The final fight of Bellew’s career was a knockout defeat by Usyk in a huge cruiserweight title showdown in Manchester in November 2018.

Now Usyk has moved up to heavyweight in a bid to dominate boxing’s marquee weight class too. And Chisora provides his first real test in his new division (live on Sky Sports Box Office and DAZN).

The slick southpaw remains unbeaten as a professional at 17-0. But while Bellew admits he is a bona fide superstar, that doesn’t mean he’s invincible.

He told Sky Sports: “I still think he’s a little bit open and can be caught. Watching his amateur fights, there was always a reaction from him when he got caught clean, but no-one has exploited that so far in the pros.

“His chin is up in the air sometimes and if that continues then it might get caught one time.”

Del Boy up against it

Chisora (32-9) has been in with some of the best heavyweights around – including two fights against lineal king Tyson Fury.

But Bellew believes he will be properly up against it when he meets Usyk on October 31.

“Believe you me, he has it all to do,” said the former cruiserweight king from Liverpool.

“[Usyk] is the most avoided fighter probably in the world. An amazing fighter.

“If anyone can do it, when their back is against the wall and they are written off by everyone, then Chisora can.

“I’m hoping his big right hand lands, and he gets the job done.

“But this is a hard one. It will be very tough.”

Should Usyk emerge victorious over Chisora, he expects to get a shot at Anthony Joshua’s WBO title. Assuming of course AJ disposes of Kubrat Pulev on December 12.

There is still the possibility in that scenario that Joshua might vacate the title in order to face Tyson Fury in a blockbuster next summer.