Count Serhii Bohachuk in… versus Charlo, Fundora, Murtazaliev and all at 154

With three champions and multiple elite contenders banging on the door in the junior-middleweight division, Serhii Bohachuk has some work to do to find the clearest path to a belt.

That effort is eased, Bohachuk promoter Tom Loeffler says, because there’s likely no one in the division more willing to meet any fighter in the group at any location, at any time.

“There’s no question that,” Bohachuk’s willingness to engage with any 154-pounder is supreme, Loeffler told BoxingScene this week, days after the Ukrainian dominated a replacement fight for the ill former champion Israil Madrimov and trounced Ishmael Davis by sixth-round stoppage after two earlier knockdowns in Saudi Arabia.

“He’s one of the most exciting fighters in boxing with his knockout ratio being 96 per cent and his interest in fighting anyone.”

Loeffler reminded that Bohachuk, 25-2 (24 KOs), was due to fight current WBO/WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora March 30 before Keith Thurman was injured, leaving Fundora to step in and fight then-champion Tim Tszyu. Fundora emerged with a split-decision triumph and then turned his attention to former welterweight champion Errol Spence Jnr.

Bohachuk defeated Brian Mendoza by a wide decision earlier on that March 30 Fundora-Tszyu card after Mendoza had knocked out Fundora.

As Fundora waited, Bohachuk sought activity and produced a fight-of-the-year candidate in August, twice knocking down the highly avoided unbeaten Vergil Ortiz Jnr but losing by a majority decision.

Undeterred, Bohachuk agreed to fight Madrimov following the Uzbekistan fighter’s narrow loss to WBA 154-pound champion Terence Crawford on August 3.

“[Davis] was already on the [December 21] card so he showed up in tremendous shape, but Serhii showed his class by stopping him in the sixth, furthering our view that Serhii is really at the top of the division,” Loeffler said.

Loeffler told BoxingScene he’s reached out to Premier Boxing Champions to propose Bohachuk versus returning former undisputed 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo, and he’s also expressed interest in fighting new IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev, who’s recovering from an injury and currently without a mandatory challenger. 

If Spence opts not to take the Fundora fight, Bohachuk would also like to revisit that bout since he stands as the WBC’s No. 3-rated contender.

“Not only is he willing to fight anyone, but everyone now knows from this year’s work that whenever he steps in the ring, he’s going to bring an exciting fight. He’s an all-action guy who continually comes forward and doesn’t mind getting hit a few times in order to deliver his punches,” Loeffler said.

“In the Vergil fight, they were both busted up, but they released Bohachuk right away and they kept Vergil longer for observation. That shows the physical wear and tear Serhii puts on someone in a 12-round fight.”

Bohachuk will return to the gym next week as the promoter assesses the division’s landscape seeking the next quality fight.

“Serhii is kind of like the Ironman of the division – always there, always ready to fight,” Loeffler said, also mentioning Tszyu as a foe of interest following his destructive defeat at the hands of Murtazaliev in October.