Heavyweight: 2014, Feb 17-23
Tyson Fury came out of his rather frivolous retirement to pummel American journeyman Joey Abell in London on Saturday. Abell was dropped twice in the 3rd and twice in the 4th, but did manage to pretty clearly win round 2. If comparisons of this kind are worth anything, Fury’s work against Abell was very similar to Kubrat Pulev’s from a few months ago, except that Pulev was knocked down by Abell in his outing.
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- UD12 #3 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: 4/26/2014- vs. #14 Alex Leapai
Klitschko-Leapai appears to be finalized for April 26 in Germany. 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) Tyson Fury (1-1-1) Last Fight: 2/15/2014- TKO4 Joey Abell (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Fury appears to be on a collision course with Chisora for the summer. He also continues to call out Wladimir Klitschko. 2) Alexander Povetkin (1-330-330) Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
There are rumors of a May fight in Moscow with Dereck Chisora, though there’s also a good chance that Chisora will fight Tyson Fury around that time. 3) Steve Cunningham (1-61-61) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD8 Manuel Quezada (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Cunningham had little trouble dominating a fading former gatekeeper in Quezada. 4) Tomasz Adamek (1-200-200) Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #19 Vyacheslav Glazkov
The rescheduled fight with Glazkov is now official for March 15. 5) Kubrat Pulev (1-94-171) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO5 Joey Abell (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/5/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Pulev is back on the Braehmer card on April 5 in Rostock, Germany, but no opponent just yet. 6) Dereck Chisora (1-116-179) Last Fight: 2/15/2014- UD12 Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Fury and Povetkin’s notes, above. 7) Odlanier Solis (1-48-195) Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/22/2014- vs. #11 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. 8) Carlos Takam (1-5-5) Last Fight: 1/18/2014- Robbery Draw (W) vs. #11 Mike Perez Next Fight: Unknown Takam clearly beat #11 Perez, and is ranked accordingly. 9) Bermane Stiverne (1-35-51) Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola Next Fight: Unknown Date- vs. #10 Chris Arreola Purse bids were cancelled as Stiverne and Arreola reached an agreement for their upcoming alphabet title fight, with April being targeted. 10) Chris Arreola (1-24-24) Last Fight: 9/7/2013- TKO1 #12 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown Date- vs. #9 Bermane Stiverne See Stiverne’s notes, above. 11) Tony Thompson (1-195) Last Fight: 8/24/2013- L (UD12) vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: 3/22/2014- vs. #7 Odlanier Solis
Thompson says he’s fighting Odlanier Solis on March 22. 12) Erkan Teper (1-25) 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. 13) Deontay Wilder (1-43) Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO4 Nicolai Firtha (UNR) Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #20 Malik Scott Wilder will fight his close friend, Malik Scott, on March 15. 14) Alex Leapai (1-13) Last Fight: 11/23/2013- UD10 #20 Denis Boytsov Next Fight: 4/26/2014- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko It looks like Leapai-Klitschko is done for April 26 in Germany. 15) Robert Helenius (1-195) 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. 16) Andy Ruiz (1-13) Last Fight: 11/24/2013- RTD3 Tor Hamer (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Ruiz passed up a proposed date in February, saying he wants to focus on weight loss so that his performances become more of a story than his physique. He wants to be around or below 240. 17) Seth Mitchell (1-37) 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. 18) Alexander Dimitrenko (1-162) 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. 19) Vyacheslav Glazkov (1-61) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD10 Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #4 Tomasz Adamek Glazkov-Adamek is back on, for March 15, after the first attempt was cancelled due to an Adamek illness. 20) Malik Scott (1-52) Last Fight: 7/20/2013- L (KO6*) vs. #8 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #13 Deontay Wilder See Wilder’s notes, above.
On the same card, #5 Dereck Chisora easily handled a slightly passive Kevin Johnson, who too often seemed content to hang around and go the distance. For his part, Chisora applied steady pressure. His attack was pretty basic, largely based on a jab to the body followed by a chopping overhand right, but it was plenty effective in the fight.
