Archive for October, 2013

« Older Entries

Heavyweight: 2013, Oct 7-13

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 17, 2013 by danboxing
Another day, another dominant defense for Wladimir Klitschko.  He won a lopsided decision over #3 Alexander Povetkin on Saturday.  But it wasn’t the normal fare entirely.  It was actually much worse in some ways.  Typically, I’m a moderate when it comes to criticizing the Klitschkos.  I usually blame their rather boring outings on the cowardice or incompetence of their opposition much more so than their style or cautious nature.  In this case, Povetkin gave an honest effort, and Wlad and referee Luis Pabon silently conspired to rob the Russian of whatever minimal chance he had to win the fight in the first place, and simultaneously rob the fans of what might have been a reasonably worthwhile contest, had it been on the level.  Now I’m not accusing Pabon of corruption per se.  He’s just a bad ref.  He always has been.  Why he continues to  get assignments in high-profile international fights is beyond me- particularly when heavyweights are involved.  He’s half Wlad’s size.  Usually the main criticism associated with Pabon is that he glides in and breaks the action every time the fighters get on the inside.  This time, it was a different issue.  The Champion leaned down on Povetkin’s neck practically every time the shorter Russian got into punching range, forcing a break and completely negating Povetkin’s offensive ambitions in a totally illegal fashion.  Pabon, for his part, did absolutely nothing to discourage it.  He did take a point from the Champion in round 11 for the unrelated and far less pervasive offense of pushing, but acted as if practically bending the guy over for a wedgie 15 times a round was totally acceptable. 

 

While I think it’s fairly shameful for a dominant Champion like Klitschko to resort to essentially cheating in order to beat an opponent that was badly outgunned to begin with, I can hardly put all the blame on him.  While he fouled at a level that easily could have justified a disqualification two or three times over, there’s no reason beyond sportsmanship for him to refrain from the foul if the foul is tacitly allowed by the fight’s ultimate arbiter.  Still, except for the deception involved, there is objectively little difference between Klitschko’s constant un-policed fouling and a guy that uses PEDs that aren’t detected by the authorities.  In both cases, you’re cheating, and the fact that you didn’t get caught or held to account doesn’t really make it okay.  Besides allowing Klitschko to unfairly negate Povetkin’s entire gameplan without giving Povetkin a similar opportunity, this refereeing breakdown also had the effect of rendering the fight relatively unwatchable.

 

Pabon also credited Klitschko with 4 knockdowns- only maybe two of which were legitimate.  

 

On the undercard, former top contender Ruslan Chagaev- from whom Klitschko won the vacant Championship in 2009- beat 42 year-old Serbian gatekeeper Jovo Pudar to earn his best win since 2010, with scorecards ranging from 115-111 to 118-108.

 

At this point, a loss to Klitschko is never going to hurt you unless it’s the only thing separating two otherwise even fighters, so Povetkin holds still at #3, while obviously Wlad remains the Champion.  Chagaev’s win should be seen as a possible first step toward rebuilding his resume, but with his truly big wins all over 5 years ago, it can only get him just shy of the top 25 at this point.  No changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (224-437-437)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- UD12 #3 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Klitschko made no new fans with his unnecessarily dirty win over Povetkin.
1) Tyson Fury (5-116-116)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- KO7 #3 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: 2/8/2014- vs. #2 David Haye
Fury-Haye has been rescheduled for February 8.
2) David Haye (5-65-65)
Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: 2/8/2014- vs. #1 Tyson Fury
See Fury’s notes, above.
3) Alexander Povetkin (5-311-311)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
It feels like Povetkin’s technical qualifications to fight a Klitschko was the only factor that made him remotely interesting within the division.  I’m not sure where he goes from here.
4) Steve Cunningham (5-42-42)
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.
5) Tomasz Adamek (5-181-181)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- #17 Vyacheslav Glazkov
With the Bryant Jennings proposal falling apart over money, Adamek will now be fighting Glazkov in one of NBC’s mid-afternoon telecasts.
6) Kubrat Pulev (5-75-152)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- UD12 #11 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev will now be at least one of Wlad’s mandatories after beating Thompson.
7) Dereck Chisora (5-97-160)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- TKO5 Edmund Gerber (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chisora continues to stay very busy.  He will fight an opponent to be announced in London on November 30.
8) Odlanier Solis (5-29-176)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/18/2013- vs. Carlos Takam (UNR)
Solis returns in the middle of the month against rugged Cameroon gatekeeper Carlos Takam (picture a poor man’s Sam Peter) in Mexico City, of all places.  This is the first leg of the heavyweight version of the “World Cup” being sponsored by the WBC.  That being said, I can’t seem to find out who the winner of Solis-Takam would be in line to fight.
9) Bermane Stiverne (5-16-32)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola
Next Fight: Unknown
Stiverne said after being challenged to a rematch by Chris Arreola that he will wait on Klitschko and will not consider that fight.
10) Chris Arreola (5-5-5)
Last Fight: 9/7/2013- TKO1 #12 Seth Mitchell
Next Fight: Unknown
Arreola may be a candidate for Wilder, or could fight for a vacant title in a rematch with Stiverne, should Vitali retire.
11) Tony Thompson (16-176)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- L (UD12) vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Thompson may have come up a bit short against Pulev, but he proved that even at 41, he’s still a challenge for obviously top-10 opposition.
12) Erkan Teper (5-6)
Last Fight: 8/31/2013- TKO1 Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/?/2013- vs. Martin Rogan (UNR)
Irish sources are reporting that Teper will be fighting Rogan in Germany sometime in November.
13) Deontay Wilder (5-24)
Last Fight: 8/9/2013- KO1 Sergei Liakhovich (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Nicolai Firtha (UNR)
Wilder is set to fight Ohio journeyman Nicolai Firtha on the Hopkins-Murat undercard.
14) Robert Helenius (5-176)
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 (5-143)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko turned down a Pulev rematch, and was last seen as a sparring partner in David Haye’s ill-fated camp.  No word on his next fight.
16) Seth Mitchell (5-18)
Last Fight: 9/7/2013- L (TKO1) vs. Chris Arreola (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mitchell’s chin is so fragile that he might want to consider calling it a career.
17) Vyacheslav Glazkov (6-42)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- TKO2 Byron Polley (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. #5 Tomasz Adamek
Glazkov will go from a non-TV tune-up directly to a NBC-televised afternoon showdown with Adamek.
18) Malik Scott (6-33)
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.
19) Johnathon Banks (6-47)
Last Fight: 6/22/2013- L (UD12) vs. #20 Seth Mitchell
Next Fight: Unknown
Banks apparently dinged his hands up pretty good in the Mitchell fight- an alternate explanation for those who, like me, thought his inexplicable failure to follow up on his early success was a bit suspicious.  He’s been doing physical therapy, and is about ready to get back in the ring.  He’d like a rematch with Mitchell, but unfortunately a trilogy probably isn’t of much benefit to the fragile young contender at this point.
20) Denis Boytsov (6-225)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO3 Alexander Nesterenko (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/23/2013- vs. Alex Leapai (UNR)
Boytsov suffered a minor knee injury, pushing his return back to November 23.  He will fight Samoan gatekeeper Alex Leapai.  No world-beater, but his best opponent in a while.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: No action to report in the division this week. 

Leave a comment »

Welterweight: 2013, Sep 30- Oct 6

Posted in Rankings, Welterweight with tags , , , , , , , on October 16, 2013 by danboxing
On the Stevenson-Cloud undercard in Montreal, local undefeated prospect Kevin Bizier easily handled Italian veteran Giuseppe Lauri in a 6-rounder.  Bizier won every round on every card, and apparently scored a knockdown along the way, though the fight was contested at a contract weight about halfway to 154.

