Super Middleweight: 2014, Jul 7-13
Nothing to report from the division last week.
Next Fight: Unknown Ward lost an arbitration with his promoter, but it sounds like the rift between the two is far from solved. Kessler is the latest guy to renew a stated desire to fight him. 1) Carl Froch (111-421-421) Last Fight: 5/31/2014- KO8 #7 George Groves
Next Fight: Unknown Froch now says he doesn’t want Ward due to a lack of marketability on the part of the American Champion. Bika has offered him a unification, but I imagine there would be similar problems with that. Chavez, Jr. might be the answer, and that fight is definitely in talks, with Froch apparently targeting November or December. 2) Arthur Abraham (19-246-246)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- UD12 Nikola Sjekloca (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/27/2014- vs. Paul Smith (UNR) Abraham gets what should be a relatively easy defense on September 27 against gatekeeper Paul Smith of England. 3) Robert Stieglitz (19-254-254) Last Fight: 3/1/2014- L (SD12) vs. #4 Arthur Abraham Next Fight: 7/26/2014- vs. Sergey Khomitsky (UNR) I thnk I read the initial report wrong, as Stieglitz will fight on July 26 instead of June 26. His opponent will be the dangerously underrated Sergey Khomitsky, who arguably ought to own a win over Martin Murray. 4) James DeGale (6-7-143) Last Fight: 5/31/2014- TKO4* #4 Brandon Gonzales Next Fight: Unknown DeGale is now set up for a shot at Froch’s title, in a fight that would no doubt do huge numbers in the UK again. Froch appears cold to the matchup, for his part. DeGale is likely back on October 11, in any event. 5) Thomas Oosthuizen (7-162-210) Last Fight: 11/9/2013- W* (MD12) vs. #13 Ezequiel Maderna
Next Fight: Unknown Oosthuizen was supposed to fight Doudou Ngumbu on 6/21 and then enter his promoter’s Super 6 Tournament at 175. Instead, Johnny Muller replaced him and lost, and thus ruined his own chances to fight in that tournament. Now the word is that Oosthuizen is “in no position” to get in the ring for the tournament. I wonder if that’s a reference to an injury, or just more weight issues. Either way, it’s entirely clear that the South African is done at 168. 6) Ezequiel Maderna (7-35-80) Last Fight: 4/25/2014- TKO3 Richard Vidal (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Maderna stayed busy in impressive fashion against Vidal. 7) George Groves (7-82-104) Last Fight: 5/31/2014- L (KO8) vs. #1 Carl Froch Next Fight: 9/13/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent Groves is scheduled to fight again on September 13, in what is expected to be an eliminator for a shot at the Bika-Dirrell winner. 8) Brandon Gonzales (6-54-54) Last Fight: 5/31/2014- L (TKO4*) vs. #10 James DeGale Next Fight: Unknown Gonzales deserved a shot to continue, but he certainly didn’t look like an eventual winner under the best of circumstances against DeGale. 9) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (6-19-19) Last Fight: 3/1/2014- UD10 #5 MW Bryan Vera Next Fight: Unknown Despite Froch’s #1 contender being DeGale now, Chavez is getting buzz as a possible next opponent for the world-beating Brit. 10) Bryan Vera (6-19-19) Last Fight: 3/1/2014- L (UD10) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (UNR) Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #17 JMW Gabriel Rosado (BKB) In a surprise move, Vera will fight Gabriel Rosado in the main event of a “Big Knockout Boxing” card. This is not quite the boxing you’re used to, with different rules regarding knockdowns and a circular “pit” replacing the traditional ring. I haven’t yet decided if I will let it affect the rankings, considering that it will theoretically be a fair fight between two legitimate boxers. I may have to see it in action before I know how I feel about its applicability to normal boxing. 11) Christopher Rebrasse (7-57) Last Fight: 3/22/2014- TKO4 Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Rebrasse now has two dominant wins over what was a top 10 contender the first time around. He didn’t need the judges to notice the second time. 12) Sakio Bika (7-379) Last Fight: 12/7/2013- Draw (SD12) vs. Anthony Dirrell (UNR) Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #17 Anthony Dirrell Bika will re-match Anthony Dirrell on August 16, with the location yet to be determined. 