Archive for December, 2014

« Older Entries

Heavyweight: 2014, Jul 28- Aug 3

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 25, 2014 by danboxing
Wednesday in New York, undefeated California-based St. Louis prospect Charles Martin made fairly short work of low-level but frequently recycled Trinidadian (?) journeyman Kertson Manswell, dropping him twice in the third before referee Arthur Mercante waved it off with about 30 seconds left in the round.

 

In the same city on Saturday night, fringe contending prospect Bryant Jennings squeaked out a razor-thin decision over fellow fringe contending prospect Mike Perez.  I had it 114-113 for Perez, personally, and would have had it a point wider if not for an unnecessary point deduction on Perez for a borderline first-time offense of hitting on the break in the final round that turned out to be the difference between a draw and a Jennings win on the official cards.  Referee Harvey Dock was the deciding factor in an otherwise even fight, and that’s about the worst thing you can say about a referee, although I usually like Dock’s work.  While you can legitimately defend a Jennings score in the fight, I don’t think the deduction itself was defensible.  For that reason, I’m not recognizing its authority here.  Without that point, the official verdict is a draw in my book.  That’s a little more credible a result, as I see it, than giving the actual official result minimal deference, which would cause me to treat the fight mostly as a draw, but give a slight edge to Jennings for rankings purposes.  As it is, I’m treating it as a draw, period.

 

Eddie Chambers was supposed to fight lower-mid-level Brazilian journeyman Marcelo Nasimento, but that fight didn’t come off.

 

