Should Gennady Golovkin successfully defend his unified middleweight world title against Canelo Alvarez, or vice versa, he’ll likely have someone else waiting in the wings as the mandatory challenger.
An IBF middleweight title eliminator between Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Tureano Johnson recently underwent a purse bid and DiBella Entertainment won the bid. Alex Dombroff, promoter Lou DiBella's attorney, bid $121,100.02 at the purse bid at IBF headquarters in Springfield, New Jersey, to gain promotional control of the bout. Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Johnson, was the only other bidder, offering $62,000.
DiBella has 15 days to submit signed contracts to the IBF and 90 days to have the fight. The exact date and location of the fight has not yet been determined. Since both fighters are in a title eliminator, the winning bid will be split evenly, meaning each fighter will get $60,550.01. DiBella told ESPN that he does not have a venue for the fight.
"I don't know where the fight is going to be yet," DiBella said. "I offered Golden Boy a deal that would have put the fight on July 15 (on a Fox-televised Premier Boxing Champions card) but they didn't get back to me in time, so it didn't happen. And then they go and bid $62,000? Obviously, they didn't want the fight. But I think it's a hell of a fight. It's real middleweight elimination fight and if Derevyanchenko can handle Johnson the way I think he can he's beating a legitimate guy and it elevates him near the top of the division."
Johnson has only fought once since 2015 due to a shoulder injury suffered against Eamonn O'Kane. Johnson won the fight to become the mandatory challenger to Golovkin’s title, but surgery prevented from fighting him. Johnson defeated Fabiano Pena back in March to earn another title eliminator opportunity.
Derevyanchenko also won a fight back in March, a fifth-round knockout of previously undefeated Kemahl Russell.
