By: Hans Themistode
Sergiy Derevyanchenko vs either Canelo Alvarez or Jermall Charlo has been the worst kept secret in all of boxing.
The middleweight contender is coming closer and closer to making his decision on whom he will take on in the fall. Although his choice is still up in the air, Charlo appears to have an edge. For fans of the sport, choosing Charlo over Canelo would seem almost impossible. A matchup with Canelo not only brings more eyes to the television screen, but it also fattens his opponents wallets.
Still, even with the notoriety and extra zeros in his bank account, Derevyanchenko has given Charlo the edge. His reasoning behind it is simple. Charlo appears to be serious about fighting him.
“Canelo says yes he wants to fight,” said the middleweight contender to BoxingInsider.com. “But his side did not give me an offer. It was only talk.”
Over the past several months, Canelo has found it increasingly difficult to land a dance partner for his September date. Fighters such as Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders have complained that they have been low balled in the negotiations. But for Derevyanchenko, he believes the pound for pound star never wanted to step into the ring against him.
A marketing ploy would best describe how Derevyanchenko and his trainer Andre Rozier feel about the stunt that Canelo and his team pulled.
The intrigue surrounding Derevyanchenko went through the roof with his last ring appearance. In October of 2019, Derevyanchenko pushed current middleweight belt holder Gennadiy Golovkin to the limit. Most who saw that contest live at Madison Square Garden in New York City, were incredulous when Golovkin was given the nod. Yet even with another championship stain on his resume, Derevyanchenko saw his stock soar.
His performance against Golovkin, coupled with his skillset has made him a fan favorite. But that new found stardom was something that Canelo wanted to take advantage of according to Rozier.
“You have to go where the paper is real,” said Rozier to BoxingInsider.com. “It bought a lot of intrigue and excitement. People are looking forward to seeing Sergiy fight after his last performance. They know that he comes and brings it. They almost used it as an advertising piece, smart move by Golden Boy.”