Jennings’ dubious victory is still as good a performance as he’s had in his career when you consider the level of competition, and thus it allows him to debut at #19.  Perez comes up on the wrong end of a questionable result this time, but in my view it restores his lost credibility somewhat, and thus helps him more than it hurts.  He returns to the rankings for the first time since the Takam travesty, at #20.  This forces Francesco Pianeta and Malik Scott out after stints of 19 and 5 weeks, respectively.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (266-479-479)
Last Fight: 4/26/2014- TKO5 #16 Alex Leapai
Next Fight: 9/6/2014- vs. #5 Kubrat Pulev
It’s looking all but certain that Wlad will fight Pulev on September 6.
1) Tyson Fury (24-24-24)
Last Fight: 2/15/2014- TKO4 Joey Abell (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury was briefly scheduled to fight Alexander Ustinov in the wake of Chisora’s withdrawal, but withdrew himself right before the fight.  Fury said he was no longer interested in Chisora, but the fight appears likely to be rescheduled for the fall anyway.
2) Alexander Povetkin (9-353-353)
Last Fight: 5/30/2014- TKO7 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Povetkin wants to return in late October, and wants to rematch the Champ when he’s gotten at least 3 fights in with his new trainer.
3) Vyacheslav Glazkov (9-20-84)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- UD12 #4 Tomasz Adamek
Next Fight: 8/9/2014- vs. Derric Rossy (UNR)
Glazkov returns in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on August 9, in a fight with gatekeeper Derric Rossy to be televised on NBC Sports.
4) Amir Mansour (17-17-17)
Last Fight: 4/4/2014- Robbery L (UD10) vs. #4 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: Unknown
Cunningham had the more sympathetic story and a legitimately great comeback attempt, but Mansour had the better collection of rounds legitimately won.  Mansour was robbed even though the fight was close, and deserves Cunningham’s former position in the rankings for his effort.
5) Kubrat Pulev (24-117-194)
Last Fight: 4/5/2014- RTD3 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/6/2014- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
See Klitschko’s notes, above.
6) Dereck Chisora (24-139-202)
Last Fight: 2/15/2014- UD12 Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Fury’s notes, above.
7) Carlos Takam (8-8-28)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- UD12 #9 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
Takam’s potential appears nearly boundless after he handled Tony Thompson more easily than anyone not named Wladimir Klitschko.
8) Bermane Stiverne (8-12-74)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- TKO6 #13 Chris Arreola
Next Fight: Unknown
Stiverne is hoping to fight Wilder sometime in November in either Montreal or Las Vegas, while Don King wants to stage it in Egypt for some reason.
9) Steve Cunningham (8-84-84)
Last Fight: 4/4/2014- Robbery W (UD10) vs. Amir Mansour (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I hope you’ll all pray for his daughter to recover from her life-threatening health condition, and the guy had guts to come back from the 2 knockdowns.  But he didn’t win the fight.
10) Tony Thompson (8-19-218)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- L (UD12) vs. #12 Carlos Takam
Next Fight: Unknown
Thompson volunteered to replace Dereck Chisora against Tyson Fury, but that fight didn’t ultimately materialize.
11) Tomasz Adamek (8-223)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- L (UD12) vs. #18 Vyacheslav Glazkov
Next Fight: 10/18/2014- vs. Artur Szpilka (UNR)
Adamek is back on October 18 against all-action gatekeeper Artur Szpilka, in what should be a cash cow for the promoters in Lodz, Poland.
12) Odlanier Solis (8-218)
Last Fight: 3/22/2014- L* (SD12) vs. #13 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
The Solis haters are out in force, claiming a clear loss in a fight that Solis deserved to win.  You might not like his physique or his training habits or his style, but if he outfights the other guy, he still deserves to be respected as a winner at least as much as a disappointment.  A loss to Thompson is not that embarrassing, especially when you ought to have won it.
13) Deontay Wilder (12-66)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- KO1 #19 Malik Scott
Next Fight: Unknown
See Stiverne’s notes, above.
14) Chris Arreola (12-47)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- L (TKO6) vs. #12 Bermane Stiverne
Next Fight: Unknown
Arreola just had elbow surgery, but is expected back in the ring in October.
15) Erkan Teper (17-48)
Last Fight: 6/13/2014- RTD6 Newfel Ouatah (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Teper’s effort in his last fight- and perhaps especially in the gym leading up to it- was awful, and he got lucky when his opponent turned out to be almost as out of shape as him, in addition to being an apparent quitter.
16) Alex Leapai (17-36)
Last Fight: 4/26/2014- L (KO5) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Leapai is reportedly interested in fighting Shannon Briggs in the wake of his total non-performance against the Champ.
17) Andy Ruiz (17-36)
Last Fight: 5/17/2014- TKO2 Manuel Quezada (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ruiz pulled out of his August 9 fight with Nagy Aguilera due to a family health issues.
18) Seth Mitchell (17-60)
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.
19) Bryant Jennings (1-1)
Last Fight: 7/26/2014- W* (SD12) vs. Mike Perez (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Reasonable minds can disagree on the correct result of Jennings-Perez.  What’s clear, though, is that Jennings is not nearly ready for Klitschko, a fight some of his supporters have been proposing for a while now.
20) Mike Perez (1-1)
Last Fight: 7/26/2014- L* (SD12) vs. Bryant Jennings (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
In his previous fight, Perez got a draw in a fight in which he clearly deserved to lose, but most recently he took a loss in a fight in which he probably at least deserved a draw.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD:
Friday
Lucas Browne vs. Andriy Rudenko; Wolverhampton, England; BoxNation (UK)
Unbeaten Australian slugger Browne heads to England to fight Rudenko, an undefeated Ukrainian who has yet to be significantly tested, but who has at least been on a knockout tear of late, after winning the majority of his first 11 fights by decision.  It’s an intriguing fight, but one in which you have to favor Browne due to his greatly superior accomplishment and experience.

Leave a comment »

