Super Middleweight: 2012, Jun 4-10
#9 Sakio Bika was sensational on Saturday, dominating a pretty good fighter in Dyah Davis before stopping the overmatched fringe contender in the 10th and final round. In other action, fringe contender Francisco Sierra, who got the benefit of a controversial draw with Davis last year, won a 6-round decision over undefeated local prospect Rogelio Ruvalcaba in Tijuana.
Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. LHW Champ Chad Dawson Ward and Dawson are now set to make history in September. As far as I know, this may be the first time in history a reigning champion has challenged for a championship at a lower weight. Since Dawson and Ward will be fighting at or below both the Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight limits, both Championships will be on the line as far as I’m concerned.
1) Carl Froch (2-312-312)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- TKO5 #1 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: Unknown The two most likely fights for Froch at this point appear to be the contractually required rematch with Bute (if Bute wants it) or Kessler (if not). Could a third consecutive #1 vs. #2 matchup in this division be too much to ask for?
2) Mikkel Kessler (2-391-391) Last Fight: 5/19/2012- KO5 Allan Green (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Kessler would have been subject to removal next week, but the fact that he weighed less than 2 pounds over the 168 limit for the Green fight gives him an extra 6 months to schedule a super middleweight fight based on prior precedent. 3) Lucian Bute (2-321-321)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- L(TKO5) vs. #2 Carl Froch
Next Fight: Unknown Bute appears uncertain as to whether he’ll exercise his right to a home-field rematch against Froch. It sounds like he’ll fight someone else first, even if so.
4) Robert Stieglitz (25-145-145) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- UD12 Nader Hamdan (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/25/2012- vs. #6 Arthur Abraham Stieglitz vs. Abraham is official- August 25 in Berlin. 5) Thomas Oosthuizen (25-53-101)
Last Fight: 4/27/2012- UD10 Marcus Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/3/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent In the wake of Oosthuizen’s victory over Johnson, Adonis Stevenson has expressed interest in fighting him. 6) Arthur Abraham (25-137-137)
Last Fight: 3/31/2012- UD12 Piotr Wilczewski (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/25/2012- vs. #4 Robert Stieglitz See Stieglitz’s notes, above.
7) Adonis Stevenson (16-26-26) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown DeGale, Oosthuizen, and Edwin Rodriguez have all turned down fights with Stevenson. Now Kelly Pavlik is the next in line, and we’re awaiting his answer. 8) Peter Quillin (7-58-58) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD10 Winky Wright (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown On July 23, it will have been a year since his last fight over the 160 pound limit. 9) Sakio Bika (7-25-270)
Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO10 Dyah Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Bika proved against Dyah Davis that he hasn’t lost much during his long period of high-level inactivity.
10) Andy Lee (7-7-65) 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 (7-7) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Balzsay has been ordered to defend against fringe contender Brian Magee before the end of July. Magee’s team won the purse bid, and the fight will likely take place in Belfast as a result. 12) Anthony Dirrell (25-27) 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 (25-30) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 14) Glen Johnson (25-83) 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- apparently at Light Heavyweight. 15) Dimitri Sartison (7-101)
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 (7-70) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- UD8 Taronze Washington (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown 17) Aaron Pryor, Jr. (25-57) Last Fight: 12/10/2011- L(TKO9) vs. Adonis Stevenson (UNR) Next Fight: 6/14/2012- vs. Will Rosinsky (UNR) An intriguing fight on tap for the 14th: a battle of two guys that probably deserved, but did not receive, decision wins over Edwin Rodriguez, as Pryor fights Will Rosinsky in New York. 18) Jesus Gonzales (25-48) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 19) James DeGale (25-34) 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 (25-25) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO2 Paul Smith (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Groves (or in this case, his promoter) has once again scuttled a fight, and for the second time in the last three, the victim is domestic rival Kenny Anderson.
