Light Heavyweight: 2013, Jan 7-13
No notable light heavyweight fights were available to ring in the new year.
Champ: Andre Ward (18-18-18) Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW) Next Fight: Unknown Ward’s surgery is complete. He’s expected to be out until at least Summer. 1) Chad Dawson (18-345-345)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- L(TKO10) vs. SMW Champ Andre Ward (at SMW)
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. #3 Jean Pascal Jean Pascal tore a shoulder muscle and tendon, but somehow still expects to be good to go against Dawson on March 23. 2) Bernard Hopkins (18-344-344)
Last Fight: 4/28/2012- L(MD12) vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: 3/9/2012- vs. #5 Tavoris Cloud Hopkins appeared likely to fight Nathan Cleverly, but instead opted for Tavoris Cloud. The fight will take place in Brooklyn. 3) Jean Pascal (18-186-186)
Last Fight: 12/14/2012- UD10 Alexei Kuziemski (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. #1 Chad Dawson See Dawson’s notes, above.
4) Gabriel Campillo (18-133-133)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L*(UD12) vs. #3 Tavoris Cloud (Robbery)
Next Fight: 1/19/2013- vs. Sergei Kovalev (UNR) Campillo will now officially fight hot prospect Sergei Kovalev on January 19, in Bethlehem, PA, on NBC Sports. 5) Tavoris Cloud (18-176-176)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12* vs. #4 Gabriel Campillo (Robbery)
Next Fight: 3/9/2013- vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins Perhaps Cloud’s reasoning for pulling out of the Murat fight had something to do with his apparently better-than-expected chances of landing a much more lucrative Hopkins battle- a fight that now appears set for March. 6) Cornelius White (18-26-56) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- UD12 #10 Dmitri Sukhotski Next Fight: Unknown White is on a tear. Is he really top-5 good? I wouldn’t think so, but he proves me wrong every time I feel I might be overrating him. 7) Nathan Cleverly (18-153-153)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- TKO8 Shawn Hawk (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/16/2013- vs. Robin Krasniqi (UNR) Cleverly will be fighting a long-rumored fight with fringe prospect Robin Krasniqi on March 16 in the UK. 8) Tony Bellew (26-65-65) Last Fight: 11/17/2012- UD12 Roberto Feliciano Bolonti (UNR) Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Bellew has a date set for Liverpool in late March, but no opponent as of yet. 9) Karo Murat (18-67-88) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO7 Sandro Siproshvili (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown No idea what’s next for Murat after Cloud left him at the proverbial altar. 10) Beibut Shumenov (18-129-133) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD12 Enrique Ornelas (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown 11) Isaac Chilemba (8-49) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- UD8 Rayco Saunders (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Chilemba came in a bit heavy, but performed as expected, shutting out journeyman Rayco Saunders. 12) Vyacheslav Uzelkoff (8-49) Last Fight: 12/15/2012- TKO1 Giorgi Marosi (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Uzelkoff easily dispatched Marosi, in a fight so last-minute that I didn’t even know about it a week in advance. 13) Andrzej Fonfara (8-26) Last Fight: 11/16/2012- TKO7 Tommy Karpency (UNR) Next Fight: 3/22/2013- vs. Nicholson Poulard (UNR) Fonfara is scheduled to be in action on March 22 in Chicago. His opponent is Jean Pascal’s brother, journeyman Nicholson Poulard. 14) Yusaf Mack (8-133)
Last Fight: 11/17/2012- L(KO3) vs. #1 SMW Carl Froch (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown It’s no shame to lose to Carl Froch, but Mack’s showing was bad enough that you’ve got to wonder if he’s finished. 15) Jürgen Brähmer (18-38) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- UD10 Vikapita Meroro (UNR) Next Fight: 2/2/2013- vs. Eduard Gutknecht (UNR) Braehmer has reportedly rescheduled his fight with Gutknecht for early February. We’ll see if he follows through this time- always a big “if” with him. 16) Lucian Bute (10-10) Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev Next Fight: Unknown Bute is apparently not fighting Froch next afterall, with Kelly Pavlik being the current target. The rematch could still happen in the fall, though. 17) Denis Grachev (10-37) Last Fight: 11/3/2012- L(UD12) vs. SMW #4 Lucian Bute Next Fight: Unknown Grachev put forth a valiant effort against a heavy favorite in Bute, even after presumably draining almost all the way to 168. As a result, his ranking remains mostly intact. 18) Dmitri Sukhotski (10-115) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO1 Vladimir Borovsky (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 19) Mikkel Kessler (10-34) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO3 Brian Magee (UNR) (at SMW) Next Fight: Unknown Kessler dismantled Brian Magee, but that was at 168. I don’t know if Kessler plans to compete at light heavy again anytime soon. 20) Tony Averlant (10-41) Last Fight: 11/9/2012- UD6 Lubo Hantak (UNR) Next Fight: 1/12/2013- vs. Mounir Toumi (UNR) Averlant is moving back up to a 12-rounder against a lower-mid-level journeyman. A step up from his last fight, but still not doing him any favors.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (18-18-18) Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW) Next Fight: Unknown Ward’s surgery is complete. He’s expected to be out until at least Summer. 1) Chad Dawson (18-345-345)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- L(TKO10) vs. SMW Champ Andre Ward (at SMW)
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. #3 Jean Pascal Jean Pascal tore a shoulder muscle and tendon, but somehow still expects to be good to go against Dawson on March 23. 2) Bernard Hopkins (18-344-344)
Last Fight: 4/28/2012- L(MD12) vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: 3/9/2012- vs. #5 Tavoris Cloud Hopkins appeared likely to fight Nathan Cleverly, but instead opted for Tavoris Cloud. The fight will take place in Brooklyn. 3) Jean Pascal (18-186-186)
Last Fight: 12/14/2012- UD10 Alexei Kuziemski (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. #1 Chad Dawson See Dawson’s notes, above.
