Ivegen “The Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov: A Closer Look
By Jeremiah “Griffo’s Handkerchief” Preisser
“I like it when the fight brings excitement to the fans. I like it when a boxer comes and gets it. That’s what I’m looking forward to doing. I want to be like those fighters that I watched when I was younger,” stated former World Amateur Champ (2011) Ievgen “The Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov right before he entered the pro ranks.
The first sentence just about sums up the aggressor’s career thus far, as the homegrown Ukrainian has given onlookers various reasons to be thrilled. One of them has been his punching power, which has prevented all but Aaron Coley from hearing the final scores read. And as much as fans enjoy stoppage victories, the context of the kayo matters just as much, if not more than seeing a tally mark next to the ‘W’ category on boxrec. In this manner, too, has the burgeoning middleweight impressed.
On ESPN’s now replaced “Friday Night Fights”, and in his fifth pro bout, Khytrov finished cagey American southpaw Chris Chatman with a crisp left hook on the cheek, which followed a straight right hand to the chest, a perfect setup punch. The technically proficient hook separated Chatman from his senses and became a nominee for Sportcenter’s famous countdown of the day’s best sports moments.
The former Olympian stepped up his competition immediately afterwards by settling in for a pugilistic exhibition of skill against American prospect, Willie Fortune, a man whose only defeat was to Tureano Johnson, an undefeated prospect himself at the time. Once again Khytrov delivered, albeit in short fashion. Fortune came out with a purpose and looked to test the green “Ukrainian Lion” early. Quickly it was found out that a test was in progress, only the test was to see how long the American could stay on his feet before he went down. The answer: a total of twenty seconds. Willie tasted a sledgehammer right cross, staggered, and then succumbed to a barrage of gloved blows.
Another solid prospect from the states was eaten up in Khytrov’s next bout. This time the match took a bit longer, but not much longer, as the cowboy hat-wearing Eastern European had Louis Rose groaning on the floor from a vicious left hook to the body at the mark of 2:35 of the first round.
The string of stoppages continued as Khytrov put his next foe, Maurice Louishomme, down once in the first segment and battered him relentlessly until in the third round, Ievgen countered him with a stinging right hand that ejected Louishomme’s spit-heavy mouthpiece. The shot prompted a referee stoppage and rightfully so.
Jorge Melendez and Nick Brinson followed. Both men boxed, with varying degrees of success, but ultimately, they were overwhelmed by the non-stop pressure that the blue-eyed provided. Aaron Coley lasted the distance in between those two men. However he lost virtually every round in the process.
Though power has carried the day in ten of his eleven professional bouts, the finer nuances of the fight game are also intertwined in the pugilistic fiber of his being and must not be overlooked. The man can slip, parry, jab, cut off the ring, etc. The combination of these factors is what helps him arrive at his fistic conclusions. He wouldn’t be as effective without them. Ievgen would not have gone 480-20 (allegedly, 80% of those fights ended in knockout) as an amateur, or won the World Amateur Championship, or won a variety of other accolades for his high-quality participation of the sport. The 160-pounder who regularly dons blue and yellow (the colors of his native Ukraine) would have never entered the Olympics either. Quite simply, Khytrov wouldn’t be as potent.
But he is impactful and will likely continue his trajectory upwards, inching closer and closer to contention, ready to mix it up with whoever stands in his way of another title. May the Boxing Gods have mercy on that man’s soul.
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