Serhii Bohachuk went the distance for the first time, but also put in a career-best performance in beating Brian Mendoza over 12 rounds to win the interim WBC super welterweight title.
Bohachuk (24-1, 23 KO) took cards of 117-111, 117-111, and 118-110 over the game but out-gunned Mendoza (22-4, 16 KO), who drops his second straight fight after last year’s comeback knockout win over Sebastian Fundora.
Bohachuk, 28, was originally meant to fight Fundora for the full vacant WBC title tonight, but Fundora getting bumped to the evening’s main event changed those plans.
The win does keep Bohachuk and his relentless style in line to potentially fight tonight’s Tszyu vs Fundora winner, which was on his mind post-fight.
“I feel great, I could maybe go 12 more rounds,” Bohachuk said. “This may have been the best fight of my pro career. Now I’m happy, I’m a[n interim] world champion. Next, maybe [the Tszyu-Fundora winner]. I want the best.”
Mendoza, 30, was there all night and had something of a late rally, but he ate hard shots and at times was really dominated by Bohachuk, whose focus never slipped enough to allow Mendoza to land a home run shot once he was way behind on the cards.
At the end of the 12 rounds, Mendoza’s left cheek was a swollen mass that resembled movie makeup, but he’s still never been stopped, and never even been down in his career, which after tonight is pretty remarkable indeed.
“I’ve always had that chin, but I wasn’t trying to rely on that. But he was the better man tonight,” Mendoza said. “That pride in me — I’m a dog, I’m a beast in here, I’ll never stop fighting.”
Mayweather prospect victorious
In the opener on the prelims, 17-year-old super featherweight prospect Curmel Moton shut out a game Anthony Cuba over three rounds. This fight was bumped to the televised card because of Elijah Garcia pulling out of his scheduled fight with Kyrone Davis.
Moton, a Floyd Mayweather protege, looked sharp, quick, and has a very mature fighting style and approach for his age, and we could say the same if he were three or four years older. Going eight rounds in his third fight is also not a bad thing