Tag Archives: derevyanchenko

Posted on 10/06/2019

By: Sean Crose

People thought Gennadiy Golovkin would face Canelo Alvarez for a third time in 2019. Then people thought Canelo would face notable middleweight Sergiy Derevyanchenko in 2019. Instead, the Mexican star decided to rise up in weight to challenge Sergey Kovalev for a light heavyweight belt. That IBF middleweight belt was open. Hence, Golovkin faced off against Derevyanchenko at Madison Square Garden Saturday night (in a bout that was aired live on DAZN) for the IBF belt. Madison Square Garden had become something like a home for Golovkin, who had fought numerous major fights there against the likes of David Lemieux and Daniel Jacobs.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

First off, though, there was a scheduled 10 rounder in the junior middleweight division. The 3-0 Israil Madrimov battled the 29-5 veteran Alejandro Barrera. Madrimov sent his man to the mat in the first. Although Barrera got up, it was an ominous beginning. A very fluid fighter, Madrimov floated about the ring and flinged off powerful shots for round after round. Although Barrera may have had a few moments early on, Madrimov was simply too much for the veteran fighter. The bout was wisely stopped in the fifth round. Although Madrimov has a few wrinkles to iron out, like perhaps keeping his hands from hanging low, the man is truly on the rise, with whispers of a title shot already being heard.

It was time for the main event. Golovkin started in grand fashion, by sending his man to the mat in the first. Derevyanchenko got to his feet, but it was an impressive opening for the 37 year old Golovkin. Derevyanchenko performed better in the second, but he was cut and still appeared to be considerably impacted by Golovkin’s power. The third round proved effective for Derevyanchenko, as he engaged in effective agression and landed on Golovkin well. Derevyanchenko continued to do well in the fourth, but it was a close chapter of the fight. The jab of Derevyanchenko was very sharp in the fifth. Derevyanchenko’s impressive body work paid off, as well, as Golovkin was starting to look considerably less than his best. Still, Golovkin began landing well again in the sixth.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

Golovkin came on strong at the end of the seventh, but Derevyanchenko had done well throughout the round. The eighth saw Golovkin fire well, though – like virtually every round – it was a blistering affair. Golovkin looked like he might have been hurt in the ninth. Derevyanchenko’s heart and aggression may well have been telling the tale. The tenth was all out war. The eleventh was a bit slower, one which Golovkin may have edged with sharp punching. Golovkin smothered well in the twelfth. The round, like the entire fight, was very hard to call.

The judges ruled it for Golovkin by a close UD improving his record to 40-1-1. Derevyanchenko moved on to a record of 13-2.

Posted on 08/30/2019

By: Hans Themistode

He’s a knockout puncher, an all-time great fighter and a first ballot hall of famer, but former unified Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (GGG) is also 37 years old.

To be fair to GGG he has never looked old inside of the ring. His record may indicate that he has one loss and one draw but the boxing world knows that both of decisions are highly debatable.

As it currently stands GGG should still be a unified champion while standing alone for the most defenses in the history of the division. Unfortunately, he does not.

After GGG suffered the first defeat of his career to Canelo Alvarez, he took some time off. The reality of not only his first defeat but also losing his titles must have been a nightmare. The loss to Canelo may have been unwarranted, but many believe that the former champion was showing signs of slippage.

GGG proved his doubters wrong this past June when he knocked out Steve Rolls in the fourth round of their contest at Madison Square Garden. It was a dominant performance by the man once known as the best fighter in the Middleweight division. It may have been a great showing by GGG but did it actually prove anything? No.

Steve Rolls was an obscure opponent who fought absolutely no one of note. What took place on June 8th, at Madison Square Garden was expected. Golovkin proved nothing in his dismantling of Rolls. The question still remains, is Golovkin still as good as he once was? Or is he past his prime?

Fighting the likes of Steve Rolls won’t answer that question. Golovkin’s October 5th showdown with Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10 KOs) however will give us all the answers that we need.

