Cruiserweight: 2013: Oct 28- Nov 3
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.
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.
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.
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