For the third time this yr, issues haven’t fairly gone as deliberate for Serhii Bohachuk.The junior middleweight contender was speculated to face former titleholder Israil Madrimov on the undercard of the December 21 rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. The winner of Bohachuk vs. Madrimov can be well-positioned to face a titleholder or fellow contender in 2025.
However then it was introduced that Madrimov would even be combating Vergil Ortiz Jnr on the undercard of the February 22 rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. For these skeptical that Madrimov would have the ability to do each in simply 63 days, they weren’t shocked when Madrimov pulled out of the Bohachuk bout, citing a case of bronchitis.As an alternative, Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) will tackle late substitute Ishmael Davis (13-1, 6 KOs), who’s coming off a slender majority resolution loss to Josh Kelly in September.
“It’s disappointing, however on the similar time Serhii stays on the present,” Bohachuk’s promoter, Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions, mentioned in an interview with Randy Gordon and Gerry Cooney, the hosts of On the Fights on SiriusXM.
“We’ve acquired a substitute for him, Ishmael Davis from the UK, so it’s not the identical caliber combat, however Serhii was very assured entering into to combat Madrimov. He’s nonetheless very assured entering into to combat Davis,” Loeffler mentioned. “And the beauty of staying on that present, the large Usyk-Fury rematch present from Saudi, is that if he’s profitable and beats Davis, that’ll open the doorways for persevering with in an enormous combat in 2025.”
In March, Bohachuk was speculated to combat Sebastian Fundora for the vacant WBC junior middleweight world title in March on the undercard of Tim Tszyu vs. Keith Thurman. However when Thurman acquired damage, Fundora stepped in — and instantly the principle occasion was for each Tszyu’s WBO title and the WBC title. Bohachuk as an alternative defeated Brian Mendoza for the interim WBC belt.
Then Bohachuk met Ortiz in August. He scored two knockdowns however misplaced a really shut majority resolution. His efficiency caught the attention of boxing financier Turki Alalshikh of Riyadh Season, who was there in attendance on the Michelob Extremely Enviornment in Las Vegas. That landed Bohachuk on this December 21 present in Riyadh.
“We simply attempt to make the most effective of the state of affairs,” Loeffler mentioned. “Generally it breaks your approach. The worst-case state of affairs would’ve been in the event that they’d mentioned the combat’s canceled, and Serhii’s not combating, and that may’ve been a catastrophe as a result of he is been coaching actually exhausting for December 21. I all the time strive to take a look at the intense aspect. If he comes out and beats Ishmael Davis, that’s three world-class fights this yr after which we’ll simply construct on that for subsequent yr.”
There will likely be a tactical adjustment for Bohachuk to organize for Davis, who was a late substitute as properly in that Kelly bout, stepping in for Liam Smith and almost enjoying the spoiler.
“Undoubtedly is a distinct fashion than Madrimov,” Loeffler mentioned. “Madrimov has that Japanese European fashion that’s very efficient and gave Terence Crawford a really, very robust combat. With Davis, a distinct fashion, a U.Ok. fighter. He took a combat at Wembley Stadium on the Anthony Joshua [vs. Daniel Dubois] present on brief discover and gave Josh Kelly all he wished. […] So he’s a difficult fighter. Undoubtedly [Davis is] coming to win. It is a large alternative for him.”
Loeffler mentioned they will solely take Madrimov’s crew at their phrase, and that they will solely management what’s in entrance of them, even when who’s in entrance of them has modified.
“They instructed us he was sick. We’re not going to query no matter it’s,” he mentioned. “In the event that they selected to combat Vergil Ortiz as an alternative, then we’ll make the most effective of the Davis combat. Undoubtedly can not overlook Davis. After which it is likely to be a combat subsequent yr, a rematch with Vergil Ortiz [if he beats Madrimov]. Or if Madrimov wins the combat, [a fight] with Madrimov. Fundora. Terence Crawford. There’s so many nice names that I feel 2025 will nonetheless be an enormous yr for Serhii Bohachuk.”
