Super Middleweight: 2012, May 14-20
Nothing to report this week.
Next Fight: Unknown The Ward-Dawson superfight appears very likely for September.
1) Lucian Bute (22-318-318)
Last Fight: 11/5/2012- UD12 #13 Glen Johnson
Next Fight: 5/26/2012- vs. #2 Carl Froch Despite Showtime rejecting the fight, Bute will face Froch in Nottingham on May 26. Epix will likely televise in the US.
2) Carl Froch (22-309-309)
Last Fight: 12/17/2011- L(UD12) vs. #1 Andre Ward
Next Fight: 5/26/2012- vs. #1 Lucian Bute See Bute’s notes, above.
3) Mikkel Kessler (22-388-388) Last Fight: 6/4/2011- TKO6 Mehdi Bouadla (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/19/2012- vs. Allan Green (UNR) (at LHW) I’m still not clear on why Kessler and Stieglitz is off, but Kessler is now set to fight Allan Green at 175 for some reason. The fight will be in Copenhagen. 4) Robert Stieglitz (22-142-142) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- UD12 Nader Hamdan (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown There is a really good chance that Stieglitz will be fighting Arthur Abraham on August 25th in either Berlin, Hamburg, or Magdeburg, Germany. 5) Thomas Oosthuizen (22-50-98)
Last Fight: 4/27/2012- UD10 Marcus Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown In the wake of Oosthuizen’s victory over Johnson, Adonis Stevenson has expressed interest in fighting him. 6) Arthur Abraham (22-134-134)
Last Fight: 3/31/2012- UD12 Piotr Wilczewski (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown See Stieglitz’s notes, above.
7) Adonis Stevenson (13-23-23) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Stevenson has worn out every fringe contender he can find, and is now looking to fight Ward or Bute, though he might have an opportunity for a shot at some random vacant title against Anthony Dirrell. 8) Peter Quillin (4-55-55) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO6 Craig McEwan (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: 6/2/2012- vs. Winky Wright (UNR) (at MW?) After it originally appeared a no-go, Quillin’s proposed fight with inactive former champ Winky Wright is now on for the Tarver-Kayode undercard on Showtime. 9) Sakio Bika (4-22-267)
Last Fight: 12/3/2011- RTD3 Alfredo Contreras (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Avoided removal by the skin of his teeth, but he’s going to start plummeting any month now if he doesn’t beat someone decent.
10) Andy Lee (4-4-62) Last Fight: 3/10/2012- TKO2 Saul Duran (UNR) Next Fight: 6/16/2012- vs. MW #? Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at MW) Lee gets the fight he’s been waiting for, against the best opponent of his career in Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. The fight will be in El Paso in mid-June. 11) Karoly Balzsay (4-4) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Took advantage of a diminished version of Sartison, which leaves him knocking on the door of the top 10 despite being outfought by unproven prospect Kashtanov. 12) Anthony Dirrell (22-24) Last Fight: 12/2/2011- TKO4 Renan St. Juste (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Dirrell had been all set for a somewhat goofy vacant title opportunity against the underwhelming Nikola Sjekloca, but Dirrell crashed his motorcycle, breaking an arm and leg. He’s expected to be out of action until approximately November at the earliest. 13) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (22-27) Last Fight: 11/11/2011- TKO12 Andrea Di Luisa (UNR) Next Fight: 5/26/2012- vs. Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Ndiaye will fight Spanish journeyman Jose Maria Guerrero on May 26. 14) Glen Johnson (22-80) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- L(UD12) vs. #3 Lucian Bute Next Fight: 7/13/2012- vs. Andrzej Fonfara (UNR) Johnson will now be in a clear gatekeeper role for the first time since he knocked out Yusaf Mack in 2009 when he takes on Polish steroid user/prospect Andrzej Fonfara on Friday Night Fights on July 13. 15) Dimitri Sartison (4-98)
Last Fight: 4/21/2012- L(TKO12) vs. Karoly Balzsay (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Sartison unfortunately underwent another knee surgery following his loss to Balzsay, and will be out until at least October. It’s looking more and more likely that he’ll never be the same fighter. 16) Bryan Vera (4-67) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- UD8 Taronze Washington (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Vera will fight no-name journeyman Taronze Washignton on April 21. 17) Aaron Pryor, Jr. (22-54) Last Fight: 12/10/2011- L(TKO9) vs. Adonis Stevenson (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Well, it’s clear that he can’t play with at least one of the big boys. Every division needs fringe contenders, though, and that looks like Pryor’s lane for the time being. 18) Jesus Gonzales (22-45) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 19) James DeGale (22-31) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO4 Cristian Sanavia (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Easy pickings for a European defense against the faded Sanavia. 20) George Groves (22-22) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO2 Paul Smith (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Groves is starting to earn himself a reputation as an unreliable opponent. He withdrew from a scheduled fight back in December with injury. Then he scheduled a fight for March that he withdrew from in order to fight for Robert Stieglitz’s belt. But now he has withdrawn with that bout with a new injury.
Dan’s Top 20 Champ: Andre Ward (22-156-156) Last Fight: 12/17/2011- UD12 #2 Carl Froch
Next Fight: Unknown The Ward-Dawson superfight appears very likely for September.
