Heavyweight: 2012, Sep 3-9
#13 Ruslan Chagaev surprisingly needed 7 of the scheduled 8 rounds to stop awful journeyman Werner Kreiskott. It’s not like Kreiskott is one of those guys that give you rounds no matter what. He’d been stopped 7 times before, often against guys you’ll never ever hear of. No changes to the rankings.
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (167-380-380)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO6 #11 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: 11/10/2012- vs. Mariusz Wach (UNR)
Klitschko-Wach is now a done deal for November 10. Wach- a Polish prospect- is in no way worthy of a shot at the legitimate title yet, but is considered by many to be a dangerous fighter anyway due to his size and power.
1) Vitali Klitschko (204-204-204)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Manuel Charr (UNR)
With the early indications being that Vitali’s silly sparring match with Charr being his last fight, there is now plenty of buzz that he might fight Haye in March of next year.
2) David Haye (8-8-8) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Haye has indicated that a fight with Vitali may be the only fight that would lure him away from re-retiring. He may get his wish, as there is now talk of a March 2013 matchup. 3) Tomasz Adamek (8-124-124)
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 (8-254-254) Last Fight: 2/25/2012- W*(MD12) vs. CW #5 Marco Huck
Next Fight: 9/29/2012- vs. Hasim Rahman (UNR)
The Rahman fight has unfortunately been rescheduled for September 29, in Hamburg.
5) Marco Huck (8-28-28) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- Draw (MD12) vs. CW #7 Ola Afolabi (at CW) Next Fight: 11/3/2012- vs. CW #? Firat Arslan (at CW) Huck just signed for an alphabet defense against Arslan, kind of out of nowhere. 6) Tyson Fury (8-59-59) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO5 Vinny Maddalone (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury is reportedly frustrated with apparently tepid interest from Chagaev after he had reportedly ruled out possible fights with James Toney and Jean Marc Mormeck. 7) Eddie Chambers (12-12-12) 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 (8-40-103) 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 (8-75-119)
Last Fight: 12/3/2011- W*(SD12) vs. #18 Dereck Chisora (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
Helenius is now back to full training, looking to return to the ring as early as November after suffering a shoulder injury against Dereck Chisora that required surgery.
10) Kubrat Pulev (8-18-95) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- KO11 #12 Alexander Dimitrenko
Next Fight: 9/29/2012- vs. Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Pulev will fight an eliminator against Russian giant Alexander Ustinov in late September from Hamburg.
11) Odlanier Solis (8-119)
Last Fight: 5/19/2012- UD12 Konstantin Airich (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown
After it was announced that Solis would be fighting on the Adamek card this weekend, that fight inexplicably vanished. Solis’ promoters seem really bad about announcing fights that never materialize.
12) Seth Mitchell (8-39) Last Fight: 4/28/2012- TKO3 Chazz Witherspoon (UNR) Next Fight: 10/6/2012- vs. Johnathon Banks (UNR) Mitchell’s injury-delayed fight with Banks has been rescheduled for October 6. Adrien Broner will also fight on the card. 13) Ruslan Chagaev (8-303) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- TKO7 Werner Kreiskott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Chagaev appears to be less than excited about a proposed fight with Tyson Fury.
14) Alexander Dimitrenko (8-86) 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 (8-119)
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 (8-181)
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 (8-168)
Last Fight: 4/13/2012- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov will reportedly return in October. No exact date or opponent is known. 18) Jean-Marc Mormeck (8-119) Last Fight: 3/3/2012- L(TKO4) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko Next Fight: Unknown
19) Bermane Stiverne (8-63) Last Fight: 4/14/2012- UD8 Willie Herring (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Edmund Gerber (8-18) 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 (167-380-380)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO6 #11 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: 11/10/2012- vs. Mariusz Wach (UNR)
Klitschko-Wach is now a done deal for November 10. Wach- a Polish prospect- is in no way worthy of a shot at the legitimate title yet, but is considered by many to be a dangerous fighter anyway due to his size and power.
1) Vitali Klitschko (204-204-204)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Manuel Charr (UNR)
With the early indications being that Vitali’s silly sparring match with Charr being his last fight, there is now plenty of buzz that he might fight Haye in March of next year.
