Ivan Redkach is a Ukrainian southpaw power puncher, based in Los Angeles. Already a veteran before he entered the professional ranks, Redkach fought in 300 amateur bouts with a 260-40 record, over which he won a plethora of championships and medals, as well as participating in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as an alternate for his native Ukraine. His power and relentless style were evident even back then.
Redkach turned pro on November 3, 2009, against Keith Kelly, at the Commerce Casino, in Commerce, CA, where he fought his first three professional bouts. Against both Kelly and his second professional victim, Napoleon Matthews, on December 17, 2009, Redkach stopped each foe with body shots.
Other than his fifth pro fight, Redkach has ended all of his bouts by knockout. On November 18, 2010, Redkach’s opponent, Carlos Hernandez, was disqualified in round three for excessive holding and hitting.
Redkach knocked out Jaime Orrantia, a 52-bout veteran, in round three, on January 7, 2011. A jab-straight left combination dropped Orrantia and though he arose, a follow-up barrage sent the veteran to the canvas for the second and final time.
Making his DiBella Entertainment debut on June 4, 2011, Redkach scored a sixth-round TKO over Alberto Amaro on the undercard of Carl Froch's super middleweight title defense against Glen Johnson at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.
On September 3, 2011, Redkach aggressively swarmed Vernon Alston with a swift arsenal of precision power punches forcing the referee to stop the bout at 1:57 of round three.
To close out 2011, Redkach overpowered Dillet Frederick on December 30, pounding him against the ropes as the referee halted the action at 1:58 of round four.
At the Buffalo Run Casino, in Miami, OK, Redkach landed a powerful right hand to stop Rynell Griffin in a beautiful one-punch knockout, at 2:47 of round one, on April 27, 2012.
In his Big Apple debut on June 14, Redkach needed all of 115 seconds to dispose of Dedrick Bell, dropping him three times en route to a TKO1, at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.
Returning to Roseland on October 24, Redkach replicated his previous performance, scoring another TKO1, this time 2:07 of the round, over the normally sturdy Tebor Brosch. It was the first time that Brosch, who hadn’t lost since 2008, had been knocked out.
On December 19, Redkach finished out the year going the eight-round distance for the first time, winning a unanimous decision over Edward Valdez. Scorecards read 79-73, and 78-74 twice.
On February 21, 2013, Redkach blitzed Sergio Rivera in just 126 seconds into the first round. The southpaw wisely set up his powerful uppercut by first bending Rivera in half with digging body shots. Following a combination, Rivera crumbled to the canvas and did not beat the count.
On Twitter, an impressed Doug Fischer, of Ringtv.com, remarked: “Ivan Redkach is a stud; best lightweight prospect with less than 20 bouts. Think he can beat most prospects with 20+ bouts.”