1) Lucian Bute (22-318-318)
Last Fight: 11/5/2012- UD12 #13 Glen Johnson
Next Fight: 5/26/2012- vs. #2 Carl Froch Despite Showtime rejecting the fight, Bute will face Froch in Nottingham on May 26. Epix will likely televise in the US.
2) Carl Froch (22-309-309)
Last Fight: 12/17/2011- L(UD12) vs. #1 Andre Ward
Next Fight: 5/26/2012- vs. #1 Lucian Bute See Bute’s notes, above.
3) Mikkel Kessler (22-388-388) Last Fight: 6/4/2011- TKO6 Mehdi Bouadla (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/19/2012- vs. Allan Green (UNR) (at LHW) I’m still not clear on why Kessler and Stieglitz is off, but Kessler is now set to fight Allan Green at 175 for some reason. The fight will be in Copenhagen. 4) Robert Stieglitz (22-142-142) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- UD12 Nader Hamdan (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown There is a really good chance that Stieglitz will be fighting Arthur Abraham on August 25th in either Berlin, Hamburg, or Magdeburg, Germany. 5) Thomas Oosthuizen (22-50-98)
Last Fight: 4/27/2012- UD10 Marcus Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown In the wake of Oosthuizen’s victory over Johnson, Adonis Stevenson has expressed interest in fighting him. 6) Arthur Abraham (22-134-134)
Last Fight: 3/31/2012- UD12 Piotr Wilczewski (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown See Stieglitz’s notes, above.
7) Adonis Stevenson (13-23-23) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Stevenson has worn out every fringe contender he can find, and is now looking to fight Ward or Bute, though he might have an opportunity for a shot at some random vacant title against Anthony Dirrell. 8) Peter Quillin (4-55-55) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO6 Craig McEwan (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: 6/2/2012- vs. Winky Wright (UNR) (at MW?) After it originally appeared a no-go, Quillin’s proposed fight with inactive former champ Winky Wright is now on for the Tarver-Kayode undercard on Showtime. 9) Sakio Bika (4-22-267)
Last Fight: 12/3/2011- RTD3 Alfredo Contreras (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Avoided removal by the skin of his teeth, but he’s going to start plummeting any month now if he doesn’t beat someone decent.
10) Andy Lee (4-4-62) Last Fight: 3/10/2012- TKO2 Saul Duran (UNR) Next Fight: 6/16/2012- vs. MW #? Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at MW) Lee gets the fight he’s been waiting for, against the best opponent of his career in Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. The fight will be in El Paso in mid-June. 11) Karoly Balzsay (4-4) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Took advantage of a diminished version of Sartison, which leaves him knocking on the door of the top 10 despite being outfought by unproven prospect Kashtanov. 12) Anthony Dirrell (22-24) Last Fight: 12/2/2011- TKO4 Renan St. Juste (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Dirrell had been all set for a somewhat goofy vacant title opportunity against the underwhelming Nikola Sjekloca, but Dirrell crashed his motorcycle, breaking an arm and leg. He’s expected to be out of action until approximately November at the earliest. 13) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (22-27) Last Fight: 11/11/2011- TKO12 Andrea Di Luisa (UNR) Next Fight: 5/26/2012- vs. Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Ndiaye will fight Spanish journeyman Jose Maria Guerrero on May 26. 14) Glen Johnson (22-80) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- L(UD12) vs. #3 Lucian Bute Next Fight: 7/13/2012- vs. Andrzej Fonfara (UNR) Johnson will now be in a clear gatekeeper role for the first time since he knocked out Yusaf Mack in 2009 when he takes on Polish steroid user/prospect Andrzej Fonfara on Friday Night Fights on July 13. 15) Dimitri Sartison (4-98)
Last Fight: 4/21/2012- L(TKO12) vs. Karoly Balzsay (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Sartison unfortunately underwent another knee surgery following his loss to Balzsay, and will be out until at least October. It’s looking more and more likely that he’ll never be the same fighter. 16) Bryan Vera (4-67) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- UD8 Taronze Washington (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Vera will fight no-name journeyman Taronze Washignton on April 21. 17) Aaron Pryor, Jr. (22-54) Last Fight: 12/10/2011- L(TKO9) vs. Adonis Stevenson (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Well, it’s clear that he can’t play with at least one of the big boys. Every division needs fringe contenders, though, and that looks like Pryor’s lane for the time being. 18) Jesus Gonzales (22-45) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 19) James DeGale (22-31) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO4 Cristian Sanavia (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Easy pickings for a European defense against the faded Sanavia. 20) George Groves (22-22) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO2 Paul Smith (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Groves is starting to earn himself a reputation as an unreliable opponent. He withdrew from a scheduled fight back in December with injury. Then he scheduled a fight for March that he withdrew from in order to fight for Robert Stieglitz’s belt. But now he has withdrawn with that bout with a new injury.
The Week Ahead: #3 Mikkel Kessler moves up to Light Heavy to fight former Super Middleweight fringe contender Allan Green in Denmark. This may put Kessler’s ranking in jeopardy, as he’s nearing the 1 year anniversary of his last fight at 168 already.
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