Heavyweight: 2013-204, Dec 30- Jan 5
No fight action last week, due to the Christmas holiday.
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- UD12 #3 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Klitschko is in talks to fight his mandatory, Alex Leapai. He said recently that he wants to capture his brother’s old alphabet title, which would unify all the major titles for the first time since Lewis in 1999. He would have to wait for someone else to pick it up first, as the silly alphabets don’t let current titlists fight for vacant titles. 1) Alexander Povetkin (6-323-323) Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Povetkin is calling for a rematch. He would probably need to become the WBA mandatory by winning an eliminator (possibly against Luis Ortiz) in order to get that shot. His promotional ties expire at the end of the year, and he says he’ll announce his next move in early 2014. 2) Steve Cunningham (6-54-54) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD8 Manuel Quezada (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Cunningham had little trouble dominating a fading former gatekeeper in Quezada. 3) Tomasz Adamek (6-193-193) Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #18 Vyacheslav Glazkov
The rescheduled fight with Glazkov is now official for March 15. 4) Kubrat Pulev (6-87-164) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO5 Joey Abell (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev was dropped (lightly) for the first time in his career, and seems to have taken Abell lightly in general. Nevertheless, he finished it off with an impressive stoppage. 5) Dereck Chisora (6-109-172) Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO3 Ondrej Pala (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/15/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chisora returns on February 15, with an opponent as yet unannounced. There is a lot of speculation in Britain that he might be in line to fight Tyson Fury in a rematch for the vacated WBC title. How that would come to pass, when neither guy is at the top of the rankings in that organization, is beyond me. That being said, boxing politics seldom fails to surprise, and Chisora and Fury are more deserving at this point than Stiverne and Arreola, anyhow. 6) Odlanier Solis (6-41-188) Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/22/2014- vs. #9 Tony Thompson
Solis was first set to fight Kevin Johnson. But he backed out because the IBF wanted him to fight Takam. But now word from Tony Thompson is that Solis will fight Thompson, instead, on March 22. 7) Bermane Stiverne (6-28-44) Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola Next Fight: Unknown Despite speculation in the UK of a possible match-up between Fury and Chisora for the WBC title, that organization has officially ordered Stiverne-Arreola, with purse bids due on January 17. Stiverne’s legal situation with Don King seems to be the only possible stumbling block at this point. 8) Chris Arreola (6-17-17) Last Fight: 9/7/2013- TKO1 #12 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown See Stiverne’s notes, above. 9) Tony Thompson (6-7-188) Last Fight: 8/24/2013- L (UD12) vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: 3/22/2014- vs. #6 Odlanier Solis
Thompson says he’s fighting Odlanier Solis on March 22. 10) Erkan Teper (6-6-18) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- KO1 Martin Rogan (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Teper might have scored the heavyweight knockout of the year, and probably retired Martin Rogan in the process. 11) Mike Perez (6-9) Last Fight: 11/2/2013- UD10 Magomed Abdusalamov (UNR) Next Fight: 1/18/2014- vs. Carlos Takam (UNR) With Solis-Takam falling through, Takam will now be offered up to Perez, instead, on the Pascal-Bute undercard on January 18 in Montreal. 12) Deontay Wilder (6-36) Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO4 Nicolai Firtha (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Wilder had hoped to supersede either Stiverne or Arreola for a shot at the WBC belt, but with that fight now officially ordered, he can only hope that Stiverne can’t work the fight out due to legal problems, or that he can fight the winner. 13) Alex Leapai (6-6) Last Fight: 11/23/2013- UD10 #20 Denis Boytsov Next Fight: Unknown Leapai and Wlad are beginning negotiations for a mandatory fight. 14) Robert Helenius (7-188)
Last Fight: 3/23/2013- W*(UD10) vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
We finally have a bit of clarification on the Helenius-Sauerland situation. Helenius says that when he signed a promotional contract with Sauerland in 2007, he had no representation and couldn’t even read it in German. He is currently trying to get a Finnish court to allow him to fight in Finland, as he says Sauerland is blocking him from fighting now despite the fact that his health will now allow it. 15) Andy Ruiz (6-6) Last Fight: 11/24/2013- RTD3 Tor Hamer (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Ruiz has called out Tyson Fury, whose team says he’s out until at least March. 16) Seth Mitchell (7-30) 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) Alexander Dimitrenko (6-155) 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. 18) Vyacheslav Glazkov (6-54) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD10 Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek Glazkov-Adamek is back on, for March 15, after the first attempt was cancelled due to an Adamek illness. 19) Malik Scott (6-45) Last Fight: 7/20/2013- L (KO6*) vs. #8 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Scott is getting serious buzz for a fight with Wilder. 20) Johnathon Banks (6-59) Last Fight: 6/22/2013- L (UD12) vs. #20 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown Banks is 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.
