Super Middleweight: 2012, Jul 2-8
No action to report from last week again.
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 (6-316-316)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- TKO5 #1 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: Unknown Froch is gunning for Kessler, but Kelly Pavlik has been agitating to fight Froch on his scheduled fall date, as well.
2) Mikkel Kessler (6-395-395) Last Fight: 5/19/2012- KO5 Allan Green (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Kessler could fight Carl Froch in mid-October. 3) Lucian Bute (6-325-325)
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 (29-149-149) 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 (29-57-105)
Last Fight: 4/27/2012- UD10 Marcus Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/2/2012- vs. Rowland Bryant (UNR) Oosthuizen will be fighting in New York against Rowland Bryant, the athletic fighter that put a beating on Librado Andrade in a big upset earlier this year. 6) Arthur Abraham (29-141-141)
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 (20-30-30) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown DeGale, Oosthuizen, Pavlik, Kessler, Bika, and Edwin Rodriguez have all turned down fights with Stevenson. The fight has now been offered to Andre Dirrell. Stevenson’s team appears pessimistic about that fight, and they are using Don George as a backup plan. 8) Peter Quillin (11-62-62) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD10 Winky Wright (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown Quillin appears likely to fight on September 8, perhaps against Marco Antonio Rubio. If this fight is announced, Quillin will be removed since he has not fought over the 160 limit since last July. 9) Sakio Bika (11-29-274)
Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO10 Dyah Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Bika just became the 6th known fighter to turn down a shot at Adonis Stevenson.
10) Andy Lee (11-11-69) Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(TKO7) vs. MW#? Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown 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 (11-11) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Balzsay had a 7/7 date tentatively set to fight Brian Magee, but he reportedly was still in relaxation mode after his last fight, and hadn’t resumed serious training. The fight appears to be off for the moment. 12) Will Rosinsky (3-3) Last Fight: 6/14/2012- UD8 #17 Aaron Pryor, Jr. Next Fight: 7/7/2012- vs. Kelly Pavlik (UNR) Rosinsky and Pavlik are both jumping into the ring after only a few weeks’ break when they do battle on HBO on July 7. 13) Anthony Dirrell (3-31) 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. 14) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (3-34) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown There is word of negotiations for a potential fight with James DeGale. 15) Glen Johnson (3-87) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- L(UD12) vs. #3 Lucian Bute Next Fight: 7/13/2012- vs. Andrzej Fonfara (UNR) (at LHW) 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. 16) Dimitri Sartison (3-105)
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. 17) Bryan Vera (3-74) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- UD8 Taronze Washington (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: 8/11/2012- vs. Sergio Mora (UNR) (at MW) Vera will give Sergio Mora a rematch of their competitive bout from early 2011. Both of these guys are all over the map with their performances, so this could go either way. The fight will be at 160. 18) Jesus Gonzales (29-52) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 19) James DeGale (29-38) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO4 Cristian Sanavia (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown May be up for a very good test against Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye next. 20) George Groves (29-29) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO2 Paul Smith (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown With his mandatory British title defense on hold until probably September due to a problem in securing a venue, it sounds as if Groves may fight in the interim, possibly in the US.
Dan’s Top 20 Champ: Andre Ward (29-163-163) 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 (6-316-316)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- TKO5 #1 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: Unknown Froch is gunning for Kessler, but Kelly Pavlik has been agitating to fight Froch on his scheduled fall date, as well.
2) Mikkel Kessler (6-395-395) Last Fight: 5/19/2012- KO5 Allan Green (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Kessler could fight Carl Froch in mid-October. 3) Lucian Bute (6-325-325)
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 (29-149-149) 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 (29-57-105)
Last Fight: 4/27/2012- UD10 Marcus Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/2/2012- vs. Rowland Bryant (UNR) Oosthuizen will be fighting in New York against Rowland Bryant, the athletic fighter that put a beating on Librado Andrade in a big upset earlier this year. 6) Arthur Abraham (29-141-141)
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 (20-30-30) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown DeGale, Oosthuizen, Pavlik, Kessler, Bika, and Edwin Rodriguez have all turned down fights with Stevenson. The fight has now been offered to Andre Dirrell. Stevenson’s team appears pessimistic about that fight, and they are using Don George as a backup plan. 8) Peter Quillin (11-62-62) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD10 Winky Wright (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown Quillin appears likely to fight on September 8, perhaps against Marco Antonio Rubio. If this fight is announced, Quillin will be removed since he has not fought over the 160 limit since last July. 9) Sakio Bika (11-29-274)
Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO10 Dyah Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Bika just became the 6th known fighter to turn down a shot at Adonis Stevenson.
10) Andy Lee (11-11-69) Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(TKO7) vs. MW#? Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown 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 (11-11) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Balzsay had a 7/7 date tentatively set to fight Brian Magee, but he reportedly was still in relaxation mode after his last fight, and hadn’t resumed serious training. The fight appears to be off for the moment. 12) Will Rosinsky (3-3) Last Fight: 6/14/2012- UD8 #17 Aaron Pryor, Jr. Next Fight: 7/7/2012- vs. Kelly Pavlik (UNR) Rosinsky and Pavlik are both jumping into the ring after only a few weeks’ break when they do battle on HBO on July 7. 13) Anthony Dirrell (3-31) 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. 14) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (3-34) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown There is word of negotiations for a potential fight with James DeGale. 15) Glen Johnson (3-87) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- L(UD12) vs. #3 Lucian Bute Next Fight: 7/13/2012- vs. Andrzej Fonfara (UNR) (at LHW) 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. 16) Dimitri Sartison (3-105)
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. 17) Bryan Vera (3-74) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- UD8 Taronze Washington (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: 8/11/2012- vs. Sergio Mora (UNR) (at MW) Vera will give Sergio Mora a rematch of their competitive bout from early 2011. Both of these guys are all over the map with their performances, so this could go either way. The fight will be at 160. 18) Jesus Gonzales (29-52) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 19) James DeGale (29-38) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO4 Cristian Sanavia (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown May be up for a very good test against Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye next. 20) George Groves (29-29) Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO2 Paul Smith (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown With his mandatory British title defense on hold until probably September due to a problem in securing a venue, it sounds as if Groves may fight in the interim, possibly in the US.
The Week Ahead: Three fights of note on Saturday: Kelly Pavlik looks to become a ranked fighter for the first time in a while when he takes on #12 Will Rosinsky on HBO from Carson, California.
Tanzanian gatekeeper Francis Cheka is set to fight his very mediocre and inexperienced countryman Japhet Kaseba in their native land.
Undefeated Englishman Rocky Fielding is also scheduled to appear in Sheffield, but no opponent has been announced yet as far as I know.
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