 

In another fight that bled over into junior middle, two-loss prospect Antonin Decarie also walked away with a 6-round decision, but in rather close fashion over mid-range journeyman Salim Larbi.

 

#16 Selcuk Aydin picked up a stoppage win when his aging opponent, Demarcus Corley, couldn’t continue with what appeared to be a fairly ambiguous injury after 4 in Istanbul on Friday.  But that fight was at 140, so again, no affect there.

 

No changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (179-211-211)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W* (MD12) vs. #2 JMW Saul Alvarez (at JMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Floyd will likely be back on both May 3 and September 13, with Danny Garcia and the potential Alexander-Khan winner as possibilities.
1) Juan Manuel Marquez (99-99-99)
Last Fight: 12/8/2012- KO6 #2 Manny Pacquiao
Next Fight: 10/12/2013- vs. #17 Timothy Bradley
With Mayweather apparently wanting to stay busy, a hard-earned rematch with the Champ might not be out of the question over the next year or two.  For now, it’s all about Tim Bradley.
2) Manny Pacquiao (99-252-252)
Last Fight: 12/8/2012- L (KO6) vs. #1 Juan Manuel Marquez
Next Fight: 11/23/2013- vs. #4 JWW Brandon Rios (UNR)
Pac Man needs to prove he can still get it done when he tries to rebound from a devastating knockout against former top lightweight Brandon Rios in China.
3) Shane Mosley (20-20-20)
Last Fight: 5/18/2013- UD12 Pablo Cesar Cano (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/23/2013- vs. #12 MW Anthony Mundine (at JMW)
Mosley-Mundine now has a date of October 23.
4) Devon Alexander (16-84-84)
Last Fight: 5/18/2013- RTD7 Lee Purdy (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
It looks likely that Alexander will fight Khan on December 7, but no contract yet.
5) Marcos Maidana (17-17-17)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO6 #4 Josesito Lopez
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. Adrien Broner (UNR)
After much speculation, Maidana-Broner appears done for December 14 on Showtime PPV.
6) Jesus Soto Karass (10-10-36)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO12 #7 Andre Berto
Next Fight: Unknown
Keith Thurman believes Soto Karass will be his next opponent.
7) Robert Guerrero (10-45-62)
Last Fight: 5/4/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Next Fight: Unknown
Guerrero turned down Keith Thurman for a proposed November fight, according to both fighters’ promoter.  Dan Rafael reports that Guerrero might be waiting around to fight the winner of Maidana-Broner.
8) Kell Brook (20-127-127)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO8 Carson Jones (UNR) (at JMW)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Vyacheslav Senchenko (UNR)
Brook fights Senchenko in late October.  He’d better make 147 for the non-title fight if he wants to maintain his ranking here.
9) Randall Bailey (20-69-69)
Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #? Devon Alexander
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Bailey says he intends to tune-up on October 26 and is targeting Kevin Bizier after that.
10) Josesito Lopez (17-67-67)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #11 Marcos Maidana
Next Fight: 11/?/2013- vs. Aaron Martinez (UNR)
The Ring’s website has Lopez returning sometime November against fringe prospect Aaron Martinez.
11) Andre Berto (10-45)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- L (TKO12) vs. #11 Jesus Soto Karass

Next Fight: Unknown
Berto’s shoulder surgery will keep him out until sometime in 2014.
12) Keith Thurman (10-30)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO10 Diego Chaves (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown
See Soto Karass’s notes, above.
13) Chris van Heerden (10-68)
Last Fight: 3/2/2013- UD12 Matthew Hatton (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Van Heerden recently moved his home base to Southern California from his native South Africa in search of better sparring and bigger fights.  He is likley to work with Brandon Rios in the coming months, and hopes to make his US debut in October.
14) Luis Carlos Abregu (10-23)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD10 Antonin Decarie (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Abregu’s plans for an October fight have been scrapped, as he recently had 2013-ending hand surgery.
15) Jan Zaveck (10-199)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- L (UD12) vs. #15 JMW Keith Thurman
Next Fight: 10/19/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Zaveck is back in action on the undercard of Stieglitz-Ekpo in Leipzig.
16) Selcuk Aydin (10-233)
Last Fight: 9/27/2013- W (RTD4) vs. Demarcus Corley (UNR) (at JWW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Aydin will move back down to 140 to seek a minor title in Istanbul against gatekeeper Demarcus Corley.
17) Timothy Bradley (10-69)
Last Fight: 3/16/2013- W* (UD12) vs. Ruslan Provodnikov (UNR) (should be draw)
Next Fight: 10/12/2013- vs. #1 Juan Manuel Marquez
Bradley will look for redemption after very nearly losing to an inconsistent prospect.  It’ll be a tall order.
18) Ruslan Provodnikov (10-29)
Last Fight: 3/16/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #11? Timothy Bradley (should be draw)
Next Fight: 10/19/2013- vs. JWW #3 Mike Alvarado (at JWW)
Alvarado-Provodnikov is done for 10/19 in Denver, at 140, with HBO to televise. 
19) Pablo Cesar Cano (3-3)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W (SD10*) vs. Ashley Theophane (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Cano said after the 143-pound catchweight win against Theophane that he intends to seek title contention at 140 now.  I must say I’m surprised by the move, considering he failed to make weight for one of his biggest fights at 147 against Malignaggi.
20) Leonard Bundu (3-15)
Last Fight: 4/6/2013- KO11 Rafal Jackiewicz (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. Lee Purdy (UNR)
Bundu will fight British gatekeeper Lee Purdy December 14 in London.

 

The Week Ahead: Former 140-pound titlist Kaizer Mabuza of South Africa travels to Windhoek, Namibia to fight local two-loss fringe prospect Bethuel Ushona on Saturday.

Leave a comment »

Junior Middleweight: 2013, Sep 30- Oct 6

Posted in Junior Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 15, 2013 by danboxing
#16 Willie Nelson’s scheduled fight with Dante Moore was indeed cancelled, possibly over the Ohio commission’s concerns regarding its competitiveness.  

 

Two-loss Mexican prospect Daniel Sandoval solidly outpointed veteran Colombian journeyman Richard Gutierrez in an 8-rounder on the Chavez-Vera undercard in Carson, California on Saturday.

 

In the week’s most significant action, undefeated New Jersey prospect Glen Tapia stopped borderline top-50 gatekeeper Elco Garcia in 5 for what might be his best career win.  He’s not eligbile for rankings consideration, however, as the fight was apparently contested at roughly a 156 pound catchweight.  It might bolster his case later, however, if he does achieve a good win at 154 in the future.