Derevyanchenko may have just 14 pro fights under his belt but he has fought very good competition. He currently holds a knockout win over Tureano Johnson and another impressive win over former interim WBA Jr Middleweight champion Jack Culcay. His lone defeat came against two time Middleweight belt holder Daniel Jacobs.

Experience as a pro is important, but so is the experience you pick up in amateurs as well. During his time in the unpaid ranks, Derevyanchenko managed to win 390 of his bouts against only 20 defeats. It isn’t hyperbole to consider him one of the best amateurs of this era.

Boxing promoter Lou Di Bella made a bold claim about the matchup between the two.

“Sergiy is a decorated amateur. He will be one of the three toughest fights for Golovkin in his entire career.”

It may have seemed like an audacious choice of words but taking a look at the resume of Golovkin and you would be hard pressed to disagree with that statement.

With Golovkin getting up there in age one has to assume that he will show true signs of detoriation soon. Steve Rolls was never and could never be the fighter to test that theory. Sergiy Derevyanchenko on the other hand, will answer everything we need to know about Gennady Golovkin.

Posted on 08/23/2019

By: Sean Crose

“I have the best opponent, Sergey,” says the 39-1-1 Gennady Golovkin, who will be battling Sergey Derevyanchenko for the IBF world middleweight title on October 5th at Madison Square Garden. “I’ve known him for a long time and he’s a very good fighter. This is a real fight. I’m a little bit scared because he’s good. I know his team is very strong. And I’m scared because he looks good. He looks strong. He feels it’s his time right now. Maybe – this is boxing, nobody knows. So if you want to watch a real show, a real fight, come to MSG on October 5 or watch live on DAZN.”

For the 13-1 Derevyanchenko, the Golovkin fight offers a chance of a lifetime, after having dropped a close decision to Daniel Jacobs for the IBF crown last year. “I’m really excited and happy,” he says, “to be at Madison Square Garden…thank you to my team, and I want to give thanks to Gennady Golovkin for the opportunity as well. I know exactly who I’m getting in the ring with. He’s the former middleweight champion of the world, one of the best fighters in the world, but his time is coming to an end and I want to be the one that makes that time come to an end.”

It had been assumed throughout the fight world at different times that both Golovkin and Derevyanchenko would be facing Canelo Alvarez this year. While neither man is set to face the Mexican star (who Golovkin has already fought in two highly controversial bouts), the October 5th throwdown between Golovkin and Derevyanchenko has been well received within the fight world. Golovkin is one of the most well known fighters in the sport, which Derevyanchenko is well respected.

“There’s been a lot of speculation recently about who he’s (Golovkin’s) going to fight,” says promoter Eddie Hearn. “Is it going to be Canelo? The thing that’s most important in a fighter’s career is to take control of your career. Have a strategy, have a plan, don’t worry about other people. And right now, we have a plan with Gennady’s career that’s extremely exciting to dominate the division and it starts on October 5 at the Mecca of boxing.”

With neither Golovkin nor Derevyanchenko relying on Canelo to dictate their futures for them, the focus is on the New York City fall matchup. “I’m so excited,” Golovkin says. “First of all, I’m happy to be back home, my second home. Thank you to my family at MSG for always supporting me. Of course, I’m very excited right now. Right now, I work with the best people from boxing.” This will be the Kazakh warrior’s seventh appearance at Madison Square Garden, while it will be Derevanchenko’s second appearance at the “Mecca of boxing.” The Golovkin-Derevyanchenko match will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service. Other fights on the card have yet to be made or announced to the public.

Posted on 08/22/2019

By: Sean Crose

Canelo Alvaraez may be avoiding him (perhaps out of personal disdain rather than fear), but former middleweight kingpin Gennady Golovkin has a chance to be a major titlist once more, as it’s been announced the Kazakh warrior will be facing Sergey Derevyanchenko for the IBF middleweight crown on October 5th at Madison Square Garden. “Everyone knows that I consider Madison Square Garden as my home away from home,” Golovkin says, “and there is nothing better than fighting there again. It is old school.” Although the 13-1 Derevyanchenko isn’t as well regarded as Canelo, who the 39-1-1 Golovkin fought in two highly controversial bouts, Derevyanchenko isn’t seen as an opponent to be regarded lightly, either.

