Former undisputed cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk was very interested observer when Tyson Fury was able to topple Deontay Wilder in style last month.
Back on February 22nd, Fury dropped Wilder twice and eventually stopped him in the seventh round of their rematch to capture the WBC heavyweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They fought to a controversial twelve round split draw in the first meeting in December 2018.
Wilder has already exercised a contractual clause to force a trilogy fight, which is targeted for the month of July.
Usyk is taking part in his second heavyweight fight on May 23rd, when he faces veteran Derek Chisora at the O2 Arena in London. Back in October, Usyk made his debut in his new division and stopped Chazz Witherspoon.
Usyk is now the WBO's mandatory challenger to unified champion Anthony Joshua.
He watched Fury's win over Wilder several times.
Usyk, an Olympic gold medal winner, felt Wilder lacked certain qualities that he displayed in his previous fights. Wilder has claimed that his ring attire, which weighed 40+ pounds, tired him out as he walked to the ring.
"I’ve watched this fight maybe three times already," Usyk told IFL TV.
"That’s what he promised to do, he promised to box the way he did in the previous fight and it was a great performance. I enjoyed watching this fight. The thing I realised, why Deontay was not looking the same way as he did in the previous fights because he wasn’t sharp enough, especially in his movements."