Archive for December, 2013

« Older Entries

Welterweight: 2013, Oct 28- Nov 3

Posted in Rankings, Welterweight with tags , , , , , , , on December 29, 2013 by danboxing
#9 Kell Brook won a short but wild fight with gatekeeper Vyacheslav Senchenko on Saturday in Sheffield, England.  The fight was actually fairly back and forth.  Brook easily won the first round.  Senchenko pretty clearly won the second.  Brook scored a knockdown in the third to pull ahead.  In the 4th, Senchenko actually clipped Brook pretty hard, but Brook came back and dropped his man again.  With Senchenko’s legs clearly too unsteady even to safely complete the remaining few seconds of the round, Referee Shada Murdaugh called it quits.  

 

When a top 10 contender fights an unranked fighter and wins, it’s probably always worth asking “how did he look?”  Well, for me it was a mixed bag.  Brook obviously looked really good when he hurt his man.  But besides getting hurt in the last minute or so of the fight, he also looked tentative, fidgety, and nervous for a lot of the fight.  It yielded positive results in the end, but to me it didn’t instill confidence in his being anything like the next superstar in the division.  Except for the fact that he did show killer instinct and attack enough to get his guy out of there, he reminded me a little of Devon Alexander at his worst- the tentative, back-foot jab heavy version that fought Kotelnik.

 

There are no changes this week.  Due to Guerrero’s performances against Berto and Aydin, Brook is unlikely to advance higher than the Ghost unless and until he beats a bona fide top-10 contender, despite the volume of gatekeepers and fringe contenders he’s putting in his pocket.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (183-215-215)
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 Amir Khan being rumored as the May 3 opponent.
1) Timothy Bradley (3-3-73)
Last Fight: 10/12/2013- W (SD12) vs. #1 Juan Manuel Marquez
Next Fight: Unknown
Bradley says he wants a rematch with Pacquiao, and has also expressed interest in a likely impossible match-up with Mayweather.  
2) Juan Manuel Marquez (3-103-103)
Last Fight: 10/12/2013- L (SD12) vs. #17 Timothy Bradley
Next Fight: Unknown
After initially suggesting he might retire, Marquez quickly began pushing hard for a Bradley rematch.
3) Manny Pacquiao (3-256-256)
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.
4) Shane Mosley (3-24-24)
Last Fight: 5/18/2013- UD12 Pablo Cesar Cano (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mosley apparently wasn’t happy about not getting all of his pay in advance as agreed, and cut out of Australia lickety-split, cancelling the Mundine fight that had been scheduled for 10/23.
5) Devon Alexander (3-88-88)
Last Fight: 5/18/2013- RTD7 Lee Purdy (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Shawn Porter (UNR)
With Khan apparently hedging his bets in hopes of a Mayweather payday, Alexander will instead fight prospect Shawn Porter in San Antonio on November 30.
6) Marcos Maidana (3-21-21)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO6 #4 Josesito Lopez
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. Adrien Broner (UNR)
The Maidana-Broner fight on December 14 will now headline a regular Showtime Championship boxing broadcast, instead of a PPV, as the undercard has suffered significant collapses.
7) Jesus Soto Karass (3-14-40)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO12 #7 Andre Berto
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. #12 Keith Thurman
Soto Karass’s fight with Thurman has been moved from the December 7 Malignaggi-Judah undercard in Brooklyn to the following week’s pay-per-view tilt between Broner and Maidana.
8) Robert Guerrero (3-49-66)
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.  He’s also been rumored to be in the mix to fight Khan, though his team has denied it.
9) Kell Brook (3-131-131)
Last Fight:10/26/2013- TKO4 Vyacheslav Senchenko (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Brook is now the mandatory for the winner of Alexander-Porter.
10) Josesito Lopez (2-2-71)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #11 Marcos Maidana
Next Fight: Unknown
Reports of a November fight between Lopez and Aaron Martinez appear to have been premature, as there’s been no mention of the bout since the Ring first reported it a while ago.  The latest news is that Victor Ortiz wants a rematch.
11) Andre Berto (2-49)
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 (2-34)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO10 Diego Chaves (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. #7 Jesus Soto Karass
See Soto Karass’s notes, above.
13) Chris van Heerden (2-72)
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.  Apparently an effort was made to get him on the Froch-Groves undercard against Lee Purdy, but that appears to be a no-go.
14) Luis Carlos Abregu (2-27)
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.  The WBC is looking to match him with Antonin Decarie when he returns.
15) Jan Zaveck (2-203)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- UD8 Sebastien Allais (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
As expected, Zaveck had little trouble with French journeyman Allais.
16) Selcuk Aydin (2-237)
Last Fight: 9/27/2013- W (RTD4) vs. Demarcus Corley (UNR) (at JWW)
Next Fight: Unknown
17) Ruslan Provodnikov (2-33)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- RTD10 #3 JWW Mike Alvarado (at JWW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Provodnikov proved against Alvarado that the Bradley fight was no fluke.  He’s a big-time fighter now.
18) Pablo Cesar Cano (2-7)
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.
19) Leonard Bundu (2-19)
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.
20) Jessie Vargas (2-2)
Last Fight: 10/11/2013- UD10 Ray Narh (UNR) (as JMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vargas is thinking about moving back to 140, and says he wants a fight with Provodnikov.

 

The Week Ahead: Nothing of importance going on in the division this week.

Leave a comment »

Junior Middleweight: 2013, Oct 28- Nov 3

Posted in Junior Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 29, 2013 by danboxing
Two fights to discuss from last week:

 

In Oldenburg, Germany, #17 Guido Pitto battled #20 Jack Culcay in a rematch of Pitto’s split decision win from April (which I scored a draw).  The second fight was just as close.  Pitto seemed a bit on the high-strung side early on, flinging ill-considered arm punches far too often, and dropping the first four rounds on my card.  But despite Culcay’s impressive physique, it was the wiry Pitto that showed the better conditioning.  After splitting rounds 5-8 on my card, Pitto swept the last 4 rounds- mostly in close fashion- to even the score.  But the judges saw it a bit differently, with Pawel Kardyni and Jean Francois Toupin each giving Culcay the nod 115-113, and the third judge Erkki Meronen turning in a 117-112 that was maybe a slight reach.  Overall, they were reasonable cards, if a tad bit slanted.  The simple truth is that Pitto and Culcay are just two very evenly-matched fighters in general.