“On October 5,” Golovkin says, “it’s going to be a good fight. Every time I enter the ring I try to give my fans the fight they want to see, the show they deserve. This will be such a fight. We will bring back Big Drama Show to the ring of The Garden and to DAZN (which will be airing the broadcast live). Don’t miss it. You will see everything you love in the sport of boxing. See you in New York.” Although Golovkin, who recently signed with DAZN for a ton of money, was expected to face Canelo on the streaming service, Canelo, who most feel has yet to convincingly best Golovkin, has apparently shown little interest in giving the fighter known as GGG another chance (the judges ruled their first fight a draw, and the second a Canelo win). Although Canelo-GGG III would unquestionably be lucrative, the bad blood between Canelo and Golovkin is apparently so intense that Canleo (at least for the time being) would rather forfeit millions rather than face Golovkin again. All of which leaves Derevyanchenko, who was originally supposed to face Canelo, in a position to best the feared Golovkin.

“I’m very excited that my team has secured another opportunity for me to fight for the Middleweight championship of the world,” Derevyanchenko says. “I have a great deal of respect for ‘GGG’ and am looking forward to proving in the ring that I will be up to challenge and fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a World champion.” Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, who is promoting the October 5th throwdown, is eager to showcase the fact Golovkin-Derevyanchenko is a high quality matchup.

“They call it the Big Drama Show,” he says, “and that’s exactly what the fans will enjoy at MSG on October 5, live on DAZN.” Hearn is also quick to bring up the fact that the fight has the makings of a high octane affair. “Gennady has a chance to regain his World Middleweight crown and Sergey will bring the fire – the styles should gel brilliantly for a brutal battle. We look forward to a fantastic event with a stacked card at the iconic Mecca of boxing.”

Golovkin last fought in June, where he predictably destroyed Steve Rolls at the Garden. Derevyancheno last fought in April, when he bested Jack Culcay by unanimous decision in Minneapolis. He previously fought for the IBF middleweight crown against Daniel Jacobs last October, where he ended up losing by split decision on the judge’s cards.

Posted on 10/28/2018

By: William Holmes

HBO’s run as one of boxing’s premier destinations is coming to an end, and tonight may have been their last telecast from New York City.

HBO’s World Championship Boxing put on a triple header live from the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The opening bout of the night was rematch between Heather Hardy (21-0) and Shelly Vincent (23-1) for the vacant WBO Women’s Featherweight Title. Their first fight was considered by many to be a fight of the year candidate in 2016.

Hardy walked into the ring with a four inch height advantage.

Both boxers started the fight right where the left off, by throwing a large number of punches and landing several good shots. Hardy appeared the be winning the early rounds with more accurate punches and good body shots, but Vincent kept up the pressure.

Photo Credit: HBO Boxing Twitter Account

Hardy appeared to have slowed down a little bit in the fourth round and may have given that round to Vincent, but she picked up her pace again in the fifth and sixth rounds and used a good consistent jab and strong hook to the body to win these rounds.

Hardy had a bad cut open up over her left eye in addition to an earlier cut over her right eye by the seventh round but she continued to fight on. Vincent had some blood coming from her nose at the end of the round and the volume of punches that both women were landing were showing it’s effect on their faces.

Vincent continued to press the action in the eight round and was able to land a few good shots to the body of Hardy, but Hardy landed harder counters and appeared to be landing with more power.

Vincent probably needed a knockout in the final two rounds to win this bout, but neither boxer were known for their power and neither came close to a knockdown, but still threw an incredible number of punches.

Heather Hardy remains undefeated with a decision victory by scores of 97-93, 97-93, and 99-91.

The next bout of the night was between Alberto Machado (20-0) and Yuandale Evans (20-1) for the WBA “Regular” Junior Lightweight Title.

Machado is a rising star in boxing and looked to be the taller fighter in the ring.

Photo Credit: HBO Boxing Twitter Account

Machado was able to land a good straight left hand early on to the chin of Evans that sent Evans to his butt on the floor. Evans was able to get back to his feet, but was staggered by a right hook and was met with a flurry of punches that forced Evans to touch the mat with his gloves for a second knockdown.

