Derevyanchenko Destroys Soliman in PBC on ESPN Main Event

Unbeaten middleweight Sergiy Derevyanchenko becomes just the second man to stop former champ Sam Soliman. #PBConESPN pic.twitter.com/m3aj4Wp33J

— PBC (@premierboxing) July 22, 2016

It was supposed to be the toughest test for rising contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko on Thursday night, a fight that was expected by many to possibly push him to the limits. Or at least further than he had previously in his still-blossoming career.

Derevyanchenko mustn’t have gotten the memo because he made the aging veteran and former world champion Sam Soliman look his age in the main event of the latest Premier Boxing Champions card on ESPN.

Derevyanchenko improved to 9-0 with his seventh career knockout with an absolute thrashing of the former IBF middleweight champion, dropping him thrice en route to a shocking second-round knockout. The 2008 Ukrainian Olympian scored his first knockdown in the first when he drilled Soliman with a missile of a right to the jaw. The Australian didn’t seem to be overly hurt and sprung to his feet immediately, but the end was right around the corner.

Derevyanchenko delivered his punches with surgical precision early in the second, keeping “The King” off balance often. Derevyanchenko was intelligent with his attacks and it wasn’t long before a left hook decked Soliman again. Soliman (44-14, 18 KOs) climbed to his feet again and seemed relatively okay until he was rocked by another volley of punches.

On wobbly legs and in survival mode, Soliman tried his best to clear his head and fight back, but Derevyanchenko was masterful in his execution. The unbeaten prodigy hunted his reeling foe down and swarmed him with punches until a laser of a left hook flattened him, this time for good. Referee Johnny Callas immediately waived it off, ending the fight officially at 2:41 of the second.

“I looked into his eyes after I knocked him down the first time and I knew he would continue coming forward,” Derevyanchenko said afterward. “I wasn't going to drop my guard. I didn't even feel that punch on my glove because it was so clean to the chin. But I felt the last knockdown.”

With the win, Derevyanchenko became the IBF’s number-one contender at middleweight.

In the opening bout of the ESPN telecast from within Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Conn., middleweight prospect Ievgen Khytrov (13-0, 11 KOs) was relentless against Paul Mendez, unleashing sheer brutality in every round until he finally stopped him in the ninth.

The two engaged in heated and wild exchanges early, but the Ukrainian possessed more firepower and much more diverse attack. Khytrov ripped his foe to the body on the inside and unleashed dozens of uppercuts. Finally, after another barrage of punches rocked Mendez (19-3-2, 9 KOs) about a minute into the ninth, Khytrov poured on the attack, prompting referee Joe Lupino to finally halt it at the 1:20 mark.