Welterweight: 2014, Jul 21-27

Posted in Rankings, Welterweight with tags , , , , , , , on December 25, 2014 by danboxing
Nothing to report at you from last week, again.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (221-253-253)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- W* (MD12) vs. #4 Marcos Maidana
Next Fight: 9/13/2014- vs. #1 Marcos Maidana
Mayweather will give Maidama a well-deserved rematch on September 13.
1) Marcos Maidana (12-59-59)
Last Fight:5/3/2014- L* (MD12) vs. Champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Next Fight: 9/13/2014- vs. Champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
See Mayweather’s notes, above.
2) Manny Pacquiao (12-294-294)
Last Fight: 4/12/2014- UD12 #1 Timothy Bradley
Next Fight: 11/22/2014- vs. JWW #? Chris Algieri (UNR)
Pacquiao-Algieri is set for Macau on November 22.  As a PPV.  Yeah, I know…
3) Juan Manuel Marquez (12-141-141)
Last Fight: 5/17/2014- UD12 #? JWW Mike Alvarado
Next Fight: Unknown
Pacquiao-Marquez 5 is obviously not in the cards for November, but rumors persist of its likelihood for 2015.
4) Timothy Bradley (12-41-111)
Last Fight: 4/12/2014- L (UD12) vs. #3 Manny Pacquiao
Next Fight: Unknown
Bradley says he intends to return in December after rehabbing a bad calf.  There is a lot of talk of him fighting Cotto, but I find it hard to take that seriously.
5) Keith Thurman (32-32-72)
Last Fight: 4/26/2014- RTD3 Julio Diaz (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Thurman has expressed interest in Tim Bradley, a politically difficult proposition, though some believe the departure of Richard Schaeffer from Golden Boy might make it more realistic.
6) Shawn Porter (32-33-33)
Last Fight: 4/19/2014- KO4 #14 Paulie Malignaggi
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #7 Kell Brook
Porter-Brook is now made for August 16 in New York.
7) Kell Brook (5-169-169)
Last Fight:3/15/2014- TKO8 Alvaro Robles (UNR) (at JMW)
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #6 Shawn Porter
See Porter’s notes, above.
8) Devon Alexander (5-126-126)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- W* (UD10) vs. #12 Jesus Soto Karass (at 149)
Next Fight: Unknown
Alexander wants to fight Keith Thurman, and is rumored as a possible December opponent for Khan.
9) Jesus Soto Karass (5-5-78)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- L* (UD10) vs. #9 Devon Alexander (at 149)
Next Fight: Unknown
Soto Karass once again proved much better than the “gatekeeper” moniker he’s gotten from underinformed fans and media, giving Alexander all he could handle and giving himself an argument that he deserved the decision.
10) Randall Bailey (35-35-35)
Last Fight: 11/23/2013- W (DQ8) vs. Humberto Toledo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bailey’s scheduled fight with prospect Freddy Lawson fell through apparently at or near the last minute, but I can’t find a peep about when or why online- at least not yet.
11) Josesito Lopez (35-109)
Last Fight: 4/24/2014- TKO5 Aron Martinez (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/6/2014- Unknown Opponent
Lopez will share a card with Berto, Matthysse, and Broner on September 6.  No opponent yet, but Lopez had previously said he expected a big fight in September.
12) Robert Guerrero (5-104)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- W*(UD12) vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Crossfit may have gotten Guerrero in better shape, but it sure didn’t help his gameplan.  He abandoned all skill advantages and barely squeaked by with a toss-up decision over a borderline top 50 fighter.  Adrien Broner wants to fight him, and there is some indication he may be a candidate to fight Khan in December.
13) Andre Berto (32-87)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- L (TKO12) vs. #11 Jesus Soto Karass
Next Fight: 9/6/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent 
Initially expected to return in July, Berto is now expected back on September 6.
14) Amir Khan (12-12)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- UD12 #17 Luis Collazo
Next Fight: Unknown
Having lost out on potential fights with Mayweather and Pacquiao back to back, Khan is now looking at a December date with either Alexander or Guerrero.
15) Paulie Malignaggi (12-33) 
Last Fight: 4/19/2014- L (KO4) vs. #6 Shawn Porter
Next Fight: Unknown
Malignaggi confirms he’s considering retirement.
16) Chris van Heerden (12-110)
Last Fight: 4/16/2014- W (SD10) vs. Ray Narh (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/25/2014- vs. Cecil McCalla (UNR)
Van Heerden will finally get on US TV, taking on undefeated prospect Cecil McCalla on ShoBox July 25.
17) Luis Carlos Abregu (12-65)
Last Fight: 4/4/2014- TKO8 Jean Carlos Prada (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Abregu offered Brandon Rios a fight, but Rios turned it down.  He is also interested in Thurman.
18) Jan Zaveck (25-241)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- UD8 Sebastien Allais (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/12/2014- vs. Ahmed El Mousaoui (UNR)
Zaveck will fight one-loss fringe prospect Ahmed El Mousaoui for a European Union title on September 12 in Germany.
19) Leonard Bundu (19-21)
Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO12 Lee Purdy (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/1/2014- vs. Frankie Gavin (UNR)
Bundu will fight unbeaten Brit Frankie Gavin in Wolverhampton, England on August 1 for Bundu’s European belt.

20) Yoshihiro Kamegai (5-5)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- L* (UD12) vs. #7 Robert Guerrero
Next Fight: Unknown
I personally think Kamegai won a toss-up fight with Guerrero, a credential that stands out like a sore thumb on a resume that had him barely ranked in the top 50 by boxrec at the time.

