Light Heavyweight: 2013, Aug 26- Sep 1
On what I must say was a pretty mediocre overall Sauerland card in Schwerin, Germany on Saturday, #13 Juergen Braehmer won a very ho-hum decision over borderline top 50 Italian fringe prospect Stefano Abatangelo, winning on points in a fight that he was never really dominating nor in danger of losing.
The same night in Donetsk, Ukraine, one-loss prospect Ismayl Sillakh put a steady beating on low-level Russian journeyman Konstantin Piternov. Piternov had had enough by the bell to start the 7th, and could not continue. But while thoroughly dominating, Sillakh may have been displaying the very flaws that got him knocked out by banger Denis Grachev. From the very first round, Sillakh stood directly in front of Piternov, in range, with his hands low. Piternov, before the fight was beaten out of him, even timed some pretty solid left hooks, though his power was nothing to write home about. Not only that, but Sillakh displayed a very predictable rhythm and punch selection. These two factors, if not corrected, will get him knocked out again the next time he fights a fringe contender that can punch. But for now, he had plenty of handspeed and workrate to overcome those flaws and dominate the lowly journeyman.
Champ: Andre Ward (51-51-51) Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW) Next Fight: Unknown Ward has offers more or less on the table to fight Froch or Stevenson. He is trying to split with promoter Dan Goossen, though, which could conceivably complicate matters. 1) Adonis Stevenson (12-12-12) Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO1 #1 Chad Dawson Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #8 Tavoris Cloud It’s Stevenson-Cloud in September, with the winner to fight Bellew in November. 2) Bernard Hopkins (51-377-377)
Last Fight: 3/9/2012- UD12 #6 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Karo Murat (UNR) Hopkins-Murat has been reset for October 26, with Showtime televising. 3) Sergey Kovalev (11-32-32) Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO4 #8 Nathan Cleverly Next Fight: Unknown Kovalev’s manager expects his next opponent to be chosen by mid-September. His mandatory is Braehmer, and Fonfara has been rumored, as well. 4) Chad Dawson (11-378-378) Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown Dawson’s career is suddenly in an all-out tailspin just 2 fights after winning the lineal title from Hopkins. 5) Andrzej Fonfara (2-2-59) Last Fight: 8/16/2013- KO9 #6 Gabriel Campillo Next Fight: Unknown See Kovalev’s notes, above. 6) Tony Bellew (2-98-98) Last Fight: 5/25/2013- UD12 #7 Isaac Chilemba Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Bellew is scheduled to fight the Stevenson-Cloud winner on his November 30 birthday. 7) Gabriel Campillo (2-166-166)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- L (KO9) vs. #14 Andrzej Fonfara
Next Fight: Unknown Campillo might be on his way to deserved obscurity after being robbed of deserved prominence for so much of his career. He still has plenty of boxing skill, but his will might be fading just a bit. 8) Tavoris Cloud (2-209-209)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson See Stevenson’s notes, above. 9) Nathan Cleverly (2-186-186) Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown Cleverly says he’ll take a vacation after his drubbing at the hands of Kovalev, and is unsure as to whether he’ll keep fighting or not. 10) Isaac Chilemba (2-22-82) Last Fight: 5/25/2013- L (UD12) vs. #9 Tony Bellew Next Fight: Unknown Chilemba may have lost the second fight to Bellew in his opponent’s back yard, but between the two fights, he’s managed to elevate himself somewhat. 11) Cornelius White (2-89) Last Fight: 6/14/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #5 Sergey Kovalev Next Fight: Unknown White was blasted out by Kovalev, but at least he has good company in that regard. 12) Jürgen Brähmer (1-71) Last Fight: 8/24/2013- UD12 Stefano Abatangelo (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Braehmer is Kovalev’s mandatory, for whatever that’s worth. 13) Cedric Agnew (1-20) Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack Next Fight: Unknown Agnew may have caught a fading Yusaf Mack at the right time, but he’s clearly a climber, having now beaten both Mack and Otis Griffin.
Last Fight: 3/22/2013- TKO3 Nicholson Poulard (UNR) Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. Edison Miranda (UNR) Alvarez’s 9/28 opponent will be fringe contender Edison Miranda. If nothing else, this will crown an undisputed Champion of Colombia and probably South America.
