DAVID HAYE is ‘thankful’ the coronavirus pandemic delayed Dereck Chisora’s fight against Oleksandr Usyk and believes it will work out helping the Brit to victory.
The two were suppoosed to clash on May 23 at the O2 Arena, but the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK put paid to that.
On Wednesday it was announced that the moutwatering match-up will now take place on October 31.
Haye trains Chisora, and believes it might not be a bad thing that the fight was put back so far and he is predicting his man to ’cause an upset’.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Haye, who was a cruiserweight and heavyweight world champ, said: “Believe it or not, I’m actually thankful the fight has been postponed as long as it has done.
“I believe his chances of winning on October 31 are significantly higher than earlier on in the year, because he’s spent every day focusing on a tricky southpaw.”
That is of course the style Usyk has mastered to a tee – helping him become undisputed cruiserweight champ before stepping up to heavyweight.
But Haye is bullish that Chisora, who is a 9/2 shot with many bookies to triumph against the Ukrainian, can end the hype train.
He added: “If you look at Derek’s record against Usyk, it’s like ‘Okay, there’s going to be one winner’.
“But what Usyk doesn’t understand, the heavyweight division is very different from every other division in boxing. It’s about size, it’s about weight and one shot.
“Ask Povetkin. One shot it takes to turn the tide. Anything can happen. In the heavyweight division, it’s so up in the air.
“But when Derek is doing what he’s been doing in sparring against good quality opposition every day, the gaps that he used to have are getting filled in with good quality action.
“He’s going to cause an upset and it’s going to shock so many people.”
Chisora has lost nine times as a professional, while Usyk is undefeated.
But Usyk’s first test at heavyweight didn’t show much as he easily defeated an out-of-shape Chazz Witherspoon in November last year.