 

No changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: None
1) Carlos Molina (35-117-132)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W (SD12) vs. #5 Ishe Smith
Next Fight: Unknown
Molina’s team wants to match him against Canelo, a proposition that Mayweather himself blessed in the aftermath of his own fight with Alvarez.  He also has an eye on Cotto, and has drawn interest from Angulo, as well.
2) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (3-3-3)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W* (MD12) vs. #2 Saul Alvarez
Next Fight: Unknown
Mayweather intends to fight twice in 2014: on May 3 and September 13, if all goes to plan.  Danny Garcia and a potential Alexander-Khan winner seem like possibilities.  Bernard Hopkins pledges to make 160 for May 3 if Floyd is interested, as well.
3) Saul Alvarez (3-135-150)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- L* (MD12) vs. WW Champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Next Fight: Unknown
See Molina’s notes, above.
4) Austin Trout (3-70-139)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #2 Saul Alvarez
Next Fight: Unknown
Trout is suing his former promoter over allegations that the promoter threatened to sue Showtime if they put his ex-fighter on the Mayweather-Canelo undercard, something he had no authority to do since their contract had already expired.
5) Erislandy Lara (3-117-139)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO10 #8 Alfredo Angulo
Next Fight: Unknown
Lara says he must beat guys like Canelo, Molina, or Trout before deserving a Mayweather shot.
6) Ishe Smith (3-32-32)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- L (SD12) vs. #1 Carlos Molina
Next Fight: Unknown
No word on Ishe’s next move after losing his alphabet belt in a close fight.
7) Miguel Cotto (3-174-174)
Last Fight: 12/1/2012- L (UD12) vs. #8 Austin Trout
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #11 Delvin Rodriguez
After a proposed fight with Bundrage was scrapped by the networks, and a brief flirtation with Carlos Molina, Cotto will now be fighting Delvin Rodriguez on HBO on October 5.
8) Cornelius Bundrage (3-165-165)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ishe Smith (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bundrage might be fighting a re-match with gatekeeper Zaurbek Baysangurov on November 9 in Russia.
9) Alfredo Angulo (3-210-210)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (TKO10) vs. #4 Erislandy Lara
Next Fight: Unknown
Angulo has been in a war of words with his last opponent, Lara, that may or may not lead anywhere, and would like to fight Carlos Molina.  He expects to be back in December.
10) Sergey Rabchenko (22-22-68)

Last Fight: 7/16/2013- TKO3 Gari Abajian (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Cedric Vitu (UNR)
Rabchenko is already in camp for his re-match with Cedric Vitu, with the fight set for November in Bulgaria.
11) Delvin Rodriguez (22-116)
Last Fight: 5/24/2013- TKO8 Freddy Hernandez (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #7 Miguel Cotto
See Cotto’s notes, above.
12) Lukas Konecny (22-112)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- UD12 Moez Fhima (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: Unknown
This is Konecny’s last week as a ranked junior middleweight unless he schedules something that looks like a fight at this weight by the start of next week.
13) Keith Thurman (22-45)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO10 Diego Chaves (UNR) (at WW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Thurman expects to fight Jesus Soto Karass next.
14) Vanes Martirosyan (22-122)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- TKO2 Ryan Davis (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: 11/9/2013- vs. Demetrius Andrade (UNR)
Martirosyan-Andrade has been moved up a week to November 9.
15) Yuri Foreman (22-36)
Last Fight: 7/24/2013- UD8 Jamaal Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Foreman is very slowly stepping up his level of opposition as his comeback gradually picks up steam.
16) Willie Nelson (18-31)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- UD10 Luciano Cuello (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Nelson’s stay-busy fight with Dante Moore was cancelled on short notice, but he appears poised to move up to 160 to fight proven contender Matthew Macklin at that weight, likely in December.
17) Brian Rose (18-28)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- W (PTS10) vs. Alexey Ribchev (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Javier Maciel (UNR)
Rose will be back on the Brook-Senchenko undercard in Sheffield, and will be fighting Argentine prospect Javier Maciel- certainly his toughest opponent since capturing the British title.
18) Jermell Charlo (17-17)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- UD12 Demetrius Hopkins (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/14/2013- vs. Jose Angel Rodriguez (UNR)
Charlo will headline a Fox Sports 1 card on October 14 against mid-range journeyman Jose Angel Rodriguez.
19) Guido Pitto (17-23)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- W* (SD12) vs. Jack Culcay (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Jack Culcay (UNR)
A Culcay-Pitto rematch was postponed due to headliner Marco Huck’s elbow injury, and will now happen on October 26 in Oldenburg.
20) Kell Brook (12-12)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO8 Carson Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Vyacheslav Senchenko (UNR) (at WW)
Brook gets Senchenko in late October in Sheffield.  Since it’s a non-title fight, there’s always the chance it could creep up over 147 and thus affect his ranking here.

 

The Week Ahead:  The most important fight by a mile at 154 this week is #7 Miguel Cotto’s battle with #11 Delvin Rodriguez, which will be from Orlando, Florida and televised domestically by HBO.

 

Earlier in the night, precocious 6-0 Nigerian Larry Ekundayo is scheduled to fight journeyman Glenn Foot in London, though it’s a bit unclear whether it will be at 154 or 147.

 

The prior night in Ghent, Belgium, local hero Sasha Yengoyan battles French gatekeeper Frank Haroche Horta in a very tightly-matched contest.

Leave a comment »

Middleweight: 2013, Sep 30- Oct 6

Posted in Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 15, 2013 by danboxing
Two-loss Quebec prospect David Lemieux had a pretty solid showing on Saturday’s Stevenson-Cloud undercard in Montreal against Marcus Upshaw, a lanky young fighter who varies between journeyman and gatekeeper depending on which of his varying personas shows up on a given night.  That is to say he’s fairly talented, but inconsistent.  This was not one of Upshaw’s more inspired performances.  Lemieux was in vintage form, showing heavy-handed power that produced a knockdown in the third round, while mixing his shots well to the head and body.  As for his reputation for fading after strong starts, it certainly didn’t become a problem in this fight, although I’m not sure he necessarily silenced many critics with the 8-round effort.  Even over that distance, he began to get inside on his tall opponent noticeably less frequently later in the fight.  That being said, he seemed to carry his power fairly well into the later rounds (even if his activity fell off somewhat), and neither I nor any of the judges felt he lost a round.  

 

#15 Bryan Vera acquitted himself well against Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., but I won’t mention the fight in any greater detail here, as I have already discussed it in both the 175 and 168 updates.

 

