Andrey Tsurkan

Bio Data

Andrey Tsurkan is a classic case of the American Dream.  This highly decorated amateur came to the United States from Ukraine to seek greater fame and fortune in a sport he spent many years honing his craft.

The Tsurkan story begins at the age of nine when Tsurkan laced up the gloves and began his amateur career.  Twelve years and 220 fights later, Tsurkan became a force in the amateur boxing world.  The then 140 pound Tsurkan won two European championships which spring boarded Tsurkan to fulfill his dream of competing in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Tsurkan loved his time in America so much, that he decided to stay after the Olympics.  He settled in the Scottsdale, Arizona and went on to win two more big amateur tournaments. 

Tsurkan turned pro on November 6, 1999 with a first round knockout victory over Carlos Coca in Phoenix.

He proceeded to score three more knockouts over the next month, giving him a record of 4-0 with four knockouts.

On July 28, 2000, four more wins (three more stoppages) later, Tsurkan stopped undefeated prospect Paulino Avitia (10-0) with a very impressive second round stoppage to win the WBC Youth Super Welterweight title. 

Tsurkan finished his second year as a professional with an impressive record of 14-0 with eleven knockouts.  With Tsurkan’s stock rising, those around him, including Andrey, felt that for Tsurkan to take his career to the next level he would need an established promoter to bring him there.  After meeting with many of the top promotional companies in the U.S., Tsurkan decided his best fit would be with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing.  Star Boxing being based in the Bronx, NY would provide Tsurkan with a great opportunity to not only gain a fan base in his new adopted home, but also a chance to gain national exposure on Star Boxing’s televised events.

On December 11^th, 2002, a 16-0 Tsurkan took on Shawn Garnett for the Vacant New York State Super Welterweight title.  In that fight, Tsurkan suffered the first blemish on his record as he was stopped in the fifth in a highly disputed and controversial decision.  Tsurkan was the clear aggressor in this fight and was ahead on all three judges scorecards when he suffered a cut caused by an accidental head-butt.  The referee though claimed that he did not see the head-butt and therefore ruled that the cut was actually caused by a punch.  With Tsurkan pleading to let the fight continue the ringside doctor decided to cause a halt to the bout.  Being that the referee had said the cut was caused by a punch Garnett was awarded a TKO victory in one of the worst robberies in boxing in recent memory.

A victory four months later against Charles Clark set up an appearance on May 22, 2003 on the acclaimed Sho Box series on Showtime.  On this night Tsurkan was matched against another highly rated prospect from the former Soviet Union, Kuvanch Toygonbayev (20-1).  The bout gave Tsurkan great national exposure as he and Toygonbayev fought a nip and tuck battle for ten hard rounds. 

Despite dropping a very close unanimous decision, Tsurkan displayed his talent and toughness for all of America to witness and gained numerous fans in the process.

On August 19, 2005, Tsurkan headlined an ESPN2 show in Saratoga Springs, New York in which he dominated and subsequently stopped prospect, Julian Burford (12-1) in five rounds.    

June 10, 2006, Tsurkan battled top contender Hector Camacho Jr. (41-1-1) on the televised undercard of FIGHT TO THE FINISH: Tarver- Hopkins for the vacant NABF Light Middleweight Championship.

In front of a national PPV audience, Tsurkan “refused to lose” and showed his usual tireless aggression in wearing down Camacho over eight grueling rounds resulting in a TKO.  The impressive victory turned heads all over the boxing world and earned Tsurkan a top ten world ranking.

On April 4^th, 2007 Tsurkan successfully won his first title defense against Sammy Sparkman at The Utopia Paradise Theatre, Bronx, NY putting Sparkman away in the ninth round in a highlight reel knockout.  The knockout was featured on that evenings ESPN’s top plays of the day. 

On December 8, 2007, Tsurkan (25-3, 16KOs) and Yuri Foreman (24-0, 8 KOs) hooked up in an inter-borough battle for Tsurkan’s NABF jr. middleweight title.

