Heavyweight: 2012, Jul 23-29
No major fights at Heavy this week.
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (161-374-374)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO6 #11 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
Another fairly routine defense for Wlad. Thompson may have nicked a couple rounds before a 6th round knockout, and that’s one of the best couple efforts that have been put up against Wlad in recent years. Next victim…
1) Vitali Klitschko (198-198-198)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Manuel Charr (UNR)
Vitali has scheduled what it sounds like will be his final fight. Unfortunately, it’s hardly a fight at all. He’ll take on one of the weakest undefeated fighters you’ll ever see- Syrian Manuel Charr. 2) David Haye (2-2-2) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Haye backed up his frankly annoying talk against Chisora. Povetkin has expressed interest in a showdown with him, as has soon-to-be Vitali victim Manuel Charr…but that would depend upon the virtually impossible event of Charr defeating Klitschko the elder. Haye has also suggested that Vitali might be the only fight he’d be interested in. 3) Tomasz Adamek (2-118-118)
Last Fight: 6/16/2012- UD12 Eddie Chambers (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Travis Walker (UNR)
Adamek is back to his old ways, taking an early September fight against gatekeeper Travis Walker that’s little more than a hometown showcase for the New Jersey resident. 4) Alexander Povetkin (2-248-248) Last Fight: 2/25/2012- W*(MD12) vs. CW #5 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
The Rahman fight is unfortunately in the process of being rescheduled for September 22 in Germany. But the WBA is apparently deliberating whether to take the ludicrous #1 contender designation from Rahman. Let’s just get this joke of a fight over with one way or another, please…
5) Marco Huck (2-22-22) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- Draw (MD12) vs. CW #7 Ola Afolabi (at CW) Next Fight: Unknown Huck says he will likely fight in October next, but is pretending to be somehow above an Afolabi rematch- which is silly. 6) Tyson Fury (2-53-53) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO5 Vinny Maddalone (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After another tune-up against clubfighter Vinny Maddalone, Fury now says he wants to fight Adamek. Wlad also is still interested in a 2013 defense against the giant Brit. 7) Eddie Chambers (6-6-6) Last Fight: L (UD12) vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek Next Fight: Unknown Chambers’ MRI revealed a torn tendon, and he had surgery to repair that. No definite timetable has been set, but I’d be very surprised if we saw him back in the ring before early 2013. 8) Dereck Chisora (2-34-97) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- L(TKO5) vs. David Haye (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Haye loss will be a huge setback for the already underrated Chisora. Many will forget that he did clearly beat Helenius.
9) Robert Helenius (2-69-113)
Last Fight: 12/3/2011- W*(SD12) vs. #18 Dereck Chisora (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
Encouraging news for Helenius, as he is back to limited rehab-style training after shoulder surgery.
10) Kubrat Pulev (2-12-89) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- KO11 #12 Alexander Dimitrenko
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev has been invited to a 4-man IBF eliminator tournament with Solis, Adamek, and Alexander Ustinov, and would likely face Solis in the first round if he decides to accept the offer.
11) Odlanier Solis (2-113)
Last Fight: 5/19/2012- UD12 Konstantin Airich (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown
Solis has reportedly joined Tomasz Adamek in agreeing to join a 4-man elimination tourney for the IBF mandatory position, with the final winner to face Wlad for the title. So far fellow invitees Pulev and Alexander Ustinov have yet to commit. If all goes to plan (a big “if”), Solis’ first round opponent would be Pulev.
12) Seth Mitchell (2-33) Last Fight: 4/28/2012- TKO3 Chazz Witherspoon (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Golden Boy is working on rescheduling the ill-fated Johnathon Banks fight as a tripleheader in the fall featuring fellow rising stars Adrien Broner and Gary Russell, Jr. 13) Ruslan Chagaev (2-297) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO3 Billy Zumbrun (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Valuev win is now over 5 years old, and Chagaev’s ranking has suffered as a result.
14) Alexander Dimitrenko (2-80) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- L(KO11) vs. #17 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Despite showing the heart of a quitter and the consistency of a random number generator against Pulev, Dimitrenko hangs on to a solid ranking because the other guys in his tier haven’t been winning meaningful fights lately.
15) Tony Thompson (2-113)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- L(TKO6) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
In case any of you thought the first fight was a fluke, now you know for sure: Thompson really isn’t as good as Wlad Klitschko.
16) Chris Arreola (2-175)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- KO1 Eric Molina (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Arreola pulled out of a scheduled fight with journeyman Mike Mollo with an injury.
17) Denis Boytsov (2-162)
Last Fight: 4/13/2012- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov will likely fight in Moscow on August 24, but nothing official yet.
18) Jean-Marc Mormeck (2-113) Last Fight: 3/3/2012- L(TKO4) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko Next Fight: Unknown
After his scheduled clash with Denis Lebedev fell through somewhat mysteriously, Mormeck now appears to be negotiating another cruiserweight fight- this time with the roughly equally dangerous Ola Afolabi.
19) Bermane Stiverne (2-57) Last Fight: 4/14/2012- UD8 Willie Herring (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Edmund Gerber (2-12) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- UD8 Maurice Harris (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Not the most scintillating effort against a passive Harris, but the old man is what passes for a fringe contender in this division at the moment, and thus Gerber has built himself a ranking.
