Sam Noakes believes Denys Berinchyk deserves far more respect than many fans are giving him ahead of their lightweight clash on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena.
Much of the attention surrounding Berinchyk centers on his fourth-round stoppage loss to Keyshawn Davis in February 2025. Noakes sees that result differently. He believes Davis made a proven former world champion look ordinary because of his own exceptional ability rather than Berinchyk’s shortcomings.
“Keyshawn’s an anomaly. He’s different. We have to watch and study the other fights. Not so much that one,” Noakes said to Ring Magazine when asked how much weight he puts on Berinchyk’s loss to Davis. “He’s still a very good fighter. Losing to Keyshawn Davis don’t make him like, ‘Oh, he’s rubbish. It’s an easy fight for me now.’ There’s things to take away from that, but at the end I’m still going in there thinking he’s still a dangerous fight. He’s a live fighter, so I’m focusing on that.”
Noakes meets Berinchyk on the undercard of the Moses Itauma versus Filip Hrgovic heavyweight event. The former WBO lightweight champion remains the biggest name on Noakes’ resume since his unanimous decision loss to Abdullah Mason last November.
Berinchyk built his reputation long before the Davis fight. The Ukrainian captured the WBO lightweight title with an upset victory over Emanuel Navarrete after an accomplished amateur career. Noakes believes Berinchyk should be judged by his body of work rather than one disappointing performance.
The English contender admitted Berinchyk presents a difficult assignment despite the recent criticism directed at the former champion.
A victory would move Noakes closer to another world title opportunity. He expects a demanding fight rather than the one-sided contest many people anticipate after Berinchyk’s defeat to Davis.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/22 at 3:31 AM
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