Heavyweight: 2013, Mar 18-24
It sounded like #9 Dereck Chisora would be fighting Saturday if he got his license back early in the week. But it was not to be. Though he did get his license back, his return is being delayed until April 20.
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (195-408-408)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- UD12 Mariusz Wach (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/4/2013- vs. Francesco Pianeta (UNR)
Wlad will be fighting Italian fringe contending prospect Francesco Pianeta in Mannheim, Germany. It’s hard to knock Pianeta as a fighter because he remains undefeated and was knocked off track by a bout with cancer a couple years ago, but it’s hard to get excited about any fight that, if the underdog won, would be considered the greatest upset in the history of the Heavyweight Championship.
1) Vitali Klitschko (232-232-232)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO4 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vitali hasn’t decided whether to retire or not, but he has very clearly stated he has no interest in David Haye after Haye turned down a fight in September.
2) David Haye (36-36-36) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Haye has indicated that a fight with Vitali may be the only fight that would lure him away from re-retiring. If Vitali’s recent statement is any indication, we’ll never see Haye again. 3) Steve Cunningham (13-13-13) Last Fight: 12/22/2012- L (SD12) vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek (Robbery) Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. #6 Tyson Fury Adamek’s erratic behavior has yielded justice. Cunningham beat Adamek, but was robbed. Now he’ll fight Tyson Fury, with the winner to fight Kubrat Pulev for a mandatory shot at Wlad. The fight will be at MSG and will be televised live in the afternoon by NBC. 4) Alexander Povetkin (36-282-282) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- TKO2 Hasim Rahman (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After failing to convince the WBA to deny Wlad a voluntary before fighting him, Povetkin and his team are now raising cain about the 75-25 split the WBA has set for the purse bid. No word on whether he’ll stay busy in the meantime, as it would be hard to imagine the fight happening before August at the earliest. The WBA has mandated that the fight take place by the end of that month, but we’ll see on that. 5) Tomasz Adamek (13-152-152)
Last Fight: 12/22/2012- W (SD12)* vs. CW #4 Steve Cunningham (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
After claiming he turned down the Pulev fight for a more lucrative opportunity for a domestic Polish fight, Adamek is now saying he’ll fight next in the US. If this were a game of “Duck, Duck, Goose,” we know which bird Adamek would be. Now he’s separated from his promoter, Main Events. One strange development after another. 6) Tyson Fury (13-87-87) Last Fight: 12/1/2012- UD12 Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. #3 Steve Cunningham
See Cunningham’s notes, above. 7) Eddie Chambers (13-40-40) Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(UD12) vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek Next Fight: Unknown Chambers appeared set to fight Lebedev at cruiserweight, but it now appears that Lebedev will fight Guillermo Jones, instead. 8) Kubrat Pulev (13-46-123) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- KO11 Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
With Adamek running scared, Pulev will reportedly defend his EBU title in March or April. Next, he will likely fight the winner of Cunningham-Fury, with the winner becoming Wlad’s IBF mandatory.
9) Dereck Chisora (13-68-131) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- L(TKO5) vs. David Haye (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chisora has his British license back, and will fight on April 20.
10) Johnathon Banks (13-18-18) Last Fight: 11/17/2012- TKO2 #11 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown Banks broke his thumb in sparring, scuttling the Mitchell rematch. 11) Odlanier Solis (13-147)
Last Fight: 5/19/2012- UD12 Konstantin Airich (UNR) Next Fight: 3/22/2013- vs. Leif Larsen (UNR)
Solis takes on undefeated Norwegian prospect Leif Larsen in Berlin on March 22. The two had been scheduled to meet in October, but Solis bailed to go straight for Adamek, whom he also bailed on. 12) Tony Thompson (3-147) Last Fight: 2/23/2013- TKO2 David Price (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Thompson wants Fury- who recently signed to fight Cunningham. Price has a rematch clause, but Price himself has indicated he may not be “crying for a rematch,” while Thompson says he wouldn’t consider it unless they paid him a lot better and came to the US. 13) Robert Helenius (3-147)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- W*(UD10) vs. Sherman Williams (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
It appeared to be off for a while, but the Sprott fight is apparently very much on. 14) Alexander Dimitrenko (3-114) Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko’s future is in doubt after he struggled mightily to survive a heavy knockdown and outpoint typically inept journeyman Ivica Perkovic. 15) Chris Arreola (3-209)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- KO1 Eric Molina (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #19 Bermane Stiverne (UNR)
The Stiverne fight is once again on the schedule, this time for April 27.
