When super middleweight Christian Mbilli is trying to rip your head off, the last thing you need is more trouble. Unfortunately, Sergiy Derevyanchenko suffered a torn left bicep in the third round of his battle against the undefeated Canadian and was forced to fight the remainder of the 10-round fight one-handed.
Despite losing by a lopsided decision and enduring insurmountable pain, the loser won new fans with an act of soldierly gallantry.
Boxing hasn’t done Derevyanchenko any favors. The Ukrainian star lost close decisions to Gennadiy Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs in world title fights when a win in either of those bouts would have changed his life. He was then sacrificed at the expense of Jaime Munguia’s rise as time ran out on his career. This injury is just another slap in the face for the 38-year-old.
LOOK: Christian Mbilli vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko on ESPN+
Trainer Andre Rozier considered stopping the fight with Mbilli, but Derevyanchenko would have none of it. “I said, ‘Do you want me to stop this fight?’ and he said no,” the acclaimed trainer recalled during post-fight interviews with ESPN. “That’s the sign of a warrior, and he continued to fight one-handed against one of the best 168-pounders in the world.”
Boxers are a different breed. Any normal human being would feel justified in retiring due to a serious injury. Derevyanchenko is not normal; he is a warrior who refuses to give up under any circumstances. His heroic effort in losing last night puts him in a special category with boxers who tried their hardest to get the best out of themselves against overwhelming odds.
The Jugo Mobile looks back at five occasions when a boxer went above and beyond the call of duty.
Mohamed Ali
- Struggle: Ken Norton
- Date: March 31, 1973
- Location: San Diego Sports Arena
- Injury: Broken jaw
Muhammad Ali was riding a 10-fight winning streak after losing for the first time in his career to Joe Frazier in March 1971. Norton, a former Marine, was supposed to be an easy job, but he turned out to be anything but. While there is dispute over when the injury occurred (Ali said in the second round and Norton said in the 12th), there is no doubt that Ali’s mouth was damaged going into the later rounds of this non-title heavyweight fight. Refusing to give up, Ali fought his opponent to the finish before losing a decision. He had suffered a clean break to his jaw with a quarter-inch separation.
Result: Norton SD 12
Danny Williams
- Struggle: Marco Potter
- Date: October 21, 2000
- Location: Wembley Arena, London
- Injury: Dislocated right shoulder
Acts of heroism are not reserved for the world level alone. In a British heavyweight title fight, Williams suffered a dislocated right shoulder against Mark Potter early in the third round. In terrible trouble, there was great relief when the shoulder popped back into place, but by the sixth round it was gone. In terrible pain and with no defence against the left hook, Williams staggered around the ring biding his time. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Williams escaped with a jab and countered with a killer left uppercut that dropped Potter hard. Two more knockdowns followed and Williams had pulled off a miraculous triumph.
Result: Williams TKO 6
Arturo Gatti
- Struggle: Micky’s Neighborhood
- Date: June 7, 2003
- Location: Boardwalk Lounge, Atlantic City
- Injury: Broken right hand
It was perhaps the most violent trilogy in boxing history. In the second fight, Ward suffered a perforated eardrum and fought eight rounds almost off balance before losing a decision. In the third fight, it was Gatti who would be tested by a serious injury. After a bright start, the legendary warrior broke his twice-repaired right hand on his opponent’s hip in the fourth round and was in clear agony. Hands are often broken in fights (it’s an occupational hazard), but what made this incident different was that Gatti had no choice but to keep throwing his hand to keep Ward at bay. He survived a seventh-round knockdown to win a decision.
Result: Gatti UD 10
Arturo Abraham
- Struggle: Edison Miranda
- Date: September 23, 2006
- Location: Rittal Arena, Germany
- Injury: Broken jaw
No matter how far behind Edison Miranda was in a fight, he was always dangerous and capable of inflicting damage. Under fire from then-WBO middleweight champion Arthur Abraham, the fighter known as “Panther” broke his opponent’s jaw with a savage right uppercut in the fourth round. However, Miranda ruined his chances of winning by inflicting multiple fouls and the champion held firm to retain his title by decision. The image of Abraham continuing to deliver the blows as blood poured from his mouth will remain in the memory of anyone who saw it. Two titanium plates and 22 screws were installed in the German fighter’s jaw, and he spent three days in intensive care.
Result: Abraham UD 12
Jordan Gill
- Struggle: Karim Guerfi
- Date: February 27, 2022
- Location: O2 Arena, London
- Injury: Double perforated eardrum
Jordan Gill had been knocked down in the seventh round and that was bad enough. However, seconds later, Karim Guerfi wrapped his arm around his opponent’s neck and dropped him on his head. After all that, the Englishman had suffered two ruptured eardrums, a concussion and a knee injury. With his poise punch, Gill had no balance or form, so he put his back against his own corner and counter-punched from that stance. It seemed impossible, but in the ninth, Gill landed a big right straight to the jaw that knocked the Frenchman out cold. Without exaggeration, it was one of the greatest comebacks ever seen in a British ring.
Result: Gill knocked out 9