 

The Week Ahead: 
Friday
Jose Lopez vs. Cristian Favela; Los Cabos, Mexico; Cadena 3 (MEX)
Gatekeeper Lopez takes on grizzled low-level veteran journeyman Favela.

 

Roberto Garcia vs. Breidis Prescott; Chicago, Illinois; ESPN2 (US)
Garcia has looked pretty terrible for long stretches of his last two shaky victories, and is looking to conclusively establish himself as a serious force at welterweight.  Prescott, meanwhile, is still a name, but hasn’t beaten a top 50 opponent since his famous first round destruction of Amir Khan in 2008, and is properly classified as a journeyman at this point.

Leave a comment »

Junior Middleweight: 2014, Jul 21-27

Posted in Junior Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 25, 2014 by danboxing
Nothing to report from last week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: None
1) Saul Alvarez (20-177-192)
Last Fight: 7/12/2014- W (SD12) vs. #3 Erislandy Lara (at 155)
Next Fight: Unknown
Canelo deserves none of the detraction he’s getting for his very legitimate win over Lara.  He is getting some buzz as a potential challenger for Cotto’s Middleweight Championship, though he says that fight won’t happen this year.
2) Carlos Molina (20-159-174)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W (SD12) vs. #5 Ishe Smith
Next Fight: 10/11/2014- vs. #10 Cornelius Bundrage
Molina’s fight with Bundrage has been moved back to October 11.
3) Erislandy Lara (20-159-181)
Last Fight: 7/12/2014- L (SD12) vs. #1 Saul Alvarez (at 155)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lara clearly lost, despite what Malignaggi and company want you to believe. 
4) Miguel Cotto (7-216-216)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- RTD10 MW Champ Sergio Martinez (at MW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Cotto is now the Middleweight Champion, so it remains to be seen if he’ll continue to fight at 154 at all.  He’s reportedly interested in fighting Canelo, in a likely catchweight fight.
5) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (7-45-45)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- W* (MD12) vs. #4 WW Marcos Maidana (at WW)
Next Fight: 9/13/2014- vs. #1 WW Marcos Maidana (at WW)
Floyd recently said he’s rematching Maidana on September 13.  I’m glad.  Maidana deserves that, at the very least.
6) Austin Trout (7-112-181)
Last Fight: 12/7/2013- L (UD12) vs. #5 Erislandy Lara
Next Fight: 8/22/2014- vs. Daniel Dawson (UNR)
Trout will look to get back on track with a fairly easy Friday Night Fights main event against upper mid-level Australian journeyman Daniel Dawson, who was once a fringe contender, but not since 2007.
7) Ishe Smith (7-74-74)
Last Fight: 5/2/2014- KO2 Ryan Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I know he was a relatively short-notice replacement, but Ryan Davis was a little too hapless even by that standard.
8) Joshua Clottey (7-15-15)
Last Fight: 4/9/2014- UD12 #7 Anthony Mundine
Next Fight: Unknown
For those looking for a good way to revitalize a practically evaporated career, you couldn’t do much better than the example Clottey just provided.  He wants to fight Mayweather, but I’d say he’s at least one top 5 win away from having a chance at that.
9) Anthony Mundine (15-34-34)
Last Fight: 4/9/2014- L (UD12) vs. Joshua Clottey (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mundine is reportedly in talks to bring the now much larger and also more retired Danny Green into a rematch.  He’s also getting an offer from up-and-coming prospect Jeff Horn.