16) Denis Boytsov (3-196)
Last Fight: 2/15/2013- UD8 Samir Kurtagic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov appears to have won the battle of wills with Universum over whether he gets to fight or not. Now the trick will be getting him in against worthwhile opposition. 17) Vyacheslav Glazkov (3-13) Last Fight: 2/23/2013- Draw* (SD10) vs. Malik Scott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Glazkov got the benefit of the doubt in every close round from two of the judges against Scott. It was just about as close to a robbery as you can get without me calling it that. 18) Malik Scott (3-4) Last Fight: 2/23/2013- Draw* (SD10) vs. #19 Vyacheslav Glazkov Next Fight: Unknown Scott was the victim of a bad decision against Glazkov it’s fair to say, but I stop short of calling it a blatant robbery. I do believe he won 8 of the 10 rounds, but he only won 4 of them with clarity. By easing off the gas in the latter half of the fight, he gave the judges the opportunity to hand it to the house fighter, which 2 of them were all too happy to do. 19) Bermane Stiverne (3-3) Last Fight: 4/14/2012- vs. Willie Herring (UNR) Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #15 Chris Arreola See Arreola’s notes, above. 20) Franklin Lawrence (3-3) Last Fight: 1/25/2013- Mark Brown (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Despite signing with well-connected promoter Gary Shaw in July 2011, Lawrence has had nothing but stay-busy fights (and he’s not staying all that busy) since before that time.
No changes.
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (195-408-408)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- UD12 Mariusz Wach (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/4/2013- vs. Francesco Pianeta (UNR)
Wlad will be fighting Italian fringe contending prospect Francesco Pianeta in Mannheim, Germany. It’s hard to knock Pianeta as a fighter because he remains undefeated and was knocked off track by a bout with cancer a couple years ago, but it’s hard to get excited about any fight that, if the underdog won, would be considered the greatest upset in the history of the Heavyweight Championship.
1) Vitali Klitschko (232-232-232)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO4 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vitali hasn’t decided whether to retire or not, but he has very clearly stated he has no interest in David Haye after Haye turned down a fight in September.
2) David Haye (36-36-36) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Haye has indicated that a fight with Vitali may be the only fight that would lure him away from re-retiring. If Vitali’s recent statement is any indication, we’ll never see Haye again. 3) Steve Cunningham (13-13-13) Last Fight: 12/22/2012- L (SD12) vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek (Robbery) Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. #6 Tyson Fury Adamek’s erratic behavior has yielded justice. Cunningham beat Adamek, but was robbed. Now he’ll fight Tyson Fury, with the winner to fight Kubrat Pulev for a mandatory shot at Wlad. The fight will be at MSG and will be televised live in the afternoon by NBC. 4) Alexander Povetkin (36-282-282) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- TKO2 Hasim Rahman (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After failing to convince the WBA to deny Wlad a voluntary before fighting him, Povetkin and his team are now raising cain about the 75-25 split the WBA has set for the purse bid. No word on whether he’ll stay busy in the meantime, as it would be hard to imagine the fight happening before August at the earliest. The WBA has mandated that the fight take place by the end of that month, but we’ll see on that. 5) Tomasz Adamek (13-152-152)
Last Fight: 12/22/2012- W (SD12)* vs. CW #4 Steve Cunningham (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
After claiming he turned down the Pulev fight for a more lucrative opportunity for a domestic Polish fight, Adamek is now saying he’ll fight next in the US. If this were a game of “Duck, Duck, Goose,” we know which bird Adamek would be. Now he’s separated from his promoter, Main Events. One strange development after another. 6) Tyson Fury (13-87-87) Last Fight: 12/1/2012- UD12 Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. #3 Steve Cunningham
See Cunningham’s notes, above. 7) Eddie Chambers (13-40-40) Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(UD12) vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek Next Fight: Unknown Chambers appeared set to fight Lebedev at cruiserweight, but it now appears that Lebedev will fight Guillermo Jones, instead. 8) Kubrat Pulev (13-46-123) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- KO11 Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
With Adamek running scared, Pulev will reportedly defend his EBU title in March or April. Next, he will likely fight the winner of Cunningham-Fury, with the winner becoming Wlad’s IBF mandatory.
