Serhii Bohachuk spends some time talking to Fight Hub TV about his upcoming fight against Vergil Ortiz, his past experience training with him, and also touches on topics including why he believes Terence Crawford beats Israil Madrimov and his expectation that Vasiliy Lomachenko won’t fight again. Check out some excerpts of what he had to say below.
Bohachuk on his familiarity with Ortiz’s style
“I know his style. I have experience training with him, I have sparring with him, a lot of time sparring with him, maybe 50 rounds, yeah. Maybe 50, maybe 70 rounds with him sparring. Sparring is sparring, fight is fight — different. I know his style, he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s Mexican boxer and he’s smart. He’s thinking, you know. He’s thinking, he’s moving, he has good punch, good condition, he’s good fighter.
“And he know me too…he know he need ready before this fight 100%, and I be ready for this fight 101%. It will be war. It’s very interesting.”
On if he thinks he’ll be able to deal with Ortiz’s power in a real fight based on his sparring experience with him
“Not bad power and not very, very power. You know, sparring it’s different gloves. Sparring bigger gloves and headgear, it’s very different. And fight is more interesting because small gloves, because power punches. And fight, it will be interesting.
“I need to be careful this fight. You know, this guy have 21 (wins), 21 KO. He can punch. I need to be different, be careful…I need to be careful 12 rounds. Like my coach Manny Robles told me, ‘you need to be careful first round, 12 rounds. It’s same.’ And I know this, I need to be careful with him and smart with him, not just throw, throw, throw punches…I need to be smart this fight, smart aggression.”
On what he thinks of the matchup in Crawford vs Madrimov
“Crawford win this fight, I think Crawford better. Madrimov good boxer, Madrimov good puncher, good technique, and Crawford better, Crawford stronger, Crawford faster, smarter. It’s my opinion, I think Crawford win this fight.”
On Lomachenko declining a fight with Tank
“Why? Because Lomachenko old. Where be Gervonta a couple years before when Lomachenko be best? Now Lomachenko older, Lomachenko not stronger, a lot of people want fight with him and ‘let’s go.’ Where be this guy a couple years before when Lomachenko peak form? Where?
“I think (Lomachenko’s) feeling not very stronger, he’s feeling a little bit tired. Of course, he’s old. He’s 37 years, right. 37 years, come on. He’s had long career, have big career, he’s working maybe 30 years he’s working, hard working…he’s tired, come on guys. He’s not a robot, he’s people like you, like me, and he needed rest.”
On if he thinks Lomachenko can come back next year and compete at the highest level against someone like Tank
“I think maybe he not back. I think maybe yes (he retires)…I don’t think he’s one year late(r) he’s back and say ‘I want to stay’…no, he need a couple of easy fights and he don’t have this time. He’s old. I think he’s not back.”