Vera certainly didn’t hurt his cause, but it’s hard to give him much credit at 160 for a fight two divisions to the north, even if his opponent was recently ranked here.  If nothing else, though, it justifies his current rank in spite of his abysmal performance against Donatas Bondorovas in March.  Lemieux’s win, while nice, is not at a high enough level to alter his current standing.  No changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Sergio Martinez (181-181-181)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12* #9 Martin Murray (Robbery- draw at best)
Next Fight: Unknown
Martinez should be back in March or April of 2014.  Golovkin has been mentioned, but that would be a bit too much for his first fight back, I would think.  He also said recently that he wants to defend in Argentina.  I would too, if I’d gotten the gift he got last time around.
1) Martin Murray (23-96-96)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- L* (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez (Robbery- D at worst)
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Garth Wood (UNR)
Murray is the mandatory challenger for the Golovkin-Stevens winner, and will be fighting Garth Wood in Sydney on November 30.
2) Gennady Golovkin (14-57-120)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- KO3 #5 Matthew Macklin
Next Fight: 11/2/2013- vs. #17 Curtis Stevens
Apparently 2 gatekeeper-level knockouts, a gift decision over a journeyman, and a ton of undeserved hype will get you a shot at getting demolished by Golovkin.  Curtis Stevens will get just that on November 2.
3) Darren Barker (7-7-103)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- W (SD12) vs. #3 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: Unknown
Geale wants a rematch, and Martin Murray is knocking, as well.  But more than likely, a mandatory against Sturm is the next move, probably in December.
4) Felix Sturm (14-524-524)
Last Fight: 7/6/2013- TKO4 Predrag Radosevic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Barker’s notes, above.
5) Daniel Geale (7-224-224)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (SD12) vs. #15 Darren Barker
Next Fight: Unknown
Geale wants a rematch, but will probably have to wait until at least 2014, since it appears likely Barker will make a mandatory defense in December against Sturm, instead.  Geale wants to be back in December in any event.
6) Matthew Macklin (7-119-210)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- L (KO3) vs. #4 Gennady Golovkin
Next Fight: Unknown
According to sources close to Willie Nelson, the tall Cleveland fringe contender is in talks to move up to 160 to fight Macklin on HBO in early December.
7) Peter Quillin (23-50-71)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO7 Fernando Guerrero (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. JMW #9 Gabriel Rosado
Quillin will fight the very solid Rosado on the Hopkins-Murat undercard, though his opponent is clearly much better at 154.
8) Dmitry Pirog (23-166-166)
Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida
Next Fight: Unknown
If there is no news on Pirog’s next fight by the beginning of next week, I’ll likely remove him at last. I gave him a lot of time due to his back injury, but at some point he’s got to be considered practically retired.
9) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (14-30-153)
Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter Quillin
Next Fight: Unknown
10) Sergio Mora (14-14-14)
Last Fight: 6/28/2013- UD10 #9 Grzegorz Proksa
Next Fight: Unknown
11) Marco Antonio Rubio (29-140)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO2 Dionisio Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
With Rubio’s mandatory shot at Chavez for an alphabet belt now a pipe dream, Andy Lee is now campaigning for a shot at Rubio for the rather irrelevant vacant strap.
12) Anthony Mundine (29-140)
Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: 10/23/2013- vs. #3 WW Shane Mosley (at JMW)
Mosley-Mundine is October 23 in Australia.
13) Max Bursak (4-140)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- UD12 Nick Blackwell (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bursak got a bit of a scare from underdog Blackwell, and it will be important for him to look strong in his next fight.
14) Caleb Truax (2-2)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- TKO4 Ceresso Fort (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Truax is targeting the big names in the division as he continues to build his resume at the lower levels.
15) Bryan Vera (2-50)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L* (UD10) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (UNR) (at LHW)
Next Fight: Unknown
I’d say 99% of all people that saw the fight believe Vera beat Chavez, which makes the fact that all three judges saw it the other way very suspicious.  One or two might be an aberration.  All three?  That sounds like the fix was in on some level.  Not that I thought any of the judges besides Gwen Adair were blatantly wrong…but still.
16) Grzegorz Proksa (2-129)
Last Fight: 6/28/2013- L (UD10) vs. Sergio Mora (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Proksa is an enigma.  He looked like the next big thing against Sylvester, but did practically nothing against Mora. 
17) Curtis Stevens (2-9)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- KO1 Saul Roman (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/2/2013- vs. #2 Gennady Golovkin
Stevens needed a gift to beat journeyman Derrick Findley, and has never beat anything better than a gatekeeper at this weight.  My opinion is that his fight with Golovkin will be akin to an execution.
18) Billi Godoy (2-7)
Last Fight: 7/19/2013- UD12 Mateo Veron (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/29/2013- vs. Jorge Heiland (UNR)
Godoy will fight high-level domestic journeyman Jorge Heiland in Neuquen, Argentina on November 29, in a rematch of their July 2012 fight.
19) Danny Jacobs (2-6)
Last Fight: 8/19/2013- TKO3 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Dmitry Chudinov (2-6)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- W (PTS8) vs. Max Maxwell (UNR) (at SMW/LHW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Chudinov weighed in at 174 to fight his already hopeless 162-pound opponent on September 21.  He’s invited a great deal of scrutiny over his weight and discipline in doing so.

 

The Week Ahead: There are two fights on Saturday to report from Mexico.

 

In Chihuahua, one-loss prospect Marcos Reyes battles decent journeyman Rogelio Medina.

 

Meanwhile, in Tijuana, undefeated Venezuelan Jose Uzcategui trades shots with mid-level Mexican journeyman Jesus Nerio in an 8-rounder.

Leave a comment »

Super Middleweight: 2013, Sep 30- Oct 6

Posted in Rankings, Super Middleweight with tags , , , , , , , on October 15, 2013 by danboxing
The Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Bryan Vera contest on Saturday was supposed to have been at a catchweight midway between middleweight and super, but Chavez was grossly overweight and forced a renegotiation to 173.  As a result, neither guy made 168 and thus neither is eligible for a ranking here.  As for the fight itself, Chavez was given a moderate gift by the judges.  I don’t think it’s out of line for someone to think he narrowly won, but I scored it 97-93 for Vera, and it seems that the popular opinion is pretty unanimous that Chavez deserved no better than a draw.

 

Last week’s #6 Adonis Stevenson is removed this week, as he has a defense of his light heavyweight belt scheduled for November 30, which is more than a year after his last fight at 168.  Everyone ranked #7 and below last week moves up one, while Don Mouton returns at #20.  Christopher Rebrasse returns to the top 10 for the first time since the close of June.

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: Andre Ward (94-228-228)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 LHW Champ Chad Dawson
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. #12 Edwin Rodriguez
Ward has finally secured an opponent for his November 16 return: two-division fringe contender Edwin Rodriguez.
1) Carl Froch (71-381-381)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- UD12 #3 Mikkel Kessler
Next Fight: 11/23/2013- vs. #7 George Groves
Froch-Groves is set for November 23 in Manchester.
2) Robert Stieglitz (28-214-214)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO10 Yuzo Kiyota (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/19/2013- vs. Isaac Ekpo (UNR)
Stieglitz and Abraham seem to be competing on who can fight the more mediocre opponents before rematching.  Ekpo is the worst yet- a low-level Nigerian prospect.
3) Mikkel Kessler (42-460-460)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Carl Froch
Next Fight: Unknown
Froch is interested in a trilogy on neutral ground, perhaps even more so than a Ward rematch.  But it’s not even clear that Kessler will fight again, after saying pre-fight he might retire.
4) Arthur Abraham (20-206-206)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- UD12 Wilbeforce Shihepo (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Giovanni De Carolis (UNR)
Abraham continues to pursue a trilogy with Stieglitz, with both men fighting inferior opposition in the interim.  Abraham is in a little tougher this time around than is Stieglitz, at least on paper.  He faces borderline top 50 Italian Giovanni De Carolis.  It’s a little sad that that looks good by comparison to Stieglitz’s opponent.
5) Brandon Gonzales (14-14-14)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- D* vs. #5 Thomas Oosthuizen
Next Fight: Unknown
Gonzales says that his team is working on a fight for the Ward-Rodriguez card on November 16.
6) Thomas Oosthuizen (1-122-170)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- D* vs. Brandon Gonzales (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/9/2013- vs. #14 Ezequiel Maderna
Oosthuizen has a significant- albeit risky- opportunity to redeem himself against credible Argentine fringe contender Ezequiel Maderna in South Africa on November 9.
7) George Groves (1-42-64)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- TKO5 Noe Gonzalez (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/23/2013- vs. #1 Carl Froch
Groves and Froch will face off on November 23 in Manchester.
8) Sakio Bika (1-33-339)
Last Fight: 6/22/2013- MD12 Marco Antonio Periban (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bika apparently is dealing with a shoulder injury.  He was evidently planning to fight Anthony Dirrell on October 26, but will instead fight him at some undetermined later date.  He’s looking to return in December.
9) James DeGale (1-17-103)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- RTD4 Stjepan Bozic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
DeGale badly wants a big-money fight with Froch.
10) Christopher Rebrasse (1-1-17)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- Robbery Draw (W) vs. #10 Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (UNR)
Rebrasse should have no reason to rematch Ndiaye, having beaten him decisively in June, but the judges’ completely corrupt ripoff has somehow conspired to make Rebrasse waste time and take a risk to confirm a very clear result.
11) Maxim Vlasov (1-47)
Last Fight: 7/12/2013- UD8 Mark Suarez (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vlasov will fight in Krasnodar, Russia this November, on the undercard of a rather silly heavyweight fight between 44 year-old has-been Oleg Maskaev and Corey Sanders (not to be confused with the late Corrie Sanders, who has actually fought more recently).  I don’t have the exact date or opponent yet.
12) Edwin Rodriguez (1-37)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO1 #16 LHW Denis Grachev (at LHW)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Champ Andre Ward
Rodriguez will get a shot at reigning two-division Champion Andre Ward in mid-November, after a drama-filled negotiation.
13) Ezequiel Maderna (1-40)
Last Fight: 9/6/2013- UD10 Arnaldo Alcides Benitez (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/9/2013- vs. #6 Thomas Oosthuizen
Maderna will get a big opportunity in South Africa against Oosthuizen, who showed a great deal of vulnerability in his last fight.  That being said, from what I’ve seen of Maderna, his style is night and day different from Brandon Gonzales.
14) Andy Lee (1-20)
Last Fight: 5/15/2013- TKO1 Darryl Cunningham (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lee was scheduled to fight Domenico Spada on the Haye-Fury undercard, but that card was cancelled.
15) Ryoto Murata (1-6)
Last Fight: 8/25/2013- TKO2 #14 MW Akio Shibata
Next Fight: Unknown
Murata joins Lee and Truax as Middleweights who can claim a ranking in this very shallow division by beating an opponent a few pounds or less over 160.  But he comes with a twist…he’s done so in his very first fight.
16) Caleb Truax (1-15)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- TKO4 Ceresso Fort (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Truax has made good on his move back down to 160, knocking out a halfway decent prospect in Ceresso Fort.
17) Hadillah Mohoumadi (1-31)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- TKO7 #20 CW Pawel Glazewski (at LHW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mohoumadi-De Carolis was cancelled on short notice, and I’ve heard nothing of his next move.
18) Glen Johnson (1-22)
Last Fight: 4/19/2013- TKO2 Junior Ramos (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
19) Badou Jack (1-11)
Last Fight: 9/12/2013- Draw (MD12) vs. Marco Antonio Periban (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Jack never looks all that bad, but he does struggle at around the fringe contender level.
20) Don Mouton (1-1)
Last Fight: 5/13/2013- L* (UD8) vs. #10 Anthony Dirrell
Next Fight: Unknown

