Super Middleweight: 2012, Aug 13-19
#16 Bryan Vera took care of Sergio Mora for a second time this weekend, but that fight was at middleweight, and I’ll discuss it there in detail. No changes to the rankings this week.
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 (12-322-322)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- TKO5 #1 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: Unknown Bute is exercising his rematch clause, but not until probably March. In the interim, Froch will fight in November. He’s expressed interest in Kessler and Pavlik, although Oosthuizen now looks like the most likley option.
2) Mikkel Kessler (12-401-401) Last Fight: 5/19/2012- KO5 Allan Green (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Both Pavlik and Froch are jonesing for a fight with the Viking Warrior. 3) Lucian Bute (12-331-331)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- L(TKO5) vs. #2 Carl Froch
Next Fight: 11/3/2012- vs. LHW #15 Denis Grachev (at LHW) Bute will exercise his rematch clause to fight Froch in March, but will be fighting an interim fight in November against otherwise mediocre but hard-hitting light heavyweight Denis Grachev.
4) Robert Stieglitz (35-155-155) 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 (35-63-111)
Last Fight: 8/2/2012- UD12 Rowland Bryant (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Oosthuizen appears to be the frontrunner to fight Carl Froch in November. 6) Arthur Abraham (35-147-147)
Last Fight: 3/31/2012- UD12 Piotr Wilczewski (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/25/2012- vs. #4 Robert Stieglitz See Stieglitz’s notes, above. 7) Kelly Pavlik (6-6-6) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- UD10 #12 Will Rosinsky Next Fight: Unknown Pavlik will likely return in October, possibly against Kessler. 8) Adonis Stevenson (6-36-36) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Stevenson came down with an injury, and will not be fighting Don George this week afterall. 9) Sakio Bika (3-35-280) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO10 Dyah Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Bika has been talking about a willingness to fight Froch, or even to move up and fight Danny Green as high as cruiserweight.
10) Karoly Balzsay (3-3-17) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Balzsay pulled out of a scheduled alphabet title defense with fringe contender Brian Magee with a back injury. 11) Andy Lee (6-75) Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(TKO7) vs. MW#? Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown 12) Anthony Dirrell (3-37) 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) Will Rosinsky (3-9) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- L(UD10) vs. Kelly Pavlik (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 14) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (3-40) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 15) Dimitri Sartison (3-111)
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 (3-80) Last Fight: 8/11/2012- W(MD12) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown Mora took care of his rematch with Mora, but now only has until October to schedule a fight at 168 before he’s removed here. 17) Jesus Gonzales (3-58) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 18) James DeGale (3-44) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO4 Cristian Sanavia (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 19) George Groves (3-5) Last Fight: 7/28/2012- TKO6 Francisco Sierra (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Groves was supposed to headline a fight on September 14 in London, but Groves seemed to have had other ideas almost from the start, as the show will now go on without him. 20) Edwin Rodriguez (3-3) Last Fight: 3/17/2012- UD10 Don George (UNR) Next Fight: 9/29/2012- vs. Jason Escalera (UNR) Rodriguez will headline a fairly ShoBoxy edition of HBO’s Boxing After Dark on September 29.
Dan’s Top 20 Champ: Andre Ward (35-169-169)
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 (12-322-322)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- TKO5 #1 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: Unknown Bute is exercising his rematch clause, but not until probably March. In the interim, Froch will fight in November. He’s expressed interest in Kessler and Pavlik, although Oosthuizen now looks like the most likley option.
2) Mikkel Kessler (12-401-401) Last Fight: 5/19/2012- KO5 Allan Green (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Both Pavlik and Froch are jonesing for a fight with the Viking Warrior. 3) Lucian Bute (12-331-331)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- L(TKO5) vs. #2 Carl Froch
Next Fight: 11/3/2012- vs. LHW #15 Denis Grachev (at LHW) Bute will exercise his rematch clause to fight Froch in March, but will be fighting an interim fight in November against otherwise mediocre but hard-hitting light heavyweight Denis Grachev.
4) Robert Stieglitz (35-155-155) 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 (35-63-111)
Last Fight: 8/2/2012- UD12 Rowland Bryant (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Oosthuizen appears to be the frontrunner to fight Carl Froch in November. 6) Arthur Abraham (35-147-147)
Last Fight: 3/31/2012- UD12 Piotr Wilczewski (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/25/2012- vs. #4 Robert Stieglitz See Stieglitz’s notes, above. 7) Kelly Pavlik (6-6-6) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- UD10 #12 Will Rosinsky Next Fight: Unknown Pavlik will likely return in October, possibly against Kessler. 8) Adonis Stevenson (6-36-36) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Stevenson came down with an injury, and will not be fighting Don George this week afterall. 9) Sakio Bika (3-35-280) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO10 Dyah Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Bika has been talking about a willingness to fight Froch, or even to move up and fight Danny Green as high as cruiserweight.
10) Karoly Balzsay (3-3-17) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Balzsay pulled out of a scheduled alphabet title defense with fringe contender Brian Magee with a back injury. 11) Andy Lee (6-75) Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(TKO7) vs. MW#? Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown 12) Anthony Dirrell (3-37) 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) Will Rosinsky (3-9) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- L(UD10) vs. Kelly Pavlik (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 14) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (3-40) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 15) Dimitri Sartison (3-111)
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 (3-80) Last Fight: 8/11/2012- W(MD12) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown Mora took care of his rematch with Mora, but now only has until October to schedule a fight at 168 before he’s removed here. 17) Jesus Gonzales (3-58) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 18) James DeGale (3-44) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO4 Cristian Sanavia (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 19) George Groves (3-5) Last Fight: 7/28/2012- TKO6 Francisco Sierra (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Groves was supposed to headline a fight on September 14 in London, but Groves seemed to have had other ideas almost from the start, as the show will now go on without him. 20) Edwin Rodriguez (3-3) Last Fight: 3/17/2012- UD10 Don George (UNR) Next Fight: 9/29/2012- vs. Jason Escalera (UNR) Rodriguez will headline a fairly ShoBoxy edition of HBO’s Boxing After Dark on September 29.
The Week Ahead: Chicago gatekeeper/prospect hybrid Don George fights undersized gatekeeper Dionisio Miranda on Friday Night Fights from Miami, Oklahoma. George was supposed to fight Adonis Stevenson instead, but Stevenson came up with an injury.
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