By Alexey Sukachev and Grigory Stangrit (Allboxing.ru)
Olexander Usyk, Olexander Gvozdyk, Evgueny Khytrov, Taras Shelestyuk and, most importantly, Vasyl Lomachenko – were all part of the golden Ukrainian boxing squad, which heavily dominated opponents in the 2011 Baku world championship and then cruised to two gold medals (Lomachenko and Usyk) during the 2012 London Olympics.
While all five aforementioned fighters not only debuted in the paid ranks but made some huge noise in the worldwide boxing community, another part of the Ukrainian super team is now coming over to the paid ranks. The miss was eroded yesterday as light welterweight Denis Berinchyk made his move to the pro game, signing a contract with K2 Promotions.
Berinchyk is 27 years of age. He was 2011 Baku silver medalist with wins over future Olympic champion Roniel Sotolongo of Cuba and Tom Stalker among others, before losing a close call against Brazilian Everton Lopes. He then repeated his trick a year later, getting the 2nd place at the Summer Olympics and beating present day prospects Antony Yigit and Jeff Horn on his way up before a loss to Sotolongo. Berinchyk is well-known for his all-action slugging style and looks to be a valuable addition to the pro game.
Usyk, Lomachenko, Khytrov, Shelestyuk and Gvozdyk have a combined record of 38-1, 30 KOs. Vasyl Lomachenko is the reigning WBO featherweight champion, while Usyk, Khytrov and Gvozdyk are all blue-chip bona-fide prospects in their weight classes. Shelestyuk, while also undefeated, is being moved at a slower pace.