 

In Sheffield, #14 Brian Rose got another gift decision.  The absolute best he could have hoped for in his fight with Francisco Maciel was a draw, and even that may have been asking a lot.  I had it 115-113 Maciel, and even as wide as 119-109 for the Argentine would not have been out of line.  Not to take anything away from Rose’s effort, though.  He was gutsy, and was landing the sharper punches.  It’s just that he was significantly less active.  Maciel, for his part, was all-action.  He was a little wild, but effective overall.  He did appear to gas out a bit in the last round, but by all rights that shouldn’t have made any difference.  Since a draw would have been a somewhat reasonable result, I will treat it as just that when it comes to Rose, while giving Maciel full credit for the win that he truly earned.

 

Kell Brook also got a win, which is inconsequential at 154 and will be discussed fully at welterweight.

 

As a result of these two fights, Maciel ends up debuting at #11.  Rose mostly holds his ground, backtracking just one spot to accommodate his opponent’s arrival on the scene.  Culcay and Pitto’s second inconclusive battle leads me to give minimal deference to the official decision, promoting Culcay to #18, while Pitto drops two places, just behind him at #19.  Everyone ranked #11-16 last week falls off a place.  Kell Brook falls two spots to #20, and Jermall Charlo exits.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: None
1) Carlos Molina (39-121-136)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W (SD12) vs. #5 Ishe Smith
Next Fight: Unknown
The IBF refused to sanction Molina’s defense against Victor Ortiz for their title, and the fight has been cancelled as a result.  The PPV it was intended for will now be a regular Showtime broadcast.
2) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (7-7-7)
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.  Amir Khan is the rumored opponent for May 3.  Bradley is getting a bit of buzz lately, too, as is Bernard Hopkins, at middleweight.
3) Saul Alvarez (7-139-154)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- L* (MD12) vs. WW Champion Floyd Mayweather
Next Fight: 3/8/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Alvarez will be back on March 8.  He’s hoping for either Cotto or Sergio.  After that, he expects to fight two additional times in 2014.
4) Austin Trout (7-74-143)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #2 Saul Alvarez
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #5 Erislandy Lara
It looks like Lara-Trout for December 7 is a done deal.
5) Erislandy Lara (7-121-143)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO10 #8 Alfredo Angulo
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #4 Austin Trout
See Trout’s note, above.
6) Ishe Smith (7-36-36)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- L (SD12) vs. #1 Carlos Molina
Next Fight: Unknown
Smith sounds like he’s open to a variety of options for his next fight.  Anything from a Molina rematch, to Trout, to Angulo or Lara.  And even more various than that- he says he wants one UFC fight.  He’s also been in a war of words with Shane Mosley recently.
7) Miguel Cotto (7-178-178)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- TKO3 #11 Delvin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown 
Cotto is getting a lot of buzz for a fight with Sergio lately, as well as Canelo.
8) Cornelius Bundrage (7-169-169)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ishe Smith (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bundrage has been approved to fight Joey Hernandez in an IBF eliminator.  No date or contract yet, though.
9) Alfredo Angulo (7-214-214)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (TKO10) vs. #4 Erislandy Lara
Next Fight: Unknown
Angulo-Melendez is off, due to excessive monetary demands by Melendez.  This may arguably be good for boxing fans, though, since combined with the cancellation of Molina-Ortiz, it has moved the Broner-Maidana card from PPV to regular Showtime.  Angulo might return in January, instead.
10) Sergey Rabchenko (26-26-72)
Last Fight: 7/16/2013- TKO3 Gari Abajian (UNR)

Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Bradley Pryce (UNR)
Rabchenko’s interesting rematch with Cedric Vitu has been replaced by a less-interesting scrap with British journeyman Bradley Pryce…still in Bulgaria.
11) Javier Maciel (1-1)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- Robbery L (SD12) vs. #14 Brian Rose
Next Fight: Unknown
The one upside to a guy being robbed of a win that should have propelled him very near the top 10 is that it allows me to shine a light on the incompetence and/or corruption that caused the situation by ranking him exactly where he deserves, despite their attempts.
12) Delvin Rodriguez (1-120)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #7 Miguel Cotto
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez appears to be solid against borderline top-10 types (see Wolak), but completely out of his depth at just a tad higher level.
13) Vanes Martirosyan (1-126)
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.
14) Willie Nelson (1-35)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- UD10 Luciano Cuello (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #6 MW Matthew Macklin (at MW)
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 on December 7.
15) Brian Rose (1-32)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- Robbery W (Draw at best) vs. Javier Maciel (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Aside from a “W,” the ill-gotten gain of Rose’s blatant robbery of Maciel will be a shot at a vacant alphabet title.
16) Jermell Charlo (1-21)
Last Fight: 10/14/2013- TKO10 Jose Angel Rodriguez (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After a reasonably close first few rounds, Charlo proceeded to lay a beating on Rodriguez.
17) Yuri Foreman (1-40)
Last Fight: 7/24/2013- UD8 Jamaal Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/12/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Foreman is back on November 12 in Hollywood, Florida.  No opponent yet, but he’s been slowly upgrading his competition since beginning his comeback.
18) Jack Culcay (1-4)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- W* (UD12) vs. #17 Guido Pitto
Next Fight: Unknown
Culcay barely squeaked by Pitto in a rematch of a fight in which Pitto barely squeaked by.  For my part, I had them both scored a draw.
19) Guido Pitto (1-27)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #20 Jack Culcay
Next Fight: Unknown
See Culcay’s notes, above.
20) Kell Brook (1-16)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO4 Vyacheslav Shenchenko (UNR) (at WW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Brook is now the mandatory for the winner of the fight between Devon Alexander and Shawn Porter, at welterweight.

 

The Week Ahead: Friday in Izegem, Belgium, one-loss Belgian prospect Sasha Yengoyan stays busy with low-level Latvian journeyman Sergejs Malcevs.

 

The next evening in Hidalgo, Texas, fringe contender Roberto Garcia gets a similarly easy night against Dallas ham-and-egger Larry Smith.

Leave a comment »

Middleweight: 2013, Oct 28- Nov 3

Posted in Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 28, 2013 by danboxing
Regarding the week’s biggest fight in the division:
It began as a good fight.  It ended as an inconclusive disappointment.  But sadly, that was probably preferable to the result that was being cooked up in the background, which would have been as atrocious a decision as I’ve ever seen.  #7 Peter Quillin won the first three rounds, and added a knockdown.  On my card, Gabe Rosado came back to win 5 of the last 6, drawing the fight even.  The reasonable range of possible scoring was anywhere from 87-83 for Quillin and 86-84 for Rosado, who had clearly taken over the fight by then.  He was backing Quillin up and outpunching him, and Kid Chocolate was clearly fading.  Unfortunately, Rosado suffered a gruesome cut on his eyelid that was from a punch.  The fight was stopped, and I can’t argue with that result.

