Super Middleweight: 2013, Feb 11-17
#10 Andy Lee came in at 160.25 for his fight with 158.75-pound Anthony Fitzgerald in Belfast on Saturday. I’ll discuss the details of Lee’s points win in my middleweight update, but will discuss the implications of the weigh-in here. As I’ve mentioned in recent weeks, Lee hadn’t fought over 160 in nearly a year. I’m left with a dilemma. Should Lee coming in a quarter-pound over the middleweight limit afford him another year as a ranked super middleweight? I think not. If a fighter comes in closer to a lower weight class limit than the one he’s ranked in, it will not count as activity in the higher weight class unless the opponent also weighs more than the lower divisional weight limit. Lee retains his ranking for now, but will be subject to removal under this precedent if he doesn’t schedule a potentially super middlweight fight before the update following March 10.
Next Fight: Unknown Ward’s done with surgery, and is likely out until at least the Summer. 1) Carl Froch (38-348-348)
Last Fight: 11/17/2012- KO3 LHW #11 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. #3 Mikkel Kessler The deal is done. Froch will get a rematch with Kessler on May 25 in London. 2) Arthur Abraham (9-173-173)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- TKO8 Mehdi Bouadla (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. #5 Robert Stieglitz Abraham will rematch Stieglitz on March 23 in Stieglitz’s hometown of Magdeburg. 3) Mikkel Kessler (9-427-427) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO3 Brian Magee (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. #1 Carl Froch See Froch’s notes, above. 4) Lucian Bute (25-357-357) Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 LHW #16 Denis Grachev (at LHW) Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Bute will reportedly fight the Bika/Sjekloca winner as part of a split-site broadcast with Froch-Kessler on May 25.
5) Robert Stieglitz (25-181-181) Last Fight: 8/25/2012- L(UD12) vs. #6 Arthur Abraham
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- #2 Arthur Abraham See Abraham’s notes, above. 6) Thomas Oosthuizen (25-89-137)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- UD12 Fulgencio Zuniga (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/2/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Oosthuizen has a fight scheduled in Connecticut on March 2, but no opponent yet. 7) Adonis Stevenson (18-62-62) Last Fight: 10/12/2012- TKO12 Don George (UNR) Next Fight: 3/22/2013- vs. Darnell Boone (UNR) With his hopes of fighting Carl Froch dashed for the moment, Stevenson will tend to some unfinished business when he tries to avenge his 2010 stoppage loss to Darnell Boone on March 22 in Montreal. 8) George Groves (4-9-31) Last Fight: 12/15/2012- UD12 Glen Johnson (UNR) Next Fight: 3/16/2013- vs. #14 Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye Ndiaye-Groves now has a date. March 16, as part of what’s shaping up to be a Frank Warren megacard at Wembley Arena in London. 9) Karoly Balzsay (4-29-43) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Balzsay suffered a back injury way back in August, but I don’t know if that remains a factor as to why he hasn’t scheduled a fight since then. More likely, his ties to practically defunct promotional company Universum are the primary reason. 10) Andy Lee (4-4-101) Last Fight: 2/9/2013- W(PTS10) vs. Anthony Fitzgerald (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Having not fought in anything truly resembling a super middleweight fight since March 10, Lee will be subject to removal if he hasn’t scheduled a relevant fight by that date. 11) Sakio Bika (4-306) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO10 Dyah Davis (UNR) Next Fight: 2/16/2013- vs. Nikola Sjekloca (UNR) Bika will get a very winnable fight with mediocre prospect Sjekloca for an interim title or, in effect, a potential shot at Champion Andre Ward. Or maybe a shot at Bute for an eventual shot at Ward. 12) Anthony Dirrell (4-63) Last Fight: 12/2/2011- TKO4 Renan St. Juste (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown After his motorcycle crash, Anthony Dirrell was said to be out until at least November. November has come and gone, and not a peep. Hopefully he gets back in the ring before his woefully inactive twin brother. As for his ranking, I will now commit to not remove him until at least June 2, 2013 due to his very serious injury situation. 