Middleweight dark horse Sergiy Derevyanchenko returns to the PBC airwaves in two weeks, headlining the latest Fox Sports 1 show against fellow unbeaten Kemahl Russell. The Tunica card will also feature series regulars Ahmed Elbiali and Jamontay Clark against the TBA twins.
The matchmaking is honestly bizarre. Both the WBC and the IBF have Derevyanchenko (9-0, 7 KO), who destroyed Sam Soliman last July, ranked in the top five. BoxRec has him at number five in the division overall, while Russell (10-0, 8 KO) is sitting pretty at 99th. The Jamaican has only been booked past six rounds three times before and his last opponent entered the fight 2-11.
I guess this is the price we pay for Thurman-Garcia.
Elbiali (14-0, 11 KO) is a big guy with a decent, B- sort of punch, but I’m not sure I agree with the "prospect" label. He’s not a lights-out hitter and his technique is sorely lacking, often consisting entirely of a lead right. He’s had fourteen months to polish up since we last saw him, though, so who knows.
Clark (10-0, 6 KO), a 22-year-old out of Cincinnati, got dropped early last time out against Edgar Ortega but rallied back to batter his way to a decision. This will be his first eight-rounder.