 

But here’s where it gets really disgusting.  Kason Cheeks.  The guy had it 90-80.  A shutout.  Seriously.  Okay, look…I think I’m through speculating about what makes judges do the unthinkable.  And this was unthinkable.  Was he paid off?  Was he drunk?  Was he asleep?  Who knows.  All I know is this: that level of incompetence, corruption, or whatever it actually was, means that this man is never to be trusted judging a fight.  Ever.  It’s not worth trying to rehabilitate him.  There are plenty of 5 year-olds that would do a better job without fail.  He shouldn’t even be allowed to buy ringside seats, on the off chance that he might form an opinion.  I’d have to look back at the long list, but this strikes me as probably the single worst scorecard of the year.  I believe I’ve scored two fights that he judged and which went to the cards.  One he did just fine…but on the other, he turned in an unreasonable shutout scorecard in a close fight between Jonathan Batista and Emmanuel Lartey.  

 

And his card was so wreakingly bad that it obscures a card from Waleska Roldan that was only marginally less insane at 89-81, and a reasonable but, I think, rather biased 87-83 from Ron McNair.  The overall judging hardly gets worse.  If I’m this exercised about a robbery that didn’t actually get executed, I’m probably kinda glad that it didn’t reach its natural conclusion.

 

Earlier that night on the undercard of Abraham-De Carolis in Oldenburg, Austrian prospect Marcos Nader looked pretty good against Spanish journeyman Luis Crespo.  But he should have.  Crespo hurt his left arm very early in the fight, and probably wasn’t very good to begin with.  He probably only landed about one or two punches the entire fight, which ended in the corner at the bell to begin the 7th round.

 

Backtracking to Friday, one-loss local prospect Nick Brinson won every round of his 8-rounder with Cuban journeyman Lester Gonzalez.

 

The question is what to do with the Quillin-Rosado fight.  Underlying my decisions is the fundamental question, “What has he proved?”  That goes for both the positive and the negative.  So what did Quillin and Rosado prove, respectively?  Quillin proved nothing close to superiority over a guy that hasn’t made any kind of real splash at a high level, except at 154.  Rosado, for his part, would have needed a big finish to have ended the fight with a truly clear victory.  So as I said in the second line of the post, it was inconclusive.  Quillin gets a TKO win and gets to keep his alphabet title with no argument.  That’s all well and good.  But just as Jean Paul Mendy’s disqualification victory over Sakio Bika proved nothing, and Vitali Klitschko’s TKO of Odlanier Solis proved nothing due to the collapse of Solis’ knee, neither does this fight.  To use a cliche, the result is what it is…and it ain’t much.  No changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Sergio Martinez (185-185-185)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12* #9 Martin Murray (Robbery- draw at best)
Next Fight: Unknown
Martinez wants to fight Miguel Cotto at 158.
1) Martin Murray (27-100-100)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- L* (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez (Robbery- D at worst)
Next Fight: 12/11/2013- vs. Garth Wood (UNR)
Murray-Wood has a new date of December 11 in Sydney.
2) Gennady Golovkin (18-61-124)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- KO3 #5 Matthew Macklin
Next Fight: 11/2/2013- vs. #15 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 (11-11-107)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- W (SD12) vs. #3 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #4 Felix Sturm
Another excellent middleweight match-up in 2013, as Barker will take on Felix Sturm in Germany on December 7.
4) Felix Sturm (18-528-528)
Last Fight: 7/6/2013- TKO4 Predrag Radosevic (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #3 Darren Barker
See Barker’s notes, above.
5) Daniel Geale (11-228-228)
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.  March appears to be the current target.
6) Matthew Macklin (11-123-214)
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.  There is also talk of a March bout with Andy Lee.
7) Peter Quillin (27-54-75)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO10 Gabriel Rosado (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
It looked like Quillin was on his way to defeat, but it turns out he was on his way to a blatant robbery victory when Rosado’s eyelid gave way to a lucky punch and made it all academic.  Quillin will need to do better than that.
8) Sergio Mora (2-18-18)
Last Fight: 6/28/2013- UD10 #9 Grzegorz Proksa
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Milton Nunez (UNR)
Mora will fight Milton Nunez- best known for nearly knocking out Deandre Latimore a couple years ago- on the Ward-Rodriguez undercard.
9) Marco Antonio Rubio (2-4-144)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO2 Dionisio Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
10) Anthony Mundine (2-2-144)
Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: Unknown
Mosley-Mundine is off, due to an apparent monetary breach of the fight contract by Mundine’s side.
11) Max Bursak (2-144)
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.
12) Caleb Truax (2-6)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- TKO4 Ceresso Fort (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Twin Cities Pioneer Press reports that Truax plans to fight again in January.
13) Bryan Vera (2-54)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L* (UD10) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (UNR) (at LHW)
Next Fight: Unknown
There was talk of a December rematch with Chavez, but February now looks more likely.
14) Grzegorz Proksa (2-133)
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. 
15) Curtis Stevens (2-13)
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.
16) Billi Godoy (2-11)
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.
17) Danny Jacobs (2-10)
Last Fight: 8/19/2013- TKO3 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Golden Boy is apparently looking to match Jacobs and Quillin on February 1 in Brooklyn.
18) Dmitry Chudinov (2-10)
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.
19) Akio Shibata (2-4)
Last Fight: 8/25/2013- L (TKO2) vs. Ryoto Murata (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Nobuhiro Ishida (2-2)
Last Fight: 8/4/2013- KO2 Elly Pangaribuan (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown

 

The Week Ahead: #2 Gennady Golovkin headlines the week and a Madison Square Garden card against #15 Curtis Stevens on Saturday.

Leave a comment »

Super Middleweight: 2013, Oct 28- Nov 3

Posted in Rankings, Super Middleweight with tags , , , , , , , on December 28, 2013 by danboxing
Arthur Abraham more or less dominated Italian gatekeeper Giovanni De Carolis on Saturday in Oldenburg.  I didn’t manage to find a round for De Carolis, though I saw two that I could have potentially given him.  One judge agreed with me, while two had a single round for the Italian.  The sad thing is, De Carolis was fairly effective when he punched.  He was able to keep Abraham off-balance and effectively handcuffed the Armenian behind a high guard virtually every time he threw a punch.  It’s a pretty big stretch given the way the fight actually played out, but I actually kind of think that De Carolis had the talent and skill necessary to beat Abraham.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get to find out, because instead of punching and moving, he largely just ran.  He showed up to survive, and never had any intention to win, or so it appeared.

