Cruiserweight: 2013: Feb 18-24

Two-loss prospect and British titlist Jon Lewis Dickinson won a comfortable if unspectacular decision over journeyman David Dolan near his opponent’s hometown.  No changes to the rankings.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Denis Lebedev (23-159-159)
Last Fight: 12/17/2012- KO4 Santander Silgado (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Date- vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
After much speculation that he’d be making his US debut against Eddie Chambers, it now appears he’ll be fighting heavily inactive former titlist Guillermo Jones in either Miami, Panama, or Nigeria.  Don King is the promoter, so you never know for sure if it’ll come off, but it’s looking likely for April.
2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (23-139-139)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- W*(UD12) vs. #20 Troy Ross
Next Fight: Unknown
Hernandez pulled out of his scheduled 2/2 fight with Eric Fields with a fractured hand.
3) Troy Ross (23-23-55)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L*(UD12) vs. #1 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Next Fight: Unknown
Ross deserved to beat Hernandez.
4) Ola Afolabi (2-206-206)
Last Fight: 5/5/2012- Draw* (MD12) vs. #4 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
Though Huck admits he doesn’t want the fight, he says he will fight his mandatory rematch with Afolabi in either late March or early April.  There should be an announcement soon.
5) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (2-400-400)
Last Fight: 9/22/2012- UD12 #13 Francisco Palacios
Next Fight: Unknown
After Mormeck withdrew with injury, Wlodarczyk has a fight with Fragomeni on the horizon, but probably after a voluntary defense.
6) Firat Arslan (2-41-84)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- L*(UD12) vs. #5 Marco Huck (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
A bizarre twist in Arslan’s schedule, as he signed on to save Felix Sturm’s 12/1 show by replacing Ruslan Chagaev as the main support on just 2 days’ notice, but then he mysteriously changed his mind just hours before the bell.
7) Marco Huck (2-324-324)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- W*(UD12) vs. #10 Firat Arslan (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Afolabi’s notes, above.
8) Lateef Kayode (2-38-118)
Last Fight: 6/2/2012- Draw (SD12) vs. ‘Roided up #3 Antonio Tarver
Next Fight: Unknown
All indications are that Kayode will next fight at heavyweight, but the plans to get him in the ring in February appear unlikely to come to fruition.
9) Danny Green (2-15-168)
Last Fight: 11/21/2012- UD12 Shane Cameron (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
As has been the case after every fight since he had very serious surgery a couple years ago, there is speculation that Green may retire following his win over Shane Cameron.  Green himself remains non-committal.
10) B.J. Flores (2-2-139)
Last Fight: 10/6/2012- TKO2 David McNemar (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Flores says he’s looking to fight Lebedev or the Huck-Afolabi winner.  I’ll believe it when I see it, as he’s talked about fighting good fighters before recently, only to fight the likes of David McNemar.
11) Giacobbe Fragomeni (2-223)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- W*(SD12) vs. #13 Silvio Branco
Next Fight: Unknown
After limping to back-to-back tossup fights with the painfully old Silvio Branco, Fragomeni is now looking to step up to what would have to be seen as a cash-out trilogy fight with the much better Krzysztof Wlodarczyk.
12) Silvio Branco (2-49)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- L*(SD12) vs. #12 Giacobbe Fragomeni
Next Fight: Unknown
Branco can still hang with whippersnappers like 43 year-old countryman Fragomeni, but you’ve gotta think his active days are numbered at 46.
13) Mateusz Masternak (2-47)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- UD12 Juho Haapoja (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Masternak just put it on cruise control and walked away with a European title belt.
14) Francisco Palacios (2-99)
Last Fight: 9/22/2012- L(UD12) vs. #7 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
Very little of note left on his resume after his should-be win over Wlodarczyk was neutralized by a close but clear loss to same, and with his win over Louis Azille over 5 years old now.
15) Alexander Alekseev (2-110)
Last Fight: 5/11/2012- Draw*(MD12) vs. #19 Firat Arslan (robbery- should have been L)
Next Fight: 2/22/2013- vs. Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Alekseev will fight fringe contender Garrett Wilson in Romania on February 22.
16) Thabiso Mchunu (2-15)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- TKO5 #20 Danie Venter
Next Fight: Unknown
Mchunu is probably ready to take the Chilemba/Oosthuizen journey out of South Africa and into the international scene after conquering the local scene in the form of Venter.  He may have some unfinished business with Zack Mwekassa first, however.
17) Dmitro Kucher (2-34)
Last Fight: 12/22/2012- UD8 Willie Herring (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/21/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Kucher’s return is set for March 21 in Kiev.
18) Enad Licina (2-139)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- TKO2 Koeksal Orduhan
Next Fight: Unknown
Really, Enad?  He just fought the most obviously terrible opponent I think I’ve ever had to write about on here.  The record of said fighter?  0-15.  No joke.
19) Grigory Drozd (2-15)
Last Fight: 12/17/2012- UD12 Jean-Marc Monrose (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Pawel Glazewski (2-2)
Last Fight: 12/9/2012- TKO3 Alexander Garaschenko (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/23/2013- vs. Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR)
It was with a bit of regret that I chose Glazewski to assume the #20 spot, as I expect him to campaign around the light heavyweight limit for the foreseeable future.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: #15 Alexander Alekseev returns to action for the first time in the 9+ months since being given a gift against Firat Arslan, facing American fringe contender Garrett Wilson in Galati, Romania.  Later that night, Cuban undefeated prospect Yunier Dorticos is scheduled for action in Palm Bay, Florida against an unnamed opponent.  One bit of caution- last time this was the case, the fight never happened, and Dorticos has consequently been inactive for well over a year at this point.

 

Saturday, #20 Pawel Glazewski fights journeyman Bartholomiej Grafka in Gdansk, Poland, in what will likely be a light heavyweight fight, or within a few pounds thereof.
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