The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN boxer Tureano Johnson had high hopes of challenging for a title shot in the near future but those plans were derailed for the moment when he suffered a loss in the IBF middleweight eliminator bout.

Sergiy Derevyanchenko remained unbeaten and improved to 11-0 (9 KO) with the 12th round TKO over Johnson (20-2, 14 KO) at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma, on Friday night.

The Ukranian boxer nicknamed “The Technician” delivered a series of punches in the opening moments of the 12th, highlighted by a left hook that floored Johnson around the second mark.

The knockdown prompted referee Gary Ritter to call the fight.

Johnson’s coach, Jason Jorgenson, said in a bout of equally matched fighters, Derevyanchenko was able to get the better hand as Tureano makes his way back from injury.

“Overall Tureano is a great fighter but we were fighting another great fighter as well. Tonight he just seemed to not quite let his hands go on the inside as much as we wanted. We wanted a little more body shots to break this guy down, but this guy is very heavy handed, he’s very quick and that’s why he’s right there in line with Tureano in being ranked so high in the IBF.

“As far as out performance tonight, Tureano said he left it all in the ring and I told him there’s nothing to be ashamed of there. He just came off an injury, he had a few fights back and this was a huge step up under those circumstances, but Tureano is a warrior and he was not going to duck this opportunity to go after the IBF world title,” Jorgenson told ZSR 103.5, “I don’t think by any means Tureano is done, I think this is a good eye opener for how you have to prepare yourself where you have to be if you want to fight for a world title at the very top. I think he will go back to the drawing board and think about exactly what he wants to do and come back 150 percent. I’m sure he’ll come back stronger than ever.”

With the win, Derevyanchenko now assumes the role of the No.1 contender for the IBF middleweight title.

“I’m very happy with my performance. I did exactly what we worked on in training and broke him down to get the knockout,” he said, “I’m ready to fight the winner of Golovkin vs. Canelo for the title. I think that Golovkin will win and I look forward to fighting him next.”

From the outset of the bout, Tureano seemed intent on keeping the pressure on his challenger early by charging ahead and trying to get an advantage on the inside. The Technician was able to use his jab to keep Johnson at bay and landed several power punches to take control of the early rounds.

Their exchanges intensified in fourth and the Technician’s jab continued to create room for his combinations. He hit Johnson with a right cross and uppercut to highlight end of the fourth round.

Early in the fifth Johnson was hurt by right hand in an attempt to smother Derevyanchecnko who followed with a right cross and four punch combination to win round five.

Johnson was able to come back strong in rounds six and seven with body shots to slow down the Technician and the fight’s momentum moved toward Johnson’s pace. With Johnson gaining the upperhand, Derevyanchenko began holding and tying up to limit Johnson’s ability to get inside and simultaneously allow him to recover. Johnson finished round eight strongly and survived his opponent wildly swinging chasing the knockout.

Derevyanchenko took major shots in the ninth and 10th rounds but showed his grit and resilience by staying on his feet and surviving the onslaught. Looking battered and bruised with swelling around both eyes, Johnson landed three uppercuts in the 10th that drew blood. Derevyanchenko clearly had the upperhand in the 11th and nearly ended the fight in the round but Johnson was able to last until the final bell.

In a 50-50 purse split between the fighters following the bout, each fighter earned just over $60,000. The IBF mandated that Johnson must square off with Derevanchenko to determine the challenger for Golovkin’s middleweight title.

Johnson, 33, returned to the ring in May after being sidelined for nearly a year-and-a-half with a second round knockout over Fabiano Pena.

Johnson was originally intended to face Golovkin last April. However, the fight never took place. The Pena fight was Johnson’s first fight under Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions stable since making the switch in September 2015, a move that was expected to send him on the fast track to an eventual title shot and prominence in the division.

He injured his shoulder in a unanimous decision win over Irishman Eamonn O’Kane on October 17, 2015. With the win, he became the mandatory No.1 contender. He further damaged the rotator cuff just ahead of his scheduled fight with Golovkin.

Johnson was granted a medical extension by the IBF but exceeded the permitted time for a mandatory challenger to remain inactive.

Golovkin is set to defend his world titles against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 16th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.