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (236-449-449)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- UD12 #3 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Klitschko is in talks to fight his mandatory, Alex Leapai. He said recently that he wants to capture his brother’s old alphabet title, which would unify all the major titles for the first time since Lewis in 1999. He would have to wait for someone else to pick it up first, as the silly alphabets don’t let current titlists fight for vacant titles. 1) Alexander Povetkin (6-323-323) Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Povetkin is calling for a rematch. He would probably need to become the WBA mandatory by winning an eliminator (possibly against Luis Ortiz) in order to get that shot. His promotional ties expire at the end of the year, and he says he’ll announce his next move in early 2014. 2) Steve Cunningham (6-54-54) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD8 Manuel Quezada (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Cunningham had little trouble dominating a fading former gatekeeper in Quezada. 3) Tomasz Adamek (6-193-193) Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #18 Vyacheslav Glazkov
The rescheduled fight with Glazkov is now official for March 15. 4) Kubrat Pulev (6-87-164) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO5 Joey Abell (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev was dropped (lightly) for the first time in his career, and seems to have taken Abell lightly in general. Nevertheless, he finished it off with an impressive stoppage. 5) Dereck Chisora (6-109-172) Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO3 Ondrej Pala (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/15/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Chisora returns on February 15, with an opponent as yet unannounced. There is a lot of speculation in Britain that he might be in line to fight Tyson Fury in a rematch for the vacated WBC title. How that would come to pass, when neither guy is at the top of the rankings in that organization, is beyond me. That being said, boxing politics seldom fails to surprise, and Chisora and Fury are more deserving at this point than Stiverne and Arreola, anyhow. 6) Odlanier Solis (6-41-188) Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/22/2014- vs. #9 Tony Thompson
Solis was first set to fight Kevin Johnson. But he backed out because the IBF wanted him to fight Takam. But now word from Tony Thompson is that Solis will fight Thompson, instead, on March 22. 7) Bermane Stiverne (6-28-44) Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola Next Fight: Unknown Despite speculation in the UK of a possible match-up between Fury and Chisora for the WBC title, that organization has officially ordered Stiverne-Arreola, with purse bids due on January 17. Stiverne’s legal situation with Don King seems to be the only possible stumbling block at this point. 8) Chris Arreola (6-17-17) Last Fight: 9/7/2013- TKO1 #12 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown See Stiverne’s notes, above. 9) Tony Thompson (6-7-188) Last Fight: 8/24/2013- L (UD12) vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: 3/22/2014- vs. #6 Odlanier Solis
Thompson says he’s fighting Odlanier Solis on March 22. 10) Erkan Teper (6-6-18) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- KO1 Martin Rogan (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Teper might have scored the heavyweight knockout of the year, and probably retired Martin Rogan in the process. 11) Mike Perez (6-9) Last Fight: 11/2/2013- UD10 Magomed Abdusalamov (UNR) Next Fight: 1/18/2014- vs. Carlos Takam (UNR) With Solis-Takam falling through, Takam will now be offered up to Perez, instead, on the Pascal-Bute undercard on January 18 in Montreal. 12) Deontay Wilder (6-36) Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO4 Nicolai Firtha (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Wilder had hoped to supersede either Stiverne or Arreola for a shot at the WBC belt, but with that fight now officially ordered, he can only hope that Stiverne can’t work the fight out due to legal problems, or that he can fight the winner. 13) Alex Leapai (6-6) Last Fight: 11/23/2013- UD10 #20 Denis Boytsov Next Fight: Unknown Leapai and Wlad are beginning negotiations for a mandatory fight. 14) Robert Helenius (7-188)
Last Fight: 3/23/2013- W*(UD10) vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
We finally have a bit of clarification on the Helenius-Sauerland situation. Helenius says that when he signed a promotional contract with Sauerland in 2007, he had no representation and couldn’t even read it in German. He is currently trying to get a Finnish court to allow him to fight in Finland, as he says Sauerland is blocking him from fighting now despite the fact that his health will now allow it. 15) Andy Ruiz (6-6) Last Fight: 11/24/2013- RTD3 Tor Hamer (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Ruiz has called out Tyson Fury, whose team says he’s out until at least March. 16) Seth Mitchell (7-30) 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) Alexander Dimitrenko (6-155) 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. 18) Vyacheslav Glazkov (6-54) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD10 Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek Glazkov-Adamek is back on, for March 15, after the first attempt was cancelled due to an Adamek illness. 19) Malik Scott (6-45) Last Fight: 7/20/2013- L (KO6*) vs. #8 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: Unknown Scott is getting serious buzz for a fight with Wilder. 20) Johnathon Banks (6-59) Last Fight: 6/22/2013- L (UD12) vs. #20 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown Banks is 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.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Happy New Year!
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