Sergiy Derevyanchenko feels he needs to do something dramatic to defeat Jermall Charlo

Boxing contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko wants to become a champion, but Jermall Charlo stands in his way. He tells FanSided what he needs to do to win.

Middleweight boxing contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-2, 10 KOs) is 0-2 in title bouts. Still, he thinks he knows what he has to do differently to make his third shot against Jermall Charlo his chance to achieve his championship dreams.

Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) attempts to defend his WBC title against Derevyanchenko on Saturday, Sept. 26, on Showtime pay-per-view. It’s a big stage for Derevyanchenko, but he has been there before.

In 2018, Derevyanchenko dropped a split decision to Daniel Jacobs for the then-vacant IBF title. It was an awkward matchup from the start since Derevyanchenko is trained by the same men who guide Jacobs and the Havoc boxing crew.

Andre Rozier and Gary Stark Sr. share training duties with many boxers, including Derevyanchenko and Jacobs. They had to split up on this occasion. Rozier was in Jacobs’ corner on that night, while Stark worked with Derevyanchenko.

Since then, Rozier has continued to train Derevyanchenko, and their relationship remains strong.

“First, Andre Rozier said, ‘I don’t like it. I don’t like this fight. I don’t want to work like this,’ but it was my decision to get this fight,” Derevyanchenko told FanSided through his wife Iryna, who interpreted. “Of course, so for Andre, it was hard, but for me, it was like a business. I understood this, and I, of course, understand that Andre went to Jacob’s corner because they know each other during the long time.”

Weary of judges due to his losses against Jacobs and Golovkin, Sergiy Derevyanchenko wants to do something eye-catching to sway things his way.

Derevyanchenko still works with Rozier, who is helping prepare him for the Charlo fight along with Stark. They’re a team, and not even their one fight apart can change that.

Derevyanchenko lost his last bout against Gennadiy Golovkin in October of 2019 by unanimous decision. Many thought Derevyanchenko did enough to win. Like his performance against Jacobs, Derevyanchenko was knocked down in the first round, but fought valiantly throughout the second half of the battle.

Derevyanchenko has a habit starting slowly in bouts, which he’s more than aware of. He’s spending a lot of his energy readying for Charlo by trying to break old practices.

“We’re working on it,” said Derevyanchenko. “We’re working on especially focusing since first round to 12th round. Of course, if I have [the] opportunity to finish this fight quickly, I will do that. But that depends on the situation. If I will have [the] opportunity to fight more pressure and quicker, I will do that.”

Charlo hasn’t fought the likes of a Golovkin or Jacobs, but Derevyanchenko thinks he is on their level and that any of the elite middleweights can beat the other on any given day.

“In middleweight, we have like five fighters,” said Derevyanchenko. “They’re all equal, and each of them can have wins for each fight when they fight with each other. And so of course, Jermall Charlo, he is in this five fighters. I think he’s a good opponent. He’s tough. He is good enough, like Golovkin and Jacobs.”

Derevyanchenko said all the right things leading up to his title contest with Charlo. His losses mirrored each other and taught him what he needs to do differently if he ever wants to be a world champion. However, would starting faster and applying more pressure get him a decision on the judges’ scorecards? The judges’ evaluations are subjective and far from an exact science. To end Sept. 26 with a belt around his waist, Derevyanchenko feels like he needs to do something extraordinary.

“When you fight some champions or when you fight big name, you need to prove not 100 percent. You need 110 percent,” related Derevyanchenko. “You need to [go] higher than opponents. Not like one head, like you need to be higher by two heads. And that’s why, of course, if you want to beat [a] champion, you need to beat him or [a] knockout or knockdown.  Something should happen during the fight, like to prove that you really, really good.”

If Derevyanchenko can stay on his feet while putting Charlo on the canvas, then he has a great chance of achieving his dream. But that’s much easier said than done.

Jermall Charlo vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko headlines part one of Showtime’s pay-per-view boxing doubleheader on Saturday, Sept. 26. The fights begin at 7 p.m. ET.