Middleweight: 2012, Dec 17-23
Two-loss fringe prospect David Lemieux needed just two rounds to dispose of low-level Russian journeyman Albert Ayrapetyan in Montreal on Friday. The following night on the Johnson-Groves undercard in London, undefeated Billy Joe Saunders won a unanimous decision over fellow English prospect Nick Blackwell, whose only prior loss was to Martin Murray. The fight was competitive, but Saunders pulled it out comfortably on two of the cards, with a strong effort down the stretch. No change to the rankings.
Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #9 Martin Murray
Martinez will look to come back strong from knee surgery when he takes on Martin Murray in Argentina on April 27.
1) Daniel Geale (78-183-183) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- W*(SD12) vs. #4 Felix Sturm
Next Fight: 1/30/2013- vs. #11 Anthony Mundine
Geale now has a date and location for the Mundine fight: January 30, in Sidney. 2) Felix Sturm (16-483-483) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- L*(SD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: 2/2/2013- vs. #12 Sam Soliman
Sturm will fight Aussie Sam Soliman in Germany in early February. 3) Gennady Golovkin (16-16-79) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- TKO5 #3 Grzegorz Proksa
Next Fight: 1/19/2013- vs. JMW #? Gabriel Rosado Golovkin fights at Madison Square Garden against junior middleweight contender Gabriel Rosado. The fight will be on HBO. 4) Matthew Macklin (14-78-169) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- TKO1 Joachim Alcine (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Andy Lee recently called Macklin out. 5) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (14-81-99) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez
Next Fight: Unknown
Chavez tested positive for marijuana for his fight with Martinez, and is likely to be suspended. That won’t affect his rating here at all because he lost anyway, and because it’s not a performance enhancer. The suspension is likely to last about 6 months, and Sergio recently stated that he wants Olympic testing as a precondition to a rematch. 6) Peter Quillin (9-9-30) Last Fight: 10/20/2012- UD12 #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam Next Fight: 1/19/2013- vs. Fernando Guerrero (UNR) After originally being rumored to be working on a fight with Jermain Taylor, Quillin will instead be fighting fringe contending one-loss Dominican Fernando Guerrero on January 19th’s Showtime tripleheader. 7) Dmitry Pirog (33-125-125) Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida
Next Fight: 3/2/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Pirog will return to the ring- and the US- fighting an opponent to be announced March 3 on HBO. 8) Grzegorz Proksa (16-88-88) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- L(TKO5) vs. #13 Gennady Golovkin
Next Fight: Unknown After a taxing TKO loss to Golovkin (and a fairly busy first 3 quarters of the year), Proksa now says he’ll take a rest until at least January. 9) Martin Murray (16-55-55) Last Fight: 11/24/2012- TKO6 Jorge Navarro (UNR) Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez Murray will look to prove that he belongs at or above the level he achieved by drawing with Sturm when he fights the Champ in Argentina on April 27. 10) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (9-112-112) Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter Quillin Next Fight: Unknown
As it turns out, N’Dam had a rematch clause in his contract with Quillin, but he also has expressed interest in Golovkin, Geale, Martinez, and Chavez. Quillin has scheduled a fight with Fernando Guerrero, as well. 11) Anthony Mundine (9-99) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO7 Bronco McKart (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/30/2013- vs. #1 Daniel Geale
A big opportunity for Mundine in the rematch of his split decision victory over Geale. 12) Sam Soliman (9-44) Last Fight: 8/24/2012- UD12 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR) Next Fight: 2/2/2013- vs. #2 Felix Sturm Soliman is fighting Sturm all of a sudden. 13) Marco Antonio Rubio (9-99) Last Fight: 9/8/2012- RTD4 Carlos Baldomir (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: 12/22/2012- vs. Michel Rosales (UNR)
