By: Sean Crose
Though there’s no main fights this weekend on the earth of boxing, there’s undoubtedly going to be an attention-grabbing throwdown in Canada because the 38 yr outdated Sergey Derevyanchenko takes on rising tremendous middleweight Christian Mbilli at Quebec’s Centre Videotron. The bout, which is scheduled for 10 rounds within the supermiddleweight division, shall be broadcast reside Saturday evening on ESPN+. There’s lots using on this match for Mbilli and possibly much more using on this contest for Derevyanchenko. For if Mbilli beats his man, the possibilities of the veteran Derevyanchenko ever being acknowledged as a pressure once more shall be over.
The Ukrainian fighter hasn’t taken the world by storm since his very spectacular outings in opposition to Daniel Jacobs and Gennady Golovkin. True, Derevyanchecnko misplaced these battles, however the man carried out effectively sufficient for some to consider he deserved the IBF middleweight title, which he had fought for on each these events. The Jacob’s combat was in 2018, whereas the Golovkin battle was in 2019. Since that point, nonetheless, Derevyanchenko has misplaced three out of 5 fights. Having misplaced most, if not all, of his main bouts, Derevyanchenko clearly needs to as soon as once more make his mark on the game of boxing.
He has a tall order in entrance of him in Mbilli this weekend, although. For starters, Mbilli is round 9 years youthful than he. What’s extra, Mbilli has stopped 23 of his 27 opponents throughout the distance. The French (by Cameroon) fighter has by no means misplaced a combat since turning professional in 2017. However, Mbilli has by no means confronted a fighter like Derevyanchenko earlier than. It’s value remembering that fighters thought-about completed have come again and had good second acts (George Foreman being the prime instance of this). It’s additionally value protecting in thoughts that Derevyanchenko has solely misplaced to fighters of word (in addition to Jacobs and Golovkin, Derevyanchecnko has been bested by Carlos Adames, Jermall Charlo and Jaime Munguia).
With all that being mentioned, Mbilli and his group deserve credit score for being prepared to face Derevyanchenko at this level in Mbilli’s profession. Mbilli is taken into account one of many prime tremendous middleweights on the earth. With Canlo Alvarez ruling over the division with an iron fist, its exhausting to discover a extra profitable weight class within the present boxing scene. In different phrases, Mbilli is taking an actual threat right here. Once more, it’s good to see a younger fighter being prepared to grind out a profitable profession by exhausting work and expertise fairly than hype and cautious advertising.
