“There Wasn’t Even a Purse Mentioned.” Serhii Bohachuk on the Contract for the Davis Fight

Ukrainian super welterweight boxer Serhii Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs) disclosed the contract details for his bout against Britain’s Ishmael Davis (13-2, 6 KOs).

– Serhii, on the undercard of Usyk vs. Fury, you defeated Ishmael Davis. How much closer do you think this victory brings you to big-name fights?

– I think it’s brought me a lot closer, because it was a WBC eliminator, and after this fight, I’m the official challenger for that organization’s title.

– Initially, your opponent was supposed to be the Uzbek fighter Israil Madrimov, who seems more dangerous than Davis. But he “ran away” from you. What exactly happened to him—did he get sick, or was he offered a bigger-money fight?

– Anything’s possible. They pay well in Saudi Arabia, too. That’s why I don’t think he’d earn more fighting Ortiz than he would against me. Maybe he really did get sick. But what really happened, I don’t know, because I’m not closely familiar with the situation.

– Israil and Ishmael are different boxers, first of all in terms of class. Was there any risk you’d underestimate Davis, given that you’d been getting ready for someone who gave Terence Crawford a competitive fight?

– No, there wasn’t. A boxer is someone who’s been doing this all his life and can land a punch. You can never underestimate your opponent. Yes, Ishmael is a level below Madrimov, so it was probably good that I was initially preparing for him.

– You mentioned that the Saudis pay well. Was this the biggest purse of your career?

– I believe so. But I haven’t received the money yet.

– What was promised? What’s written in the contract?

– I haven’t received anything yet. There were promises… To be honest, the contract for the fight didn’t even include a specific sum. But I can’t really say much, because I haven’t gotten paid yet.

All I have is a verbal agreement. If I end up getting stiffed, I won’t be able to prove anything to anyone. You could say it’s all built on trust between me and my promoter. But I think everything will be fine.

On December 21, Bohachuk scored a stoppage victory over Davis—dropping the Brit in the second round and forcing him to retire after the sixth.