 

The Week Ahead: No notable action scheduled in the division this week.

Leave a comment »

Light Heavyweight: 2013, Sep 30- Oct 6

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 12, 2013 by danboxing
In what turned out to be the week’s only important action technically at 175, #1 Adonis Stevenson thoroughly dominated #8 Tavoris Cloud, who at this point must be considered a faded former top contender.  Stevenson not only brutally thumped Cloud as you might have expected, but also brilliantly outboxed him, which might not have been quite as foreseeable for the vaunted slugger.  Cloud has now lost his last three fights by the estimation of anyone who cares about the truth, while Stevenson has proven that his lightning-quick destruction of Chad Dawson was no fluke.

 

Former Champ Jean Pascal looked sensational against aging former gatekeeper George Blades, mercilessly pummeling the Hoosier former title contender for 5 brutal rounds that finally ended (much too late) when the 3 knockdown rule was triggered in that stanza.  On a personal note, I met both men in 2011 when I was randomly seated directly behind Pascal and directly in front of Blades at the Alexander-Matthysse fight.  Both were very gracious, and I’ve even kept in touch with George.  It pained me to see him absorb that beating, and I hope he either retires or settles down to fighting some ham and eggers for easy money, because it’s clear that he doesn’t belong at the contender level- certainly not at this point in his career.  The fight was contested at a contract weight of 180, with Pascal scaling 177.25, which means the Haitian contender still has yet to make 175 since losing the Championship to Hopkins well over 2 years ago, and is thus still ineligible for a ranking at this time.

 

The 180 pound bug bit #20 Eleider Alvarez, too, as his fight with fringe contender and fellow Colombian Edison Miranda was also contested at that weight.  Alvarez, who appeared to be the naturally bigger and stronger man, got the nod from all three judges in what was an essentially dead-even see-saw battle.  Two of the judges, as usual, were crooks.  Richard DeCarufel had it the same as I did (95-94 Alvarez), but the other two were totally out of bounds.  Sylvain LeBlanc scored it 97-92, meaning he scored all the close rounds for Alvarez, and at least one pretty clear Miranda round.  But the cake was taken by Jean Gauthier, who somehow had only one round for Miranda.  

 

Stevenson’s victory over Cloud merely enforced the status quo, and produces no changes.  While Alvarez’s win was debatable and not really that close to the divisional limit, it was a fair fight (judging aside) and a win over a credible known quantity in the division, and therefore it can’t reasonably help but bump him up.  Alvarez moves up to #17, bumping Maccarinelli, Grachev, and Sukhotsky down a notch.

 

In a bit of a surprise, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. ballooned well above the anticipate low super middleweight contract weight for his fight with Bryan Vera, and the fight was renegotiated at nearly the last minute into a 173 pound contest.  Chavez almost certainly lost the fight, but was awarded a totally undeserved unanimous decision- though I can’t say a narrow Chavez win was totally inconceivable.  It simply wouldn’t make sense to drag a guy like Vera- a small super middleweight at best, to 175 unexpectedly, win dubiously, and get ranked for it.  And given my policy of deferring to the official winner slightly in close cases like this, it would not be possible to rank Vera- who would deserve it more- without also ranking the wrongdoer, Chavez.  Therefore this fight will have no bearing on this division’s rankings.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (56-56-56)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. #14 Edwin Rodriguez (at SMW)
After tons of posturing, Ward-Rodriguez is now done for 11/16 in Ontario, California.
1) Adonis Stevenson (17-17-17)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- TKO7 #8 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. #6 Tony Bellew
Stevenson is tentatively set to fight Tony Bellew on November 30.  That’s a quick turnaround from his fight two months earlier, so we’ll see if it happens then or not.
2) Bernard Hopkins (56-382-382)
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 (16-37-37)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO4 #8 Nathan Cleverly
Next Fight: Unknown
Kovalev’s mandatory is Braehmer, and Fonfara has been rumored, as well.
4) Chad Dawson (16-383-383)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson may be returning sometime in November.
5) Andrzej Fonfara (7-7-64)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- KO9 #6 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: Unknown
See Kovalev’s notes, above.
6) Tony Bellew (7-103-103)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- UD12 #7 Isaac Chilemba
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Bellew is tentatively scheduled to fight the Stevenson on his November 30 birthday.
7) Gabriel Campillo (7-171-171)
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 (7-214-214)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Cloud should probably get himself back in the win column at some point.
9) Nathan Cleverly (7-191-191)
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 (7-27-87)
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 (7-94)
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 (6-76)
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 (6-25)
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 (7-12)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO1 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Champ Andre Ward (at SMW)
See Ward’s notes, above.
15) Lucian Bute (12-48)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 1/18/2014- vs. Jean Pascal (UNR)
Bute-Pascal has been pushed back to January 18.
16) Hadillah Mohoumadi (12-14)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- TKO7 CW #20 Pawel Glazewski
Next Fight: Unknown
Mohoumadi’s fight with De Carolis was briefly rescheduled, but then appears to have been cancelled entirely.
17) Eleider Alvarez (1-36)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- UD10 Edison Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Enzo Maccarinelli (1-7)
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.
19) Denis Grachev (1-75)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (TKO1) vs. #13 SMW Edwin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Dmitry Sukhotsky (1-153)
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.

 

The Week Ahead: The French title is on the line in Vignes aux Bois, as low-level one-loss fringe prospect Patrick…well…Bois…fights in what I assume must be his ancestral hometown or something against gatekeeper Nadjib Mohammedi.

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2013: Sep 30 – Oct 6

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 12, 2013 by danboxing
A quick note before I get started this week:  I missed the fact that Francisco Palacios had gone a year without fighting as of last week, and thus everyone ranked #16 and below last week should have been one spot higher, and while I won’t go back and edit that post, I will pretend from this point forward that I had done it correctly.  Last week’s new #20 was/is Rakhim Chakhkiev.

