Middleweight: 2012, Mar 5-11
No significant fights in the division last week, but last week’s #9 Sebastian Sylvester has officially retired, and is therefore removed from the rankings. German veteran Sylvester had been a mainstay in everyone’s top 5 before he lost badly to Grzegorz Proksa in his last fight. His departure allows Sam Soliman to enter the top 10 for the first time (at least in the last few years), and makes room for Nobuhiro Ishida to return to the rankings at #20 after two weeks out.
Next Fight: 3/17/2012- vs. #3 Matthew Macklin
After weeks of speculation, it’s now official: Martinez vs. Macklin, St. Patrick’s Day, MSG.
1) Daniel Geale (37-142-142) Last Fight: 8/31/2011- UD12 Eromosele Albert (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/7/2012- vs. #11 Osumanu Adama
The Adama fight has been moved to a March 7 date.
2) Grzegorz Proksa (23-47-47) Last Fight: 10/1/2011- RTD3 #4 Sebastian Sylvester
Next Fight: 3/17/2012- vs. Kerry Hope (UNR) Proksa will fight English journeyman Kerry Hope in Sheffield, England on March 17.
3) Matthew Macklin (14-37-128) Last Fight: 6/25/2011- L*(SD12) vs. #1 Felix Sturm
Next Fight: 3/17/2012- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez
See Martinez’s notes, above. 4) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (5-40-58) Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD12 #10 Marco Antonio Rubio
Next Fight: 6/2/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chavez’s next fight now appears set for June 2, with Martin Murray being the leading candidate. 5) Felix Sturm (5-442-442) Last Fight: 12/2/2012- Draw (SD12) vs. Martin Murray (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/13/2012- vs. Sebastian Zbik (UNR)
A few weeks ago, it looked like Sturm would be promoting Zbik’s fight with Proksa. Now he’s fighting Zbik instead, after Zbik showed his disgust for Sturm by pulling out. 6) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (5-71-71) Last Fight: 4/2/2011- UD12 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Just as he appeared to have a fight lined up with Pirog, the Russian came down with a shoulder injury.
7) Martin Murray (5-14-14) Last Fight: 12/2/2011- Draw(SD12) vs. #3 Felix Sturm Next Fight: Unknown After discussing fights with domestic rivals Lee and Barker, it now looks like Murray is a good bet to fight Chavez in early June. 8) Dmitry Pirog (14-84-84) Last Fight: 9/25/2011- RTD10 Gennady Martirosyan (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/1/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent
Bouncing back relatively quickly from a shoulder injury, Pirog has now reserved a May 1 date in Moscow. It looks like his original pre-injury opponent N’Dam will be left without a dance partner, as Bursak appears to be the leading candidate. 9) Anthony Mundine (1-5-58) Last Fight: 10/19/2011- UD12 Rigoberto Alvarez (UNR) (at JMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
10) Sam Soliman (1-1-3) Last Fight: 2/19/2012- UD12 #15 Garth Wood Next Fight: Unknown 11) Osumanu Adama (1-50) Last Fight: 10/6/2011- TKO9 Roman Karmazin (UNR) Next Fight: 3/7/2012- vs. #1 Daniel Geale Adama-Geale- originally scheduled for leap day, will now take place on March 7. 12) Marco Antonio Rubio (1-58) Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #7 Julio Cesar Chavez
Next Fight: Unknown
Rubio renewed his relevance with what was officially an upset over Lemieux, but the more proven Chavez proved to be a prospect too far.
13) Paul Williams (1-3) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12 #17 Nobuhiro Ishida (as JMW) Next Fight: Unknown 14) Avtandil Khurtsidze (1-58) Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has ordered Khurtsidze to defend his new goofy color-coded belt against gatekeeper Domenico Spada. 15) Max Bursak (1-58) Last Fight: 12/17/2012- TKO3 Laatekwei Hammond (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bursak is the mandatory contender for whatever title Pirog holds, and reportedly he might get his shot on May 1 in Moscow.
16) Gennady Golovkin (1-38) Last Fight: 12/9/2011- KO1 Lajuan Simon (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Golovkin can’t get anyone to fight him. 17) Demetrius Andrade (1-29) Last Fight: 2/10/2012- KO2 Angel Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW) Next Fight: Unknown With original opponent Derek Ennis getting sick 2 days before the fight, Andrade instead dispatched journeyman Angel Hernandez on ESPN2. 18) Darren Barker (1-21) Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez Next Fight: Unknown Barker turned down an offer to fight Martin Murray. 19) Billi Godoy (1-20) Last Fight: 11/12/2011- TKO1 Luciano Silva (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 20) Nobuhiro Ishida (1-1) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(UD12) vs. JMW #? Paul Williams Next Fight: Unknown
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20) Champ: Sergio Martinez (99-99-99) Last Fight: 10/1/2011- KO11 #20 Darren Barker
Next Fight: 3/17/2012- vs. #3 Matthew Macklin
After weeks of speculation, it’s now official: Martinez vs. Macklin, St. Patrick’s Day, MSG.