10) Cornelius Bundrage (15-207-207)
Last Fight: 1/24/2014- UD12 Joey Hernandez (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/10/2014- vs. #2 Carlos Molina
See Molina’s notes, above.
11) Demetrius Andrade (6-37)
Last Fight: 6/14/2014- TKO7 #20 Brian Rose
Next Fight: Unknown
After manhandling an overrated Brian Rose, Andrade says he’s ready for the big names, and has recently been aggressively pursuing a Canelo shot.
12) Alfredo Angulo (6-252)
Last Fight: 3/8/2014- L (TKO10) vs. #4 Saul Alvarez
Next Fight: Unknown
Angulo could probably use a fight with a gatekeeper or low level fringe contender just to get his career momentum going.  He’s drawing interest from Julian Williams.
13) Sergey Rabchenko (6-110)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 Bradley Pryce (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Rabchenko’s fight in Rome was cancelled on 3 days’ notice due to Visa issues, and his would-be opponent, journeyman Emanuele Della Rosa, will be fighting undefeated prospect Isaac Real for what had been Rabchenko’s European title.
14) Jermell Charlo (5-59)
Last Fight: 5/24/2014- UD12 Charlie Ota (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
15) Vanes Martirosyan (7-164)
Last Fight: 3/21/2014- UD10 Mario Lozano (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vanes was supposed to fight on the Stiverne-Arreola card from what I understood, but that fight quietly disappeared from the schedule at some unknown point in time.  He’s been dropped by Top Rank and signed with Dan Goossen, as well.
16) Brian Castaño (7-7)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- TKO4 #15 Cesar Sastre Silva
Next Fight: 8/?/2014- vs. Sebastian Lujan (UNR)
Castano was tentatively scheduled to fight Sebastian Lujan on July 19, but the fight has been postponed to sometime in August due to a Castano illness.
17) Gabriel Rosado (10-26)
Last Fight: 1/25/2014- L (UD10) vs. #18 Jermell Charlo
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #10 SMW Bryan Vera (at MW)
Rosado will be fighting Bryan Vera in a new event called Big Knockout Boxing.  The knockdown rules are different, and the ring is replaced with a circular “pit.”  I probably won’t know if it will count in the rankings until I’ve had a chance to see it in action.
18) Zaurbek Baysangurov (10-15)
Last Fight: 4/12/2014- TKO12 #20 Guido Pitto
Next Fight: Unknown
Baysangurov looked the best I’ve seen him, by far, against Pitto.
19) Willie Nelson (10-73)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- TKO1 Darryl Cunningham (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: 8/8/2014- vs. Luis Grajeda (UNR)
Nelson was just days away from removal for inactivity at 154 when Lou DiBella announced he’d be fighting on August 8.  His opponent is journeyman Luis Grajeda.  That’s not exactly a title fight, and so there’s still the possibility he’ll be removed if it becomes clear that he’s fighting at 160 again.  Stay tuned.
20) Kell Brook (6-6)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- TKO8 Alvaro Robles (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #6 WW Shawn Porter (at WW)
Brook is really a welterweight (and a top 10 contender at that weight), but has thrown in enough significant wins near the 154 limit to make himself independently a fringe contender at this weight.  He’ll get a shot at a welterweight belt on August 16 against Shawn Porter in New York.

