Serhii Bohachuk ready to let the world in on Ukraine’s best kept secret
Ukrainian boxer Serhii Bohachuk has the record and the knockouts to become a big name in boxing. He’s hoping a win on Ring City USA will help his cause.
Ukraine has a rich boxing history in terms of producing world champions, but undefeated boxer Serhii Bohachuk has a bit of a different story.
The Klitschko brothers set the bar high for Ukrainian boxers, but they also helped inspire their countrymen. Since the brothers reigned as heavyweight champions, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk also blazed trails to world titles as professionals.
Bohachuk (18-0, 18 KOs) is trying to forge his own path to a title, but his rise through the ranks slightly deviates from those previously mentioned. Except for Vitali Klitschko, the other Ukrainian boxers discussed were Olympians that earned gold medals.
Bohachuk had a successful amateur career and amassed over 150 amateur bouts, but his sights were always set on achieving stardom as a professional. When he saw his opportunity to turn pro, he took it.
“I was one of the members of the Ukrainian Olympic team, but my goal was to be a professional, which is why I switched from amateur to professional boxing,” Bohachuk told FanSided.
Bohachuk didn’t qualify for the 2016 Olympics, but one fight as an amateur proved that he could be a great boxer. He competed as a member of the Ukrainian team for the World Series of Boxing (WSB). A meeting with former Olympic gold medalist Roniel Iglesias put Bohachuk’s name on notice. Bohachuk defeated Iglesias by split decision over five rounds. Iglesias was an amateur Cuban boxing sensation, and Bohachuk bested him.
Bohachuk’s time in the WSB, along with his win over Iglesias, gave him the push to turn professional.
“After I won [against Iglesias], it was not three rounds but five rounds,” said Bohachuk. “I knew I could go more than five, and that was in my mind to make the decision to go professional. I felt like I could go 10, 12 rounds.”
Serhii Bohachuk looks up to fellow Ukrainian boxers like the Klitschko brothers and Vasiliy Lomacheko and is looking to establish his own legacy
Today, Bohachuk is 25 years old and has four years of professional experience under his belt. Bohachuk knows that he could go 10-12 rounds if needed, but he hasn’t gone past six. None of his 18 opponents has lasted that long. He has defeated them all by knockout.
Bohachuk is ready to take a step up in competition against Brandon Adams on Thursday, March 4, as part of Ring City USA on NBC Sports Network from the Felix Pagan Pintor Gym in Puerto Rico. They were supposed to fight in December of 2020, but Bohachuk tested positive for COVID-19, which postponed their meeting.
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Bohachuk had to deal with some of the effects of COVID-19 but bounced back quickly.
“In the beginning, I had small symptoms,” said Bohachuk. “I lost smell and had a body ache. In two weeks, I was back to normal, and right now, I’m back at 100 percent. I’m ready for the fight.”
Adams (22-3, 14 KOs) fought Sonny Duversonne in place of Bohachuk in December and knocked him out in round 2. Adams lost his bout before Duversonne against WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo but had a solid showing.
Adams is an experienced pro who’s durable, but can he last with Bohachuk? That all depends on Adams, according to Bohachuk.
“He will give me a good fight, good challenge,” said Bohachuk respectfully. “It’s up to Brandon’s readiness for this fight if he will last 10 rounds or he will hit the floor. It’s up to Brandon’s condition. It’s not up to me.”
A knockout win over Adams would make a giant statement for Bohachuk. It would be an accomplishment that Charlo couldn’t attain and move him a step closer to a title fight. Bohachuk is a big junior middleweight at 6-feet-tall. He has established his power. Now, he just needs some more exposure. Bohachuk’s Ring City USA main event could be the start of a chase for a title.
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Serhii Bohachuk and Brandon Adams fight in a junior middleweight bout on Thursday, March 4, on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET as part of Ring City USA. You can view prelim bouts at 7 p.m. ET on the Ring City USA’s Twitch channel.