1) Daniel Geale (37-142-142) Last Fight: 8/31/2011- UD12 Eromosele Albert (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/7/2012- vs. #11 Osumanu Adama
The Adama fight has been moved to a March 7 date.
2) Grzegorz Proksa (23-47-47) Last Fight: 10/1/2011- RTD3 #4 Sebastian Sylvester
Next Fight: 3/17/2012- vs. Kerry Hope (UNR) Proksa will fight English journeyman Kerry Hope in Sheffield, England on March 17.
3) Matthew Macklin (14-37-128) Last Fight: 6/25/2011- L*(SD12) vs. #1 Felix Sturm
Next Fight: 3/17/2012- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez
See Martinez’s notes, above. 4) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (5-40-58) Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD12 #10 Marco Antonio Rubio
Next Fight: 6/2/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chavez’s next fight now appears set for June 2, with Martin Murray being the leading candidate. 5) Felix Sturm (5-442-442) Last Fight: 12/2/2012- Draw (SD12) vs. Martin Murray (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/13/2012- vs. Sebastian Zbik (UNR)
A few weeks ago, it looked like Sturm would be promoting Zbik’s fight with Proksa. Now he’s fighting Zbik instead, after Zbik showed his disgust for Sturm by pulling out. 6) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (5-71-71) Last Fight: 4/2/2011- UD12 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Just as he appeared to have a fight lined up with Pirog, the Russian came down with a shoulder injury.
7) Martin Murray (5-14-14) Last Fight: 12/2/2011- Draw(SD12) vs. #3 Felix Sturm Next Fight: Unknown After discussing fights with domestic rivals Lee and Barker, it now looks like Murray is a good bet to fight Chavez in early June. 8) Dmitry Pirog (14-84-84) Last Fight: 9/25/2011- RTD10 Gennady Martirosyan (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/1/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent
Bouncing back relatively quickly from a shoulder injury, Pirog has now reserved a May 1 date in Moscow. It looks like his original pre-injury opponent N’Dam will be left without a dance partner, as Bursak appears to be the leading candidate. 9) Anthony Mundine (1-5-58) Last Fight: 10/19/2011- UD12 Rigoberto Alvarez (UNR) (at JMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
10) Sam Soliman (1-1-3) Last Fight: 2/19/2012- UD12 #15 Garth Wood Next Fight: Unknown 11) Osumanu Adama (1-50) Last Fight: 10/6/2011- TKO9 Roman Karmazin (UNR) Next Fight: 3/7/2012- vs. #1 Daniel Geale Adama-Geale- originally scheduled for leap day, will now take place on March 7. 12) Marco Antonio Rubio (1-58) Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #7 Julio Cesar Chavez
Next Fight: Unknown
Rubio renewed his relevance with what was officially an upset over Lemieux, but the more proven Chavez proved to be a prospect too far.
13) Paul Williams (1-3) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12 #17 Nobuhiro Ishida (as JMW) Next Fight: Unknown 14) Avtandil Khurtsidze (1-58) Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has ordered Khurtsidze to defend his new goofy color-coded belt against gatekeeper Domenico Spada. 15) Max Bursak (1-58) Last Fight: 12/17/2012- TKO3 Laatekwei Hammond (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bursak is the mandatory contender for whatever title Pirog holds, and reportedly he might get his shot on May 1 in Moscow.
16) Gennady Golovkin (1-38) Last Fight: 12/9/2011- KO1 Lajuan Simon (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Golovkin can’t get anyone to fight him. 17) Demetrius Andrade (1-29) Last Fight: 2/10/2012- KO2 Angel Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW) Next Fight: Unknown With original opponent Derek Ennis getting sick 2 days before the fight, Andrade instead dispatched journeyman Angel Hernandez on ESPN2. 18) Darren Barker (1-21) Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez Next Fight: Unknown Barker turned down an offer to fight Martin Murray. 19) Billi Godoy (1-20) Last Fight: 11/12/2011- TKO1 Luciano Silva (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 20) Nobuhiro Ishida (1-1) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(UD12) vs. JMW #? Paul Williams Next Fight: Unknown
The Week Ahead: In Hobart, Australia, #1 Daniel Geale battles #12 Osumanu Adama. I will venture to say that this will be one of very few times you’ll see two guys with an average rank of #6 in their division (or any #1, for that matter) fighting on a Wednesday.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
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