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Last Updated: 08/10/19 11:00pm
Oleksandr Usyk will face Chazz Witherspoon in his heavyweight debut on Saturday after original opponent Tyrone Spong was withdrawn.
Unbeaten Usyk was due to fight Spong at the Wintrust Arena, Chicago, live on Sky Sports, but as a result of returning an adverse doping test, the Illinois State Athletic Commission will not license him to take part in the fight.
Witherspoon (38-3 29 KOs), second cousin of former two-time world heavyweight ruler Tim Witherspoon, is unbeaten in five years with his last win coming in March in Atlantic City over Santiago Silgado.
The ‘Gentleman’ will be looking to pull off an upset when he takes on the undisputed cruiserweight champion and is relishing the opportunity
“I can’t wait to face Usyk in Chicago,” said the 38-year-old Philadelphian. “I have been in training ready for a big fight, and it doesn’t get bigger than this. 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 and I am going to put every ounce of myself into the fight on this massive stage.”
Usyk’s heavyweight debut is long-awaited after he was forced to withdraw from his first fight earlier this year against Carlos Takam with a bicep injury he sustained in training.
