Heavyweight: 2013, Aug 19-25
Wednesday in New York, gatekeeper/fringe prospect hybrid Tor Hamer apparently pounded journeyman Kertson Manswell so thoroughly in three minutes that he was unable to continue to the 2nd round.
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (217-430-430)
Last Fight: 5/4/2013- TKO6 Francesco Pianeta
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #4 Alexander Povetkin
Klitschko-Povetkin is now officially signed for 10/5 in Moscow.
1) Vitali Klitschko (254-254-254)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO4 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vitali is struggling with a hand injury according to the WBC. But it’s already been nearly a year, and he’s made no attempt to get a fight done. I’ll keep him ranked based on the logical possibility that he may still schedule a fight before the 2nd week of September. Most likely, though, he’ll be removed at that time.
2) Tyson Fury (18-109-109) Last Fight: 4/20/2013- KO7 #3 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #3 David Haye
Fury-Haye is a done deal for September 28 in Manchester. 3) David Haye (18-58-58) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #2 Tyson Fury See Fury’s notes, above. 4) Alexander Povetkin (58-304-304) Last Fight: 5/17/2013- TKO3 Andrzej Wawryzk (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
See Wlad’s notes, above. 5) Steve Cunningham (18-35-35) Last Fight: 4/20/2013- L (KO7) vs. #6 Tyson Fury Next Fight: Unknown Cunningham is now sparring with the man that knocked him out in April- Tyson Fury. 6) Tomasz Adamek (18-174-174)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
A collision between two of Main Events’ blue chip heavyweights is being discussed for November, as they’re looking to match Adamek with Bryant Jennings. 7) Dereck Chisora (5-90-153) Last Fight: 7/20/2013- KO6* #17 Malik Scott
Next Fight: 9/21/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Pulev has dropped the EBU belt and will thus not be fighting Chisora anytime soon. Chisora will now likely fight Denis Boytsov for the belt, though it’s not clear if there’s any chance of that happening on September 21 or not. 8) Kubrat Pulev (5-68-145) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- KO11 Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/24/2013- vs. #11 Tony Thompson
Pulev is scheduled for a high-stakes battle with Tony Thompson in Schwerin, Germany on August 24. Plans for a follow-up with Dereck Chisora have been scrapped, as Pulev has dropped the EBU belt that figured to set that fight up.
9) Odlanier Solis (11-22-169)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Solis is now pushing for what would be a very intriguing fight with Deontay Wilder. 10) Bermane Stiverne (9-9-25) Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola Next Fight: Unknown Stiverne was the victim of another delayed purse bid, as Vitali asked for and was granted another extension from the scheduled 7/22 date. 11) Tony Thompson (9-169) Last Fight: 7/6/2013- TKO5 David Price (UNR) Next Fight: 8/24/2013- vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Thompson gets a final eliminator on the 24th against Kubrat Pulev. The upside would theoretically be another fight with Wladimir Klitschko. That feels like a score that’s been settled, but I can’t say the winner wouldn’t reasonably deserve it. 12) Seth Mitchell (9-11) Last Fight: 6/22/2013- UD12 #10 Johnathon Banks Next Fight: 9/6/2013- vs. Chris Arreola (UNR) Mitchell-Arreola appears done for September 6 in Indio, California. 13) Deontay Wilder (11-17) Last Fight: 8/9/2013- KO1 Sergei Liakhovich (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Wilder would like to fight the winner of the fight between Arreola and his friend and stablemate Seth Mitchell. He’s also been challenged by the Odlanier Solis camp, and says he wants the Klitschkos before they retire. 14) Robert Helenius (11-169)
Last Fight: 3/23/2013- W*(UD10) vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
If Helenius’ team was accurate on the severity of his hand injury, it should be long healed by now, although there were immediate rumors that the injury was more serious. 15) Alexander Dimitrenko (11-136) Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko turned down a Pulev rematch. 16) Vyacheslav Glazkov (11-35) Last Fight: 8/3/2013- TKO2 Byron Polley (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Glazkov’s gift of a draw to Scott seems to have hurt his standing a bit, as his follow-up was so weak it didn’t even make TV on his promoter’s show. 17) Malik Scott (11-26) Last Fight: 7/20/2013- L (KO6*) vs. #8 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Scott was up at 9.5 and ready to go, but Phil Edwards called the fight off in an unfortunate SNAFU. That being said, Chisora was coming on and I already had him ahead. Scott probably would have gone on to lose anyway. 18) Johnathon Banks (9-40) Last Fight: 6/22/2013- L (UD12) vs. #20 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown 19) Denis Boytsov (9-218)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO3 Alexander Nesterenko (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov is likely to fight Dereck Chisora for the EBU belt. Perhaps on September 21, or perhaps at a later date. 20) Franklin Lawrence (9-25) Last Fight: 1/25/2013- Mark Brown (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown
Friday Night Fights and Comiskey Park were the respective stages for the rematch of the brilliant February slugfest between undefeated Pole Artur Szpilka and rugged, slugging journeyman Mike Mollo that Spilka won by spectacular knockout in comeback style. Once again, we were treated to a back-and-forth two-way bludgeoning. Mollo once again put his man down, and appeared to have turned the corner from some difficult moments in the first couple rounds when Szpilka once again abruptly ended the fight with one spectacular shot as Mollo squared up and made a failed attempt to cover up.
