Usyk vs Chisora: Undercard Preview
Sky Sports Pay-Per-View returns on Saturday night for the first time since 'Fight Camp'. The night culminates with a world heavyweight fight between Alexander Usyk and Dereck Chisora however, there are also some good contests on the undercard.
Lee Selby vs George Kambosas
The penultimate fight of the undercard sees Lee Selby take on George Kambosos, with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger for the IBF lightweight title. That title is still held by Teofimo Lopez after his impressive victory over Vasily Lomachenko earlier this month. A win would see Selby come into touching distance of becoming a two-weight world champion. His last fight culminated in a decision victory over Ricky Burns at the O2 Arena last October. Kambosas on the other hand is still undefeated in his 18 contests, winning 10 by way of stoppage. This will undoubtedly be the toughest test of the Australian’s career as he looks to prove himself on the world stage.
Tommy McCarthy vs Bilal Laggoune
Tommy McCarthy will also be returning to the ring this weekend, when he competes for the vacant European cruiserweight title. He will be taking on Belgian Bilal Laggoune, in what should be a relatively routine evening. Laggoune has only lost one fight in his career, although his record is largely made up of journeymen. McCarthy is on a three fight winning streak after his knockout loss to Richard Riakporhe in 2019, most recently gaining the WBC Intercontinental title. By adding the European title to his resume, he will be showing that he is ready for the top British and worldwide contenders.
Savannah Marshall vs Hannah Rankin
The only world title fight on the card, as Marshall takes on Rankin for the WBO title. The fight had been scheduled to take place earlier this month but had to be suspended due to a positive coronavirus test by Marshall’s trainer Peter Fury. This will be Marshall’s first world title shot, and it comes after winning her first eight professional bouts. Rankin is definitely the more experienced pro, something that she told ESBR that will be used to her advantage: “I don’t really feel like the underdog going into the fight, to be honest. I’m coming from a place of much greater professional experience, so I feel like this is a great 50/50 fight for the fans and I think it’s going to be a really exciting one for everyone to watch.”
Carly Skelly vs Amy Timlin
The first women’s fight of the evening sees two undefeated fighters clash for the vacant Commonwealth super bantamweight title. Like many other bouts, this was also scheduled for earlier in the year, falling foul to the pandemic. With only seven fights between them, it is a tough fight to call with Timlin being the bookies favourite. Coach Dave Caldwell speaks very highly of her commitment and skill, and she definitely has the sparring partners and training partners around her to be successful.
Regarding the fight, Carly Skelly told ESBR: “I’ve had a good training camp. It’s been quite a long one really because we’ve had a couple of changes in the date and stuff which obviously can have its negatives psychologically, but in all fairness, I’ve tried to look at it as giving me more time to develop my skills and to work on stuff, so it’s worked out really well.”
