Sergiy Derevyanchenko gave the new IBF and IBO world middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin arguably the toughest night of his professional career on October 5 at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden, with the Ukrainian narrowly and many would say controversially missing out on becoming unified world champion himself.
Despite being rushed to hospital in the immediate aftermath, Derevyanchenko returned to his training base in Brooklyn, New York just over a week later as he looks to get back in the mix straight away with a Golovkin rematch being much talked about in the international boxing press.
Dereyvanchenko assessed the fight and discussed the possibilities of a rematch, "I felt I won the fight. It was a close fight and Golovkin is a truly amazing fighter. I have the utmost respect for Gennady and his team but I believe I won the fight and those who were booing after the result was announced were not booing GGG, they were booing the result.
"I felt I boxed well and my team Andre Rozier and Gary Stark Sr got me in amazing condition at SNAC and come up with an amazing game plan which was effective throughout the fight. I have to give them a lot of praise for coming up with such an excellent plan and helping me show the world what Sergiy Derevyanchenko is all about."
Dereyvanchenko now sits in the elite of the 160-pound division, with Canelo Alvarez, Jermall Charlo, and Golovkin holding versions of the middleweight belts. The Ukranian continued as he analyzed what he wanted going ahead.
He said, "I do want the rematch and I believe the world wants to see the rematch. That fight was the most competitive fight Golovkin has been in in years and if people will want to see us do it again and I am confident that next time I will become IBF and IBO world champion. I believe there is a public demand for this fight and my manager Keith Connolly and promoter Lou DiBella will be pushing to make it happen.
"If the Golovkin rematch isn't available I would love to fight Canelo after he boxes Kovalev. This was a fight I was due to have and I believe that I would take the fight to Canelo in a way nobody has done at middleweight. If Canelo is not available I would happily jump in with Charlo and give him a real fight at 160 pounds that people would be interested in seeing."
ADD COMMENT VIEW COMMENTS (175)