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (161-374-374)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO6 #11 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
Another fairly routine defense for Wlad. Thompson may have nicked a couple rounds before a 6th round knockout, and that’s one of the best couple efforts that have been put up against Wlad in recent years. Next victim…
1) Vitali Klitschko (198-198-198)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Manuel Charr (UNR)
Vitali has scheduled what it sounds like will be his final fight. Unfortunately, it’s hardly a fight at all. He’ll take on one of the weakest undefeated fighters you’ll ever see- Syrian Manuel Charr. 2) David Haye (2-2-2) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Haye backed up his frankly annoying talk against Chisora. Povetkin has expressed interest in a showdown with him, as has soon-to-be Vitali victim Manuel Charr…but that would depend upon the virtually impossible event of Charr defeating Klitschko the elder. Haye has also suggested that Vitali might be the only fight he’d be interested in. 3) Tomasz Adamek (2-118-118)
Last Fight: 6/16/2012- UD12 Eddie Chambers (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Travis Walker (UNR)
Adamek is back to his old ways, taking an early September fight against gatekeeper Travis Walker that’s little more than a hometown showcase for the New Jersey resident. 4) Alexander Povetkin (2-248-248) Last Fight: 2/25/2012- W*(MD12) vs. CW #5 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
The Rahman fight is unfortunately in the process of being rescheduled for September 22 in Germany. But the WBA is apparently deliberating whether to take the ludicrous #1 contender designation from Rahman. Let’s just get this joke of a fight over with one way or another, please…
5) Marco Huck (2-22-22) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- Draw (MD12) vs. CW #7 Ola Afolabi (at CW) Next Fight: Unknown Huck says he will likely fight in October next, but is pretending to be somehow above an Afolabi rematch- which is silly. 6) Tyson Fury (2-53-53) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO5 Vinny Maddalone (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After another tune-up against clubfighter Vinny Maddalone, Fury now says he wants to fight Adamek. Wlad also is still interested in a 2013 defense against the giant Brit. 7) Eddie Chambers (6-6-6) Last Fight: L (UD12) vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek Next Fight: Unknown Chambers’ MRI revealed a torn tendon, and he had surgery to repair that. No definite timetable has been set, but I’d be very surprised if we saw him back in the ring before early 2013. 8) Dereck Chisora (2-34-97) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- L(TKO5) vs. David Haye (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Haye loss will be a huge setback for the already underrated Chisora. Many will forget that he did clearly beat Helenius.
9) Robert Helenius (2-69-113)
Last Fight: 12/3/2011- W*(SD12) vs. #18 Dereck Chisora (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
Encouraging news for Helenius, as he is back to limited rehab-style training after shoulder surgery.
10) Kubrat Pulev (2-12-89) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- KO11 #12 Alexander Dimitrenko
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev has been invited to a 4-man IBF eliminator tournament with Solis, Adamek, and Alexander Ustinov, and would likely face Solis in the first round if he decides to accept the offer.
11) Odlanier Solis (2-113)
Last Fight: 5/19/2012- UD12 Konstantin Airich (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown
Solis has reportedly joined Tomasz Adamek in agreeing to join a 4-man elimination tourney for the IBF mandatory position, with the final winner to face Wlad for the title. So far fellow invitees Pulev and Alexander Ustinov have yet to commit. If all goes to plan (a big “if”), Solis’ first round opponent would be Pulev.
12) Seth Mitchell (2-33) Last Fight: 4/28/2012- TKO3 Chazz Witherspoon (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Golden Boy is working on rescheduling the ill-fated Johnathon Banks fight as a tripleheader in the fall featuring fellow rising stars Adrien Broner and Gary Russell, Jr. 13) Ruslan Chagaev (2-297) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO3 Billy Zumbrun (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Valuev win is now over 5 years old, and Chagaev’s ranking has suffered as a result.
14) Alexander Dimitrenko (2-80) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- L(KO11) vs. #17 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Despite showing the heart of a quitter and the consistency of a random number generator against Pulev, Dimitrenko hangs on to a solid ranking because the other guys in his tier haven’t been winning meaningful fights lately.
15) Tony Thompson (2-113)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- L(TKO6) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
In case any of you thought the first fight was a fluke, now you know for sure: Thompson really isn’t as good as Wlad Klitschko.
16) Chris Arreola (2-175)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- KO1 Eric Molina (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Arreola pulled out of a scheduled fight with journeyman Mike Mollo with an injury.
17) Denis Boytsov (2-162)
Last Fight: 4/13/2012- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov will likely fight in Moscow on August 24, but nothing official yet.
18) Jean-Marc Mormeck (2-113) Last Fight: 3/3/2012- L(TKO4) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko Next Fight: Unknown
After his scheduled clash with Denis Lebedev fell through somewhat mysteriously, Mormeck now appears to be negotiating another cruiserweight fight- this time with the roughly equally dangerous Ola Afolabi.
19) Bermane Stiverne (2-57) Last Fight: 4/14/2012- UD8 Willie Herring (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Edmund Gerber (2-12) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- UD8 Maurice Harris (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Not the most scintillating effort against a passive Harris, but the old man is what passes for a fringe contender in this division at the moment, and thus Gerber has built himself a ranking.
THE WEEK AHEAD: The opening of the Olympics leaves us with a bit of a slow pro boxing week overall, and the Heavyweights are among the hardest hit, with no notable fights on tap.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
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