Cruiserweight: 2014- Jan 6-12
Argentine fringe contender Victor Ramirez made 200 for the first time since 2009, capturing a dominant decision over countryman and mid-level journeyman Mariano Diaz Strunz, who apparently took the fight on short notice. This win was nothing special, of course, but now that he’s back and active at the weight, the heavily inactive Ramirez actually deserves a ranking, despite doing nothing of note since being removed for inactivity- from the #15 position- way back on August 30, 2010. If you desire sad commentary on the depth of the division, I’m not sure I can do better than that. Ramirez checks in at #19, forcing Glowacki to #20 and bumping Chakhkiev for the time being, after 6 weeks in.
Wlodarczyk had a relatively easy time in his third fight with Fragomeni, and is interested in Huck, Hernandez, Afolabi, Drozd, and Chakhkiev for his next fight. 5) Firat Arslan (17-87-130) 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 (17-23-61) Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Eddie Chambers (UNR) Next Fight: 1/24/2013- vs. Olanrewaju Durodola (UNR) Mchunu found a pretty decent replacement for would-be opponents Garrett Wilson and Santander Silgado. He’ll face hard-hitting former Nigerian Olympian Olanrewaju Durodola on January 24. Durodola has been fighting on a regional level around Missouri, and has only lost once when fighting a much larger prospect at heavyweight. He’s ranked in the top 40 by Boxrec. 7) Grigory Drozd (7-14-61) Last Fight: 10/5/2013- TKO11 #13 Mateusz Masternak Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. Jeremy Ouanna (UNR) Drozd will defend his European title in March against solid French journeyman Jeremy Ouanna, though Wlodarczyk’s team seems to think they might get Drozd in their next fight. 8) Ola Afolabi (7-252-252) Last Fight: 11/2/2013- W* (MD12) vs. Lukasz Janik (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Afolabi needed a gift to squeak by Janik, and is on Wlodarczyk’s short list for the Pole’s next fight. 9) Giacobbe Fragomeni (7-17-269) Last Fight: 12/6/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #4 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk Next Fight: Unknown I really hope that Fragomeni will call it a career. 10) Silvio Branco (7-7-95) Last Fight: 7/6/2013- W (TD10) vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Branco has been tabbed by the WBC to fight Chakhkiev for some silly color coded title belt, with January 3 the deadline to avoid purse bids. 11) Ilunga Makabu (7-26) Last Fight: 8/31/2013- TKO5 Eric Fields (UNR) Next Fight: 2/1/2014- vs. #9 LHW Nathan Cleverly Makabu gets a high-profile opponent in Monaco on February 1- Welsh contender Nathan Cleverly, who takes a big chance in his cruiserweight debut.
12) Santander Silgado (5-10) Last Fight: 11/1/2013- TKO2 #20 Steve Herelius Next Fight: Unknown Silgado is being slammed by his own manager after he declined an arranged fight with Thabiso Mchunu. 13) Mateusz Masternak (5-93) Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (TKO11) vs. #16 Grigory Drozd Next Fight: 2/1/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent Polish news reports have Masternak returning on February 1. 14) Lukasz Janik (5-10) Last Fight: 11/2/2013- L* (MD12) vs. #7 Ola Afolabi Next Fight: Unknown Janik would like a well-deserved rematch with Afolabi. 15) Nuri Seferi (3-3) Last Fight: 12/20/2013- W (DQ7*) vs. Steve Herelius (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Seferi says he wants to fight Marco Huck in 2014. 16) Enad Licina (3-185) 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. 17) Danie Venter (3-17) Last Fight: 9/21/2013- KO1 Shawn Cox (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown I must admit I wrote Venter off when he lost a bit of an upset to Mchunu last year, but Mchunu has proven to be something of a world beater since, and Venter’s overall resume is quietly starting to look pretty solid. 18) Dmytro Kucher (3-80) Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Kucher would like a rematch with Makabu, and has his sights set on Wlodarczyk down the road, as well. He expects to be back against someone in November or December. 19) Victor Ramirez (1-1) Last Fight: 1/4/2014- UD10 Mariano Diaz Strunz (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Ramirez was a fringe contender when he lost to Marco Huck in August 2009. He’s done nothing of note since then, having been inactive for more than 4 years. Yet his resume in the year that preceded that is still enough to claim a ranking in a shallow division. 20) Krzysztof Glowacki (1-24) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO9 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Glowacki has been tearing through the middle tier of the division like a wrecking ball.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: None 1) Denis Lebedev (24-205-205) Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Lebedev-Jones II is expected in either March or April. 2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (69-185-185) Last Fight: 11/23/2013- TKO10 #12 Alexander Alekseev Next Fight: 3/8/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent Sauerland says Hernandez will be back on March 8 in Berlin, in a voluntary defense. No opponent yet. 3) Marco Huck (17-370-370) 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 (17-446-446) Last Fight: 12/6/2013- TKO6 #9 Giacobbe Fragomeni Next Fight: Unknown
