Cruiserweight: 2013: Oct 21-27

Saturday in Poland, #18 Krzysztof Glowacki put a frightful beating on 42 year-old former fringe contender Richard Hall of Jamaica.  The corner or ref probably should have stopped the fight after Hall absorbed a consistent string of heavy shots for virtually the entire second round, but the old man was instead allowed to continue being brutalized for a whole other round.  By the end, there was blood splattered all over both fighters and all over the ring.  Hall should certainly retire, as you can only take that kind of beating so many times before it has long-term consequences.

 

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) Denis Lebedev (13-194-194)
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 (58-174-174)
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 (6-359-359)
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 (6-435-435)
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 (6-76-119)
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 (6-12-50)
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 (6-241-241)
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 (6-50-203)
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) Grigory Drozd (3-3-50)
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 (6-6-258)
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 (6-84)
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 (6-145)
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 (3-15)
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 (3-82)
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 (5-174)
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 (3-6)
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 (3-69)
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 (3-13)
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 (3-5)
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 (3-3)
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: Saturday in Rostov, Russia, undefeated prospect Dmitry Kudryashov takes on quality Barbados journeyman Shawn Cox.

 

Later that night in Charlotte, North Carolina, one-loss Nigerian prospect Olanrewaju Durodola battles mid-level Michigan journeyman Mitch Williams.
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