Serhii Bohachuk (25-2, 24 KOs) looked powerful and determined Saturday night, destroying Ishmael Davis (13-2, 6 KOs) by sixth-round TKO in a WBC Junior middleweight title eliminator in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia,
Davis’ trainer pulled him out after the sixth round as he had taken a lot of hard punches from Bohachuk five and six. It was no longer competitive at that point, and Davis was taking huge hits.
Bohachuk’s relentless onslaught
Former WBC 154-lb interim champion Bohachuk was coming off a controversial decision over Vergil Ortiz Jr. last August, but tonight, he was like a shark, attacking his opponent, Davis with power shots.
Late in the second round, Bohachuk nailed Davis with a short left hook to the head that pinned him. Fortunately for Davis, 29, the knockdown came in the final seconds of the round because he couldn’t have escaped if it had happened earlier.
The way Bohachuk stalked Matchroom-promoted Ismael Davis around the ring was Golovkin-esque. Indeed, he was a bit like GGG in that he put steady pressure on Davis, hammering hard with punches inside and not allowing him to escape for a moment.
In an interview, Davis said he felt Bohachuk was vulnerable on the inside and thought he could capitalize on him fighting in close. Tried it tonight, and it was a disaster.
Bohachuk was originally supposed to face former WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov, but withdrew due to illness.
On track for Fundora
It’s a shame he didn’t stop because that would have been much more interesting to watch than tonight’s incompatibility. Ishmael Davis is a domestic fighter from the United Kingdom. He had only fought once against a world class fighter, losing to Josh Kelly last September.
With the win, Bohachuk is now mandatory for WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora. Depending on whether the World Boxing Council enforces it, he will likely have a title shot against him in 2026.