 

The Week Ahead: 
Saturday
Liam Smith vs. Jason Welborn; Manchester, England; BoxNation (UK)
Smith is an undefeated brother of Callum Smith and Paul Smith.  The Liverpool native already owns a win over a borderline top-50 fighter in Erick Ochieng, though at this point he’s probably slightly less proven than his younger and larger brother Callum.  Welborn, a fellow Englishman from the West Midlands, is a mid-range journeyman with two losses who has only lost to undefeated opposition.

Leave a comment »

Middleweight: 2014, Jul 21-27

Posted in Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 25, 2014 by danboxing
No notable middleweights saw action last week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Miguel Cotto (7-7-7)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- RTD10 Champ Sergio Martinez
Next Fight: Unknown
Cotto is the Champion.  The only question now is whether he will risk that Championship against the dominant #1 contender against whom he probably would have very little chance.  His thoughts seem to be more in the direction of Canelo.
1) Gennady Golovkin (32-99-162)
Last Fight: 2/1/2014- TKO7 Osumanu Adama (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/26/2014- vs. #5 Daniel Geale
Golovkin-Geale is official for July 26 in New York.
2) Sam Soliman (8-32-32)
Last Fight: 5/31/2014- UD12 #2 Felix Sturm
Next Fight: Unknown
His trainer wants Cotto, but Martin Murray looks more likely.  Soliman himself says he wants the winner of Golovkin-Geale.  On the other hand, the winner of N’Dam-Stevens will become his mandatory.
3) Sergio Martinez (7-223-223)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- L (RTD10) vs. #8 JMW Miguel Cotto
Next Fight: Unknown
When assessing Maravilla’s viability as a contender at this point, it really comes down to one question: is his base athletic level and chin as bad as his performance against Cotto, or can it be blamed on a knee or other sort of leg injury?  If the latter, he might stand some chance to come back given enough recuperation time.  If the former, then he’s one of the most obviously finished fighters I’ve ever seen.  His manager ominously said after the fight that his only injury was a broken nose.  That’s incredible, if true, considering how bad his legs looked.  He says he plans to continue fighting.
4) Felix Sturm (7-566-566)
Last Fight: 5/31/2014- L (UD12) vs. #8 Sam Soliman
Next Fight: Unknown
Sturm passed on an eliminator with Curtis Stevens, right after David Lemieux passed on an eliminator with Sturm.  Apparently nobody wants the IBF title.
5) Daniel Geale (7-266-266)
Last Fight: 2/19/2014- RTD6 Garth Wood (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/26/2014- vs. #1 Gennady Golovkin
See Golovkin’s notes, above.
6) Martin Murray (5-138-138)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- UD12 #15 Max Bursak
Next Fight: 10/25/2014- vs. Domenico Spada (UNR)
Murray will essentially tread water against formerly significant journeyman Domenico Spada in Monte Carlo in late October.  He’s apparently the #1 contender for Cotto’s title, so we’ll see if that materializes at some point thereafter.
7) Peter Quillin (5-92-113)
Last Fight: 4/19/2014- UD12 Lukas Konecny (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBO has ordered Quillin-Korobov.
8) Matthew Macklin (7-161-252)
Last Fight: 12/7/2013- UD10 Lamar Russ (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/30/2014- vs. Jorge Sebastian Heiland (UNR)
Macklin is back on August 30 in Dublin against Argentina’s Sebastian Heiland, who I guess qualifies as a minor threat after technically stopping Billi Godoy.
9) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (7-32-32)
Last Fight: 4/16/2014- UD10 Fulgencio Zuniga (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/30/2014- vs. #19 Curtis Stevens
N’Dam-Stevens is set for September 30, with the winner getting a shot at Soliman’s belt.
10) Sergio Mora (7-56-56)
Last Fight: 5/31/2014- TKO5 Samuel Rogers (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mora wants Quillin or Golovkin.
11) Osumanu Adama (7-25)
Last Fight: 2/1/2014- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Gennady Golovkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Not the most pleasant entry into the rankings we’ve ever seen, but his resume stacks up pretty well as long as he’s active and on weight.
12) Dmitry Chudinov (7-17)
Last Fight: 6/1/2014- UD12 Patrick Nielsen (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/9/2014- vs. Mehdi Bouadla (UNR)
Russian Chudinov will be in action in Sevastopol- a city his country is currently occupying in the Ukraine- against decent French journeyman Mehdi Bouadla on August 9.
13) Marco Antonio Rubio (7-182)
Last Fight: 4/5/2014- KO10* Domenico Spada (UNR)
Next Fight:Unknown
Rubio wants a shot at Cotto.
14) Matt Korobov (4-4)
Last Fight: 6/28/2014- UD10 Jose Uzcategui (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Quillin’s notes, above.
15) Jarrod Fletcher (4-25)
Last Fight: 2/1/2014- W* (UD12) vs. #12 Max Bursak
Next Fight: 8/9/2014- vs. Daniel Jacobs (UNR)
Fletcher will fight fringe contender Daniel Jacobs on August 9 for a trumped up (aka WBA) title.
16) Max Bursak (4-182)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- L (UD12) vs. #7 Martin Murray
Next Fight: Unknown
Monte Carlo isn’t kind to Bursak.  He lost a debatable decision to Jarrod Fletcher there, and then was more or less dominated by Martin Murray.
17) David Lemieux (4-9)
Last Fight: 5/24/2014- KO3 Fernando Guerrero (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lemieux’s eye-popping domination of Guerrero has fueled idle speculation of a potential shot at Peter Quillin, who is short on options for high-level opponents due to the ongoing Showtime-HBO feud.  In the meantime, he’s reportedly turned down an eliminator with Sturm.
18) Caleb Truax (7-44)
Last Fight: 1/3/2014- Draw (UD10) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: 7/25/2014- vs. Derek Ennis (UNR)
Truax has a new opponent for 7/25, with a slight downgrade to Derek Ennis.
19) Curtis Stevens (7-51)
Last Fight: 4/4/2014- TKO10* Tureano Johnson (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: 9/30/2014- vs. #9 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam
The winner of Stevens-N’Dam will get a shot at Soliman’s belt.
20) Andrey Meryasev (7-37)
Last Fight: 4/26/2014- UD10 Carlos Baldomir (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Meryasev dominated in pedestrian fashion against the now-retired Baldomir.

