Middleweight: 2013, Feb 11-17
Friday: Australian prospect Jarrod Fletcher won every round before stopping Thai journeyman Kiatchai Singwancha (aka Ice Jellybaby), a former featherweight, in the 7th round near Brisbane, Australia.
Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #10 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 (86-191-191) Last Fight: 1/30/2013- UD12 #11 Anthony Mundine
Next Fight: Unknown
Soliman claims that there’s an agreement for a Geale fight, while Geale disputes that the deal is done. 2) Gennady Golovkin (2-24-87) Last Fight: 1/19/2013- TKO7 JMW #? Gabriel Rosado
Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #20 Nobuhiro Ishida Golovkin will headline the Super 4 Light Heavyweight Tourney card in Monaco, fighting Nobuhiro Ishida, who is starting to lose all traces of the luster he gained by beating James Kirkland. 3) Matthew Macklin (2-86-177) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- TKO1 Joachim Alcine (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Macklin reciprocated the calling out he got from Andy Lee, and raised him a specific date and show- challenging Lee to fight him on HBO May 11. 4) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (2-89-107) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez
Next Fight: Unknown
Chavez is expecting to return in May, and then- provided both men win their spring fights- rematch Martinez in September. It looks like his next fight will be without trainer Freddie Roach, as he appears set to dump Roach for either Nacho Beristain or Robert Garcia. 5) Peter Quillin (2-17-38) Last Fight: 10/20/2012- UD12 #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Fernando Guerrero (UNR) Quillin’s fight with Guerrero has been postponed from February 9 to April 27 due to an injury to the card’s headliner, Danny Garcia. 6) Sam Soliman (2-2-52) Last Fight: 2/1/2013- UD12* #2 Felix Sturm Next Fight: Unknown See Geale’s notes, above. 7) Felix Sturm (2-491-491) Last Fight: 2/1/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #12 Sam Soliman
Next Fight: Unknown
Sturm is considering a move to 168. 8) Dmitry Pirog (2-133-133) Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida
Next Fight: Unknown
In case it wasn’t already clear because of silence, we now have confirmation that Pirog’s March return is off, as he is reportedly still having problems with his back. 9) Grzegorz Proksa (2-96-96) Last Fight: 2/9/2013- UD6 Norbert Szekeres (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Proksa’s worthless fight with Szekeres came at a steep price, as he hurt his hand badly enough to scuttle a proposed 3/23 appearance on Friday Night Fights. 10) Martin Murray (2-63-63) 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. 11) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (2-120) 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. 12) Osumanu Adama (2-99) Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale Next Fight: 3/29/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Adama is scheduled to fight on 3/29- more than a year since his last fight. No opponent yet. 13) Marco Antonio Rubio (17-107) Last Fight: 12/22/2012- KO11 Michel Rosales (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Rubio is now part of Robert Garcia’s impressive stable of fighters, and has potential future rematch with Chavez and a likely mandatory against the Quillin-Guerrero winner. 14) Anthony Mundine (2-107) Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: Unknown
A delusional Mundine is crying robbery after being thoroughly defeated by Geale. 15) Max Bursak (8-107) Last Fight: 2/2/2013- TKO3 Julien Marie Sainte (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bursak is now the EBU champion after destroying journeyman Sainte. 16) Demetrius Andrade (8-78) Last Fight: 1/25/2013- UD10 Freddy Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW) Next Fight: Unknown On his recent ShoBox appearance, a big deal was made of Andrade’s speculated move up to 160 in the future. But as his ranking would suggest, he’s already had at least one foot firmly planted in this division for quite some time. 17) Darren Barker (8-70) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO4 Kerry Hope (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Barker has been challenged by Andy Lee. 18) Bryan Vera (3-17) Last Fight: 1/25/2013- TKO10 Sergei Dzinziruk (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Vera remains a very real gatekeeper. Not in the sense I usually use it- which is generally as a gatekeeper to the fringe contender level- but as a gatekeeper to the top 10 region. Dzinziruk obviously was not up to that challenge. 19) Curtis Stevens (3-4) Last Fight: 1/19/2013- KO1 Elvin Ayala (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Years later and 8 pounds lighter, Curtis Stevens is back in the mix. 20) Nobuhiro Ishida (3-50) Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #2 Gennady Golovkin Ishida is probably about to spend his last remaining bit of currency from the Kirkland win. He would need an even more shocking upset to survive- much less beat- the rampaging Gennady Golovkin.
Saturday: #9 Grzegorz Proksa won a shutout 6-round points decision over late replacement and awful journeyman Norbert Szekeres in Belfast, but the stay-busy fight backfired a bit on him, as he badly hurt his hand and had to cancel his prospective 3/23 Friday Night Fights bout. On the same card, Super Middleweight #10 Andy Lee won a suprisingly less-lopsided 8-round verdict against mid-range journeyman Anthony Fitzgerald, losing two rounds on the referee’s card. Finally, undefeated Danish prospect Patrick Nielsen won an average decision over decent Gambian journeyman Patrick Mendy in Esbjerg, Denmark.
Haitian gatekeeper Joachim Alcine was supposed to be in action too, but his fight was apparently canceled.