 

Now to this week’s update.  #15 Enad Licina was in action this past weekend.  He knocked around a low-level journeyman in Levan Jomardashvili, which is no great accomplishment, but in one sense the fight is still significant.  The reason is that he made the 200 pound limit for the first time since last November, and thus assures himself of rankings eligibility beyond November, when he would otherwise have been removed for inactivity at this weight.  He still faces likely removal in January, however, since his last worthwhile win will be 5 years old at that point.  

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Denis Lebedev (10-191-191)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After originally talking about a return on the Klitschko-Povetkin undercard that never materialized, Lebedev has parted with his long-time promoter.
2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (55-171-171)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- W*(UD12) vs. #20 Troy Ross
Next Fight: Unknown Date- vs. #12 Alexander Alekseev
Hernandez will make his long-awaited return in November or on December 14 in Germany against Alexander Alekseev.
3) Marco Huck (3-356-356)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- W (MD12) vs. #5 Ola Afolabi
Next Fight: 1/25/2014- vs. #5 Firat Arslan
Huck-Arslan II has a new date of January 25 after Huck suffered a hand injury.
4) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (3-432-432)
Last Fight: 6/21/2013- TKO8 Rakhim Chakhkiev (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/6/2013- vs. #10 Giacobbe Fragomeni
Wlodarczyk will see action in the US for the first time since 2005 on December 6, fighting a trilogy bout with the rapidly aging Italian Giacobbe Fragomeni in Chicago.
5) Firat Arslan (3-73-116)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD10 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/25/2014- vs. #3 Marco Huck
See Huck’s notes, above.

6) Thabiso Mchunu (3-9-47)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Eddie Chambers (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mchunu intends to be back by the end of the year, and says he’ll take on anyone in the division.  I don’t blame him.  I’d pick him to beat anyone.
7) Ola Afolabi (3-238-238)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (MD12) vs. #8 Marco Huck
Next Fight: 11/2/2013- vs. Lukasz Janik (UNR)
If there is to be a Super 4 Cruiserweight tournament in Monaco, it appears it either won’t be on November 2 anymore, or that Afolabi won’t be participating if so, as he is slated for a November 2 fight on the Golovkin-Stevens undercard at Madison Square Garden against Polish prospect Lukasz Janik.
8) Danny Green (3-47-200)
Last Fight: 11/21/2012- UD12 Shane Cameron (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Green has vacated his alphabet belt, and says essentially that only a really good opportunity would get him back between the ropes at this point.  Still…he stopped short of retiring.
9) B.J. Flores (3-18-171)
Last Fight: 10/6/2012- TKO2 David McNemar (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Flores needs to schedule a fight this week to keep his ranking.
10) Giacobbe Fragomeni (3-3-255)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- UD8 Toni Visic (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/6/2013- vs. #4 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
See Wlodarczyk’s notes, above.
11) Silvio Branco (3-81)
Last Fight: 7/6/2013- W (TD10) vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Branco continues to chug along at 47 years young.  He’s like a lower-level Hopkins.
12) Alexander Alekseev (3-142)
Last Fight: 2/22/2013- UD12* Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. #2 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Alekseev gets a shot at Hernandez on December 14, or possibly sometime in November.
13) Mateusz Masternak (3-79)
Last Fight: 4/13/2013- TKO9 Sean Corbin (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #16 Grigory Drozd
Masternak-Drozd once again appears set for 10/5 on the Klitsckho-Povetkin undercard after Boxrec had it off the schedule for some reason for a few weeks.
14) Ilunga Makabu (3-12)
Last Fight: 8/31/2013- TKO5 Eric Fields (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Makabu is rumored for a Monaco 4-man tournament in the fall along with Flores and Australian Brad Pitt.
15) Enad Licina (2-171)
Last Fight: 9/27/2013- TKO3 Levan Jomardashvili (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Licina needs a significant win before January, as his only relevant win in the last 5 years will become older than 5 years at that point, prompting his removal.
16) Grigory Drozd (2-47)
Last Fight: 12/17/2012- UD12 Jean-Marc Monrose (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #13 Mateusz Masternak
See Masternak’s notes, above.
17) Danie Venter (2-3)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- KO1 Shawn Cox (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I must admit I wrote Venter off when he lost a bit of an upset to Mchunu last year, but Mchunu has proven to be something of a world beater since, and Venter’s overall resume is quietly starting to look pretty solid.
18) Dmytro Kucher (2-66)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Kucher would like a rematch with Makabu, and has his sights set on Wlodarczyk down the road, as well.  He expects to be back against someone in November or December.
19) Krzysztof Glowacki (2-10)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- UD8 Taylor Mabika (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/19/2013- vs. Richard Hall (UNR)
Glowacki is back in October against 41 year-old washed-up former fringe contender Richard Hall in Poland.
20) Rakhim Chakhkiev (2-2)
Last Fight: 6/21/2013- L (TKO8) vs. #6 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. Giulian Ilie (UNR)
Chakhkiev fights mid-level Romanian journeyman Giulian Ilie on the Klitschko-Povetkin undercard in Moscow this weekend.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Friday in Tapiales, Argentina, local gatekeeper Cesar Crenz gets a 6-rounder against low-level countryman Mariano Diaz.

 

Saturday in Moscow, #13 Mateusz Masternak and #16 Grigory Drozd collide in a high-stakes battle of undefeated up-and-coming Eastern European prospects on the Klitschko-Povetkin undercard.

 

On that same card, #20 Rakhim Chakhkiev looks to rebound from his first loss back in June by taking on decent Romanian Giulian Ilie.

 

And wrapping up the week from London, Tony Conquest looks to add a conquest of Spanish-born and London-based one-loss prospect Wadi Camacho to his own one-loss record.  It’s a pick ’em kind of fight.  Camacho may be marginally the more tested, although both men have lost only to fellow prospects.  

Leave a comment »