Evans returned to his feet and was checked quickly by the referee and indicated he could go on, but was met with another Machado combination that ended with a clean left hook that knocked Evans out and sent him crashing backwards to the canvas.

Alberto Machado wins by knockout at 2:25 of the first round.

The main event of the evening was between Sergiy Derevyanchenko (12-0) and Daniel Jacobs (34-2) for the IBF Middleweight Title.

Both boxers showed they knew each other well in the opening round and respected each other’s power. Derevyanchenko let Jacobs know he was in a fight by landing a short right immediately after a break. Jacobs jab kept a good distance and he was able to score a knockdown with an over the top right hand. Derevyanchenko got to his feet and survived a Jacobs onslaught as the round came to an end.

Derevyanchenko was the aggressor in the second round and recovered well from his earlier knockdown. Derevyanchenko was pressing forward on Jacobs which forced Jacobs to switch to a southpaw stance to better keep a distance from Derevyanchenko’s right hand.

Photo Credit: HBO Boxing Twitter Account

Jacobs did good work to the body in the third and fourth rounds but both boxers were loading up on their punches and landing hard shots.

Derevyanchenko attacked the body of Jacobs in the fifth round and had Jacobs walking backwards into a corner or rope several times throughout the round. Jacobs was able to land a few good shots this round, but Derevyanchenko was the aggressor.

The sixth round featured a lot of fireworks as both boxers threw with reckless abandon and landed hard shots to the body and head. Jacobs though appeared to be a little more accurately, but was still being uncharacteristically wild.

Derevyanchenko was breathing heavily by the seventh round but still coming forward. The body work of Jacobs was showing signs of paying off in this round as Jacobs still had snap in his punches while Derevyanchenko appeared to be losing steam.

Jacobs defense was much more effective in the eighth and ninth rounds and he was finding a home for his uppercuts. Jacobs had pulled ahead to a comfortable lead by the tenth round, but Derevyanchenko may have stolen that round with some successful flurries.

Jacobs looked like he would have been ok with boxing safely in the final two rounds, but Derevyanchenko made Jacobs work for his victory as Derevyanchenko continued to press forward and aggressively go for a knockout and had Jacobs looking exhausted as the fight came to an end, but Derevyanchenko took some hard shots in the process.

Daniel Jacobs wins the decision with scores of 114-113 Derevyanchenko, 115-112 Jacobs, 115-112 Jacobs.

Posted on 10/26/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City will host an IBF World Middleweight Title fight between Daniel Jacobs and Sergi Derevyanchenko.

The undercard will feature two other world title bouts. The co-main event of the evening will be a WBA Regular Junior Lightweight Title fight between Alberto Machado and Yuandale Evans. The first fight of the telecast will be a rematch between Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent for the vacant WBO Women’s Featherweight Title.

The fight between Hardy and Vincent was just recently added to the telecast and was originally scheduled to be on the untelevised undercard. Their first fight was a 2016 Ring Magazine Female Fight of the Year, and saw Hardy win by a majority decision.

Even though this writer does not remember their first fight being as close at the judges scored it, it was an action packed fight that should be entertaining for fight fans.

The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the evening.

Alberto Machado (20-0) vs. Yuandale Evans (20-1); WBA “Regular” Junior Lightweight Title

Alberto Machado is currently co-promoted by both Golden Boy Promotions as well as Miguel Cotto Promotions. He holds the WBA Regular Junior Lightweight Title and is considered one of Golden Boy’s top prospects.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

He’s in the midst of his athletic prime at 28 years old and is one year younger than Evans. He has 16 stoppage victories on his resume, two more than Evans, and has been more active. Machado has stopped three of his past five opponents. Saturday will be his second fight of 2018, after fighting three times in 2017 and four times in 2016. Evans will be fighting for the first time 2018, fought twice in 2017, and didn’t fight at all in 2016.

Both boxers have been fairly successful as amateurs. Machado was a national champ at the Junior, Junior Olympics, and Cadet Categories. Evans won a bronze medal in the National Golden Gloves Tournament.