I hate to reward the beating of lackluster opponents, but Braehmer’s overall volume of top 50 work obligates me to move him past Cedric Agnew to the #12 spot. No other changes.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (51-51-51) Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW) Next Fight: Unknown Ward has offers more or less on the table to fight Froch or Stevenson. He is trying to split with promoter Dan Goossen, though, which could conceivably complicate matters. 1) Adonis Stevenson (12-12-12) Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO1 #1 Chad Dawson Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #8 Tavoris Cloud It’s Stevenson-Cloud in September, with the winner to fight Bellew in November. 2) Bernard Hopkins (51-377-377)
Last Fight: 3/9/2012- UD12 #6 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Karo Murat (UNR) Hopkins-Murat has been reset for October 26, with Showtime televising. 3) Sergey Kovalev (11-32-32) Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO4 #8 Nathan Cleverly Next Fight: Unknown Kovalev’s manager expects his next opponent to be chosen by mid-September. His mandatory is Braehmer, and Fonfara has been rumored, as well. 4) Chad Dawson (11-378-378) Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson Next Fight: Unknown Dawson’s career is suddenly in an all-out tailspin just 2 fights after winning the lineal title from Hopkins. 5) Andrzej Fonfara (2-2-59) Last Fight: 8/16/2013- KO9 #6 Gabriel Campillo Next Fight: Unknown See Kovalev’s notes, above. 6) Tony Bellew (2-98-98) Last Fight: 5/25/2013- UD12 #7 Isaac Chilemba Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent Bellew is scheduled to fight the Stevenson-Cloud winner on his November 30 birthday. 7) Gabriel Campillo (2-166-166)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- L (KO9) vs. #14 Andrzej Fonfara
Next Fight: Unknown Campillo might be on his way to deserved obscurity after being robbed of deserved prominence for so much of his career. He still has plenty of boxing skill, but his will might be fading just a bit. 8) Tavoris Cloud (2-209-209)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson See Stevenson’s notes, above. 9) Nathan Cleverly (2-186-186) Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown Cleverly says he’ll take a vacation after his drubbing at the hands of Kovalev, and is unsure as to whether he’ll keep fighting or not. 10) Isaac Chilemba (2-22-82) Last Fight: 5/25/2013- L (UD12) vs. #9 Tony Bellew Next Fight: Unknown Chilemba may have lost the second fight to Bellew in his opponent’s back yard, but between the two fights, he’s managed to elevate himself somewhat. 11) Cornelius White (2-89) Last Fight: 6/14/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #5 Sergey Kovalev Next Fight: Unknown White was blasted out by Kovalev, but at least he has good company in that regard. 12) Jürgen Brähmer (1-71) Last Fight: 8/24/2013- UD12 Stefano Abatangelo (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Braehmer is Kovalev’s mandatory, for whatever that’s worth. 13) Cedric Agnew (1-20) Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack Next Fight: Unknown Agnew may have caught a fading Yusaf Mack at the right time, but he’s clearly a climber, having now beaten both Mack and Otis Griffin.
14) Edwin Rodriguez (2-7)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO1 #16 Denis Grachev Next Fight: Unknown Rodriguez turned in a career-best performance against Grachev, and thus has earned a ranking in a division he has no intention of continuing in. He wants Ward or Bika next. 15) Lucian Bute (7-43) Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. Jean Pascal (UNR) Bute-Pascal has been rescheduled tentatively for December 7 after Bute suffered a hand injury. They’ve also reserved January 25 as a back-up plan. Either way, it will be in Montreal. 16) Hadillah Mohoumadi (7-9) Last Fight: 6/29/2013- TKO7 CW #20 Pawel Glazewski Next Fight: Unknown Often robbed at 168, Mohoumadi took matters into his hands in his first major outing at 175 by stopping the local favorite. 17) Enzo Maccarinelli (2-2) Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO11 Ovill McKenzie (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Maccarinelli has revitalized his career to an extent with the gutsy McKenzie win. 18) Denis Grachev (2-70) Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (TKO1) vs. #13 SMW Edwin Rodriguez Next Fight: Unknown 19) Dmitry Sukhotsky (2-148) Last Fight: 6/4/2013- KO3 Mikhail Krinitsin (UNR) (at SMW) Next Fight: Unknown Sukhotsky may be sticking around at 168 from now on, but only time will tell. He has until December to schedule a fight at 175 if he wants to keep his ranking. 20) Eleider Alvarez (2-31)Last Fight: 3/22/2013- TKO3 Nicholson Poulard (UNR) Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. Edison Miranda (UNR) Alvarez’s 9/28 opponent will be fringe contender Edison Miranda. If nothing else, this will crown an undisputed Champion of Colombia and probably South America.
The Week Ahead: In Kempton Park, South Africa, local undefeated prospect Ryno Liebenberg fights mid-level Argentine journeyman Gabriel Ramirez on Saturday.
Gatekeeper Valery Brudov is also in action, but it’s unclear whether that will be a cruiserweight or light heavyweight fight. I’ll mention it here next week if relevant.
Dan's Weekly Boxer Rankings and Blog 
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