Heavyweight: 2013, Sep 30- Oct 6

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 5, 2013 by danboxing
No action to report from last week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (223-436-436)
Last Fight: 5/4/2013- TKO6 Francesco Pianeta
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #3 Alexander Povetkin
Klitschko-Povetkin is now officially signed for 10/5 in Moscow.
1) Tyson Fury (4-115-115)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- KO7 #3 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury-Haye has been rescheduled for February 8.
2) David Haye (4-64-64)
Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: Unknown
See Fury’s notes, above.
3) Alexander Povetkin (4-310-310)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- TKO3 Andrzej Wawryzk (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
See Wlad’s notes, above.
4) Steve Cunningham (4-41-41)
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.
5) Tomasz Adamek (4-180-180)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- #17 Vyacheslav Glazkov
With the Bryant Jennings proposal falling apart over money, Adamek will now be fighting Glazkov in one of NBC’s mid-afternoon telecasts.
6) Kubrat Pulev (4-74-151)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- UD12 #11 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev will now be at least one of Wlad’s mandatories after beating Thompson.
7) Dereck Chisora (4-96-159)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- TKO5 Edmund Gerber (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chisora continues to stay very busy.  He will fight an opponent to be announced in London on November 30.
8) Odlanier Solis (4-28-175)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Solis might be back in October against fringe contender Franklin Lawrence.
9) Bermane Stiverne (4-15-31)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola
Next Fight: Unknown
Stiverne said after being challenged to a rematch by Chris Arreola that he will wait on Klitschko and will not consider that fight.
10) Chris Arreola (4-4-4)
Last Fight: 9/7/2013- TKO1 #12 Seth Mitchell
Next Fight: Unknown
Arreola may be a candidate for Wilder, or could fight for a vacant title in a rematch with Stiverne, should Vitali retire.
11) Tony Thompson (15-175)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- L (UD12) vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Thompson may have come up a bit short against Pulev, but he proved that even at 41, he’s still a challenge for obviously top-10 opposition.
12) Erkan Teper (4-5)
Last Fight: 8/31/2013- TKO1 Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/?/2013- vs. Martin Rogan (UNR)
Irish sources are reporting that Teper will be fighting Rogan in Germany sometime in November.
13) Deontay Wilder (4-23)
Last Fight: 8/9/2013- KO1 Sergei Liakhovich (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Nicolai Firtha (UNR)
Wilder is set to fight Ohio journeyman Nicolai Firtha on the Hopkins-Murat undercard.
14) Robert Helenius (4-175)
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 (4-142)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko turned down a Pulev rematch, and was last seen as a sparring partner in David Haye’s ill-fated camp.  No word on his next fight.
16) Seth Mitchell (4-17)
Last Fight: 9/7/2013- L (TKO1) vs. Chris Arreola (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mitchell’s chin is so fragile that he might want to consider calling it a career.
17) Vyacheslav Glazkov (5-41)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- TKO2 Byron Polley (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. #5 Tomasz Adamek
Glazkov will go from a non-TV tune-up directly to a NBC-televised afternoon showdown with Adamek.
18) Malik Scott (5-32)
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.
19) Johnathon Banks (5-46)
Last Fight: 6/22/2013- L (UD12) vs. #20 Seth Mitchell
Next Fight: Unknown
Banks apparently dinged his hands up pretty good in the Mitchell fight- an alternate explanation for those who, like me, thought his inexplicable failure to follow up on his early success was a bit suspicious.  He’s been doing physical therapy, and is about ready to get back in the ring.  He’d like a rematch with Mitchell, but unfortunately a trilogy probably isn’t of much benefit to the fragile young contender at this point.
20) Denis Boytsov (5-224)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO3 Alexander Nesterenko (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/23/2013- vs. Alex Leapai (UNR)
Boytsov suffered a minor knee injury, pushing his return back to November 23.  He will fight Samoan gatekeeper Alex Leapai.  No world-beater, but his best opponent in a while.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Wladimir Klitschko defends his long-held Championship in Moscow, with #3 contender and hometown favorite Alexander Povetkin finally accepting the title shot he’d been in line for for years to one extent or another.  I see little chance for Povetkin, truth be told.

 

The undercard features Ruslan Chagaev- the former top contender from Uzbekistan against whom Klitschko won the championship in 2009- against Jovo Pudar, a 42 year-old long-time journeyman from Serbia who has snuck into the fringes of the top 50 by beating a steady diet of mid-range journeyman over the last few years.  As for Chagaev, he has been sliding down the rankings precipitously since his loss to Klitschko, having only beaten one gatekeeper in the last 5 years total.
 

Leave a comment »

Welterweight: 2013, Sep 23-29

Posted in Rankings, Welterweight with tags , , , , , , , on October 3, 2013 by danboxing
Undefeated Birmingham prospect Frankie Gavin won a pretty average unanimous decision over Manchester journeyman David Barnes in London to capture the Lonsdale Challenge belt (awarded to a British Champion with 3 defenses).  No changes to the rankings this week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (178-210-210)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W* (MD12) vs. #2 JMW Saul Alvarez (at JMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Floyd will likely be back on both May 3 and September 13, with Danny Garcia and the potential Alexander-Khan winner as possibilities.
1) Juan Manuel Marquez (98-98-98)
Last Fight: 12/8/2012- KO6 #2 Manny Pacquiao
Next Fight: 10/12/2013- vs. #18 Timothy Bradley
With Mayweather apparently wanting to stay busy, a hard-earned rematch with the Champ might not be out of the question over the next year or two.  For now, it’s all about Tim Bradley.
2) Manny Pacquiao (98-251-251)
Last Fight: 12/8/2012- L (KO6) vs. #1 Juan Manuel Marquez
Next Fight: 11/23/2013- vs. #4 JWW Brandon Rios (UNR)
Pac Man needs to prove he can still get it done when he tries to rebound from a devastating knockout against former top lightweight Brandon Rios in China.
3) Shane Mosley (19-19-19)
Last Fight: 5/18/2013- UD12 Pablo Cesar Cano (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/23/2013- vs. #12 MW Anthony Mundine (at JMW)
Mosley-Mundine now has a date of October 23.
4) Devon Alexander (15-83-83)
Last Fight: 5/18/2013- RTD7 Lee Purdy (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
It looks likely that Alexander will fight Khan on December 7, but no contract yet.
5) Marcos Maidana (16-16-16)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO6 #4 Josesito Lopez
Next Fight: Unknown
Maidana is reportedly very close to a deal for a Pay-Per-View showdown with lightweight Champion Adrien Broner in Vegas on December 14.
6) Jesus Soto Karass (9-9-35)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO12 #7 Andre Berto
Next Fight: Unknown
Keith Thurman believes Soto Karass will be his next opponent.
7) Robert Guerrero (9-44-61)
Last Fight: 5/4/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Next Fight: Unknown
Guerrero turned down Keith Thurman for a proposed November fight, according to both fighters’ promoter.  Dan Rafael reports that Guerrero might be waiting around to fight the winner of Maidana-Broner.
8) Kell Brook (19-126-126)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO8 Carson Jones (UNR) (at JMW)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Vyacheslav Senchenko (UNR)
Brook fights Senchenko in late October.  He’d better make 147 for the non-title fight if he wants to maintain his ranking here.
9) Randall Bailey (19-68-68)
Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #? Devon Alexander
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Bailey says he intends to tune-up on October 26 and is targeting Kevin Bizier after that.
10) Josesito Lopez (16-66-66)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #11 Marcos Maidana
Next Fight: 11/?/2013- vs. Aaron Martinez (UNR)
The Ring’s website has Lopez returning sometime November against fringe prospect Aaron Martinez.
11) Andre Berto (9-44)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- L (TKO12) vs. #11 Jesus Soto Karass

Next Fight: Unknown
Berto’s shoulder surgery will keep him out until sometime in 2014.
12) Keith Thurman (9-29)

Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO10 Diego Chaves (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Soto Karass’s notes, above.
13) Chris van Heerden (9-67)
Last Fight: 3/2/2013- UD12 Matthew Hatton (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Van Heerden recently moved his home base to Southern California from his native South Africa in search of better sparring and bigger fights.  He is likley to work with Brandon Rios in the coming months, and hopes to make his US debut in October.
14) Luis Carlos Abregu (9-22)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD10 Antonin Decarie (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Abregu’s plans for an October fight have been scrapped, as he recently had 2013-ending hand surgery.
15) Jan Zaveck (9-198)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- L (UD12) vs. #15 JMW Keith Thurman
Next Fight: 10/19/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Zaveck is back in action on the undercard of Stieglitz-Ekpo in Leipzig.
16) Selcuk Aydin (9-232)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO8 Aaron Herrera (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/27/2013- vs. Demarcus Corley (UNR)
Aydin will move back down to 140 to seek a minor title in Istanbul against gatekeeper Demarcus Corley.
17) Timothy Bradley (9-68)
Last Fight: 3/16/2013- W* (UD12) vs. Ruslan Provodnikov (UNR) (should be draw)
Next Fight: 10/12/2013- vs. #1 Juan Manuel Marquez
Bradley will look for redemption after very nearly losing to an inconsistent prospect.  It’ll be a tall order.
18) Ruslan Provodnikov (9-28)
Last Fight: 3/16/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #11? Timothy Bradley (should be draw)
Next Fight: 10/19/2013- vs. JWW #3 Mike Alvarado (at JWW)
Alvarado-Provodnikov is done for 10/19 in Denver, at 140, with HBO to televise. 
19) Pablo Cesar Cano (2-2)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W (SD10*) vs. Ashley Theophane (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Cano said after the 143-pound catchweight win against Theophane that he intends to seek title contention at 140 now.  I must say I’m surprised by the move, considering he failed to make weight for one of his biggest fights at 147 against Malignaggi.
20) Leonard Bundu (2-14)
Last Fight: 4/6/2013- KO11 Rafal Jackiewicz (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bundu is apparently set to fight 43 year-old former fringe contender Gianluca Branco for the EBU title, though no official announcement has yet been made.