Rubio will fight top-notch journeyman Michel Rosales in Torreon, Mexico on December 22. 14) Osumanu Adama (9-91) Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale Next Fight: 12/22/2012- vs. Derrick Findley (UNR) Adama will just be looking to get active again on December 22 when he fights journeyman Derrick Findley in Chicago. 15) Avtandil Khurtsidze (9-99) Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Khurtsidze has a new promoter in DiBella, but will need to sign a fight by Christmas Eve to stay ranked. 16) Max Bursak (9-99) Last Fight: 7/21/2012- KO1 Sergei Melis (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/26/2013- vs. Julien Marie Sainte (UNR)
Bursak will be fighting for a European title over what should be a pretty easy opponent in Frenchman Julien Marie Sainte- essentially a journeyman. The one bit of intrigue is that the fight is taking place in France. 17) Demetrius Andrade (9-70) Last Fight: 9/20/2012- TKO2 Alexis Hloros (UNR) Next Fight: 1/25/2013- vs. Freddy Hernandez (UNR) No word on why, but junior middleweight gatekeeper Freddy Hernandez is replacing Javier Maciel in the January 25 fight with Andrade. The fight will be on ShoBox. 18) Darren Barker (9-62) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO4 Kerry Hope (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Barker wants Macklin and Murray, although Murray is obviously otherwise occupied for some months to come. 19) Nobuhiro Ishida (30-42) Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog Next Fight: Unknown Barely challenged Pirog at all, but has enough mileage left on the Kirkland upset to remain ranked for the moment. 20) Bryan Vera (9-9) Last Fight: 8/11/2012- W (MD12) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR) Next Fight: 1/25/2013- vs. Sergei Dzinziruk (UNR) Vera will get a big opportunity to establish himself as a contender when he fights once very highly ranked contender Sergei Dzinziruk on Friday Night Fights.
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20) Champ: Sergio Martinez (140-140-140) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- UD12 #4 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.
Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #9 Martin Murray
Martinez will look to come back strong from knee surgery when he takes on Martin Murray in Argentina on April 27.
1) Daniel Geale (78-183-183) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- W*(SD12) vs. #4 Felix Sturm
Next Fight: 1/30/2013- vs. #11 Anthony Mundine
Geale now has a date and location for the Mundine fight: January 30, in Sidney. 2) Felix Sturm (16-483-483) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- L*(SD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: 2/2/2013- vs. #12 Sam Soliman
Sturm will fight Aussie Sam Soliman in Germany in early February. 3) Gennady Golovkin (16-16-79) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- TKO5 #3 Grzegorz Proksa
Next Fight: 1/19/2013- vs. JMW #? Gabriel Rosado Golovkin fights at Madison Square Garden against junior middleweight contender Gabriel Rosado. The fight will be on HBO. 4) Matthew Macklin (14-78-169) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- TKO1 Joachim Alcine (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Andy Lee recently called Macklin out. 5) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (14-81-99) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez
Next Fight: Unknown
Chavez tested positive for marijuana for his fight with Martinez, and is likely to be suspended. That won’t affect his rating here at all because he lost anyway, and because it’s not a performance enhancer. The suspension is likely to last about 6 months, and Sergio recently stated that he wants Olympic testing as a precondition to a rematch. 6) Peter Quillin (9-9-30) Last Fight: 10/20/2012- UD12 #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam Next Fight: 1/19/2013- vs. Fernando Guerrero (UNR) After originally being rumored to be working on a fight with Jermain Taylor, Quillin will instead be fighting fringe contending one-loss Dominican Fernando Guerrero on January 19th’s Showtime tripleheader. 7) Dmitry Pirog (33-125-125) Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida
Next Fight: 3/2/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Pirog will return to the ring- and the US- fighting an opponent to be announced March 3 on HBO. 8) Grzegorz Proksa (16-88-88) Last Fight: 9/1/2012- L(TKO5) vs. #13 Gennady Golovkin