Wlodarczyk had a relatively easy time in his third fight with Fragomeni, and is interested in Huck, Hernandez, Afolabi, Drozd, and Chakhkiev for his next fight. 5) Firat Arslan (17-87-130) 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 (17-23-61) Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Eddie Chambers (UNR) Next Fight: 1/24/2013- vs. Olanrewaju Durodola (UNR) Mchunu found a pretty decent replacement for would-be opponents Garrett Wilson and Santander Silgado. He’ll face hard-hitting former Nigerian Olympian Olanrewaju Durodola on January 24. Durodola has been fighting on a regional level around Missouri, and has only lost once when fighting a much larger prospect at heavyweight. He’s ranked in the top 40 by Boxrec. 7) Grigory Drozd (7-14-61) Last Fight: 10/5/2013- TKO11 #13 Mateusz Masternak Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. Jeremy Ouanna (UNR) Drozd will defend his European title in March against solid French journeyman Jeremy Ouanna, though Wlodarczyk’s team seems to think they might get Drozd in their next fight. 8) Ola Afolabi (7-252-252) Last Fight: 11/2/2013- W* (MD12) vs. Lukasz Janik (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Afolabi needed a gift to squeak by Janik, and is on Wlodarczyk’s short list for the Pole’s next fight. 9) Giacobbe Fragomeni (7-17-269) Last Fight: 12/6/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #4 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk Next Fight: Unknown I really hope that Fragomeni will call it a career. 10) Silvio Branco (7-7-95) Last Fight: 7/6/2013- W (TD10) vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Branco has been tabbed by the WBC to fight Chakhkiev for some silly color coded title belt, with January 3 the deadline to avoid purse bids. 11) Ilunga Makabu (7-26) Last Fight: 8/31/2013- TKO5 Eric Fields (UNR) Next Fight: 2/1/2014- vs. #9 LHW Nathan Cleverly Makabu gets a high-profile opponent in Monaco on February 1- Welsh contender Nathan Cleverly, who takes a big chance in his cruiserweight debut.
12) Santander Silgado (5-10) Last Fight: 11/1/2013- TKO2 #20 Steve Herelius Next Fight: Unknown Silgado is being slammed by his own manager after he declined an arranged fight with Thabiso Mchunu. 13) Mateusz Masternak (5-93) Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (TKO11) vs. #16 Grigory Drozd Next Fight: 2/1/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent Polish news reports have Masternak returning on February 1. 14) Lukasz Janik (5-10) Last Fight: 11/2/2013- L* (MD12) vs. #7 Ola Afolabi Next Fight: Unknown Janik would like a well-deserved rematch with Afolabi. 15) Nuri Seferi (3-3) Last Fight: 12/20/2013- W (DQ7*) vs. Steve Herelius (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Seferi says he wants to fight Marco Huck in 2014. 16) Enad Licina (3-185) 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. 17) Danie Venter (3-17) Last Fight: 9/21/2013- KO1 Shawn Cox (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown I must admit I wrote Venter off when he lost a bit of an upset to Mchunu last year, but Mchunu has proven to be something of a world beater since, and Venter’s overall resume is quietly starting to look pretty solid. 18) Dmytro Kucher (3-80) Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Kucher would like a rematch with Makabu, and has his sights set on Wlodarczyk down the road, as well. He expects to be back against someone in November or December. 19) Victor Ramirez (1-1) Last Fight: 1/4/2014- UD10 Mariano Diaz Strunz (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Ramirez was a fringe contender when he lost to Marco Huck in August 2009. He’s done nothing of note since then, having been inactive for more than 4 years. Yet his resume in the year that preceded that is still enough to claim a ranking in a shallow division. 20) Krzysztof Glowacki (1-24) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO9 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Glowacki has been tearing through the middle tier of the division like a wrecking ball.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Nothing to report.
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