 

The Week Ahead: #16 Selcuk Aydin will be in action Friday against Demarcus Corley, but at 140. 

 

Two fights to mention from the Stevenson-Cloud undercard on Saturday in Montreal:

 

Fringe contending undefeated prospect Kevin Bizier meets veteran Italian journeyman Giuseppe Lauri in what for some reason is only a 6-rounder.  

 

Also, 2-loss prospect Antonin Decarie meets French journeyman Salim Larbi.

Leave a comment »

Junior Middleweight: 2013, Sep 23-29

Posted in Junior Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 3, 2013 by danboxing
French gatekeeper Frank Haroche Horta dispatched Kevin Bertogal- a 3-7 nobody- by TKO in the 8th round.  The only question is why it took so long.  Horta, though no world-beater, has shown good power and won some 50-50 type fights by knockout recently.  But it appears that Bertogal, while hardly a threat to beat anyone worthwhile, might be one of those guys that’s just plain durable.  Criticize Haroche Horta if you must for letting his man hang around, but know when you do so that he’s the first man to ever stop his counterpart.  No changes this week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: None
1) Carlos Molina (34-116-131)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W (SD12) vs. #5 Ishe Smith
Next Fight: Unknown
Molina’s team wants to match him against Canelo, a proposition that Mayweather himself blessed in the aftermath of his own fight with Alvarez.  He also has an eye on Cotto, and has drawn interest from Angulo, as well.
2) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (2-2-2)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W* (MD12) vs. #2 Saul Alvarez
Next Fight: Unknown
Mayweather intends to fight twice in 2014: on May 3 and September 13, if all goes to plan.  Danny Garcia and a potential Alexander-Khan winner seem like possibilities.  Bernard Hopkins pledges to make 160 for May 3 if Floyd is interested, as well.
3) Saul Alvarez (2-134-149)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- L* (MD12) vs. WW Champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Next Fight: Unknown
See Molina’s notes, above.
4) Austin Trout (2-69-138)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #2 Saul Alvarez
Next Fight: Unknown
Trout is suing his former promoter over allegations that the promoter threatened to sue Showtime if they put his ex-fighter on the Mayweather-Canelo undercard, something he had no authority to do since their contract had already expired.
5) Erislandy Lara (2-116-138)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO10 #8 Alfredo Angulo
Next Fight: Unknown
See Trout’s notes, above.
6) Ishe Smith (2-31-31)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- L (SD12) vs. #1 Carlos Molina
Next Fight: Unknown
No word on Ishe’s next move after losing his alphabet belt in a close fight.
7) Miguel Cotto (2-173-173)
Last Fight: 12/1/2012- L (UD12) vs. #8 Austin Trout
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #11 Delvin Rodriguez
After a proposed fight with Bundrage was scrapped by the networks, and a brief flirtation with Carlos Molina, Cotto will now be fighting Delvin Rodriguez on HBO on October 5.
8) Cornelius Bundrage (2-164-164)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ishe Smith (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bundrage might be fighting a re-match with gatekeeper Zaurbek Baysangurov on November 9 in Russia.
9) Alfredo Angulo (2-209-209)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (TKO10) vs. #4 Erislandy Lara
Next Fight: Unknown
Angulo has been in a war of words with his last opponent, Lara, that may or may not lead anywhere, and would like to fight Carlos Molina.
10) Sergey Rabchenko (21-21-67)

Last Fight: 7/16/2013- TKO3 Gari Abajian (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Cedric Vitu (UNR)
Rabchenko is already in camp for his re-match with Cedric Vitu, with the fight set for November in Bulgaria.
11) Delvin Rodriguez (21-115)
Last Fight: 5/24/2013- TKO8 Freddy Hernandez (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #7 Miguel Cotto
See Cotto’s notes, above.
12) Lukas Konecny (21-111)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- UD12 Moez Fhima (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Konecny took care of business against Fhima at 160.  We’ll have to see whether he stays at that weight or not.  My guess would be yes, since he’s fighting for minor titles up there at this point.
13) Keith Thurman (21-44)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO10 Diego Chaves (UNR) (at WW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Thurman and Guerrero appeared destined to fight in November, but according to Golden Boy- which promotes both fighters- Guerrero turned it down.
14) Vanes Martirosyan (21-121)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- TKO2 Ryan Davis (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: 11/9/2013- vs. Demetrius Andrade (UNR)
Martirosyan-Andrade has been moved up a week to November 9.
15) Yuri Foreman (21-35)
Last Fight: 7/24/2013- UD8 Jamaal Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Foreman is very slowly stepping up his level of opposition as his comeback gradually picks up steam.
16) Willie Nelson (17-30)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- UD10 Luciano Cuello (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. Dante Moore (UNR)
When it comes to Nelson’s September 28 opponent, a Cleveland hometown and one-loss record is about all they have in common.  Moore has lost to and drawn with absolute scrubs, and shouldn’t be much of a challenge for Nelson despite a decent-looking 8-1 record.
17) Brian Rose (17-27)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- W (PTS10) vs. Alexey Ribchev (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Javier Maciel (UNR)
Rose will be back on the Brook-Senchenko undercard in Sheffield, and will be fighting Argentine prospect Javier Maciel- certainly his toughest opponent since capturing the British title.
18) Jermell Charlo (16-16)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- UD12 Demetrius Hopkins (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/14/2013- vs. Jose Angel Rodriguez (UNR)
Charlo will headline a Fox Sports 1 card on October 14 against mid-range journeyman Jose Angel Rodriguez.
19) Guido Pitto (16-22)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- W* (SD12) vs. Jack Culcay (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
A Culcay-Pitto rematch was postponed due to headliner Marco Huck’s elbow injury.  I’m assuming it’ll go down on the rescheduled card in early winter, if not before.
20) Kell Brook (11-11)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO8 Carson Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Vyacheslav Senchenko (UNR) (at WW?)
Brook gets Senchenko in late October in Sheffield.  Since it’s a non-title fight, there’s always the chance it could creep up over 147 and thus affect his ranking here.

 

The Week Ahead:  #16 Willie Nelson was scheduled to fight low-level prospect Dante Moore in Cleveland on Friday, but boxrec is showing the opponent as TBA right now.  I spoke to Nelson’s promoter a few weeks ago about the bout, and he told me the Ohio commission was giving him some trouble regarding the fight being a mismatch.  A mismatch it may be, but you can find about 20 worse ones on any given weekend.  Anyway, we’ll see if Nelson actually ends up fighting or not.

 

On the Chavez-Vera undercard in Carson, California Saturday, two-loss Mexican prospect Daniel Sandoval is scheduled against an opponent to be announced.

 

The same night in Atlantic City, 23 year old undefeated “Jersey boy” Glen Tapia returns to the ring for the first time since his career-best win in July over fellow undefeated Abie Han.  He is in against a possibly even better opponent this time in Mexican borderline top-50 gatekeeper Elco Garcia.

Leave a comment »

« Older Entries