by Brian Yalung
Marc Mysterio’s much-anticipated return to boxing has imploded — and he’s making sure the blame sticks. The “Irish Pride” confirmed his October 10-round Bridgerweight showdown with Serhiy Radchenko is officially off, and in its place comes a fiery eulogy for a weight class Mysterio says never should have existed.
The collapse, according to Mysterio’s camp, boiled down to a bizarre dispute over travel arrangements and money. Trainer Gabriel Sarmiento, the 2010 WBC Trainer of the Year who has been working with Mysterio, claimed Radchenko’s side walked away from “over a quarter of a million bucks” because of a missed budget flight and train connection.
“All in all, Radchenko and his team gave up over a quarter of a million bucks due to lack of a Ryanair ticket and a Ukrainian train to the nearest airport,” Sarmiento said. “It’s money gone forever that he will never get back or earn from another fight.”
Blessing in disguise; RIP Bridgetweight
Mysterio insists Radchenko himself may not have even known the full story, revealing the Ukrainian was still reviewing the fight contract when things unraveled. But rather than brood over the cancellation, Mysterio sees the outcome as a “blessing in disguise” — because it spares him from defending a win in a division he believes is already irrelevant.
“With WBA now ranking Jake Paul at Cruiserweight in their top 15, despite not having defeated a ranked boxer, let alone Cruiserweight, there is little point in me continuing at Bridgerweight, a novel division not yet universally accepted,” Mysterio said. “Radchenko was an easy win, an easy way in the rankings against a faded journeyman who kicked his way in to a vacant title against a subpar opponent.”
The Canadian fighter claims Radchenko’s camp walked away over a $200 plane ticket — despite the Ukrainian agreeing to a $30,000 minimum purse — and used the moment to slam what he sees as outdated, short-sighted boxing business practices.
“These boxers and their managers/promoters are so stuck in their mindset of being a niche sport that they can’t understand licensing income beyond putting a gambling or porn website on a boxer’s shorts. That’s Ukrainian boxing and Tarik Saadi mindset for you!”
The bout, Mysterio says, could have opened doors for the sport — including possible WBC-backed inclusion in the boxing video game UNDISPUTED. Instead, he believes the division missed its one real shot at mainstream exposure.
“TalkSport didn’t even include Radchenko’s May 1st bout vs WBC Bridgerweight Champion Kevin Lerena in their 2025 boxing schedule. Boxing’s Bridgerweight Division officially died its much-deserving death with Radchenko, his management team and WBC Ukraine walking away from the deal.”
Mysterio credits media buzz over a potential Jake Paul vs. Marc Mysterio matchup in The Daily Express and Irish Star as the “lone bright spot” for the division in mainstream press.
“We will never hear about this division in the mainstream press again, thanks to Team Radchenko. RIP Bridgerweight Division 2018–2025.”
For Mysterio, the cancellation means more than just a missed payday — it’s confirmation that Bridgerweight’s brief, turbulent existence is over.
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