Machado has never tasted defeated and has beaten the likes of Rafael Mesnah, Jezreel Corrales, Carlos Morales, and Juan Jose Martinez. Every opponent that Machado has defeated since 2014 had a winning record.

Evans’ lone loss was to Javier Fortuna by TKO way back in 2012. He has notable wins against Luis Rosa and Billel Dib. Two of the past four fighters that Evans has faced had losing records.

Machado should win by a comfortable margin on Saturday, as Evans doesn’t have the experience of Machado and has been fairly inactive in the past few years.

Sergiy Derevyanchenko (12-0) vs. Daniel Jacobs (34-2); IBF Middleweight Title

Daniel Jacobs is one of Eddie Hearn’s top middleweights and he’s looking at potential bouts with either Canelo Alvarez, Demetrius Andrade, or Billy Joe Saunders in the future on the DAZN network.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

But first he has to get past an under the radar Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who is better than most people realize.

Jacobs has 29 stoppage wins on his resume and nearly triple the number of professional fights than Derevyanchenko. Derevyanchenko only has 10 stoppage wins, but Derevyanchenko spent most of his early career fighting under the World Series of Boxing Banner, which don’t technically count as professional fights.

When Derevyanchenko fought for the World Series of Boxing he had over 23 fights and only lost once.

Both boxers had successful amateur careers. Jacobs was a Junior Olympics, Golden Gloves, and US National Champion. Derevyanchenko competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, the most prestigious amateur event for boxing.

Jacobs two losses were a monumental upset to Dmitry Pirog back in 2010, and a close decision loss to Gennady Golovkin. He has defeated the likes of Maciej Sulecki, Luis Arias, Sergio Mora, Peter Quillin, Caleb Truax, Jarrod Fletcher, and Ishe Smith.

Derevyanchenko has never tasted defeat as a pro, but he did lose a World Series of Boxing match. He has beaten the likes of Dashon Johnson, Tureano Johnson, Sam Soliman, Kemahl Russell, Elvin Ayala, and Vladine Biosse.

The biggest notable difference on Saturday will be size. Daniel Jacobs will have at least a two and a half inch height advantage as well as a five and a half inch reach advantage. He looked even bigger when they faced off with each other. Both guys are still in their athletic prime, with Jacobs being 31 and Derevyanchenko being 32.

Jacobs shouldn’t overlook Derevyanchenko, for his amateur pedigree indicates he will be a tougher opponent than most expect. But Jacobs will be fighting in front of a friendly crowd with big fights on the horizon, this writer has a hard time imagining a scenario where he doesn’t walk out the victor.

Posted on 01/16/2018

Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of January 9th to January 16th; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Patrice Harris

Joseph Diaz to Defend NABO Featherweight Title Against Victor Terrazas

Golden Boy Promotions will continue its partnership with ESPN for this exciting new year with an explosive main event featuring 126-pound contender Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. (25-0, 13 KOs) defending his NABO Featherweight Title against former world champion Victor “Vikingo” Terrazas (38-4-2, 21 KOs) on the Feb. 22 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino inIndio, Calif.Doors to the Special Events Center open at 5:00 p.m. PT, and the first non-televised bout starts at 5:30 p.m. PT. ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes will transmit the fights beginning at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT, and the ESPN3 transmission will begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Diaz Jr., a 25-year-old prodigy of South El Monte, Calif., was an exceptional amateur prospect who was part of the 2012 United States Olympic Team. After making his debut with Golden Boy Promotions in December 2012 at the now-defunct LA Sports Arena, Diaz, Jr. climbed the 126-pound rankings defeating one tough opponent after another. Diaz, Jr. had a great 2017 as he participated in two Pay-Per-View events. In the HBO-televised undercard of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr., Diaz, Jr. cruised to a 10-round unanimous decision victory against the previously undefeated Manuel “Tino” Avila. Diaz, Jr. then defeated Rafael “Bing Bang” Rivera via dominant 12-round decision in the co-main event of the historic Canelo vs. Golovkin HBO pay-per-view event. Diaz, Jr. will look to continue his path to a world title with a win on Feb. 22.