No changes this week.
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (217-430-430)
Last Fight: 5/4/2013- TKO6 Francesco Pianeta
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #4 Alexander Povetkin
Klitschko-Povetkin is now officially signed for 10/5 in Moscow.
1) Vitali Klitschko (254-254-254)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO4 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vitali is struggling with a hand injury according to the WBC. But it’s already been nearly a year, and he’s made no attempt to get a fight done. I’ll keep him ranked based on the logical possibility that he may still schedule a fight before the 2nd week of September. Most likely, though, he’ll be removed at that time.
2) Tyson Fury (18-109-109) Last Fight: 4/20/2013- KO7 #3 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #3 David Haye
Fury-Haye is a done deal for September 28 in Manchester. 3) David Haye (18-58-58) Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #2 Tyson Fury See Fury’s notes, above. 4) Alexander Povetkin (58-304-304) Last Fight: 5/17/2013- TKO3 Andrzej Wawryzk (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
See Wlad’s notes, above. 5) Steve Cunningham (18-35-35) Last Fight: 4/20/2013- L (KO7) vs. #6 Tyson Fury Next Fight: Unknown Cunningham is now sparring with the man that knocked him out in April- Tyson Fury. 6) Tomasz Adamek (18-174-174)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
A collision between two of Main Events’ blue chip heavyweights is being discussed for November, as they’re looking to match Adamek with Bryant Jennings. 7) Dereck Chisora (5-90-153) Last Fight: 7/20/2013- KO6* #17 Malik Scott
Next Fight: 9/21/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Pulev has dropped the EBU belt and will thus not be fighting Chisora anytime soon. Chisora will now likely fight Denis Boytsov for the belt, though it’s not clear if there’s any chance of that happening on September 21 or not. 8) Kubrat Pulev (5-68-145) Last Fight: 9/29/2012- KO11 Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/24/2013- vs. #11 Tony Thompson
Pulev is scheduled for a high-stakes battle with Tony Thompson in Schwerin, Germany on August 24. Plans for a follow-up with Dereck Chisora have been scrapped, as Pulev has dropped the EBU belt that figured to set that fight up.
9) Odlanier Solis (11-22-169)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Solis is now pushing for what would be a very intriguing fight with Deontay Wilder. 10) Bermane Stiverne (9-9-25) Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola Next Fight: Unknown Stiverne was the victim of another delayed purse bid, as Vitali asked for and was granted another extension from the scheduled 7/22 date. 11) Tony Thompson (9-169) Last Fight: 7/6/2013- TKO5 David Price (UNR) Next Fight: 8/24/2013- vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Thompson gets a final eliminator on the 24th against Kubrat Pulev. The upside would theoretically be another fight with Wladimir Klitschko. That feels like a score that’s been settled, but I can’t say the winner wouldn’t reasonably deserve it. 12) Seth Mitchell (9-11) Last Fight: 6/22/2013- UD12 #10 Johnathon Banks Next Fight: 9/6/2013- vs. Chris Arreola (UNR) Mitchell-Arreola appears done for September 6 in Indio, California. 13) Deontay Wilder (11-17) Last Fight: 8/9/2013- KO1 Sergei Liakhovich (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Wilder would like to fight the winner of the fight between Arreola and his friend and stablemate Seth Mitchell. He’s also been challenged by the Odlanier Solis camp, and says he wants the Klitschkos before they retire. 14) Robert Helenius (11-169)
Last Fight: 3/23/2013- W*(UD10) vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
If Helenius’ team was accurate on the severity of his hand injury, it should be long healed by now, although there were immediate rumors that the injury was more serious. 15) Alexander Dimitrenko (11-136) Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko turned down a Pulev rematch. 16) Vyacheslav Glazkov (11-35) Last Fight: 8/3/2013- TKO2 Byron Polley (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Glazkov’s gift of a draw to Scott seems to have hurt his standing a bit, as his follow-up was so weak it didn’t even make TV on his promoter’s show. 17) Malik Scott (11-26) Last Fight: 7/20/2013- L (KO6*) vs. #8 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Scott was up at 9.5 and ready to go, but Phil Edwards called the fight off in an unfortunate SNAFU. That being said, Chisora was coming on and I already had him ahead. Scott probably would have gone on to lose anyway. 18) Johnathon Banks (9-40) Last Fight: 6/22/2013- L (UD12) vs. #20 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown 19) Denis Boytsov (9-218)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO3 Alexander Nesterenko (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov is likely to fight Dereck Chisora for the EBU belt. Perhaps on September 21, or perhaps at a later date. 20) Franklin Lawrence (9-25) Last Fight: 1/25/2013- Mark Brown (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown
THE WEEK AHEAD: Leading off Friday in Galati, Romania, gatekeeper Leif Larsen will look to halt the rise of undefeated prospect Christian Hammer, who’s got the name of a top heavyweight. We’ll see if he’s got more than that, as this is a major step up for Hammer (born, disappointingly, as Cristian Ciocan), who fights in his native city.
Later that night in Dover, Delaware, aging undefeated prospect Amir Mansour takes a step up of his own against gatekeeper Maurice Harris.
The big fight of the week, however, is in Schwerin, Germany on Saturday. That’s the scene of the showdown between #8 Kubrat Pulev and #11 Tony Thompson.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
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