13) Maxim Vlasov (7-87) Last Fight: 3/15/2014- UD8 Derrick Findley (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Vlasov looked very good against Findley, but he’ll need to schedule a fight at Super Middleweight before May 5 and make weight in order to keep his ranking, since he hasn’t made the divisional limit since November 2012. 14) Edwin Rodriguez (7-77) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Andre Ward Next Fight: Unknown Rodriguez was briefly scheduled to fight Marcus Johnson on May 24, but Johnson withdrew. 15) Gilberto Ramirez (7-23) Last Fight: 4/11/2014- TKO5 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR) Next Fight: 7/19/2014- vs. Junior Talipeau (UNR) Ramirez will fight in Macau on July 19. The opponent is Junior Talipeau, a relatively high-level Samoan-Kiwi-Australian journeyman. 16) Ryota Murata (7-46) Last Fight: 5/22/2014- KO6 Jesus Angel Nerio (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Murata is rumored to be fighting in Singapore in October. 17) Anthony Dirrell (7-31) Last Fight: 12/7/2013- Draw (SD12) vs. #11 Sakio Bika Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #12 Sakio Bika Dirrell will get a second crack at Bika on August 16. 18) Hadillah Mohoumadi (7-71) Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 19) Caleb Truax (7-13) Last Fight: 1/3/2014- Draw (MD10) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR) Next Fight: 7/25/2014- vs. Derek Ennis (UNR) Truax’s July 25 Friday Night Fights opponent is now Derek Ennis, rather than Porky Medina. Basically a lateral move, but maybe a bit of a downgrade. 20) Derek Edwards (7-7) Last Fight: 2/28/2014- TKO1 #20 Badou Jack Next Fight: Unknown
Dan’s Top 20 Champ: Andre Ward (134-268-268) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 #13 Edwin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown Ward lost an arbitration with his promoter, but it sounds like the rift between the two is far from solved. Kessler is the latest guy to renew a stated desire to fight him. 1) Carl Froch (111-421-421) Last Fight: 5/31/2014- KO8 #7 George Groves
Next Fight: Unknown Froch now says he doesn’t want Ward due to a lack of marketability on the part of the American Champion. Bika has offered him a unification, but I imagine there would be similar problems with that. Chavez, Jr. might be the answer, and that fight is definitely in talks, with Froch apparently targeting November or December. 2) Arthur Abraham (19-246-246)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- UD12 Nikola Sjekloca (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/27/2014- vs. Paul Smith (UNR) Abraham gets what should be a relatively easy defense on September 27 against gatekeeper Paul Smith of England. 3) Robert Stieglitz (19-254-254) Last Fight: 3/1/2014- L (SD12) vs. #4 Arthur Abraham Next Fight: 7/26/2014- vs. Sergey Khomitsky (UNR) I thnk I read the initial report wrong, as Stieglitz will fight on July 26 instead of June 26. His opponent will be the dangerously underrated Sergey Khomitsky, who arguably ought to own a win over Martin Murray. 4) James DeGale (6-7-143) Last Fight: 5/31/2014- TKO4* #4 Brandon Gonzales Next Fight: Unknown DeGale is now set up for a shot at Froch’s title, in a fight that would no doubt do huge numbers in the UK again. Froch appears cold to the matchup, for his part. DeGale is likely back on October 11, in any event. 5) Thomas Oosthuizen (7-162-210) Last Fight: 11/9/2013- W* (MD12) vs. #13 Ezequiel Maderna
Next Fight: Unknown Oosthuizen was supposed to fight Doudou Ngumbu on 6/21 and then enter his promoter’s Super 6 Tournament at 175. Instead, Johnny Muller replaced him and lost, and thus ruined his own chances to fight in that tournament. Now the word is that Oosthuizen is “in no position” to get in the ring for the tournament. I wonder if that’s a reference to an injury, or just more weight issues. Either way, it’s entirely clear that the South African is done at 168. 6) Ezequiel Maderna (7-35-80) Last Fight: 4/25/2014- TKO3 Richard Vidal (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Maderna stayed busy in impressive fashion against Vidal. 7) George Groves (7-82-104) Last Fight: 5/31/2014- L (KO8) vs. #1 Carl Froch Next Fight: 9/13/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent Groves is scheduled to fight again on September 13, in what is expected to be an eliminator for a shot at the Bika-Dirrell winner. 8) Brandon Gonzales (6-54-54) Last Fight: 5/31/2014- L (TKO4*) vs. #10 James DeGale Next Fight: Unknown Gonzales deserved a shot to continue, but he certainly didn’t look like an eventual winner under the best of circumstances against DeGale. 9) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (6-19-19) Last Fight: 3/1/2014- UD10 #5 MW Bryan Vera Next Fight: Unknown Despite Froch’s #1 contender being DeGale now, Chavez is getting buzz as a possible next opponent for the world-beating Brit. 10) Bryan Vera (6-19-19) Last Fight: 3/1/2014- L (UD10) vs. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (UNR) Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #17 JMW Gabriel Rosado (BKB) In a surprise move, Vera will fight Gabriel Rosado in the main event of a “Big Knockout Boxing” card. This is not quite the boxing you’re used to, with different rules regarding knockdowns and a circular “pit” replacing the traditional ring. I haven’t yet decided if I will let it affect the rankings, considering that it will theoretically be a fair fight between two legitimate boxers. I may have to see it in action before I know how I feel about its applicability to normal boxing. 11) Christopher Rebrasse (7-57) Last Fight: 3/22/2014- TKO4 Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Rebrasse now has two dominant wins over what was a top 10 contender the first time around. He didn’t need the judges to notice the second time. 12) Sakio Bika (7-379) Last Fight: 12/7/2013- Draw (SD12) vs. Anthony Dirrell (UNR) Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #17 Anthony Dirrell Bika will re-match Anthony Dirrell on August 16, with the location yet to be determined. 13) Maxim Vlasov (7-87) Last Fight: 3/15/2014- UD8 Derrick Findley (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Vlasov looked very good against Findley, but he’ll need to schedule a fight at Super Middleweight before May 5 and make weight in order to keep his ranking, since he hasn’t made the divisional limit since November 2012. 14) Edwin Rodriguez (7-77) Last Fight: 11/16/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Andre Ward Next Fight: Unknown Rodriguez was briefly scheduled to fight Marcus Johnson on May 24, but Johnson withdrew. 15) Gilberto Ramirez (7-23) Last Fight: 4/11/2014- TKO5 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR) Next Fight: 7/19/2014- vs. Junior Talipeau (UNR) Ramirez will fight in Macau on July 19. The opponent is Junior Talipeau, a relatively high-level Samoan-Kiwi-Australian journeyman. 16) Ryota Murata (7-46) Last Fight: 5/22/2014- KO6 Jesus Angel Nerio (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Murata is rumored to be fighting in Singapore in October. 17) Anthony Dirrell (7-31) Last Fight: 12/7/2013- Draw (SD12) vs. #11 Sakio Bika Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #12 Sakio Bika Dirrell will get a second crack at Bika on August 16. 18) Hadillah Mohoumadi (7-71) Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown 19) Caleb Truax (7-13) Last Fight: 1/3/2014- Draw (MD10) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR) Next Fight: 7/25/2014- vs. Derek Ennis (UNR) Truax’s July 25 Friday Night Fights opponent is now Derek Ennis, rather than Porky Medina. Basically a lateral move, but maybe a bit of a downgrade. 20) Derek Edwards (7-7) Last Fight: 2/28/2014- TKO1 #20 Badou Jack Next Fight: Unknown
The Week Ahead: Saturday Callum Smith vs. Vladine Biosse; Liverpool, England; Sky (UK) Smith is an undefeated English prospect, and the younger brother of gatekeeper Paul Smith. He’s been almost entirely impressive in every fight I’ve seen him in so far, using his long arms to get great leverage on his shots. Biosse is a Rhode Island journeyman originally from Cape Verde. He was once a promising prospect, but he’s just 1-2-1 in his last four fights, and it’s not like he was fighting Andre Ward. He’s been stopped in all three of his career losses, so this should be a golden opportunity for Smith to shine.
Rocky Fielding vs. Noe Gonzalez; Liverpool, England; Sky (UK) Fielding is an undefeated Liverpool native. He’s yet to really be tested above the mid-level journeyman tier of competition. Now he will be. Gonzalez is a reliable gatekeeper who has a win over a top 50 fighter within the last 5 years. The Uruguayan has 3 losses in his career, and they read like a who’s who: Felix Sturm, Adonis Stevenson, and George Groves. The latter two stopped Gonzalez with little difficulty, though, and that is an accomplishment to which Fielding would love to lay claim.
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