Bika’s lack of recent success against good competition prior to last week renders him unable to advance, as he stands pat at #9, and there are no changes to the rankings.
Dan’s Top 20 Champ: Andre Ward (25-159-159) Last Fight: 12/17/2011- UD12 #2 Carl Froch
Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. LHW Champ Chad Dawson Ward and Dawson are now set to make history in September. As far as I know, this may be the first time in history a reigning champion has challenged for a championship at a lower weight. Since Dawson and Ward will be fighting at or below both the Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight limits, both Championships will be on the line as far as I’m concerned.
1) Carl Froch (2-312-312)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- TKO5 #1 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: Unknown The two most likely fights for Froch at this point appear to be the contractually required rematch with Bute (if Bute wants it) or Kessler (if not). Could a third consecutive #1 vs. #2 matchup in this division be too much to ask for?
2) Mikkel Kessler (2-391-391) Last Fight: 5/19/2012- KO5 Allan Green (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Kessler would have been subject to removal next week, but the fact that he weighed less than 2 pounds over the 168 limit for the Green fight gives him an extra 6 months to schedule a super middleweight fight based on prior precedent. 3) Lucian Bute (2-321-321)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- L(TKO5) vs. #2 Carl Froch
Next Fight: Unknown Bute appears uncertain as to whether he’ll exercise his right to a home-field rematch against Froch. It sounds like he’ll fight someone else first, even if so.
4) Robert Stieglitz (25-145-145) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- UD12 Nader Hamdan (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/25/2012- vs. #6 Arthur Abraham Stieglitz vs. Abraham is official- August 25 in Berlin. 5) Thomas Oosthuizen (25-53-101)
Last Fight: 4/27/2012- UD10 Marcus Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/3/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent In the wake of Oosthuizen’s victory over Johnson, Adonis Stevenson has expressed interest in fighting him. 6) Arthur Abraham (25-137-137)
Last Fight: 3/31/2012- UD12 Piotr Wilczewski (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/25/2012- vs. #4 Robert Stieglitz See Stieglitz’s notes, above.
7) Adonis Stevenson (16-26-26) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown DeGale, Oosthuizen, and Edwin Rodriguez have all turned down fights with Stevenson. Now Kelly Pavlik is the next in line, and we’re awaiting his answer. 8) Peter Quillin (7-58-58) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD10 Winky Wright (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown On July 23, it will have been a year since his last fight over the 160 pound limit. 9) Sakio Bika (7-25-270)
Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO10 Dyah Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Bika proved against Dyah Davis that he hasn’t lost much during his long period of high-level inactivity.
10) Andy Lee (7-7-65) 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 (7-7) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Balzsay has been ordered to defend against fringe contender Brian Magee before the end of July. Magee’s team won the purse bid, and the fight will likely take place in Belfast as a result. 12) Anthony Dirrell (25-27) 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 (25-30) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 14) Glen Johnson (25-83) 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- apparently at Light Heavyweight. 15) Dimitri Sartison (7-101)
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 (7-70) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- UD8 Taronze Washington (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown 17) Aaron Pryor, Jr. (25-57) Last Fight: 12/10/2011- L(TKO9) vs. Adonis Stevenson (UNR) Next Fight: 6/14/2012- vs. Will Rosinsky (UNR) An intriguing fight on tap for the 14th: a battle of two guys that probably deserved, but did not receive, decision wins over Edwin Rodriguez, as Pryor fights Will Rosinsky in New York. 18) Jesus Gonzales (25-48) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 19) James DeGale (25-34) 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 (25-25) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO2 Paul Smith (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Groves (or in this case, his promoter) has once again scuttled a fight, and for the second time in the last three, the victim is domestic rival Kenny Anderson.
The Week Ahead: One fight of note this week: former Middleweight Champ Kelly Pavlik takes on a likely overmatched opponent in journeyman Scott Sigmon in the Friday Night Fights main event from Vegas.
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