WBA (Super), IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk admitted that he showed a bad fight against Derek Chisora on purpose in order to lure Anthony Joshua for a fight.
When journalist Dev Sahni asked Usyk about it, he answered, "Yes, it's exactly like that."
Recall, the fight between Usyk and Chisora took place on October 31, 2020. At the end of 12 rounds Usyk won by unanimous decision. Usyk and Joshua have fought each other twice. In September 2021, the Ukrainian defeated the Briton by unanimous decision of the judges. Their rematch took place in August 2022, where Oleksandr again defeated Anthony, but now by a split decision.