 

Argentine gatekeeper Ruben Acosta was little different.  In fairness, though, his opponent- undefeated Englishman Callum Smith- did a little more to force the retreat than Abraham had to do.  Smith was every inch the ring general, keeping Acosta’s back scraping the ropes at every second of their fight.  This led to two crushing body shots from the impressive Brit that combined to end the night early in the 6th, as the ref reached the count of 10.

 

Abraham’s win isn’t significant enough to get him past Kessler, and Smith falls a few places short of making the cut for the top 20.  No changes this week.

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: Andre Ward (98-232-232)
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 (75-385-385)
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 (32-218-218)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- UD12 Isaac Ekpo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
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 (46-464-464)
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 (24-210-210)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- UD12 Giovanni De Carolis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Abraham-Stieglitz III is probably next.
5) Brandon Gonzales (18-18-18)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- D* vs. #5 Thomas Oosthuizen
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Gonzales will have what looks like a stay-busy fight on the Ward-Rodriguez undercard.
6) Thomas Oosthuizen (5-126-174)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- D* vs. Brandon Gonzales (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/9/2013- vs. #13 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 (5-46-68)
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 (5-37-343)
Last Fight: 6/22/2013- MD12 Marco Antonio Periban (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. Anthony Dirrell (UNR)
Bika will be fighting Anthony Dirrell on the Malignaggi-Judah undercard on December 7.
9) James DeGale (5-21-107)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- RTD4 Stjepan Bozic (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Dyah Davis (UNR)
DeGale will return to action in Bluewater, Kent on November 16.  He’ll be up against a good measuring stick in Dyah Davis.
10) Christopher Rebrasse (5-5-21)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- Robbery Draw (W) vs. #10 Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye
Next Fight: Unknown
Rebrasse’s unnecessary rematch with Ndiaye appears to have been cancelled. 
11) Maxim Vlasov (5-51)
Last Fight: 7/12/2013- UD8 Mark Suarez (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/4/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
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 (5-41)
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 (5-44)
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 (5-24)
Last Fight: 5/15/2013- TKO1 Darryl Cunningham (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lee now says he’s in talks to fight Macklin in March.
15) Ryoto Murata (5-10)
Last Fight: 8/25/2013- TKO2 #14 MW Akio Shibata
Next Fight: 12/6/2013- vs. Dave Peterson (UNR)
Murata is back in action on December 6 in Tokyo against unproven Minnesota prospect Dave Peterson.
16) Caleb Truax (5-19)
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 (5-35)
Last Fight: 10/17/2013- TKO1 Raimonds Sniedze (UNR) (at LHW)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Glen Johnson (5-26)
Last Fight: 4/19/2013- TKO2 Junior Ramos (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Johnson needs to schedule a fight at 168 before mid-December to keep his ranking.
19) Badou Jack (5-15)
Last Fight: 9/12/2013- Draw (MD12) vs. Marco Antonio Periban (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/6/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Jack will be back in action against an opponent to be announced on a December 6 ShoBox telecast.
20) Don Mouton (5-5)
Last Fight: 5/13/2013- L* (UD8) vs. #10 Anthony Dirrell
Next Fight: Unknown

 

The Week Ahead: Friday in Cartagena, Colombian fringe contender Alexander Brand gets an easy showcase against low-level Dominican journeyman Wilmer Mejia.

Leave a comment »

Light Heavyweight: 2013, Oct 28- Nov 3

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 28, 2013 by danboxing
Apparently Sauerland does occasionally allow honest judges to work fights involving their prospects.  Undefeated Robert Woge was about to get the benefit of a massive robbery two fights ago when he won, at most, two of the first 10 rounds against unheralded Hakim Zoulikha before suddenly knocking Zoulikha out in the 11th.  All of the judges were crooked, and had Woge up, and two of them had him up big.  Not so this week.  Woge got his just desserts, and more importantly, so did his Ukrainian opponent, Anatoliy Dudchenko.  Dudchenko boxed Woge’s ears off, and all the German could do was constantly club the back of Dudchenko’s head.  Referee Steve Willis was awful.  He should have taken a point for the constant infractions as early as the 4th round, but never did at all.  One of the judges managed not to escape my scorn, as Poland’s Miroslav Brozio had it far too close at 115-112.  The reasonable range of scoring, in my view, was between 119-108 and 117-110 for Dudchenko (my score was 118-109).  Michael Pernick had a respectable 117-110 card, and Pawel Kardyni turned in a similar 117-111.  Dudchenko basically had easy work after the 5th, and dropped Woge heavily in the 7th.  He also darn near stopped his man late in the 11th before the bell intervened.  It was a great performance by Dudchenko, and he’s now on to bigger and better things.

 

Speaking of bigger and better things, I must confess that I buried the lead.  #2 Bernard Hopkins got what many will consider just another win for him.  Karo Murat wasn’t really viewed as a great opponent even for a top contender that could theoretically get old overnight, considering he actually is really old.  But Murat managed a draw with a version of Gabriel Campillo that frankly looked like a world-beater, and was ranked #12 here before he was removed for inactivity after being stood up by Cloud.  What’s more, Murat actually came to win.  He fought a physical, aggressive fight that would have exposed any physical weakness or serious lack of world-class conditioning on the part of his freakishly youthful 48 year-old opponent.  None of Hopkins’ victims since the first Pascal fight have executed or even really attempted anything like a potentially winning game plan.  Murat did.  Hopkins simply was as good as advertised.  I hereby promise not to expect him to get old anymore, until he actually does.  He’s answered any remaining questions as to just how capable he truly is at his age.  He’s still a world-class operator, beyond any doubt.  Now do I think he could defeat physical beasts like Stevenson or Kovalev?  No way.  But at this point, that can hardly diminish his legacy.

 

Hopkins is unable to advance, since #1 Stevenson beat the guy that beat Hopkins.  Murat is now active again, and returns to the rankings at #13 based on his past work.  Dudchenko doesn’t quite claim a ranking, but is now close to being a top 25 fringe contender.  Murat’s return forces everyone ranked #13 and below last week down, and causes Dmitry Sukhotsky to slide from the rankings after 156 weeks in (he was an inaugural member of my top 20).  