Next Fight: Unknown After a taxing TKO loss to Golovkin (and a fairly busy first 3 quarters of the year), Proksa now says he’ll take a rest until at least January. 9) Martin Murray (16-55-55) Last Fight: 11/24/2012- TKO6 Jorge Navarro (UNR) Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez Murray will look to prove that he belongs at or above the level he achieved by drawing with Sturm when he fights the Champ in Argentina on April 27. 10) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (9-112-112) Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter Quillin Next Fight: Unknown
As it turns out, N’Dam had a rematch clause in his contract with Quillin, but he also has expressed interest in Golovkin, Geale, Martinez, and Chavez. Quillin has scheduled a fight with Fernando Guerrero, as well. 11) Anthony Mundine (9-99) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO7 Bronco McKart (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/30/2013- vs. #1 Daniel Geale
A big opportunity for Mundine in the rematch of his split decision victory over Geale. 12) Sam Soliman (9-44) Last Fight: 8/24/2012- UD12 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR) Next Fight: 2/2/2013- vs. #2 Felix Sturm Soliman is fighting Sturm all of a sudden. 13) Marco Antonio Rubio (9-99) Last Fight: 9/8/2012- RTD4 Carlos Baldomir (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: 12/22/2012- vs. Michel Rosales (UNR)
Rubio will fight top-notch journeyman Michel Rosales in Torreon, Mexico on December 22. 14) Osumanu Adama (9-91) Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale Next Fight: 12/22/2012- vs. Derrick Findley (UNR) Adama will just be looking to get active again on December 22 when he fights journeyman Derrick Findley in Chicago. 15) Avtandil Khurtsidze (9-99) Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Khurtsidze has a new promoter in DiBella, but will need to sign a fight by Christmas Eve to stay ranked. 16) Max Bursak (9-99) Last Fight: 7/21/2012- KO1 Sergei Melis (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/26/2013- vs. Julien Marie Sainte (UNR)
Bursak will be fighting for a European title over what should be a pretty easy opponent in Frenchman Julien Marie Sainte- essentially a journeyman. The one bit of intrigue is that the fight is taking place in France. 17) Demetrius Andrade (9-70) Last Fight: 9/20/2012- TKO2 Alexis Hloros (UNR) Next Fight: 1/25/2013- vs. Freddy Hernandez (UNR) No word on why, but junior middleweight gatekeeper Freddy Hernandez is replacing Javier Maciel in the January 25 fight with Andrade. The fight will be on ShoBox. 18) Darren Barker (9-62) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO4 Kerry Hope (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Barker wants Macklin and Murray, although Murray is obviously otherwise occupied for some months to come. 19) Nobuhiro Ishida (30-42) Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog Next Fight: Unknown Barely challenged Pirog at all, but has enough mileage left on the Kirkland upset to remain ranked for the moment. 20) Bryan Vera (9-9) Last Fight: 8/11/2012- W (MD12) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR) Next Fight: 1/25/2013- vs. Sergei Dzinziruk (UNR) Vera will get a big opportunity to establish himself as a contender when he fights once very highly ranked contender Sergei Dzinziruk on Friday Night Fights.
The Week Ahead: Friday: One-loss Argentine prospect Billi Godoy looks to come back from his razor-thin first career loss from back in October, when he takes on another (weaker) Argentine journeyman in Cristian Rios.
Saturday: In Chicago, #14 Osumanu Adama steps back between the ropes for the first time since his March decision loss to Daniel Geale. He will fight top-level jouirneyman Derrick Findley. Meanwhile, in Morelia, Mexico, #13 Marco Antonio Rubio tangles with another high-level journeyman in fellow Mexican Michel Rosales. On the undercard, prospect Marcos Reyes re-matches the very experienced and credible journeyman Julio Cesar Garcia. Their first fight in September ended with a very close decision. Their last fight was an 10 rounder, this time they will be a bit more concise, fitting their work into an 8-round distance.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
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