 

The Week Ahead: It’s a middleweight bonanza this week.
Friday
Michel Soro vs. Antoine Douglas; Verona, New York; Showtime (US)
Douglas is an untested undefeated prospect, while Soro would be undefeated if he hadn’t been robbed in what was technically a title fight with Zaurbek Baysangurov at 154.  This is a total toss-up fight, and well-matched.

 

#18 Caleb Truax vs. Derek Ennis; Chicago, Illinois; ESPN2 (US)
Ennis would have been a good test for Truax about 4 years ago, but he’s been rather inactive since 2011, and has had only one significant fight since then.  His career really jumped the rails earlier that year, when he was inexplicably stopped by low-level journeyman Giorbis Barthelemy.  Truax had a poor outing his last time out in a draw against Ossie Duran, but he was on a bit of a roll before that.  We’ll see which Truax shows up.  If it’s the good one, it might be a short night.

 

Billi Godoy vs. Martin Rios; Buenos Aires, Argentina; TV Publica (ARG)
Godoy, who has come up as a golden prospect in Argentina, was once ranked here, but has been tagged with 2 losses now.  He should arguably still be undefeated.  I had his loss to Sergio Sanders a draw back in 2012, and when he was unjustly stopped against Jorge Heiland in November, I was set to score that fight a draw if the 12th had played out with no new knockdowns.  Still, struggling to that degree against that level of competition doesn’t exactly make him look like the next Maravilla.  Rios is a one-loss fringe prospect.  His only loss is a reasonably respectable decision setback to the solid Luciano Cuello, but he does have two draws already against lesser competition.  

 

Saturday
Billy Joe Saunders vs. Emanuele Blandamura; Manchester, England; BoxNation (UK)
This is a good matchup of legit prospects.  England’s Saunders owns wins over fellow prospects Jarrod Fletcher (though it was very prematurely stopped) and John Ryder, while Rome’s Blandamura comes off his career-best win over fellow prospect Marcos Nader in a convincing decision.  The cards in that fight were ludicrously close overall, but it was something like a 118-11o win in reality.  You’d have to lean toward Saunders due to his better overall experience coming up in the British system, but you never know what can happen when two legitimately unbeaten guys with top 50 wins on their record meet up.

 

#1 Gennady Golovkin vs. #5 Daniel Geale; New York, New York; HBO (US)
Looking at the names on each man’s resume alone, this one figures to be a barnburner.  On the other hand, it’s almost impossible for me to picture Geale winning.  By comparison, the Australian contender is woefully feather-fisted.  He wins most of his high-level fights in close fashion by throwing a ton of volume.  You’d think all the destructive Golovkin would have to do was time him a few times per round and it would be a short night.  And that’s even assuming Geale could get the necessary respect to avoid being actively walked down by GGG.  Nice matchup in terms of the standings, but it has all the signs of a relatively easy night for the #1 contender anyway.

 

#20 SMW Don Mouton vs. Larry Smith; Humble, Texas; Off TV
Mouton takes on the abysmal Larry Smith in a fight so one-sided, it’s not worthy of further mention.

Leave a comment »

Super Middleweight: 2014, Jul 21-27

Posted in Rankings, Super Middleweight with tags , , , , , , , on December 13, 2014 by danboxing
In last week’s preview of the Macau undercard fight between #15 Gilberto Ramirez and Junior Talipeau, I opined that Talipeau, a quality journeyman, would provide some resistance for the fast rising Mexican prospect.  I was wrong.  Talipeau got blitzed from the opening bell, and never even managed to get into the fight.  Ramirez caught him on the end of a long uppercut that led to a knockdown, and the fight was functionally over from there.  Ramirez added two more knockdowns in the one and only round before the fight was mercifully stopped. 

 

Talipeau was once a top 50 fighter, but hasn’t deserved such recognition since his 2011 loss to Zac Awad, and so Ramirez gets no opportunity to advance with the victory.  However, last week’s #13 Maxim Vlasov is removed in light of the news that his fight this weekend will be contested at the 175 pound limit.  He hasn’t made 168 in about 20 months, and is thus ineligible for a continued ranking here.  Everyone ranked #14 and below last week moves up a spot, and Don Mouton re-enters for the first time since Gilberto Ramirez knocked him out and out of the rankings at the beginning of February.

