OK guys lets introduce the fighters from your country to the wider audience. The onces that you know (or hope at least) will be good pros even if they are only in the amateurs now. I have one rule for this thread - the fighter shoiuld be younger than 30. So, mine main hopes in Ukrainian boxing are: Honorable mentions: Petro Ivanov (10-0-2, 6 KOs), Dmytro Mytrofanov (5-0-1, 3 KOs), Heorhii Lashko (9-0 5 KOs) and Oleg Dovhun (9-0, 2 KOs). Mytrofanov is the best of this group as of now but he is almost 30 y.o. Other guys are much younger. Ivanov holds the best win among them, stopping unbeaten French puncher Louis Toutin in the ninth round, but he is still too raw and needs to polish his skills. #5 Vladyslav Sirenko, heavyweight, 24 y.o., has 12-0 (11 KOs) record. His strengths - good power in both hands, high IQ (watch his interviews - he is really smart guy), decent hand speed, good body work and decent jab. His weaknesses - pretty slow on his feet, relies too much on his left hook, vulnerable to jabs and uppercuts. He also needs to fight more opponents like Jamal Woods and Denis Bakhtov, and step up from fight to fight. His ceiling? I think, Chris Arreola-level contender. I will be very surprised if he wins the major belt at some point of his career. #4 Arnold Khegai, super bantamweight, 27 y.o., has 15-0-1 (10 KOs) record. Arnold has Korean roots and he reminds me a lot In Jin Chi - fromer WBC featherweight champion. Like In Jin Chi, Khegai is tough as nails and has good power and stamina. I think he will definitely be a contender 1-2 years from now and possibly can win a belt. I think brawlers will always have problems with him, but good boxers can outbox him pretty comfortably. #3 Serhii Bohachuk, super welterweight, 24 y.o., has 15-0 (15 KOs) record. Good, strong and powerful Golovkin-type pressure fighter. He can be outboxed though - good boxers like Lara will pose him tons of problems I fear. But he definitely can win the belt if he progresses well. #2. Viktor Vykhryst, amateur, super heavyweight, 27 y.o. Wladimi Klitschko-lookalike has good size (6'5''), very good power in both hands and good skills, which enabled him to win Gold Medals at the European Championship in 2017 and European Games in 2019 while beating very solid opponents in process. My main concern about Vykhryst is stamina - he had an awful one at the beginning of his career, although has improved it since then. Also, his skin is very prone to cuts. He got cut badly in both European Championship and European Games. I think Vykhryst will become solid Kubrat Pulev-lelev contender, but if he wins a major belt at some point of his career he will exceed my expectations. #1 Oleksandr Khyzhniak, amateur, middleweight, 23 y.o. Currently the best P4P amateur boxer in the world, World Champion (2017), European Champion (2017), European Games winner (2019). Very strong, powerful and skilled fighter who is trained by his father (just like Lomachenko). Smart, laid-back and GENUINELY good guy. I think if everything goes well, if he won't be distracted by the things outside of the ring, he will become a dominant champion in 4-5 years time. I'd like to see him fight Rocky Fielding in his pro debut in 2020 - I think he will KO him faster than Canelo did.
Khyzhniak will likely sign with K2 who works with Matchroom very close. If he wins Olympic Gold, he will be labelled as a next superstar in boxing. Considering his power and aggresive style he can become very popular boxer around the world. UK market is second biggest in the world, so why don't show him to the British fans as soon as possible? Rocky Fielding is well known in UK, and he will be low risk/high reward type of opponent for Khyzhniak. Well, he will probably start his career in Ukraine, but in the second or third fight he can be introduced to British public
Fielding is experienced and a big puncher. Not to mention the fact that he has sprung a few upsets here and there. No way would the next big thing be thrown in there with him. There is zero reward. No one rates Fielding. There is only risk.
1. Vergil Ortiz Jr. 2. Devin Haney 3. Ruben Villa 4. Carlos Castro 5. Jaron Ennis 6. Anthony Sims Jr. 7. Shakur Stevenson 8. Teofimo Lopez 9. Alexis Espino 10. Brian Ceballo @The Professor This is not nationalistic trolling. It's a good thread,
I like Fielding and hope he's done. He made his money and has a nice belt collection for a guy many wrote off has having a ceiling that was well below British level after the loss to Smith. No interest in seeing him getting smashed by blue chip prospects.
