Berinchyk title win further lifts Ukraine hours after Usyk victory
Earns split decision vs. Navarrete for vacant WBO 135 title; Norman blasts Santillan to claim WBO interim 147 title; Torrez scores KO
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The past two weeks have been the biggest in Ukrainian boxing history.
On May 12, Vasiliy Lomachenko dominated and stopped George Kambosos Jr. in the 11th round in his home country of Australia to once again win a world title, this time the former pound-for-pound king adding the vacant IBF lightweight belt to his collection.
On Saturday night, Oleksandr Usyk, Lomachenko’s best friend and fellow 2012 Olympic gold medalist, won a split decision over Tyson Fury in their historic showdown to fully unify the heavyweight division and become its first undisputed champion in 25 years.
And if that wasn’t enough to stoke Ukrainian national pride, hours later, after taking a phone call from Usyk to wish him luck, Denys Berinchyk — a 2012 Olympic silver medalist and Usyk and Lomachenko’s teammate at the London Games — won a well-deserved split decision in an upset over Emanuel Navarrete.
The victory gave him the vacant WBO lightweight title in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card at San Diego’s Pechanga Arena, where Navarrete was the fan favorite and made featherweight defenses in 2021 and 2022.
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