The pattern of the fight was clear from the opening bell, Tsurkan was the bull and Foreman was the matador.  The question was who was more effective at their style.  Foreman moved smartly in the opening frame while Tsurkan tried to apply pressure throughout the round.  As the fight wore on Tsurkan’s pressure continued as he refused to take a step backward.  Foreman boxed from the outside and did his best to keep Tsurkan off balance with his jab, but Tsurkan continuously charged forward with un-relentless pressure, throwing good combinations to both the body and head of his opponent. 

After ten grueling rounds the fight went to the scorecards.  It was clear that those in attendance, including most news writers sitting press row, believed Tsurkan had pulled off the decision victory.  Unfortunately when the scores were read Tsurkan had come up on the wrong end of a highly disputed split decision. 

Rather than let the bad taste of the controversial decision sit in his mouth for long, Tsurkan pushed to have another fight set up for him as soon as possible.  On April 25 2008, Tsurkan was matched up against fellow banger and former world title challenger Jesse Feliciano.

The fight was as advertised, with both guys locking horns right from the opening bell.  Both styles were mirror images of each other as the fighters stood at close quarters trading freely.  Tsurkan landed a picture perfect right hand late in round one which dropped Feliciano for a short count and then followed up with crisp combinations which had Feliciano on rubber legs as the bell sounded ending the round.

The fight went back and forth but it was clear that Tsurkan's punches were cleaner and crisper.  By the middle rounds Tsurkan’s pressure and punch output seemed to be too much for Feliciano as it was evident that Tsurkan was simultaneously breaking his opponent down.

As the fight entered the eighth round, Tsurkan had built a clear lead.  Midway through the round, with Feliciano refusing to take a step backwards and Tsurkan landing heavy and damaging blows, referee Benji Esteves called a halt to the fight preventing Feliciano from taking any more punishment.  Everyone applauded Esteves' decision in stopping the fight, as Tsurkan was certainly inflicting damage on the game Feliciano.  The fight was a thrilling, crowd pleasing brawl, which had the fans in attendance on their feet throughout.

Tsurkan, who has been promoted by Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing for almost his entire career, has produced some of the most exciting and entertaining bouts in recent boxing history.  Tsurkan is a devastating body puncher with knockout power in both hands, particularly his left hook.  “He is a throw back fighter, similar to those guys in the 50’s when boxing was at its high,” says long-time promoter Joe DeGuardia.  “Whenever you put Andrey in the ring you know he is coming to fight and you can certainly expect an exciting action packed night of boxing.”

On October 4^th, 2008 Tsurkan took on undefeated prospect Alfredo Angulo (13-0, 10KO’s) in a ten round jr. middleweight contest that was shown live on HBO's Boxing After Dark. 

Angulo was coming off an impressive performance in his fifth round stoppage victory over Richard Gutierrez in May while Tsurkan, a winner in seven out of his last eight bouts before the Angulo fight, had pulled off recent upsets over contenders Jesse Feliciano and Hector Camacho, Jr. 

Angulo, with deceptively quick hands, was able to land against Tsurkan as he would switch from a conventional to a southpaw stance.

Tsurkan was able to sneak in counter left hooks to the head of Angulo in the early rounds. However, Angulo landed hard shots to the head in the final 30 seconds of the second round. Tsurkan’s face began to show more swelling across his face at this time.

Angulo began to be assertive to the body, landing the more effective punches in an attempt to break down Tsurkan.

Tsurkan began to counter more in the middle rounds. He would start rounds well by landing hooks to the head of Angulo and using angles to find more openings. However, momentum would swing towards Angulo during these rounds as he was able to have Tsurkan engage with him in the middle of the ring. This is where Angulo would do more damage on Tsurkan.

In the later rounds, Angulo’s punches began to affect Tsurkan more. Angulo looked as though he grew stronger with each passing round and Tsurkan’s punch output dropped, but Tsurkan hung in there and showed heart in fighting back against the hard-hitting Angulo, never once taking a step backwards throughout the entire fight.  In the tenth round with Tsurkan taking punishment, his corner threw in the towel, knowing that the tough as nails Tsurkan would refuse to go down as he has never been dropped in his entire boxing career. 

Angulo, from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico and now residing in Downey, CA, improves to 14-0, 11 KOs. Tsurkan falls to 26-4, 17 KOs but once again showed the boxing world why he is considered one of boxing's ultimate warriors with his spirited effort.