13) Will Rosinsky (4-35) Last Fight: 12/19/2012- UD10 Otis Griffin (UNR) (at LHW) Next Fight: Unknown Rosinsky was cut and also outmuscled for much of his fight with Griffin, but managed to cobble together enough rounds to eek out a decision. He admitted after the fight that he’s too small for light heavyweight, and pledged to return here or, possibly, even drop down to 160. 14) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (4-66) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: 3/16/2013- vs. #8 George Groves Ndiaye-Groves is set for March 16 in London. 15) Dimitri Sartison (4-137)
Last Fight: 1/27/2013- UD6 Artem Solomko (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/9/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Sartison is busy again, if nothing else. After decisioning a weak opponent on 1/27, he’s got another fight scheduled for 3/9 already. 16) James DeGale (4-70) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- UD12 Fulgencio Zuniga (UNR) Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent DeGale will be fighting in Bluewater, Kent on March 23. No opponent yet. 17) Ezequiel Maderna (4-7) Last Fight: 12/14/2012- RTD7 Claudio Abalos Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #20 Edwin Rodriguez Maderna gets the first real international break of his career on March 30, when he fights fellow up-and-coming prospect Edwin Rodriguez of Massachusetts by way of the Dominican Republic, with the winner to fight the winner of Erdei-Grachev. I actually can’t find it anywhere, but the fact that Grachev and especially Erdei are light heavyweights typically would seem to indicate that Maderna-Rodriguez might be at that weight, too. 18) Jesus Gonzales (4-84) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown After being thrice-delayed, Gonzales’ fight with Albert Onolunose appears off. That means that he’ll be removed if he hasn’t scheduled a fight by February 24. 19) Maxim Vlasov (4-14) Last Fight: 12/30/2012- RTD7 Geard Ajetovic (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown After fighting just once in the first 10 months of 2012, Vlasov closed strong with 2 solid wins in the last 2 months. 20) Edwin Rodriguez (4-4) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- TKO8 Jason Escalera (UNR) Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #17 Ezequiel Maderna See Maderna’s notes, above.
No changes this week.
Dan’s Top 20 Champ: Andre Ward (61-195-195) Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 LHW Champ Chad Dawson
Next Fight: Unknown Ward’s done with surgery, and is likely out until at least the Summer. 1) Carl Froch (38-348-348)
Last Fight: 11/17/2012- KO3 LHW #11 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. #3 Mikkel Kessler The deal is done. Froch will get a rematch with Kessler on May 25 in London. 2) Arthur Abraham (9-173-173)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- TKO8 Mehdi Bouadla (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. #5 Robert Stieglitz Abraham will rematch Stieglitz on March 23 in Stieglitz’s hometown of Magdeburg. 3) Mikkel Kessler (9-427-427) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO3 Brian Magee (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. #1 Carl Froch See Froch’s notes, above. 4) Lucian Bute (25-357-357) Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 LHW #16 Denis Grachev (at LHW) Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Bute will reportedly fight the Bika/Sjekloca winner as part of a split-site broadcast with Froch-Kessler on May 25.