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (60-60-60)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. #15 Edwin Rodriguez (at SMW)
After tons of posturing, Ward-Rodriguez is now done for 11/16 in Ontario, California.
1) Adonis Stevenson (21-21-21)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- TKO7 #8 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. #6 Tony Bellew
Stevenson is set to fight Tony Bellew on November 30 in a quick turnaround from his fight two months earlier.
2) Bernard Hopkins (60-386-386)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- UD12 Karo Murat (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Due to the effort and strategy of Murat, I think Hopkins proved more in that fight than he did against higher-rated fighters like Cloud and Pascal.
3) Sergey Kovalev (20-41-41)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO4 #8 Nathan Cleverly
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Ismayl Sillakh (UNR)
Kovalev will fight Ismayl Sillakh on a twin bill with Stevenson-Bellew on HBO November 30.
4) Chad Dawson (20-387-387)
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 (11-11-68)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- KO9 #6 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: 12/6/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Fonfara will return on December 6, on the Chicago undercard of Wlodarczyk-Fragomeni III.
6) Tony Bellew (11-107-107)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- UD12 #7 Isaac Chilemba
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Bellew will fight Stevenson on his November 30 birthday.
7) Gabriel Campillo (11-175-175)
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 (11-218-218)
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 (11-195-195)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
After originally indicating retirement as a possibility, Cleverly has now called for a rematch with Kovalev.  He obviously could stand to rebuild a bit first, though.  More recently, he’s hinted at a possible move to Cruiser.
10) Isaac Chilemba (11-31-91)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- L (UD12) vs. #9 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chilemba has recently signed with Main Events, the Northeastern US-based promotional outfit whose NBC affiliation has them solidly in the 2nd tier of American promotional firms, behind Golden Boy and Top Rank.  They’ll have him back in the ring on November 16 in New York.
11) Cornelius White (11-98)
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 (10-80)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- UD12 Stefano Abatangelo (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. Marcus Oliveira (UNR)
Since getting dominated in your title fight, fighting journeymen, and then taking two years off is the required resume for becoming a WBA Super Champion, Beibut Shumenov has now assumed that dubious title.  Braehmer will now fight prospect Marcus Oliveira for the “regular” title on December 14 in Neubrandenburg, Germany.
13) Karo Murat (1-1)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
14) Cedric Agnew (1-29)
Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Agnew was approved by HBO as a potential November 30 opponent for Kovalev, but reportedly turned down the opportunity.
15) Edwin Rodriguez (1-16)
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.
16) Lucian Bute (1-52)
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.
17) Hadillah Mohoumadi (1-18)
Last Fight: 10/17/2013- TKO1 Raimonds Sniedze (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Eleider Alvarez (1-40)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- UD10 Edison Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/18/2013- vs. #6 SMW Thomas Oosthuizen
Alvarez is scheduled to fight Oosthuizen in January, but likely only if Oosthuizen gets past Maderna in November.
19) Enzo Maccarinelli (1-11)
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.
20) Denis Grachev (1-79)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (TKO1) vs. #13 SMW Edwin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown

 

The Week Ahead: Friday, in an intriguing all-Colombian battle in Cartagena, gatekeeper Fulgencio Zuniga will face journeyman Alejandro Berrio in a rematch of their 2012 battle, which Zuniga won via an upset 7th round knockout.

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2013: Oct 28- Nov 3

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 28, 2013 by danboxing
Fast-rising undefeated Russian Dmitry Kudryashov cut through an overmatched Shawn Cox Saturday in Rostov, Russia.  Cox is a capable operator that has already spent his share of time in the top 50, though I’d say he was shy of that status coming into this fight due to a string of recent losses.  Nevertheless, it’s safe to say he’s a decent measuring stick, and Kudryashov is obviously long on talent by that measure.  Cox never got anything going, and Kudryashov’s right hand dropped him like a bullet every time it landed.  Maybe I’m drawing too much on his nationality, but he reminds me of Sergey Kovalev.

 

Later that night in Charlotte, North Carolina, Kansas City-based one-loss Nigerian prospect Olanrewaju Durodola stopped mid-level journeyman Mitch Williams in round six of a scheduled ten.

 

No changes this week, but look out for both of these guys going forward- Kudryashov especially.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Denis Lebedev (14-195-195)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Guillermo Jones has finally been stripped of the WBA belt he took from Lebedev, for PED use leading up to that fight.  Strangely, the WBA is now insisting on a rematch.  Apparently PEDs are just a minor technicality for that organization.  Since the WBA appears to be in Don King’s pocket, the result is not surprising, though.
2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (59-175-175)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- W*(UD12) vs. #20 Troy Ross
Next Fight: 11/23/2013- vs. #12 Alexander Alekseev
Hernandez will make his long-awaited return on November 23 in Germany against Alexander Alekseev.
3) Marco Huck (7-360-360)
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 (7-436-436)
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 (7-77-120)
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 (7-13-51)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Eddie Chambers (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mchunu recently signed a promotional deal with Main Events, the promoter of his recent victim Eddie Chambers.  This ensures that US fans will be seeing him on NBC Sports in 2014, if not earlier.
7) Ola Afolabi (7-242-242)
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 (7-51-204)
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.  He recently shrugged off a fairly frivolous proposal of a super middleweight fight with Anthony Mundine.
9) Grigory Drozd (4-4-51)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- TKO11 #13 Mateusz Masternak
Next Fight: Unknown
The first notable call-out of Drozd following his impressive victory over Masternak comes from Masternak’s countryman Krzysztof Glowacki.
10) Giacobbe Fragomeni (7-7-259)
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 (7-85)
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 (7-146)
Last Fight: 2/22/2013- UD12* Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/23/2013- vs. #2 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Alekseev gets a shot at Hernandez on November 23.
13) Ilunga Makabu (4-16)
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.
14) Mateusz Masternak (4-83)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (TKO11) vs. #16 Grigory Drozd
Next Fight: Unknown
Masternak is still a legitimate prospect despite his first loss, but can no longer lay claim to the status of “top prospect” after losing to Drozd.
15) Enad Licina (6-175)
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) Danie Venter (4-7)
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.
17) Dmytro Kucher (4-70)
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.
18) Krzysztof Glowacki (4-14)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- TKO3 Richard Hall (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
It’s not clear how much we can learn from Glowacki’s brutal destruction of a washed-up Hall, but he certainly looked good.
19) Rakhim Chakhkiev (4-6)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- KO10 Giulian Ilie (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Chakhkiev is in the hunt for a new trainer, and wants to return in December.
20) Steve Herelius (4-4)
Last Fight: 10/27/2013- L (KO2) vs. #19 Dmytro Kucher
Next Fight: 11/1/2013- vs. Santander Silgado (UNR)
Herelius has not won a fight since 2010, and thus his inclusion in the rankings is a stark reminder of the weathering effect the division has experienced over the last year.  He’ll get a chance to cement his place there at the opening of November, when he meets one-loss Colombian prospect Santander Silgado in Cartagena.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: #20 Steve Herelius plays gatekeeper in Cartagena, Colombia on Friday, looking to get back to his winning ways of a few years ago against local prospect Santander Silgado.

