Undefeated World Boxing Federation (WBF) International Heavyweight Champion Vladyslav Sirenko, 9-0 (8), is arguably one of the most exciting and promising young fighters in boxing’s so-called glamour division.
In this the first edition of a feature series titled “The Champ”, we offer some miscellaneous insight and information on…The Champ!
– Sirenko is from Kiev in Ukraine, but all of his professional fights have taken place outside his birth-country. Seven in South Africa, one in Austria and one in the USA.
– Except for one fight, which he won on points over six rounds, all of his professional bouts have ended in the very first round.
– Before he started traditional boxing, Sirenko was a Kick-boxer and played football (soccer).
– Still only twenty-three years old, he turned pro in May of 2017 after a fine amateur career where he, at Super Heavyweight, won the Ukrainian Youth Championships (2013), and silver in the European Youth Championships (2013).
– He also participated in the 2012 World Youth Championships where he was eliminated in the round of 16, and in 2014 he won a bronze medal at the Ukrainian senior national championships. He also boxed in the AIBA World Series of Boxing.
– Currently based in Meyerton, a forty minute drive south of South Africa´s largest town Johannesburg, Sirenko is working with Kalakoda Promotions who has so far done a great job getting him TV exposure on Kwesé Sports.
– From his pro debut he has been trained by American James Ali Bashir, once the right-hand man of legendary coach Emmanuel Steward. Bashir also worked with other prominent Ukrainians Wladimir Klitschko (along with Steward), and Oleksandr Usyk.
– Sirenko met Bashir when he went to train with Usyk, liked his methods and asked the veteran corner-man to take him on.
– Bashir has a Gym in Meyerton, and invited Sirenko to South Africa. Kalakoda Promotions offered him fights, and now his career is off to a great start, albeit in an unlikely part of the world for a guy from Ukraine.
– He has collected experience in the gym by sparring with the likes of Joe Joyce, Bermane Stiverne and oc course the aforementioned Usyk, among many others.
– Sirenko recently greeted Ukrainian media in Kiev. The press conference was held at the Klitschko Expo, a museum dedicated to the accomplishments of Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Sirenko was accompanied by Bashir, and his WBF belt.
– Sirenko will be one of the sparring partners for Alexander Povetkin in the Russians preparations for his fight with unified World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua on September 22 in London.
– Since winning the WBF International title this past June with a first-round destruction of Knife Didier (6-3), Sirenko returned to the ring in a non-title bout on August 26 where he stopped, also in the first round, Rocky Kaleng (10-2) from D.R. Congo.
– His next fight is reportedly scheduled for October 21, place and opponent TBA.
