Written by: Sean Crose
In a classic battle between a feisty vet and a rising star, Sergiy Derevyachenko battled Christian Mbilli in front of the ESPN cameras Saturday night in Montreal. 15-5 Derevyanchenko, who had failed in several attempts to get a world title, was looking to re-emerge as a force. On the other hand, Mbilli was looking to show that he is the real one after getting a replay with 27-0. The fight was scheduled for 10 rounds in the super middleweight division.
Using excellent, aggressive footwork, Mbilli quickly began to pursue his older opponent (Derevyanchenko was nearly a decade older than his younger opponent) early on. A sharp body shot ensured that the first chapter belonged to Mbilli. The second saw Mbilli successfully cross the ring as he got down well on his man. Derevyanchenko was definitely present in the fight, but it was clear that Mbilli was the stronger and sharper of the two fighters.
Derevyanchenko worked better in the third, breaking Mbilli's stride at times with his jab and defining combinations. Did he do enough to win the round, though? The two boxers engaged in a fourth, creating an exciting chapter. That said, ESPN's broadcast team noted that Derevyanchenko was only shooting with his right hand. Derevyanchenko held on until he landed a left jab in the fifth. Certainly, this man was really successful against Billi. However, at the end of the round, Mbilli threw a nasty shot to Derevyanchenko's body.
Mbilli managed to move on to the sixth by continuing to hit his man with stinging blows. The seventh was a surprise, however, as Derevyanchnko looked to have hurt Mbilli. And while Mbilli seemed to be weathering the storm, there was no denying that Derevyanchenko could still be a dangerous opponent now that he is closing in on the age of forty. However, that did not stop Mbilli from shaking Derevyanchenko on the iron.
The eighth started with a Drevhanchenko slip. The veteran got to his feet, but his team admitted to ESPN that Derevyanchenko was actually fighting with one hand. The former world title challenger continued to fight bravely, but it was clear that he was losing to his younger, stronger opponent. In the ninth Derevyanchenko deserved credit for choosing to fight against what were almost insurmountable odds.
However, it was Billi who won the tenth and final round. He was then awarded the verdict he deserved by the judges.
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