2) David Haye (8-8-8) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Haye has indicated that a fight with Vitali may be the only fight that would lure him away from re-retiring. He may get his wish, as there is now talk of a March 2013 matchup. 3) Tomasz Adamek (8-124-124)
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 (8-254-254) Last Fight: 2/25/2012- W*(MD12) vs. CW #5 Marco Huck
Next Fight: 9/29/2012- vs. Hasim Rahman (UNR)
The Rahman fight has unfortunately been rescheduled for September 29, in Hamburg.
5) Marco Huck (8-28-28) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- Draw (MD12) vs. CW #7 Ola Afolabi (at CW) Next Fight: 11/3/2012- vs. CW #? Firat Arslan (at CW) Huck just signed for an alphabet defense against Arslan, kind of out of nowhere. 6) Tyson Fury (8-59-59) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO5 Vinny Maddalone (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury is reportedly frustrated with apparently tepid interest from Chagaev after he had reportedly ruled out possible fights with James Toney and Jean Marc Mormeck. 7) Eddie Chambers (12-12-12) 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 (8-40-103) 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 (8-75-119)
Last Fight: 12/3/2011- W*(SD12) vs. #18 Dereck Chisora (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
Helenius is now back to full training, looking to return to the ring as early as November after suffering a shoulder injury against Dereck Chisora that required surgery.
10) Kubrat Pulev (8-18-95) Last Fight: 5/5/2012- KO11 #12 Alexander Dimitrenko
Next Fight: 9/29/2012- vs. Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Pulev will fight an eliminator against Russian giant Alexander Ustinov in late September from Hamburg.
11) Odlanier Solis (8-119)
Last Fight: 5/19/2012- UD12 Konstantin Airich (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown
After it was announced that Solis would be fighting on the Adamek card this weekend, that fight inexplicably vanished. Solis’ promoters seem really bad about announcing fights that never materialize.
12) Seth Mitchell (8-39) Last Fight: 4/28/2012- TKO3 Chazz Witherspoon (UNR) Next Fight: 10/6/2012- vs. Johnathon Banks (UNR) Mitchell’s injury-delayed fight with Banks has been rescheduled for October 6. Adrien Broner will also fight on the card. 13) Ruslan Chagaev (8-303) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- TKO7 Werner Kreiskott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Chagaev appears to be less than excited about a proposed fight with Tyson Fury.
14) Alexander Dimitrenko (8-86) 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 (8-119)
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 (8-181)
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 (8-168)
Last Fight: 4/13/2012- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov will reportedly return in October. No exact date or opponent is known. 18) Jean-Marc Mormeck (8-119) Last Fight: 3/3/2012- L(TKO4) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko Next Fight: Unknown
19) Bermane Stiverne (8-63) Last Fight: 4/14/2012- UD8 Willie Herring (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Edmund Gerber (8-18) 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: After last week’s warm up, the division really picks up a little this week. Fringe contending Italian prospect Francesco Pianeta gets us started on Friday, when he fights 43-year-old South African former fringe contender Frans Botha in Germany.
Saturday finds us with a huge slate of action. #1 Vitali Klitschko defends his alphabet belt against perhaps the biggest joke of an undefeated heavyweight since Butterbean, nominally undefeated Syrian Manuel Charr in Moscow. On the undercard, undefeated Ukrainian prospect Vyacheslav Glazkov takes on his toughest test to date in Kazakh-born German gatekeeper Konstantin Airich.
Another heavyweight-loaded card is on tap in Newark, New Jersey. #3 Tomasz Adamek headlines it, fighting American gatekeeper Travis Walker. Hot prospect and Adamek stablemate Bryant Jennings takes a bit of a breather from his tough matchups when he takes on the rather weak Chris Koval on that card. Also on the bill, former Cruiserweight top contender Steve Cunningham follows through on his vow to move up in weight as he makes his heavyweight debut against solid journeyman Jason Gavern.
Finally, on the Ward-Dawson undercard in Oakland, fringe contender Franklin Lawrence- plagued for many months now by inactivity and poor competition, stays true to form by fighting a very mediocre and comparatively inexperienced journeyman opponent in Homero Fonseca of Texas.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
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