Serhii Bohachuk has one motivation he’s never had before for his fight with Shane Mosley Jr. – his mother watching him for the first time. Boxing news

“I had only one chance – boxing.”

To quote his hero Wladimir Klitschko, failure was no substitute for Serhiy Bohachuk.

The Ukrainian was born in Venetia and by his own admission his youth was a struggle.

“I had a very difficult childhood. I had no money, I had nothing,” Bohachuk said Sky Sports.

Then he saw Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko. Their example opened his mind. “My favorite boxer was the Klitschko brothers. When I was young I followed the Klitschko brothers and I wanted to be like them,” he explained.

“I wanted to be a champion. And they’re from Ukraine and I’m from Ukraine. They’re big stars and I saw that when I was younger and thought, wow, it’s possible. If they can, so can I. It’s possible.

“They really, really inspired me,” he continued. “I may have had little food. I only had a dream – world champion.

“I want to be champion and if brother Klitschko can do it, so can I.”

He succeeded. In a remarkable amateur career he defeated the brilliant Olympic gold medalist Roniel Iglesias in the World Series of Boxing. The only opponents to beat him in his 30-bout professional career are Brandon Adams and Virgil Ortiz. Now he’s in Los Angeles and on Sunday Night Live Sky SportsShane Mosley Jr. will fight in Las Vegas.

“I just worked hard and now I’m here,” Bohachuk said. “I have a house, I have a car. When I was young I had nothing. Now I have (something). I help my family, I help my family in Ukraine.

“This is my dream and I’m working hard. Every day I work hard. I know what I’m doing. A lot of people tell me it’s impossible, I tell them it’s possible. Brother Klitschko can, Lomachenko can, Usyk can, so can I. Let’s go, let’s go. And here I am now.

“If you’re thinking, oh I can’t, I’m tired, you’re done. It’s going to kill you.

“Everything is possible. It just takes hard work.”

He is enjoying his fight with his former sparring partner Mosley Jr. at the Apex in Las Vegas.

“He’s a good boxer,” the Ukrainian said. “He’s smart. It’s going to be a really interesting fight. If he’s ready for this fight, it’s going to be a very interesting fight.

“It’s my weight division now and it’s a lot better for me because I don’t have to cut as much weight as I did with Adams.”

He added: “(The last fight against Radjab) I changed weight divisions with Butayev, first fight at 160 pounds and I felt great and fought great, I think.

“And this fight is more. More power. More awesome.”

He needs extra to win on Sunday. It was his first fight that his mother would ever come to see.

“My mom has been to Europe once before and to Moscow once. That’s it. My mom is 62 years old,” Bohachuk said with a laugh. “Now I can bring my mom to my next fight. It’s really special for me.

“In Ukraine it’s impossible to go to the USA, Las Vegas, Los Angeles. We only see it in movies, it’s like impossible. Now I can show my mother everything. I’m very excited.

“My mom will go to my fight for the first time,” he continued. “Never before, not amateur, not professional, it’s the first time.

“I’m so inspired!”

Watch Bohachuk vs Mosley live Sky Sports Action And Sky Sports Main Event Sunday from 11 p.m.