Editing Alexander Dimitrenko (section)

=== Early career ===
Dimitrenko made his professional debut on 8 December 2001, [[technical knockout|stopping]] Marcus Johnson in four rounds on the undercard of the fight between [[Vitali Klitschko]] and [[Ross Puritty]]. Dimitrenko's professional debut averaged over 5 million viewers on [[Sat.1]].<ref name="dimitrenko-johnson">{{Cite web|url=https://www.presseportal.de/pm/6708/307322|title=7,39 Millionen Zuschauer sahen erfolgreiches Comeback von Dr. Vitali Klitschko in "live ran"|date=9 December 2001 |access-date=16 May 2020|language=German}}</ref> Standing at an imposing {{convert|2.01|m}}, he was widely regarded as one of the top contenders for a future world title opportunity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bidenko and Dimitrenko victirious! [sic] |url= http://www.boxnews.com.ua/en/news/1992/2005-09-29/Bidenko-and-Dimitrenko-victirious- |newspaper=boxnews.com.ua |date=29 September 2005 |access-date=17 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hbo.com/boxing/inside/features/article/10-heavyweights-on-the-rise-or-maybe-not.html|title=10 Heavyweights On The Rise... Or Maybe Not|access-date=16 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.boxnews.com.ua/en/news/4696/2008-11-16/Dimitrenko-crushes-Krasniqi-|title=Dimitrenko crushes Krasniqi!|date=16 November 2008 |access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref> He compiled a record of 14 wins in 14 bouts, ending 10 of them inside the distance, 8 of them - inside the first two rounds. He was then scheduled to face his first notable opponent, [[Ross Puritty]]. The bout generated attention in both Germany and Ukraine, given Puritty's win over [[Wladimir Klitschko]] six years prior, with Dimitrenko entertaining the idea of beating someone who had defeated one of the Klitschkos.<ref name=dimitrenko-puritty-ranfighting>{{Cite web|url=https://ranfighting.de/boxen/alexander-dimitrenko-vs-ross-puritty|title=Alexander Dimitrenko vs. Ross Puritty|access-date=16 May 2020|language=German}}</ref>
<ref name=dimitrenko-puritty>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxing247.com/weblog/archives/101361|title=Alexander Dimitrenko faces Ross Puritty|date=14 July 2004 |access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref> The bout was scheduled to happen on 31 July 2004, but Purrity pulled out after suffering an elbow injury during training camp while sparring with [[Juan Carlos Gomez]]. Puritty pulled out just three days before the scheduled date.<ref name=dimitrenko-sample/><ref name=francis>{{Cite web|url=http://fightnews.ru/vmesto_pyuriti_s_dimitrenko_vstretitsya_frensis|title=Вместо Пьюрити с Димитренко встретится Френсис|access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref>
<ref name=julius-francis-puritty>{{Cite web|url=https://allboxing.ru/archives/2004-07-28_23_50.html|title=Александр Димитренко встретится с Джулиусом Фрэнсисом|date=28 July 2004 |access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref> Instead, Dimitrenko faced former [[Lonsdale Belt|British and Commonwealth]] heavyweight champion [[Julius Francis]], who at the time was used as a stepping stone by some of the rising prospects, such as [[Audley Harrison]] and [[Volodymyr Vyrchys]], and as a stay-busy fight by heavyweight contenders.<ref name=dimitrenko-vs-francis>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/395949/799066|title=Alexander Dimitrenko vs. Julius Francis|access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref>
<ref name=dimitrenko-sample/> Dimitrenko won the bout by a lopsided unanimous decision (UD), with all three judges scoring the bout identically 80–72, giving Dimitrenko every round.<ref name=dimitrenko-vs-francis/>

The fight between Dimitrenko and Puritty was rescheduled to take place on 6 November 2004, with Dimitrenko agreeing for a tune-up bout against Andy Sample. Dimitrenko defeated Sample by second-round TKO.<ref name=dimitrenko-sample/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/409471/838828|title=Alexander Dimitrenko vs Andy Sample|access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref> On 6 November 2004, he finally faced Puritty in an anticipated showdown that was televised by [[ZDF]].<ref name=dimitrenko-puritty-ranfighting/> The fight was part of the three-fight main event which also saw [[Sergiy Dzindziruk]] defending his [[European Boxing Union|European]] welterweight title against Hussein Bayram, and [[Mario Veit]] defending [[World Boxing Organisation|WBO]] world super-middleweight title against [[Charles Brewer (boxer)|Charles Brewer]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.boxnews.com.ua/news/836/2004-11-07/rss|title=Дзиндзирук и Димитренко разделались со своими оппонентами|access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref><ref name=dimitrenko-dzindziruk/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/419967|title=Event: Dimitrenko vs Puritty|access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref> Dimitrenko outboxed Puritty for the majority of the fight, staying on the outside and keeping his opponent at the end of his jab.<ref name=dimitrenko-puritty-ranfighting/> Ultimately, Dimitrenko won the fight by [[unanimous decision]] (UD), with scores 80–72 (twice) and 79–73.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/419967/854167|title=Alexander Dimitrenko vs Ross Puritty|access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediaport.ua/news/sport/18625/boks_byivshiy_harkovchanin_na_professionalnom_ringe_pobedil_rossa_pyuriti|title=Бокс. Бывший харьковчанин на профессиональном ринге победил Росса Пьюрити|access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref><ref name=dimitrenko-dzindziruk>{{Cite web|url=https://sport.ua/news/3913-dimitrenko-i-dzindziruk-pobedili|title=Димитренко и Дзиндзирук победили!|access-date=16 May 2020|language=Russian}}</ref>