Denys Berinchyk's crossroads: is it the end of his career or just one last dance?

The American prospect brutally knocked out the Ukrainian in the fourth round.

The twentieth fight in the professional ring marked the first defeat for our experienced boxer. This raises many questions about the future of the now former champion.

To remind, Berinchyk is 36 (he will turn 37 in May). This is a critical age for a lightweight.

Should we already be assessing his career? Is there a point in continuing it? Can the boxer himself decide to stop?

A Defeat Without Chances

The hopes of Ukrainian fans that Denys could competently oppose the young American star, who is being touted as a future great champion, were not fulfilled. The American stepped into the ring to do exactly what was expected of him. He executed his game plan to perfection.

Berinchyk jokingly mentioned that his style is "technical fighting." We indeed witnessed that in the championship bout against Navarrete. However, Davis proved to be a tough opponent in every aspect – size, functionality, technique, and physical conditioning.

"Technical fighting" did not help against the "big" lightweight who powerfully strikes in return. The Ukrainian boxer and his team seemed unprepared for the fight. It appears there was no effective game plan in the Ukrainian corner.

It is unclear why Denys kept switching stances during the fight. It was in the right-hand position that he took that critical shot somewhere between the liver and kidneys, leading to the first knockdown. By the fourth round, a few more powerful body punches made it painful to watch our "Otaman."

The conclusion was simply a matter of technique, which Davis has in abundance.

Berinchyk is Not Lomachenko

From Ukrainian boxing fans, one can often hear that Berinchyk lost his chances due to an overly long "Brovary" stage in his professional career. They argue that if he had reached the top level at 30 instead of 35!

It is hard to say how the boxer's career would have unfolded in that case. We are all wise in hindsight.

Berinchyk is neither Lomachenko nor Usyk. Navigating through a vast number of talented American and Mexican fighters in the lightweight or welterweight divisions without any defeats would be very challenging. The much more talented Lomachenko suffered 3 defeats in his professional career.

Engaging the American audience – is even more difficult.

Nevertheless, Denys became a world champion among professionals in one of the four most prestigious boxing organizations. Essentially, this is – the pinnacle for an athlete.

Silver medals from the Olympics and the World Championship in amateur boxing are a wonderful addition. Therefore, the conclusion of Berinchyk's career is clear: Denys is one of the most outstanding boxers in the history of Ukraine.

What Next?

This question is solely for the boxer himself and his trainers. And his health.

In the bout against Davis, the Ukrainian appeared uncompetitive in terms of functional readiness. He is nearly 37 years old, and this is the age when reaching peak performance for a specific date is incredibly challenging. If he is also dealing with some minor injury, it becomes virtually impossible.

But it is easy for us to observe from the sidelines and ponder whether the athlete can continue his career. For a person who has dedicated decades of his life exclusively to boxing, it is extremely hard to walk away from this endeavor.

Perhaps Denys won't be able to hang up his gloves. As a former champion, he can still arrange two or three events with a decent purse. Why not? Yes, without championship prospects, but he can still shine on the undercard of major fights.

There are also more optimistic views.

In particular, 2011 world champion among amateurs Yevhen Khytrov is confident that Berinchyk should have one or two interim fights before stepping back into a championship bout.

Such a prospect seems unlikely. But we hope to see Denys in the ring again at major events.

Life Beyond the Ring

Denys appears to be a person who lives solely for sport, something he has stated numerous times. However, in recent years he has become actively involved in volunteer work. He promotes patriotic narratives, leveraging his status, and supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

I am confident that Berinchyk can realize himself outside of boxing, for example, as a public figure, volunteer, or the face of some foundation, etc. For athletes of this level, there are many paths for future professional realization – coaching, management, public engagement.

Finding oneself is not a problem. I think the main challenge is to step away from further fights. Fighting is in Denys's blood, and even when he approaches forty, he will be looking for new challenges.

We will eagerly await his decision and watch with interest his sporting and non-sporting activities.

For now, we simply wish him a speedy recovery from the health damage sustained in the fight.