 

Saturday features the return of #7 Ola Afolabi, who draws one-loss Polish prospect Lukasz Janik on the Golovkin-Stevens undercard at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Leave a comment »

Heavyweight: 2013, Oct 28- Nov 3

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 27, 2013 by danboxing
#13 Deontay Wilder beat up veteran Ohio journeyman Nicolai Firtha, knocking him down 3 times en route to a 4th round TKO.  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 (227-440-440)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- UD12 #3 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Klitschko intends to be back in March.
1) Tyson Fury (8-119-119)
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 (8-68-68)
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 (8-314-314)
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 (8-45-45)
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 (8-184-184)
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 (8-78-155)
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.  There is serious talk of him fighting Chisora for a European title in the mean time.
7) Dereck Chisora (8-100-163)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- TKO5 Edmund Gerber (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Matteo Modugno (UNR)
Chisora has switched November 30 opponents, and will no be facing unbeaten Italian Matteo Modugno.  It’s still too early in Modugno’s career to expect much from him at this level, though.
8) Odlanier Solis (8-32-179)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Solis was scheduled to fight Carlos Takam in the WBC World Cup, but that organization once again proved that one old man is bigger than the sport, as Jose Sulaiman’s illness cancelled (or at least delayed) the whole thing.
9) Bermane Stiverne (8-19-35)
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.  There are powerful forces (Golden Boy) trying to match him with Wilder for Vitali’s title, as well.
10) Chris Arreola (8-8-8)
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 (19-179)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- L (UD12) vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Thompson is now actively seeking a fight with Povetkin, Fury, Adamek, or Wilder.
12) Erkan Teper (8-9)
Last Fight: 8/31/2013- TKO1 Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Martin Rogan (UNR)
Irish sources are reporting that Teper will be fighting Rogan in Germany in November.
13) Deontay Wilder (8-27)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO4 Nicolai Firtha (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Wilder says he’ll be looking for a title shot in 2014, and has been called out by Tony Thompson recently.
14) Robert Helenius (8-179)
Last Fight: 3/23/2013- W*(UD10) vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Helenius intends to sit out the rest of his Sauerland contract, which might only last until the end of 2013 (though that issue might be litigated), and is moving back to Finland.  There is also speculation in the air that the long-term prognosis on his hand injury is very poor, and it might very well end his career at anything but a local level.  On the other hand, Sauerland recently tweeted that Helenius will be back in December or January.  We’ll see.
15) Alexander Dimitrenko (8-146)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko is rumored at least to be fighting Sam Sexton in the first round of the WBC World Cup, but that tournament appears to be in limbo for the time being, at least.
16) Seth Mitchell (8-21)
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.  Golden Boy’s CEO says he’s advised Mitchell to do just that, though he reports that Mitchell seems to have no such intention.
17) Vyacheslav Glazkov (9-45)
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 (9-36)
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 (9-50)
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.  He’s penciled-in for the second round of the WBC World Cup, against the winner of Sam Sexton and Alexander Dimitrenko, but as noted above, that whole tournament is delayed and in doubt.
20) Denis Boytsov (9-228)
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: Friday in Germany, former top-10 contender Juan Carlos Gomez returns to the ring after a roughly 18-month layoff, as he fights low-level journeyman Adnan Buharalija of Bosnia.

 

Saturday night in Hull, Yorkshire, undefeated prospect Richard Towers from nearby Sheffield meets fellow undefeated Lucas Browne of Perth, Australia in a high-stakes battle.

 

And those aren’t the only undefeated big men meeting in the ring that night, as Cuban ex-pat Mike Perez (now a self-described Irishman) takes on unbeaten Russian Magomed Abdusalamov at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Leave a comment »

Welterweight: 2013, Oct 21-27

Posted in Rankings, Welterweight with tags , , , , , , , on December 26, 2013 by danboxing
Saturday in Leipzig, #16 Jan Zaveck dominated an unqualified Sebastien Allais to an 8-round decision.  

 

Since I haven’t yet begun actually publishing my 140 pound rankings, I’ll mention that #18 Welter Ruslan Provodnikov put on a great performance in Denver, breaking down #3 Mike Alvarado in his hometown.   If no later events intervene, I expect that Provodnikov will be #1 or #2 at 140 when I do finally get around to publishing those rankings.

 

#10 Randall Bailey’s expected tune-up this coming weekend appears to be a no-go, so he is removed for inactivity.  This allows Josesito Lopez to reclaim top 10 position after being forced out for just a week, and gets Jessie Vargas back in the mix at #20, as he narrowly edges out Adrien Broner for the spot.  Everybody in between obviously moves up a bit, as well.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (182-214-214)
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 Amir Khan being rumored as the May 3 opponent.
1) Timothy Bradley (2-2-72)
Last Fight: 10/12/2013- W (SD12) vs. #1 Juan Manuel Marquez
Next Fight: Unknown
In upsetting Marquez, Bradley has set himself up for a deserved shot against Mayweather or, more likely due to his HBO affiliation, a re-match with Pacquiao.
2) Juan Manuel Marquez (2-102-102)
Last Fight: 10/12/2013- L (SD12) vs. #17 Timothy Bradley
Next Fight: Unknown
Marquez is said to be leaning towards retirement after his upset loss to Bradley.  However, I could still see a scenario in which he is lured into a 5th Pacquiao fight for big money.
3) Manny Pacquiao (2-255-255)
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.
4) Shane Mosley (2-23-23)
Last Fight: 5/18/2013- UD12 Pablo Cesar Cano (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mosley apparently wasn’t happy about not getting all of his pay in advance as agreed, and cut out of Australia lickety-split, cancelling the Mundine fight that had been scheduled for 10/23.
5) Devon Alexander (2-87-87)
Last Fight: 5/18/2013- RTD7 Lee Purdy (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Shawn Porter (UNR)
With Khan apparently hedging his bets in hopes of a Mayweather payday, Alexander will instead fight prospect Shawn Porter in San Antonio on November 30.
6) Marcos Maidana (2-20-20)
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.
7) Jesus Soto Karass (2-13-39)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO12 #7 Andre Berto
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. #12 Keith Thurman
Soto Karass’s fight with Thurman has been moved from the December 7 Malignaggi-Judah undercard in Brooklyn to the following week’s pay-per-view tilt between Broner and Maidana.
8) Robert Guerrero (2-48-65)
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.  He’s also been rumored to be in the mix to fight Khan, though his team has denied it.
9) Kell Brook (2-130-130)
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.
10) Josesito Lopez (1-1-70)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #11 Marcos Maidana
Next Fight: Unknown
Reports of a November fight between Lopez and Aaron Martinez appear to have been premature, as there’s been no mention of the bout since the Ring first reported it a while ago.
11) Andre Berto (1-48)
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 (1-33)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO10 Diego Chaves (UNR)

Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. #7 Jesus Soto Karass
See Soto Karass’s notes, above.
13) Chris van Heerden (1-71)
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.  Apparently an effort was made to get him on the Froch-Groves undercard against Lee Purdy, but that appears to be a no-go.
14) Luis Carlos Abregu (1-26)
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.  The WBC is looking to match him with Antonin Decarie when he returns.
15) Jan Zaveck (1-202)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- UD8 Sebastien Allais (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
As expected, Zaveck had little trouble with French journeyman Allais.
16) Selcuk Aydin (1-236)
Last Fight: 9/27/2013- W (RTD4) vs. Demarcus Corley (UNR) (at JWW)
Next Fight: Unknown
17) Ruslan Provodnikov (1-32)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- RTD10 #3 JWW Mike Alvarado (at JWW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Alvarado-Provodnikov is done for 10/19 in Denver, at 140, with HBO to televise. 
18) Pablo Cesar Cano (1-6)
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.
19) Leonard Bundu (1-18)
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.
20) Jessie Vargas (1-1)
Last Fight: 10/11/2013- UD10 Ray Narh (UNR) (as JMW)
Next Fight: Unknown

 

The Week Ahead: #9 Kell Brook headlines a card in Sheffield, taking on Ukranian gatekeeper Vyacheslav Senchenko in the main event.

Leave a comment »

Junior Middleweight: 2013, Oct 21-27

Posted in Junior Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 26, 2013 by danboxing
#15 Jermell Charlo headlined a Golden Boy card in Sunrise, Florida on Monday, and looked pretty good in gradually breaking down mid-level journeyman Jose Rodriguez en route to a 10th round TKO win, with the fight being well-stopped by Sam Burgos after a steadily-increasing load of punishment dished out by the young contender.

 

Friday in Benidorm, Spain, middleweight gatekeeper Roberto Santos moved down to 154 according to boxrec (though I’m a bit suspicious due to the lack of reported weight) to win a foregone conclusion of 3rd-round TKO over outclassed countryman Julio Sanchez.

 

 Saturday in Poland, undefeated but severely untested local prospect Michal Zerominski took a massive step up in class against former contender and current gatekeeper Rafal Jackiewicz, and while he acquitted himself well in many ways, he was unable to match the experience, skill, or conditioning of the veteran.  Jackiewicz took 80-72 nods from two judges (I thought Zerominski clearly won one round), and a 6-2 verdict from the third.

 

Later that night in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, apparently fading gatekeeper Joachim Alcine put up, at times, a spirited effort against the lesser-known of the fighting sons of Julio Cesar Chavez- Omar, taking a clear advantage during the middle rounds as the apparently bigger and stronger Chavez suddenly and severely fatigued.  But Chavez had already banked the first four rounds by then, and caught a timely 2nd wind in the 8th round that carried him through the end of a fight- including a knockdown with vicious body shot in the 10th and final round that put to rest any doubt as to the decision.  The scores were slightly odd.  Judge Orozco scored it 98-92, meaning he scored an even round.  Not too strange.  But Judge Gary Lopez had it 98-89, meaning that he scored two 10-8 rounds in addition to the obvious one for the 10th.  I don’t get it.  It was a good action fight, but nobody was getting beaten that badly at any point.

 

The win was a good one for Chavez.  He may be following a similar trajectory to his older brother Julio Jr., who appeared to be nothing but a pretender, getting gifts against nobodies, etc., before getting his man strength in his mid-20s and emerging as a physical beast.  Mid-fight stamina issues aside, Omar Chavez was a physical force in this fight.  Despite being a recent welterweight, both his appearance and mannerisms were those of the significantly bigger man than Alcine, who has been known to fight significant opponents at 160.  

 

I was nearly convinced by Boxrec’s rather lackluster ranking of Alcine that he had lost so much credibility in his last few fights as to fall from the top 50 and therefore not help Chavez out much.  On the other hand, I already had Chavez on my radar due to what I felt was a draw against Jorge Paez, Jr., and yet I quite intentionally still had Alcine ranked several spots above him.  He has a pair of good wins (only one at this weight, granted), and has only lost to really serious opposition.  He was clearly still a top 50 154-pounder going into this fight, in my opinion.  The win therefore vaults Chavez to very nearly the top 20.  Still, not quite.  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 (38-120-135)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W (SD12) vs. #5 Ishe Smith
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. Victor Ortiz (UNR)
Out of nowhere, it seems that Molina will be fighting a comebacking Victor Ortiz as the Maidana-Broner co-feature on December 14.
2) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (6-6-6)
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.  Amir Khan is the rumored opponent for May 3.  Bradley is getting a bit of buzz lately, too.
3) Saul Alvarez (6-138-153)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- L* (MD12) vs. WW Champion Floyd Mayweather
Next Fight: Unknown
Alvarez says he’ll be back in March.
4) Austin Trout (6-73-142)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #2 Saul Alvarez
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #5 Erislandy Lara
It looks like Lara-Trout for December 7 is a done deal.
5) Erislandy Lara (6-120-142)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO10 #8 Alfredo Angulo
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #4 Austin Trout
See Trout’s note, above.
6) Ishe Smith (6-35-35)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- L (SD12) vs. #1 Carlos Molina
Next Fight: Unknown
Smith sounds like he’s open to a variety of options for his next fight.  Anything from a Molina rematch, to Trout, to Angulo or Lara.  And even more various than that- he says he wants one UFC fight.
7) Miguel Cotto (6-177-177)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- TKO3 #11 Delvin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown
Cotto is getting a lot of buzz for a fight with Sergio lately, as well as Canelo.
8) Cornelius Bundrage (6-168-168)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ishe Smith (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bundrage has been approved to fight Joey Hernandez in an IBF eliminator.  No date or contract yet, though.
9) Alfredo Angulo (6-213-213)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (TKO10) vs. #4 Erislandy Lara
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. Jorge Melendez (UNR)
Angulo looks like he’s got a done deal to fight Puerto Rican gatekeeper Jorge Melendez on the Maidana-Broner undercard.
10) Sergey Rabchenko (25-25-71)
Last Fight: 7/16/2013- TKO3 Gari Abajian (UNR)

Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Bradley Pryce (UNR)
Rabchenko’s interesting rematch with Cedric Vitu has been replaced by a less-interesting scrap with British journeyman Bradley Pryce…still in Bulgaria.
11) Delvin Rodriguez (25-119)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #7 Miguel Cotto
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez appears to be solid against borderline top-10 types (see Wolak), but completely out of his depth at just a tad higher level.
12) Vanes Martirosyan (3-125)
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.
13) Willie Nelson (3-34)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- UD10 Luciano Cuello (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #6 MW Matthew Macklin (at MW)
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 on December 7.
14) Brian Rose (3-31)
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.
15) Jermell Charlo (3-20)
Last Fight: 10/14/2013- TKO10 Jose Angel Rodriguez (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After a reasonably close first few rounds, Charlo proceeded to lay a beating on Rodriguez.
16) Yuri Foreman (3-39)
Last Fight: 7/24/2013- UD8 Jamaal Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/12/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Foreman is back on November 12 in Hollywood, Florida.  No opponent yet, but he’s been slowly upgrading his competition since beginning his comeback.
17) Guido Pitto (3-26)
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.
18) Kell Brook (3-15)
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.
19) Jermall Charlo (3-3)
Last Fight: 9/12/2013- TKO7 Rogelio De la Torre (UNR) (as MW)
Next Fight: Unknown
20)  Jack Culcay (3-3)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- L* (SD12) vs. Guido Pitto (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. #17 Guido Pitto
See Pitto’s notes, above.

 

The Week Ahead:  Saturday features two pretty important fights in Europe.

 

On the Abraham-De Carolis undercard in Oldenburg, #17 Guido Pitto of Argentina rematches heavily-hyped German prospect and #20 contender Jack Culcay.  Pitto was brought in as an opponent for their first meeting in April- something I knew might be a mistake considering Pitto’s only loss was a blatant robbery in a fight he dominated against the decent Mateo Veron.  The fight was very close, with Pitto surprisingly taking a close split decision- with an effective margin of one round- in his opponent’s backyard.  For my part, I had the fight a draw.  With both fighters potentially having very bright futures ahead of them, this fight could carry a great deal more importance than its lack of hype internationally might suggest.

 

The same night, on the Brook-Senchenko undercard in Sheffield, #14 Brian Rose gets a very tough assignment against Argentina’s Javier Maciel- a prospect/gatekeeper/fringe contender combination- who is best known for giving middleweight contender Dmitry Pirog a very tough fight fresh off Pirog’s star-making performance against Danny Jacobs.  This is a tough fight to call, since Rose looks very good in most of his major fights- notably against Joachim Alcine and Prince Arron, but also tends to barely escape against comparatively mediocre opponents like Kris Carslaw and Sam Webb.

Leave a comment »

Middleweight: 2013, Oct 21-27

Posted in Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 24, 2013 by danboxing
The middleweights took a second consecutive week off last week.  Unfortunately for #8 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam, he also took a year off, and is thus removed.  Everyone ranked #9 and below last week advances, including Anthony Mundine, who enters the top 10 for the first time in, I believe, a year.  Nobuhiro Ishida re-enters the rankings for the first time in a while, at #20.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Sergio Martinez (184-184-184)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12* #9 Martin Murray (Robbery- draw at best)
Next Fight: Unknown
Martinez wants to fight Miguel Cotto at 158.
1) Martin Murray (26-99-99)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- L* (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez (Robbery- D at worst)
Next Fight: 12/11/2013- vs. Garth Wood (UNR)
Murray-Wood has a new date of December 11 in Sydney.
2) Gennady Golovkin (17-60-123)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- KO3 #5 Matthew Macklin
Next Fight: 11/2/2013- vs. #15 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 (10-10-106)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- W (SD12) vs. #3 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #4 Felix Sturm
Another excellent middleweight match-up in 2013, as Barker will take on Felix Sturm in Germany on December 7.
4) Felix Sturm (17-527-527)
Last Fight: 7/6/2013- TKO4 Predrag Radosevic (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. #3 Darren Barker
See Barker’s notes, above.
5) Daniel Geale (10-227-227)
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.  March appears to be the current target.
6) Matthew Macklin (10-122-213)
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.  There is also talk of a March bout with Andy Lee.
7) Peter Quillin (26-53-74)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO7 Fernando Guerrero (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Gabriel Rosado (UNR)
Quillin will fight the very solid Rosado on the Hopkins-Murat undercard, though his opponent is clearly much better at 154.
8) Sergio Mora (1-17-17)
Last Fight: 6/28/2013- UD10 #9 Grzegorz Proksa
Next Fight: 11/16/2013- vs. Milton Nunez (UNR)
Mora will fight Milton Nunez- best known for nearly knocking out Deandre Latimore a couple years ago- on the Ward-Rodriguez undercard.
9) Marco Antonio Rubio (1-3-143)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- KO2 Dionisio Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
10) Anthony Mundine (1-1-143)
Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale
Next Fight: Unknown
Mosley-Mundine is off, due to an apparent monetary breach of the fight contract by Mundine’s side.
11) Max Bursak (1-143)
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.
12) Caleb Truax (1-5)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- TKO4 Ceresso Fort (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Twin Cities Pioneer Press reports that Truax plans to fight again in January.
13) Bryan Vera (1-53)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L* (UD10) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (UNR) (at LHW)
Next Fight: Unknown
There was talk of a December rematch with Chavez, but February now looks more likely.
14) Grzegorz Proksa (1-132)
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. 
15) Curtis Stevens (1-12)
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.
16) Billi Godoy (1-10)
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.
17) Danny Jacobs (1-9)
Last Fight: 8/19/2013- TKO3 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Dmitry Chudinov (1-9)
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.
19) Akio Shibata (1-3)
Last Fight: 8/25/2013- L (TKO2) vs. Ryoto Murata (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Nobuhiro Ishida (1-1)
Last Fight: 8/4/2013- KO2 Elly Pangaribuan (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown

 

The Week Ahead: Friday in Albany, New York, one-loss local prospect Nick Brinson meets Cuban journeyman Lester Gonzalez.

 

The next night in Oldenburg, undefeated Austrian Marcos Nader looks to put two consecutive disputed decision wins behind him, as he faces a significantly lesser opponent in southpaw Spanish journeyman Luis Crespo.

 

Later that night on the Hopkins-Murat undercard in Atlantic City, #7 Peter Quillin battles tough-as-nails fringe contender Gabriel Rosado.  Rosado was ranked in the top 10 at 154 before being removed for moving up in weight.  He hasn’t yet established himself as a top middleweight, though.  Both guys have power and an aggressive style, so this should be a fun one.

Leave a comment »

« Older Entries