“I look forward to making my 2018 debut,” said Diaz, Jr. “And what better way than by facing a tough former world champion in Victor Terrazas! I will remind everyone why I deserve a world title shot by headlining this card exciting fashion.”

Terrazas, a 34-year-old native of Jalisco, Mexico, is a former world champion who defeated Cristian “El Diamante” Mijares to capture the WBC Super Bantamweight Title. Terrazas, a student of the traditional Mexican school of boxing, has fought fighters at a world championship level from different parts of the world, and will bring years of fighting experience into his fight against Diaz, Jr.

“I have faced great fighters in my career,” said Terrazas. “And this fight against Joseph Diaz, Jr. will not be an exception. I think that my experience will be very important, and I have no doubts that I will leave with my hand raised.”

Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs), a super lightweight prospect who has delighted fans with his tremendous knockout power, will return in the eight-round co-main event. After debuting as a professional in 2016, Ortiz, Jr. has never heard the final bell of a bout, and he’s anxious to retain his 100% knockout rate in the year 2018. One must definitely not lose sight of this sensational Mexican American who has his roots in Michoacan, Mexico.

The explosive undercard will be stacked with the best and brightest prospects of the exclusive Golden Boy Promotions stable. Lightweight knockout artist Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (18-1, 15 KOs) will make his highly anticipated ring return over a scheduled eight rounds of action in his Fantasy Springs Resort Casino debut. Gonzalez is a hard-hitting prospect who is coming off two spectacular wins, the last of which was against Gamaliel “El Platano” Diaz.

Manny “Chato” Robles III (14-0, 6 KOs), after making his headlining debut in Sept. of 2017, will square off in an eight-round featherweight fight. Power punching prospect Edgar “Kid Neza” Valerio (10-0, 7 KOs) of Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl by way of South Central, Los Angeles, California will start the year off with a bang in an eight-round battle in the 126-pound division.

Hector “El Finito” Tanajara, Jr.(11-0, 4 KOs) of San Antonio, Texas will open the evening of very exciting combats in an eight-round super featherweight fight. In the night’s swing bout, Genaro “El Conde” Gamez (6-0, 4 KOs) will participate in a six-round lightweight fight.

Opponents for these exciting, rising prospects will be announced shortly.

Sergey Derevyanchenko Highlights Spence vs. Peterson Undercard

Unbeaten middleweight contender and IBF No. 1 challenger Sergey Derevyanchenko (11-0, 9 KOs, WSB: 23-1, 7 KOs) will enter the ring for an eight-round bout as part of an exciting undercard on Saturday, January 20 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®.

The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. taking on two-division champion Lamont Peterson live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT). Lightweight world champion Robert Easter squares up against two-division champion Javier Fortuna. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP telecast will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by DiBella Entertainment and TGB Promotions, are priced starting at $50, and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center or by calling 800-745-3000. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Additional action inside of the arena will see the brother of Lamont Peterson, once-beaten Anthony Peterson (37-1, 24 KOs), facing Luis Florez (23-7, 19 KOs) in a 10-round super lightweight matchup plus once-beaten welterweight Ivan Golub (13-1, 11 KOs) in an eight-round fight against Colombia’s Fidel Monterrosa (38-14-1, 30 KOs).

Undercard fights continue with undefeated 2016 Haitian Olympian Richardson Hitchins (3-0, 1 KO) entering the ring for a four-round welterweight fight against Preston Wilson (4-2-1, 3 KOs), Philadelphia’s Dylan Price (4-0, 4 KOs) competing in a four-round super flyweight bout against Nestor Ramos (7-7, 3 KOs) and welterweight prospect Keyshawn Williams (1-0, 1 KO) taking on Denis Okoth (1-0, 1 KO) in a four-round matchup.

Rounding out the night is a four-round showdown between unbeaten Desmond Jarmon and Dallas-native Charles Clark plus New Jersey’s Matthew Gonzalez in a six round middleweight fight against Alexander Serna.

