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Veteran British heavyweight Derek Chisora wants Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to fight for the 117-year-old British title instead of the WBA world heavyweight belt when they meet in Cardiff on Friday, December 11.
The two former world champions will finally settle their decade-long feud at the Principality Stadium, with the fight streamed on Netflix. The WBA has sanctioned it for its vacant “super” heavyweight title, but Chisora believes the Lord Lonsdale belt, created in 1909, would be a better prize.
He made the case at an IBA conference in Turkey. “It is a British fight between two heavyweights from Britain. I believe they should be fighting for the Lonsdale belt. It is better than any other belt right now,” Chisora said.
“It is better because there is no British champion number two, there is only one on the belt, and that is it. There are not five belts or this and that. You have got the WBC Silver, WBC Africa. It is nonsense, man, it is nonsense.”
Richard Riakpohre currently holds the British heavyweight title. Chisora, Joshua and Fury have all held it before.
Fury is 38 and Joshua 36, and neither man has a rematch clause in the contract. Chisora said that should stay that way, because he expects the loser to be too hurt to run it back. He predicted the loser “is not going to fight for a while” because “that guy is going to see a therapist”, and added: “If AJ wins this fight, he is not doing a rematch. If Tyson Fury wins this fight, he is not doing a rematch.”
The 42-year-old has a long history with both men. He lost three times to Fury and helped mentor a young Joshua at Finchley Amateur Boxing Club. He has no doubt who will win. “I told AJ if you are trying to box this guy, it is a long night. And AJ is going to knock him. AJ is going to knock Fury out,” he said.
Both fighters cleared their final hurdles in July, with Fury beating Mariusz Wach and Joshua stopping Kristian Prenga. Chisora is also chasing a world title shot of his own, with talks ongoing for a December fight against WBA “regular” champion Murat Gassiev. (PUNCH)
