WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo(30-0, 22 KOs has a big test on September 26 when he battles middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) on Showtime PPV.
The last time we saw Derevyanchenko, he nearly pulled off the upset against Gennady Golovkin, who he fought for the vacant IBF middleweight title in 2019 at Madison Square Garden. Many believed Derevyanchenko did enough to get the nod, but he would lose by a close unanimous decision.
Charlo agreed with the decision, and according to the Houston native, Golovkin did enough to get the win.
“I didn’t think Derevyanchenko won the fight against Golovkin, but he definitely made it a lot closer than people expected,” Charlo said during a Zoom call on Wednesday. “I didn’t think people knew about his style and what he brings to the ring. It was close, but I didn’t think he won the fight.”
Derevyanchenko‘s loss to Golovkin was not a robbery, and Charlo’s assessment of the fight is spot-on. Golovkin out-landed(243-230) Derevyanchenko, according to CompuBox. Additionally, Derevyanchenko was dropped by Golovkin in the first round.
Derevyanchenko two losses have come in title fights(Daniel Jacobs, Golovkin), which Charlo discussed on Wednesday.
“Derevyanchenko has been in with tough competition, but he’s come up short,” Charlo said. “I know that people will have questions no matter what happens, but that’s just part of boxing. I’m ready to fight.”
Both fighters have a lot to prove on September 26. Can Derevyanchenko win a title fight, and will Charlo get a signature victory at 160? We will find out on September 26.
Leave a Reply