A highly decorated amateur who represented his native Ukraine in the 2008 Olympics, Derevyanchenko now lives and trains in Brooklyn and most recently earned the top spot in the IBF rankings with an impressive 12th round stoppage over Tureano Johnson. The 32-year-old also defeated previously unbeaten Kemahl Russell in 2017 after his 2016 saw him earn a TKO victory over Mike Guy in March before stopping former champion Sam Soliman in the second round of a world title eliminator in July. The unbeaten fighter defeated a slew of experienced contenders in 2015 with wins over Elvin Ayala, Alan Campa, Vladine Biosse and a third-round stoppage of Jessie Nicklow.

Derevyanchenko and Golub make it a pair of Ukrainian sluggers fighting out of Brooklyn who will compete on the undercard looking to put on impressive performances in their adopted hometown.
Russian Heavyweight Apti Davtaev Remains Undefeated

Several entertaining fights highlighted the untelevised undercard for two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields defense of her WBC and IBF titles against mandatory challenger Tori Nelson at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York tonight.

In the main supporting bout, Detroit via Kurchaloi, Russia, heavyweight Apti Davtaev had a successful United States fighting debut by scoring a six-round unanimous decision over Philadelphia’s Garrett “The Ultimate Warrior” Wilson.

Wilson didn’t make it easy. Fighting out of a crouch, the heavily muscled, but much shorter Wilson came up with enough wild haymakers to make the entire fight very interesting. Davtaev appears to have a heavy right hand, which he dropped onto the hard head of Wilson often enough to earn the close, but deserved nod. Davtaev warrants credit for going to war whenever one of Wilson’s looping swings connected.

Davtaev (now 14-0-1, 13 KOs) loses his perfect KO percentage, but walks away with a hard-fought victory over a foe who came to win. Wilson is now (18-14-1, 9 KOs).

The scores were 58-56 from all three judges.

An accidental headbutt brought an abbreviated end to the six-round super lightweight return of Aktjubinsk, Kazakhstan’s Bakhtiyar Eyubov.

In against Lynchburg, Virginia’s Maurice Chalmers (14-13-1, 8 KOs), the exciting slugger Eyubov (13-0, 11 KOs) was advancing behind active head movement and a tight shell when his head collided with the retreating Chalmers’. The cut that resulted was ruled too severe and the fight was ruled a No Decision at 1:59 of the opening round.

In a wild women’s light heavyweight brawl featuring fists flying from every direction, wrestling holds and several MMA-style takedowns, Franchon “The Heavy Hitting Diva” Crews-Dezurn won a unanimous six-round decision over Tiffany “The Terminator” Woodard.

Crews-Dezurn, now 3-1, 1 KO, of Baltimore, Maryland, had too many weapons for Wilson, North Carolina’s Woodard (now 4-10-3, 3 KOs), so Woodard tried and succeeded to make things ugly. What followed was a wild punch-out featuring elbows and headlocks and takedowns that left both on the canvas more than once.

Woodard took a lot of hard leather and deserves credit for her toughness. Crews-Dezurn showed class in not taking the bait for most of the fight. She did lose a point in the sixth for a sneaky revenge takedown.

The scores were 59-53, 59-54 and 59-54.

Detroit via Magnitogorsk, Russia’s Alexey Zubov outworked a determined Lamont “Too Smooth” Capers of Hawley, Pennsylvania, on his way to a six-round majority decision.

An entertaining fight between hard-nosed cruiserweights, Zubov was cut over the right eye and took some good punches, but simply outworked the more selective Capers. Zubov showed his often-superior conditioning and worked behind an educated jab, while Capers was content to lay on the ropes and land hard pot shots often enough to keep it interesting.

A score of 57-57 draw was over-ruled by scores 59-56 and 58-56 for the tough Russian. With the victory, Zubov moves his record to 17-1, 9 KOs. Capers falls to 8-11-3.

Lamont Peterson Workout Quotes

Two-division world champion Lamont Peterson hosted a media workout in his hometown of Washington, D.C. Thursday as he prepares to take on unbeaten welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. Saturday, January 20 live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING® and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features lightweight world champion Robert Easter battling former champion Javier Fortuna.