No changes.
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20) Champ: Sergio Martinez (148-148-148) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- UD12 #4 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.
Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #10 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 (86-191-191) Last Fight: 1/30/2013- UD12 #11 Anthony Mundine
Next Fight: Unknown
Soliman claims that there’s an agreement for a Geale fight, while Geale disputes that the deal is done. 2) Gennady Golovkin (2-24-87) Last Fight: 1/19/2013- TKO7 JMW #? Gabriel Rosado
Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #20 Nobuhiro Ishida Golovkin will headline the Super 4 Light Heavyweight Tourney card in Monaco, fighting Nobuhiro Ishida, who is starting to lose all traces of the luster he gained by beating James Kirkland. 3) Matthew Macklin (2-86-177) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- TKO1 Joachim Alcine (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Macklin reciprocated the calling out he got from Andy Lee, and raised him a specific date and show- challenging Lee to fight him on HBO May 11. 4) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (2-89-107) Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez
Next Fight: Unknown
Chavez is expecting to return in May, and then- provided both men win their spring fights- rematch Martinez in September. It looks like his next fight will be without trainer Freddie Roach, as he appears set to dump Roach for either Nacho Beristain or Robert Garcia. 5) Peter Quillin (2-17-38) Last Fight: 10/20/2012- UD12 #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Fernando Guerrero (UNR) Quillin’s fight with Guerrero has been postponed from February 9 to April 27 due to an injury to the card’s headliner, Danny Garcia. 6) Sam Soliman (2-2-52) Last Fight: 2/1/2013- UD12* #2 Felix Sturm Next Fight: Unknown See Geale’s notes, above. 7) Felix Sturm (2-491-491) Last Fight: 2/1/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #12 Sam Soliman
Next Fight: Unknown
Sturm is considering a move to 168. 8) Dmitry Pirog (2-133-133) Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida
Next Fight: Unknown
In case it wasn’t already clear because of silence, we now have confirmation that Pirog’s March return is off, as he is reportedly still having problems with his back. 9) Grzegorz Proksa (2-96-96) Last Fight: 2/9/2013- UD6 Norbert Szekeres (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Proksa’s worthless fight with Szekeres came at a steep price, as he hurt his hand badly enough to scuttle a proposed 3/23 appearance on Friday Night Fights. 10) Martin Murray (2-63-63) 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. 11) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (2-120) 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. 12) Osumanu Adama (2-99) Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale Next Fight: 3/29/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Adama is scheduled to fight on 3/29- more than a year since his last fight. No opponent yet. 13) Marco Antonio Rubio (17-107) Last Fight: 12/22/2012- KO11 Michel Rosales (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Rubio is now part of Robert Garcia’s impressive stable of fighters, and has potential future rematch with Chavez and a likely mandatory against the Quillin-Guerrero winner. 14) Anthony Mundine (2-107) Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: Unknown
A delusional Mundine is crying robbery after being thoroughly defeated by Geale. 15) Max Bursak (8-107) Last Fight: 2/2/2013- TKO3 Julien Marie Sainte (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bursak is now the EBU champion after destroying journeyman Sainte. 16) Demetrius Andrade (8-78) Last Fight: 1/25/2013- UD10 Freddy Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW) Next Fight: Unknown On his recent ShoBox appearance, a big deal was made of Andrade’s speculated move up to 160 in the future. But as his ranking would suggest, he’s already had at least one foot firmly planted in this division for quite some time. 17) Darren Barker (8-70) Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO4 Kerry Hope (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Barker has been challenged by Andy Lee. 18) Bryan Vera (3-17) Last Fight: 1/25/2013- TKO10 Sergei Dzinziruk (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Vera remains a very real gatekeeper. Not in the sense I usually use it- which is generally as a gatekeeper to the fringe contender level- but as a gatekeeper to the top 10 region. Dzinziruk obviously was not up to that challenge. 19) Curtis Stevens (3-4) Last Fight: 1/19/2013- KO1 Elvin Ayala (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Years later and 8 pounds lighter, Curtis Stevens is back in the mix. 20) Nobuhiro Ishida (3-50) Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog Next Fight: 3/30/2013- vs. #2 Gennady Golovkin Ishida is probably about to spend his last remaining bit of currency from the Kirkland win. He would need an even more shocking upset to survive- much less beat- the rampaging Gennady Golovkin.
The Week Ahead: Monday in Tokyo, 2012 Middleweight prospect of the year, Sanosuke Sasaki, defends his Japanese title against mid-range journeyman or perhaps fringe prospect Tomohiro Ebisu.
In the Friday Night Fights main event from Connecticut, junior middleweight fringe contender Delvin Rodriguez takes on undefeated but untested Oklahoma prospect George Tahdooahnippah in a fight that could happen at either 154 or 160 as far as I know.
Saturday in Tijuana, undefeated Russian Matt Korobov meets completely non-threatening local journeyman Arturo Rodriguez, while gatekeeper Rogelio Medina fights undefeated Venezuelan Jose Uzcategui in a fight that could take place anywhere between 160 and 168.
As for the two fights that could happen in here or elsewhere, I will only mention them next week if they are relevant to the division.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
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