9) Dereck Chisora (13-68-131) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- L(TKO5) vs. David Haye (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chisora has his British license back, and will fight on April 20.
10) Johnathon Banks (13-18-18) Last Fight: 11/17/2012- TKO2 #11 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown Banks broke his thumb in sparring, scuttling the Mitchell rematch. 11) Odlanier Solis (13-147)
Last Fight: 5/19/2012- UD12 Konstantin Airich (UNR) Next Fight: 3/22/2013- vs. Leif Larsen (UNR)
Solis takes on undefeated Norwegian prospect Leif Larsen in Berlin on March 22. The two had been scheduled to meet in October, but Solis bailed to go straight for Adamek, whom he also bailed on. 12) Tony Thompson (3-147) Last Fight: 2/23/2013- TKO2 David Price (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Thompson wants Fury- who recently signed to fight Cunningham. Price has a rematch clause, but Price himself has indicated he may not be “crying for a rematch,” while Thompson says he wouldn’t consider it unless they paid him a lot better and came to the US. 13) Robert Helenius (3-147)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- W*(UD10) vs. Sherman Williams (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/23/2013- vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
It appeared to be off for a while, but the Sprott fight is apparently very much on. 14) Alexander Dimitrenko (3-114) Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko’s future is in doubt after he struggled mightily to survive a heavy knockdown and outpoint typically inept journeyman Ivica Perkovic. 15) Chris Arreola (3-209)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- KO1 Eric Molina (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #19 Bermane Stiverne (UNR)
The Stiverne fight is once again on the schedule, this time for April 27.
16) Denis Boytsov (3-196)
Last Fight: 2/15/2013- UD8 Samir Kurtagic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov appears to have won the battle of wills with Universum over whether he gets to fight or not. Now the trick will be getting him in against worthwhile opposition. 17) Vyacheslav Glazkov (3-13) Last Fight: 2/23/2013- Draw* (SD10) vs. Malik Scott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Glazkov got the benefit of the doubt in every close round from two of the judges against Scott. It was just about as close to a robbery as you can get without me calling it that. 18) Malik Scott (3-4) Last Fight: 2/23/2013- Draw* (SD10) vs. #19 Vyacheslav Glazkov Next Fight: Unknown Scott was the victim of a bad decision against Glazkov it’s fair to say, but I stop short of calling it a blatant robbery. I do believe he won 8 of the 10 rounds, but he only won 4 of them with clarity. By easing off the gas in the latter half of the fight, he gave the judges the opportunity to hand it to the house fighter, which 2 of them were all too happy to do. 19) Bermane Stiverne (3-3) Last Fight: 4/14/2012- vs. Willie Herring (UNR) Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #15 Chris Arreola See Arreola’s notes, above. 20) Franklin Lawrence (3-3) Last Fight: 1/25/2013- Mark Brown (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Despite signing with well-connected promoter Gary Shaw in July 2011, Lawrence has had nothing but stay-busy fights (and he’s not staying all that busy) since before that time.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Several fights to report, all on Saturday in Europe.
In Poland, local undefeated prospect Andrzej Wawrzyk is back in action for the first time since he just squeaked by journeyman Denis Bakhtov last June, fighting a significantly weaker journeyman in 41 year-old Hungarian Laszlo Toth.
#11 Odlanier Solis takes on undefeated Norwegian prospect Leif Larsen in Berlin in what could be a trap fight for the big Cuban, especially if he’s not all the way back from multiple knee surgeries.
On the same card, badly mismanaged former contender Ruslan Chagaev continues to slum against low-level West Virginia journeyman Mike Sheppard.
Not all that far away in Magdeburg, #13 Robert Helenius will try to get his career back on the right track against resurgent English gatekeeper Michael Sprott. Helenius is coming off two consecutive abysmal performances and some injury trouble that has limited him to just 2 fights in the last 18 months. Helenius had the excuse of a decent opponent and an injury when he was given a gift after very clearly losing to Chisora, but the Sherman Williams fight- in which he won a inappropriately wide decision that should have been within two points either way- appeared to be simply a case of gross laziness. Sprott is recently heading in the opposite direction, having decisioned then-20th-ranked undefeated prospect Edmund Gerber in December.
Speaking of Gerber, he will see action on the undercard against Nigerian journeyman Gbenga Oloukun.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
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