Super Middleweight: 2012, Sep 3-9
An all-Mexico showdown in Los Mochis on Saturday turned out to be a lot more competitive than expected, though the result was ultimately unsurprising. Rogelio Medina came in with two losses, but each came against a credible opponent. Luis Serrano, by contrast, was essentially untested, but had nevertheless absorbed a loss- to a fighter making his pro debut. Even so, Serrano had Medina on the deck in each of the first two rounds before succumbing to Medina’s pressure and consistent head and body attack by failing to answer the bell for round 6. Even in the first two rounds, however, Medina dominated virtually every second that he wasn’t actively involved in being knocked down. He simply has terrible balance when attacking- something he will have to remedy if he wants any chance of winning at the B-level at which he’s already failed twice.
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 (15-325-325)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- TKO5 #1 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: 11/17/2012- vs. LHW #11 Yusaf Mack After the negotiations initially appeared to have failed, Froch eventually secured a fight with Yusaf Mack, afterall.
2) Arthur Abraham (2-150-150)
Last Fight: 8/25/2012- UD12 #4 Robert Stieglitz
Next Fight: 12/15/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent Abraham is a hot commodity in the division again. He is already scheduled for a return on December 15, with Mikkel Kessler reportedly interested, and with the winner of Sturm-Geale also being a possibility. 3) Mikkel Kessler (2-404-404) Last Fight: 5/19/2012- KO5 Allan Green (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Kessler is interested in fighting Arthur Abraham. 4) Lucian Bute (2-334-334)
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.
5) Robert Stieglitz (2-158-158) Last Fight: 8/25/2012- L(UD12) vs. #6 Arthur Abraham
Next Fight: Unknown Stieglitz was somewhat busted up in the tough Abraham fight, and so I expect him to take a few months off at least. 6) Thomas Oosthuizen (2-66-114)
Last Fight: 8/2/2012- UD12 Rowland Bryant (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Oosthuizen looked like the frontrunner to fight Froch in April, but didn’t like the offer he was given and turned down the shot. 7) Kelly Pavlik (9-9-9) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- UD10 #12 Will Rosinsky Next Fight: Unknown 8) Adonis Stevenson (9-39-39) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: 10/12/2012- vs. Don George (UNR) Stevenson’s ill-fated fight with Don George has been rescheduled for October 12, in Montreal. 9) Sakio Bika (6-38-283) 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 (6-6-20) 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 (9-78) Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(TKO7) vs. MW#? Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown 12) Anthony Dirrell (6-40) 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 (6-12) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- L(UD10) vs. Kelly Pavlik (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 14) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (6-43) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 15) Dimitri Sartison (6-114)
Last Fight: 4/21/2012- L(TKO12) vs. Karoly Balzsay (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Sartison has been medically cleared following his third knee surgery, and is looking to return in December. 16) Bryan Vera (6-83) Last Fight: 8/11/2012- W(MD12) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown Vera 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 (6-61) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 18) James DeGale (6-47) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO4 Cristian Sanavia (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 19) George Groves (6-8) 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 seemed to have had other ideas almost from the start, as the show will now go on without him. 20) Edwin Rodriguez (6-6) 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.
No changes to the rankings.
Dan’s Top 20 Champ: Andre Ward (38-172-172)
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 (15-325-325)
Last Fight: 5/26/2012- TKO5 #1 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: 11/17/2012- vs. LHW #11 Yusaf Mack After the negotiations initially appeared to have failed, Froch eventually secured a fight with Yusaf Mack, afterall.
2) Arthur Abraham (2-150-150)
Last Fight: 8/25/2012- UD12 #4 Robert Stieglitz
Next Fight: 12/15/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent Abraham is a hot commodity in the division again. He is already scheduled for a return on December 15, with Mikkel Kessler reportedly interested, and with the winner of Sturm-Geale also being a possibility. 3) Mikkel Kessler (2-404-404) Last Fight: 5/19/2012- KO5 Allan Green (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Kessler is interested in fighting Arthur Abraham. 4) Lucian Bute (2-334-334)
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.
5) Robert Stieglitz (2-158-158) Last Fight: 8/25/2012- L(UD12) vs. #6 Arthur Abraham
Next Fight: Unknown Stieglitz was somewhat busted up in the tough Abraham fight, and so I expect him to take a few months off at least. 6) Thomas Oosthuizen (2-66-114)
Last Fight: 8/2/2012- UD12 Rowland Bryant (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Oosthuizen looked like the frontrunner to fight Froch in April, but didn’t like the offer he was given and turned down the shot. 7) Kelly Pavlik (9-9-9) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- UD10 #12 Will Rosinsky Next Fight: Unknown 8) Adonis Stevenson (9-39-39) Last Fight: 4/20/2012- TKO2 Noe Gonzalez (UNR) Next Fight: 10/12/2012- vs. Don George (UNR) Stevenson’s ill-fated fight with Don George has been rescheduled for October 12, in Montreal. 9) Sakio Bika (6-38-283) 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 (6-6-20) 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 (9-78) Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(TKO7) vs. MW#? Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown 12) Anthony Dirrell (6-40) 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 (6-12) Last Fight: 7/7/2012- L(UD10) vs. Kelly Pavlik (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 14) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (6-43) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 15) Dimitri Sartison (6-114)
Last Fight: 4/21/2012- L(TKO12) vs. Karoly Balzsay (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Sartison has been medically cleared following his third knee surgery, and is looking to return in December. 16) Bryan Vera (6-83) Last Fight: 8/11/2012- W(MD12) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR) (at MW) Next Fight: Unknown Vera 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 (6-61) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown 18) James DeGale (6-47) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO4 Cristian Sanavia (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 19) George Groves (6-8) 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 seemed to have had other ideas almost from the start, as the show will now go on without him. 20) Edwin Rodriguez (6-6) 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: Both Super Middleweight Champion Andre Ward and Light Heavyweight Champion Chad Dawson’s lineal Championships are on the line this week, since both men are fighting at or below both divisional limits. This is the first time this has ever happened with two legitimate championships on the line in the same fight. There are certainly those that will disagree with me- including the hypocritical WBC, which once sanctioned a super middleweight fight between its Light Heavyweight titlist, Donny Lalonde, and Middleweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard for both Lalonde’s title and a vacant super middleweight one- but traditionally a champion may defend his championship regardless of how much he weighs in doing so, so long as he doesn’t weight too much.
In the week’s only other significant Super Middleweight fight, middleweight contender Marco Antonio Rubio fights Carlos Baldomir- whose last significant win was 6 years and 3 divisions ago- for the title of an alphabet body so obscure that it sanctioned Holyfield-Botha for its heavyweight title less than two years ago.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
Leave a Reply