---
title: "\"The Best Boxer in 25 Years Without a Belt\": Derevyanchenko's Manager Says the Ukrainian Has No Plans to Retire"
description: "Serhiy Derevyanchenko's manager Keith Connolly called the Ukrainian the best boxer in 25 years without a title and stated that the 40-year-old athlete has already returned to training after his loss to Hackett."
date: 2026-09-07T10:40:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/derevyanchenko-manager-connelly-best-boxer-without-belt
tags: [boxing, serhiy-derevyanchenko, kit-connelly, jaleel-hackett, ibf, middleweight, ukrainian-boxing]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "The Best Boxer in 25 Years Without a Belt": Derevyanchenko's Manager Says the Ukrainian Has No Plans to Retire

![Ukrainian boxer in a white robe with a crown and laurel wreath emblem, confident pose — Derevyanchenko not ready to end his career](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/07/derevyanchenko-menedzher-konnelly-luchshiy-bokser-bez-poyasa/derevyanchenko-menedzher-konnelly-luchshiy-bokser-bez-poyasa-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Manager Keith Connolly stated that Serhiy Derevyanchenko has no intention of ending his career after his loss to Jaleel Hackett
- Connolly called Derevyanchenko "the best boxer in 25 years without a belt" and claimed that the Ukrainian effectively beat Golovkin
- Derevyanchenko has already returned to training after the tough bout, and the team is holding talks about future fights
- The manager's claim of a victory over Golovkin contradicts the official result of the fight recorded by the judges

Experienced Ukrainian middleweight boxer Serhiy Derevyanchenko has no intention of ending his professional career following his recent loss to young prospect Jaleel Hackett. This was revealed in an exclusive comment by the athlete's American manager, Keith Connolly, who emphasized that the 40-year-old Ukrainian has already returned to training and is in impressive physical shape. According to Connolly, the team will hold decisive talks about Derevyanchenko's future plans in the near future, though the manager is convinced that his fighter will want to keep boxing.

### Fight Assessment: Speed vs. Skill

Commenting on Derevyanchenko's performance in the bout against Hackett, Keith Connolly noted that despite the final loss, his fighter showed a high level of boxing that evening. In the manager's assessment, the opponent's advantage lay solely in age and speed: "Derevyanchenko lost to a local prospect, but he boxed well that night. Hackett was simply faster and younger." Connolly stressed that the Ukrainian's technical skill and tactical composure remain at the level of elite fighters, and the fight's outcome does not reflect the true balance of power in the ring.

### "The Best Boxer in 25 Years Without a Belt"

In his statement, Keith Connolly allowed himself one of the most striking assessments of his fighter in his entire career: "Serhiy is probably the best boxer in the last 25 years without a belt." The manager also recalled that Derevyanchenko had three times challenged for the IBF world middleweight title, losing to Daniel Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin, and Jermall Charlo, and stated that his fighter deserved the championship belt. "We all know that he actually beat Golovkin, and he should have become world champion," Connolly added, emphasizing that his team does not consider the bout against the Kazakh a loss.

### Contradictory Data

Keith Connolly's claim that Serhiy Derevyanchenko "actually beat Golovkin" directly contradicts the official result of the fight, which was recorded by judges' decisions in favor of Gennady Golovkin. According to the Ukrainian's manager, the outcome of the bout was distorted, and Derevyanchenko deserved the status of world champion. At the same time, no official boxing organization — neither the IBF, nor the WBA, nor the WBC — has reviewed the result of this fight, and in Derevyanchenko's professional record the bout against Golovkin is listed as a loss. Thus, Connolly's assessment is purely the subjective opinion of a representative of one side and is not supported by official documents. Moreover, the provided sources lack the exact dates of the recent fight with Hackett and specific details of the judges' score, which limits the possibility of independent verification.

### Physical Condition and Return to Training

Keith Connolly paid particular attention to Derevyanchenko's current physical condition. The manager reported that he had already watched recent training videos of the Ukrainian after the tough bout with Hackett and was impressed by how quickly the athlete recovered. "I saw his recent training videos after the fight — that's the whole Serhiy. He's always in shape, he's always ready," Connolly stated. According to him, Derevyanchenko remains a model professional who maintains discipline and routine even in the periods between fights, which allows him to stay competitive at a mature age.

### Career Path: From Amateur Legend to Title Contender

Serhiy Derevyanchenko is a native of Feodosia and a member of the legendary Ukrainian amateur national team, which at various times included Oleksandr Usyk, Vasyl Lomachenko, Denys Berinchyk, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, and other stars of world boxing. On the amateur circuit, he became a bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships and took part in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Derevyanchenko began his professional career in 2014 and has since competed in the middleweight and super middleweight divisions, earning the nickname "The Technician" for his refined technical skill and tactical composure in the ring.

### What's Next: Talks About the Future

Keith Connolly confirmed that Derevyanchenko's team will hold talks about the next steps in his career in the near future. "Derevyanchenko is a great boxer, a big professional, and a good person. Soon we will discuss with him whether he will continue his career," the manager stated. At the same time, Connolly expressed confidence that his fighter will decide in favor of continuing to compete: "I think he will want to box more." Thus, the 40-year-old Ukrainian boxer, despite the recent loss and three unsuccessful attempts to win the world title, retains his ambitions and intention to remain on the professional ring.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["The Best Boxer Without a Belt": Derevyanchenko's Manager Makes a Statement About the Ukrainian's Future](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/boxing/naykrashchiy-bokser-poyasu-menedzher-derev-1788777471.html) - Основной источник: прямые цитаты Кита Конноли, информация о возвращении к тренировкам, карьерная справка. Единственный источник по деталям боя с Хекеттом.
- [Derevyanchenko: I Wanted to Knock Out Mbili With One Hand](https://www.ua-football.com/sport/box/1724081715-derevyanchenko-hotel-nokautirovat-mbilli-odnoy-rukoy.html) - Контекстный источник: подтверждает активную карьеру Деревянченко и его цитаты после боёв, но не относится непосредственно к поединку с Хекеттом.
- [Ukrainian Champion Without a Crown, With a Bloodied Face, Staged Another War at an Elite Show in ...](https://www.obozrevatel.com/sport-oboz/krov-zalivala-litso-no-on-derzhalsya-do-kontsa-izvestnyij-ukrainskij-bokser-vyistupil-v-shou-potovoe-v-nyu-jorke.htm) - Контекстный источник: описывает другой бой Деревянченко (Нью-Йорк, окровавленное лицо), подтверждает его статус действующего боксера, но не содержит информации о поединке с Хекеттом.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Is it true that Serhiy Derevyanchenko is retiring?
**A:** No. According to his manager Keith Connolly, Derevyanchenko has already returned to training after his recent loss and, in the manager's assessment, intends to keep boxing. Specific plans will be determined after the team's talks.

### Q: Who is Jaleel Hackett and how did the fight with Derevyanchenko end?
**A:** Jaleel Hackett is a young American prospect whom Keith Connolly calls a "local prospect." According to the manager, Hackett beat Derevyanchenko, having an advantage in age and speed, though the Ukrainian's boxing in that fight was at a high level.

### Q: Why does the manager claim that Derevyanchenko beat Golovkin?
**A:** Keith Connolly states that in his team the bout against Gennady Golovkin is considered effectively won by Derevyanchenko, and that the Ukrainian deserved the world title. However, the official result of the fight, recorded by judges' decisions, is a victory for Golovkin. No boxing organization has reviewed this result.

### Q: How many times has Derevyanchenko challenged for the world title?
**A:** Three times — all for the IBF middleweight title. He lost to Daniel Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin, and Jermall Charlo.