Jermall Charlo dominates Sergiy Derevyanchenko to earn UD victory

WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo said he was the best boxer in the division, and he proved it against Sergiy Derevyachenko.

Before their Sept. 26 WBC middleweight championship showdown, boxers Jermall Charlo and Sergiy Derevyachenko both told anyone who would listen that they were going to be the victor at the end of the night.

Unfortunately, there can only be one winner in boxing, and Charlo received that honor.

Charlo has been criticized for the depth of his résumé, but Derevyanchenko was a legit top-5 middleweight.

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Charlo and Derevyanchenko were cautious to start round 1. Derevyanchenko established himself at center ring and tried to find an opening on Charlo. Charlo flicked out his jab to maintain distance. Charlo’s jab scored and won him a strategic round.

Derevyanchenko said in the final media conference that he wanted to pressure Charlo early in the fight. He tried to stay true to his word in round 2 but flew back after eating a Chartlo right hand. Charlo’s right scored several times, and he looked more comfortable than Derevyanchenko. He also doubled up on his left hook to tally another round.

Charlo nearly knocked Derevyanchenko down at the end of round 3 with a right hand, which he followed with a flurry before the bell rang, but Derevyanchenko started round 4 fast. Still, Charlo’s left hook won him another round, although Derevyanchenko found a bit of rhythm towards the close.

Round 5 was more competitive, but Derevyanchenko’s face started to break up as a cut opened up over his right eye. He’s used to fighting with a bloody face, but the damage began to show for the first time.

Jermall Charlo was tested at times by Sergiy Derevyachenko but backed his talk up with his fists.

Derevyanchenko had a good round 6 as he closed the distance and worked Charlo’s body. They traded for the first time in the fight. Derevyanchenko hit Charlo after the bell, which drew a warning from the referee.

Charlo hunted Derevyanchenko in round 7. He pushed forward and had Derevyanchenko moving back for the first time. Derevyanchenko came back scored a combination punctuated by a left hook.

Charlo was hurt for the first time in round 8. Derevyanchenko appeared to land low, and Charlo hoped to get the referee’s attention, but no warning came. Derevyanchenko continued to attack Charlo’s midsection as he showed he was still a live wire. Yet, Charlo connected with a right cross that wobbled Derevyanchenko’s legs in the final seconds. It was a challenging round to score.

Charlo continued top rock Derevyanchenko’s dome in round 9 with right hands. Derevyanchenko resembled a beaten fighter, but he never stopped trying despite his lack of activity and scoring blows.

Before round 10, the doctor checked Derevyanchenko’s bleeding eyes but allowed him to resume. He had a better round and closed the distance on Charlo, but didn’t necessarily win the round.

Charlo controlled round 11 and 12. In the final round, Derevyanchenko tried to get inside on Charlo, but Charlo’s boxing clinic carried on throughout the final bell. Derevyanchenko took his best shots and finished the bout on his feet, but it was a definitive victory for Charlo, who turned Derevyanchenko’s face into swiss cheese.

The judges all scored it a little differently with cards of 116-112, 177-111, and 118-110. However, they all hade Charlo as the winner by unanimous decision. Derevyanchenko gave Charlo a tough fight, but Charlo looked like the best middleweight in the world. Hopefully, he will get a chance to unify a title in the future.