Sports
Boxing: Usyk Faces Witherspoon, ’Morrow
Oleksandr Usyk will fight 38-year-old Chazz Witherspoon in his first fight at heavyweight on Saturday after original opponent Tyrone Spong returned an adverse doping test.
Usyk, 32, has not fought since he defended all four world cruiserweight titles against Tony Bellew last year.
Witherspoon has had four days’ notice for the fight in Chicago.
“I have been in training ready for a big fight, and it doesn’t get bigger than this,” Witherspoon said.
· “I can’t wait to face Usyk. Oleksandr is stepping up to heavyweight, and he’s going to find out that it’s a totally different game.
“I’ve won my last eight fights and I really feel that I’ve been waiting in the wings for a huge opportunity like this.”
Witherspoon is 74th on Boxrec’s heavyweight ratings, four places below Spong, with a record of 38 wins and three losses.
Spong, 34, spent much of his combat career in mixed martial arts and also competed in kickboxing before winning his first 14 fights as a boxer.