Although the result of Serhii Bohachuk’s scintillating slugfest against Vergil Ortiz Jr. will officially be reflected as a loss on his ledger, “El Flaco” could be a winner in the long run with financial rewards and a burgeoning fan base.
Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) and Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KOs) delivered on the war they promised during their pre-fight buildup and deposited a fight-of-the-year frontrunner on August 10, incessantly blasting each other non-stop for 12 rounds in their junior middleweight scrap.
Bohachuk dropped Ortiz twice, but he wasn’t awarded the win in the close fight, as Ortiz sneaked away with a majority decision and the WBC interim 154-pound title Bohachuk held.
Bohachuk could, however, be awarded another high-profile showcase his next time out, courtesy of boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia.
“Serhii’s star skyrocketed after this fight. I don’t know why no one gave him a chance heading into this fight. He was a five-to-one underdog,” Bohachuk promoter Tom Loeffler, founder of 360 Promotions, told BoxingScene.
“It was great that Alalshikh was there in person to see how great of a performance Serhii put on. He also said that he thought Serhii won that fight, or at worst, it should have been a draw. He really liked Serhii. He came up to us after the fight and said that he wanted Serhii on a future show by the end of this year. It could definitely be on the December 21 show in Saudi Arabia. Serhii is ready to go. It would be great to have Serhii on the show, as his fellow Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk takes on Tyson Fury.”
The 154-pound weight class boasts plenty of top talent, and with a win already against Brian Mendoza under his belt earlier this year, Bohachuk would be a deserving opponent to a group that features Terence Crawford, Israil Madrimov, Sebastian Fundora, Tim Tszyu, Erickson Lubin, Charles Conwell, Jesus Ramos, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Xander Zayas, Vito Mielnicki Jr. and the inactive likes of Errol Spence Jr., Jermell Charlo, Brian Castano, and Keith Thurman.
“The division is so hot and there are so many great matchups to be made,” said Loeffler. “Serhii is in the top three to five in the division. Serhii has earned the right to fight any of the top names. The one thing with Serhii is that you are never going to see a boring fight.”
Loeffler also expressed his concerns that Bohachuk was wronged in his fight with Ortiz.
“There are definitely questions about the judging, and even the refereeing, which we needed instant replay to overturn a knockdown,” said Loeffler. “I don’t understand the mechanics of why it took so long to announce it to the corners. Overall, we’re convinced that Serhii should have kept his title and that he should still be the champion. Serhii didn’t lose the fight.
“It was at worst a draw, or winning by two points due to the two knockdowns. We’re disappointed in the decision but happy with how Serhii fought. It was 12 rounds of non-stop punching, action, knockdowns, and controversy. We never take anything away from Vergil. It was a great performance by him and we give him credit. It’s the leading candidate for the fight of the year.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
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