By: Sean Crose
In a classic battle between the grizzled vet and the rising star, Sergiy Derevyachenko fought Christian Mbilli before ESPN cameras Saturday night in Montreal. The 15-5 Derevyanchenko, who had failed in numerous attempts to secure a world title, was looking to once again be seen as a force. Mbilli, on the other hand, was looking to show that he was the real thing after earning a resume of 27-0. The fight was scheduled for 10 rounds in the super middleweight division.
Employing excellent, aggressive footwork, Mbilli immediately took to pursuing his older opponent (Derevyanchenko had almost a decade on his younger foe) in the first. Some sharp shooting to the body assured the opening chapter belonged to Mbilli. The second saw Mbilli cut off the ring effectively while landing well on his man. Derevyanchenko was certainly in the fight, but it was clear Mbilli was the stronger and sharper of the two fighters.
Derevyanchenko did better work in the third, breaking Mbilli’s stride at times with his jab and telling combinations. Did he do enough to win the round, though? The two fighters took to trading blows in the fourth, which made for an exciting chapter. With that being said, ESPN’s broadcast team noted Derevyanchenko was only firing with his right hand. Derevyanchenko none the less held out and even jabbed with his left in the fifth. Sure enough, the man was having real success against Mbilli. The end of the round, however, had Mbilli tossing vicious shots to Derevyanchenko’s body.
Mbilli was able to edge the sixth by continuously assaulting his man with chopping blows. The seventh was a surprise, however, as Derevyanchnko looked to have hurt Mbilli. And while Mbilli appeared to weather the storm, there was no denying that Derevyanchenko could still be a dangerous foe as he closed in on forty years of age. That, however, didn’t keep Mbilli from rocking Derevyanchenko at the bell.
The eighth started with a Drevhanchenko slip. The veteran fighter got to his feet, but his team admitted to ESPN that Derevyanchenko was essentially fighting with one hand. The former world title challenger continued to fight boldly, but it was clear he was losing to his younger, stronger opponent. By the ninth Derevyanchenko deserved credit for choosing to fight against what had become almost insurmountable odds.
Still, it was Mbilli who won the tenth and final round. He was subsequently rewarded with a well deserved unanimous decision win from the judges.