5) Robert Stieglitz (25-181-181) Last Fight: 8/25/2012- L(UD12) vs. #6 Arthur Abraham
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- #2 Arthur Abraham See Abraham’s notes, above. 6) Thomas Oosthuizen (25-89-137)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- UD12 Fulgencio Zuniga (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/2/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Oosthuizen has a fight scheduled in Connecticut on March 2, but no opponent yet. 7) Adonis Stevenson (18-62-62) Last Fight: 10/12/2012- TKO12 Don George (UNR) Next Fight: 3/22/2013- vs. Darnell Boone (UNR) With his hopes of fighting Carl Froch dashed for the moment, Stevenson will tend to some unfinished business when he tries to avenge his 2010 stoppage loss to Darnell Boone on March 22 in Montreal. 8) George Groves (4-9-31) Last Fight: 12/15/2012- UD12 Glen Johnson (UNR) Next Fight: 3/16/2013- vs. #14 Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye Ndiaye-Groves now has a date. March 16, as part of what’s shaping up to be a Frank Warren megacard at Wembley Arena in London. 9) Karoly Balzsay (4-29-43) Last Fight: 4/21/2012- TKO12 #8 Dimitri Sartison Next Fight: Unknown Balzsay suffered a back injury way back in August, but I don’t know if that remains a factor as to why he hasn’t scheduled a fight since then. More likely, his ties to practically defunct promotional company Universum are the primary reason. 10) Andy Lee (4-4-101) Last Fight: 2/9/2013- W(PTS10) vs. Anthony Fitzgerald (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Having not fought in anything truly resembling a super middleweight fight since March 10, Lee will be subject to removal if he hasn’t scheduled a relevant fight by that date. 11) Sakio Bika (4-306) Last Fight: 6/2/2012- TKO10 Dyah Davis (UNR) Next Fight: 2/16/2013- vs. Nikola Sjekloca (UNR) Bika will get a very winnable fight with mediocre prospect Sjekloca for an interim title or, in effect, a potential shot at Champion Andre Ward. Or maybe a shot at Bute for an eventual shot at Ward. 12) Anthony Dirrell (4-63) Last Fight: 12/2/2011- TKO4 Renan St. Juste (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown After his motorcycle crash, Anthony Dirrell was said to be out until at least November. November has come and gone, and not a peep. Hopefully he gets back in the ring before his woefully inactive twin brother. As for his ranking, I will now commit to not remove him until at least June 2, 2013 due to his very serious injury situation. 13) Will Rosinsky (4-35) Last Fight: 12/19/2012- UD10 Otis Griffin (UNR) (at LHW) Next Fight: Unknown Rosinsky was cut and also outmuscled for much of his fight with Griffin, but managed to cobble together enough rounds to eek out a decision. He admitted after the fight that he’s too small for light heavyweight, and pledged to return here or, possibly, even drop down to 160. 14) Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (4-66) Last Fight: 5/26/2012- RTD9 Jose Maria Guerrero (UNR) Next Fight: 3/16/2013- vs. #8 George Groves Ndiaye-Groves is set for March 16 in London. 15) Dimitri Sartison (4-137)
Last Fight: 1/27/2013- UD6 Artem Solomko (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/9/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Sartison is busy again, if nothing else. After decisioning a weak opponent on 1/27, he’s got another fight scheduled for 3/9 already. 16) James DeGale (4-70) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- UD12 Fulgencio Zuniga (UNR) Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent DeGale will be fighting in Bluewater, Kent on March 23. No opponent yet. 17) Ezequiel Maderna (4-7) Last Fight: 12/14/2012- RTD7 Claudio Abalos Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #20 Edwin Rodriguez Maderna gets the first real international break of his career on March 30, when he fights fellow up-and-coming prospect Edwin Rodriguez of Massachusetts by way of the Dominican Republic, with the winner to fight the winner of Erdei-Grachev. I actually can’t find it anywhere, but the fact that Grachev and especially Erdei are light heavyweights typically would seem to indicate that Maderna-Rodriguez might be at that weight, too. 18) Jesus Gonzales (4-84) Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(KO1) vs. #9 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown After being thrice-delayed, Gonzales’ fight with Albert Onolunose appears off. That means that he’ll be removed if he hasn’t scheduled a fight by February 24. 19) Maxim Vlasov (4-14) Last Fight: 12/30/2012- RTD7 Geard Ajetovic (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown After fighting just once in the first 10 months of 2012, Vlasov closed strong with 2 solid wins in the last 2 months. 20) Edwin Rodriguez (4-4) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- TKO8 Jason Escalera (UNR) Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #17 Ezequiel Maderna See Maderna’s notes, above.
The Week Ahead: Three fights to mention, all on Saturday:
#11 Sakio Bika gets a shot at overrated fringe contending prospect Nikola Sjekloca (who probably deserved losses to Khoren Gevor and Hadillah Mohoumadi) in Atlantic City, in a fight that should yield a shot at Lucian Bute for a potential shot at a recovering Andre Ward.
In Tijuana, Mexico, Rogelio Medina’s scheduled fight with undefeated Venezuelan Jose Uzcategui could end up being either at 168 or 160 as far as I know. I’ll only mention it next week in the appropriate division.
In Montevideo, Uruguay, local 2-loss prospect Noe Gonzalez gets a fairly easy assignment against Brazilian journeyman Idiozan Matos.
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