Here is what the workout participants had to say Thursday:

LAMONT PETERSON

“I feel great. I’m already close to weight. I’m happy and eating up to five times a day. I feel strong and I’m ready for this fight.

“I have to look at this as really just another big fight. When you’re at the top, you try not to make too much of each fight. We know what’s at stake. I know that when I keep it simple, that’s when I perform best.

“Right now my body feels better than ever. I’m comfortable with everything that’s gone on in camp and I think you can see it in my body.

“I’ve always trained hard since the first day I came here as a child. That’s been instilled in me since a young age and it’s carried me throughout my career.

“Everything I do is for D.C. I’m trying to get as much recognition for this area the best way I can. That’s what we all strive for in this gym. This is the biggest one that’s been on the schedule for a while and I’m ready to bring it home.

“It gets easier and easier the more championship fights I’m in. I was in shape for all of them, but I definitely put more pressure on myself when I was young. I’ve improved each time and now I feel like I’m really at the perfect place in my career.”

Rances Barthelemy and Kyrl Relikh to Rematch on February 10th

Unbeaten two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy and former title challenger Kiryl Relikh will both look to kick off their new year with a world title victory when they meet in a rematch for a vacant 140-pound title Saturday, Feb. 10 live on SHOWTIME from the Alamodome in San Antonio in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT and will be headlined by three-division world champion Mikey Garcia (37-0, 30 KOs) taking on unbeaten 140-pound world champion Sergey Lipinets (13-0, 10 KOs).

“Obviously the number one goal for 2018 is to bring home that belt on February 10,” said Barthelemy (26-0, 13 KOs). “Then I want to unify with all the other champions. My New Year’s resolution is to surround myself with good people and win multiple world titles.”

“First I have to win this fight in February,” said Relikh (21-2, 19 KOs). “But then I have hopes of a great year defending my belt against the mandatory and eventually a unification fight. This will be the year I reach a new level in this sport.”

Barthelemy and Relikh will fight for the WBA’s vacant Super Lightweight World Title after their title eliminator bout in May ended in a debatable decision for Barthelemy. This time the fighters will look to leave no doubt with the full title on the line.

“This is my second time fighting for a world title and it will be a second lesson for me,” said Relikh. “This is my time to become champion. I need to do much more during this fight.

“I have to be aggressive right from the start. I’m sure that I need a knockout to get the victory. He can try to run, but he won’t be able to hide from me.”

“Winning this title would be a dream come true for me,” said Barthelemy. “I’d be the first Cuban fighter in history to win a title in three different divisions. The last fight was very close and deserving of a rematch.

“I just need to stick to my game plan and show everyone that I’m the best 140-pound fighter in the world. The key will be to stay disciplined and land hard shots all night.”

Both fighters have sacrificed in training camp on the road to what they hope will be a celebratory moment on February 10, training hard through the holiday season to stay on target for fight night.

“My whole team has done a fantastic job so far in camp,” said Barthelemy. “Ismael Salas and Joel Casamayor are giving me great tips and keeping me focused on my goal. One new thing I’ve added this camp is Bob Santos for nutrition and strength and conditioning. It’s made a big difference over the holidays where I usually eat too much. He’s kept me on a strict diet and training has never been better.”

“These last few weeks through the holidays have been the hardest of my camp, so there was no room for distractions,” said Relikh. “I spent New Year’s with my family and then I was right back into training camp in the morning.”

With two belts in the 140-pound division on the line in the same night, the winner between Barthelemy and Relikh will be in a great position to begin a path toward unification after February 10.

“I will have my eye on the main event for sure,” said Relikh. “I’m focused on Barthelemy now, but I want to unify and if that means fighting Garcia or Lipinets, I will be ready.”

“Garcia vs. Lipinets is going to be a great fight and I definitely want the winner,” said Barthelemy. “Although Lipinets is the underdog going into this fight, I think he’s going to give Garcia all he can handle. But I still think Garcia will come out on top, setting up war between us in a unification bout.”