4) Gabriel Campillo (18-133-133)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L*(UD12) vs. #3 Tavoris Cloud (Robbery)
Next Fight: 1/19/2013- vs. Sergei Kovalev (UNR) Campillo will now officially fight hot prospect Sergei Kovalev on January 19, in Bethlehem, PA, on NBC Sports. 5) Tavoris Cloud (18-176-176)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12* vs. #4 Gabriel Campillo (Robbery)
Next Fight: 3/9/2013- vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins Perhaps Cloud’s reasoning for pulling out of the Murat fight had something to do with his apparently better-than-expected chances of landing a much more lucrative Hopkins battle- a fight that now appears set for March. 6) Cornelius White (18-26-56) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- UD12 #10 Dmitri Sukhotski Next Fight: Unknown White is on a tear. Is he really top-5 good? I wouldn’t think so, but he proves me wrong every time I feel I might be overrating him. 7) Nathan Cleverly (18-153-153)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- TKO8 Shawn Hawk (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/16/2013- vs. Robin Krasniqi (UNR) Cleverly will be fighting a long-rumored fight with fringe prospect Robin Krasniqi on March 16 in the UK. 8) Tony Bellew (26-65-65) Last Fight: 11/17/2012- UD12 Roberto Feliciano Bolonti (UNR) Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Bellew has a date set for Liverpool in late March, but no opponent as of yet. 9) Karo Murat (18-67-88) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO7 Sandro Siproshvili (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown No idea what’s next for Murat after Cloud left him at the proverbial altar. 10) Beibut Shumenov (18-129-133) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD12 Enrique Ornelas (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown 11) Isaac Chilemba (8-49) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- UD8 Rayco Saunders (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Chilemba came in a bit heavy, but performed as expected, shutting out journeyman Rayco Saunders. 12) Vyacheslav Uzelkoff (8-49) Last Fight: 12/15/2012- TKO1 Giorgi Marosi (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Uzelkoff easily dispatched Marosi, in a fight so last-minute that I didn’t even know about it a week in advance. 13) Andrzej Fonfara (8-26) Last Fight: 11/16/2012- TKO7 Tommy Karpency (UNR) Next Fight: 3/22/2013- vs. Nicholson Poulard (UNR) Fonfara is scheduled to be in action on March 22 in Chicago. His opponent is Jean Pascal’s brother, journeyman Nicholson Poulard. 14) Yusaf Mack (8-133)
Last Fight: 11/17/2012- L(KO3) vs. #1 SMW Carl Froch (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown It’s no shame to lose to Carl Froch, but Mack’s showing was bad enough that you’ve got to wonder if he’s finished. 15) Jürgen Brähmer (18-38) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- UD10 Vikapita Meroro (UNR) Next Fight: 2/2/2013- vs. Eduard Gutknecht (UNR) Braehmer has reportedly rescheduled his fight with Gutknecht for early February. We’ll see if he follows through this time- always a big “if” with him. 16) Lucian Bute (10-10) Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev Next Fight: Unknown Bute is apparently not fighting Froch next afterall, with Kelly Pavlik being the current target. The rematch could still happen in the fall, though. 17) Denis Grachev (10-37) Last Fight: 11/3/2012- L(UD12) vs. SMW #4 Lucian Bute Next Fight: Unknown Grachev put forth a valiant effort against a heavy favorite in Bute, even after presumably draining almost all the way to 168. As a result, his ranking remains mostly intact. 18) Dmitri Sukhotski (10-115) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO1 Vladimir Borovsky (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 19) Mikkel Kessler (10-34) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO3 Brian Magee (UNR) (at SMW) Next Fight: Unknown Kessler dismantled Brian Magee, but that was at 168. I don’t know if Kessler plans to compete at light heavy again anytime soon. 20) Tony Averlant (10-41) Last Fight: 11/9/2012- UD6 Lubo Hantak (UNR) Next Fight: 1/12/2013- vs. Mounir Toumi (UNR) Averlant is moving back up to a 12-rounder against a lower-mid-level journeyman. A step up from his last fight, but still not doing him any favors.
The Week Ahead: In St. Quentin, France, #20 Tony Averlant takes on low-level German journeyman Mounir Toumi in a 10-rounder.
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