Fury reprises the ranking he threw away 3 months ago, returning at #1. Chisora and Pulev are locked in a virtual deadlock for the #5 spot. Chisora has the better single win- over Helenius- but he also has 3 legitimate losses to go with the aforementioned bogus one. All of those came against guys that either are now or were then ranked either #1 or #2, but that’s still enough to make a decisive difference in a very close contest. With Fury’s return, everyone ranked below the Champ falls one position. This includes Tony Thompson, who leaves the top 10 after 13 consecutive weeks, and Johnathon Banks, who exits the top 20 after 65.
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (243-456-456)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- UD12 #3 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: 4/26/2014- vs. #14 Alex Leapai
Klitschko-Leapai appears to be finalized for April 26 in Germany. 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) Tyson Fury (1-1-1) Last Fight: 2/15/2014- TKO4 Joey Abell (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Fury appears to be on a collision course with Chisora for the summer. He also continues to call out Wladimir Klitschko. 2) Alexander Povetkin (1-330-330) Last Fight: 10/5/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
There are rumors of a May fight in Moscow with Dereck Chisora, though there’s also a good chance that Chisora will fight Tyson Fury around that time. 3) Steve Cunningham (1-61-61) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD8 Manuel Quezada (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Cunningham had little trouble dominating a fading former gatekeeper in Quezada. 4) Tomasz Adamek (1-200-200) Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #19 Vyacheslav Glazkov
The rescheduled fight with Glazkov is now official for March 15. 5) Kubrat Pulev (1-94-171) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO5 Joey Abell (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/5/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Pulev is back on the Braehmer card on April 5 in Rostock, Germany, but no opponent just yet. 6) Dereck Chisora (1-116-179) Last Fight: 2/15/2014- UD12 Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Fury and Povetkin’s notes, above. 7) Odlanier Solis (1-48-195) Last Fight: 7/27/2013- TKO7 Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/22/2014- vs. #11 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. 8) Carlos Takam (1-5-5) Last Fight: 1/18/2014- Robbery Draw (W) vs. #11 Mike Perez Next Fight: Unknown Takam clearly beat #11 Perez, and is ranked accordingly. 9) Bermane Stiverne (1-35-51) Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola Next Fight: Unknown Date- vs. #10 Chris Arreola Purse bids were cancelled as Stiverne and Arreola reached an agreement for their upcoming alphabet title fight, with April being targeted. 10) Chris Arreola (1-24-24) Last Fight: 9/7/2013- TKO1 #12 Seth Mitchell Next Fight: Unknown Date- vs. #9 Bermane Stiverne See Stiverne’s notes, above. 11) Tony Thompson (1-195) Last Fight: 8/24/2013- L (UD12) vs. #8 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: 3/22/2014- vs. #7 Odlanier Solis
Thompson says he’s fighting Odlanier Solis on March 22. 12) Erkan Teper (1-25) 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. 13) Deontay Wilder (1-43) Last Fight: 10/26/2013- TKO4 Nicolai Firtha (UNR) Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #20 Malik Scott Wilder will fight his close friend, Malik Scott, on March 15. 14) Alex Leapai (1-13) Last Fight: 11/23/2013- UD10 #20 Denis Boytsov Next Fight: 4/26/2014- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko It looks like Leapai-Klitschko is done for April 26 in Germany. 15) Robert Helenius (1-195) 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. 16) Andy Ruiz (1-13) Last Fight: 11/24/2013- RTD3 Tor Hamer (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Ruiz passed up a proposed date in February, saying he wants to focus on weight loss so that his performances become more of a story than his physique. He wants to be around or below 240. 17) Seth Mitchell (1-37) 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. 18) Alexander Dimitrenko (1-162) 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. 19) Vyacheslav Glazkov (1-61) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD10 Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #4 Tomasz Adamek Glazkov-Adamek is back on, for March 15, after the first attempt was cancelled due to an Adamek illness. 20) Malik Scott (1-52) Last Fight: 7/20/2013- L (KO6*) vs. #8 Dereck Chisora Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. #13 Deontay Wilder See Wilder’s notes, above.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Friday Ray Austin vs. Unknown Opponent; Cleveland, Ohio; Off TV Former fringe contender Ray Austin, now 43 years old, whose last fight was his competitive stoppage loss to Bermane Stiverne in June 2011, returns to the ring against an opponent to be announced (pronounced “stiff”). Despite the inactivity, an active Ray Austin probably still qualifies as a legitimate gatekeeper.
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