Ukrainian WBC Champions

Last weekend, Ukrainian boxer Serhii Bohachuk secured victory over American Brian Mendoza, clinching the vacant WBC interim champion title in the first middleweight category.

Initially, Bohachuk was slated to contend for the full WBC belt against American Sebastian Fundora. However, Fundora ended up fighting Australian WBO champion Tim Tszyu for the title. This left Bohachuk to settle for the "interim" WBC champion title.

The status of "interim" champion positions Bohachuk as the primary contender for the full WBC title, which Fundora now holds following his victory over Tim Tszyu.

Predicting when Bohachuk will face Fundora is challenging, as Terence Crawford and Errol Spence are also vying for top positions in the first middleweight category.

While we await developments in Bohachuk's career, let's recall other Ukrainians who held the WBC belt over the years.

Vitali Klitschko

Weight category: Heavyweight

Years of holding the title: (2004-2005, 2008-2013)

Number of defenses: 10

Vitali Klitschko is the first Ukrainian boxer to win the WBC title, accomplishing this feat twice - first in 2004 and then again in 2008.

Dr. Ironfist's initial attempt to claim the green belt in June 2003 ended in defeat against Lennox Lewis. Nevertheless, Klitschko earned respect from the American audience, boosting interest in his future fights in the USA.

In April 2004, Klitschko defeated South African Corrie Sanders to claim the vacant WBC belt and avenge his brother's loss. This victory marked his first WBC title win.

Klitschko's string of injuries forced him to retire temporarily in December 2005. However, he returned in 2008, defeating reigning WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter. This victory initiated a series of nine successful title defenses.

In December 2013, Klitschko retired from boxing for good, earning the title of "eternal" WBC champion. This accolade allowed him to contend for the championship again upon his return.

Victor Postol

Weight category: Junior Welterweight

Years of holding the title: (2015-2016)

Number of defenses: 0

Within two years of Klitschko's retirement, Ukraine welcomed a new WBC champion in Victor Postol. In October 2015, Postol sensationally defeated Argentine knockout artist Lucas Matthysse to claim the vacant WBC title.

Postol's victory paved the way for a unification fight against Terence Crawford, the reigning WBO champion in the junior welterweight category. Despite losing to Crawford, Postol remains the last boxer to go the distance with him.

Oleksandr Usyk

Weight category: Cruiserweight

Years of holding the title: (2018-2019)

Number of defenses: 2

On May 18, Oleksandr Usyk faces Tyson Fury in the fight of his life for the heavyweight title. The WBC title, held by Fury, stands between Usyk and his second absolute championship.

Usyk previously unified all cruiserweight belts, including the WBC title, in January 2018. He defended it twice before moving to the heavyweight category in early 2019.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk

Weight category: Light Heavyweight

Years of holding the title: (2018-2019)

Number of defenses: 1

Gvozdyk's journey serves as an excellent example for Serhii Bohachuk, as Oleksandr also began his championship path by winning the WBC interim champion title. In March 2018, Gvozdyk defeated Frenchman Mehdi Amar on points in a less standout match, becoming the interim WBC champion in the light heavyweight category. At that time, the full title was held by Canadian Adonis Stevenson. Stevenson, who hadn't defended his title since 2013, faced a tough challenge against the Ukrainian. Stevenson, the home champion who had boxed exclusively in Canada for eight years, was backed by home support, a Canadian referee, and one of the side judges, all intended to increase his chances of retaining his championship. Indeed, had the match gone the distance, Stevenson would likely have been declared the winner. However, towards the end of the bout, Stevenson's stamina began to wane, which Gvozdyk capitalized on. In the final moments of the 11th round, the Ukrainian landed around ten decisive blows, resulting in Stevenson's knockout. Gvozdyk became the full WBC champion in the light heavyweight category. His sole title defense came against Frenchman Doudou Ngumbu, followed by an unsuccessful attempt to unify belts with Artur Beterbiev. After losing the title, Oleksandr announced his retirement, which he resumed three years later. Currently, Gvozdyk is once again striving to re-enter the championship race. It is expected that in early summer, the Ukrainian will fight for the WBC interim champion title in the light heavyweight category against David Benavidez.

Vasyl Lomachenko

Weight category: Lightweight

Years of holding the title: (2019-2020)

Number of defenses: 0

Uniting belts and achieving the status of undisputed world champion were the main goals Vasyl Lomachenko set for himself at the start of his professional career. The boxer from Belgorod-Dnestrovsky began his pro career in the super featherweight division but eventually moved up to the lightweight division due to the inability to secure unification fights with other champions. Lomachenko had the opportunity to unify titles in the lightweight division. First, Lomachenko won the WBA belt in a fight against Jorge Linares, then added the WBO title, taken from Jose Pedraza in December 2018. Next on the agenda was the WBC green belt. On August 31, 2019, Lomachenko won a unanimous decision against Britain's Luke Campbell, doing so on his opponent's turf in London. However, Lomachenko's reign as WBC champion did not last long - he never managed to defend the title. Initially, the WBC moved Lomachenko to the status of "franchise" champion, appointing Devin Haney as the regular champion. Then Lomachenko lost to Teofimo Lopez. The introduction of the "franchise" champion status aimed to facilitate major fights bypassing mandatory defenses. This belt could not be won - only awarded by the Council for achievements in boxing. Nevertheless, in Lomachenko's fight against Lopez, among his other belts (The Ring, WBA, WBO) and the American's (IBF), the full WBC title was at stake, already held by Haney at the time. WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman made this decision so that the winner would become the undisputed world champion. The situation with the "franchise" title was highly convoluted, but in Lomachenko's case, it was simple - he lost and couldn't defend the title. There's no need for us to know more in this situation.