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: Andre Ward (136-270-270)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 #13 Edwin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown
Ward says his lawsuit is not keeping him from fighting, and says he expects a fight by the end of the year, along with 3 in 2015.  Seems optimistic to me.
1) Carl Froch (113-423-423)
Last Fight: 5/31/2014- KO8 #7 George Groves
Next Fight: Unknown
Froch is reportedly close to reaching a deal to fight DeGale in November or December.
2) Arthur Abraham (21-248-248)
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 (21-256-256)
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 (8-9-145)
Last Fight: 5/31/2014- TKO4* #4 Brandon Gonzales
Next Fight: Unknown
See Froch’s notes, above.
5) Thomas Oosthuizen (9-164-212)
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 (9-37-82)
Last Fight: 4/25/2014- TKO3 Richard Vidal (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
7) George Groves (9-84-106)
Last Fight: 5/31/2014- L (KO8) vs. #1 Carl Froch
Next Fight: 9/20/2014- vs. #11 Christopher Rebrasse
Groves is scheduled to fight again on September 20, in an eliminator for a shot at the Bika-Dirrell winner.
8) Brandon Gonzales (8-56-56)
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. (8-21-21)
Last Fight: 3/1/2014- UD10 #5 MW Bryan Vera
Next Fight: Unknown
With the Froch fight apparently dead, Cotto is now interested in Chavez, whose camp claims he can still make 160 for the fight.
10) Bryan Vera (8-21-21)
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 (9-59)
Last Fight: 3/22/2014- TKO4 Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/20/2014- vs. #7 George Groves
See Groves’ notes, above.
12) Sakio Bika (9-381)
Last Fight: 12/7/2013- Draw (SD12) vs. Anthony Dirrell (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #16 Anthony Dirrell
Bika will re-match Anthony Dirrell on August 16 in Carson, California.
13) Edwin Rodriguez (1-79)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Andre Ward
Next Fight: Unknown
14) Gilberto Ramirez (1-25)
Last Fight: 7/19/2014- TKO1 Junior Talipeau (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ramirez confirms that he feels comfortable at 168, and is looking for big fights in his more or less new division.
15) Ryota Murata (1-48)
Last Fight: 5/22/2014- KO6 Jesus Angel Nerio (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Murata is rumored to be fighting in Singapore in October.
16) Anthony Dirrell (1-33)
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.
17) Hadillah Mohoumadi (1-73)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Caleb Truax (1-15)
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.
19) Derek Edwards (1-9)
Last Fight: 2/28/2014- TKO1 #20 Badou Jack
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Don Mouton (1-1)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- TKO3 William Johnson (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: 7/26/2014- vs. Larry Smith (UNR) (at MW)
Mouton’s career took a big hit with the Ramirez loss, as you can tell from his last opponent and the one for this week.

 

The Week Ahead: 
Wednesday
Avtandil Khurtsidze vs. Allen Conyers; New York, New York; Off TV
Khurtsidze is a long-time middleweight fringe contender from the Republic of Georgia, who is returning to the ring, a few pounds heavier than usual, for the first time since late 2011.  Conyers is a mid-level journeyman who is said to have some power and can handle himself, but is probably not much of a threat on this level.

 

Saturday
#3 Robert Stieglitz vs. Sergey Khomitsky; Dessau, Germany; RAN (Germany) 
The idea of #3 Stieglitz losing to an unranked guy like Khomitsky- a career journeyman until very recently- sounds far-fetched.  That being said, Khomitsky arguably beat Martin Murray (who I would have considered a better fighter than Stieglitz) this year and then upset British prospect Frank Buglioni.  I don’t know that he should be anything like a favorite against Stieglitz’s long and distinguished overall resume, but I do believe you’re likely to get odds that might justify a bet for the underdog, if you are of a betting mind.  Should be an excellent fight.

 

Juergen Doberstein vs. Matingu Kindele; Kaarst, Germany; Off TV
Doberstein is a one-loss prospect.  I’m not sure he qualifies as a blue-chipper, but he is coming off his career best win, by a mile, in a dominant 12-round decision over the very capable William Gare.  Kindele is basically a novice at just 5-2, and hasn’t proven much of anything to this point.  It shouldn’t be all that competitive.

Leave a comment »

Light Heavyweight: 2014, Jul 21-27

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 12, 2014 by danboxing
Nothing to report from last week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks   in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (98-98-98)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 #15 Edwin Rodriguez (as SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ward says his lawsuit is not keeping him from fighting, and says he expects a fight by the end of the year, along with 3 in 2015.  Seems optimistic to me.
1) Adonis Stevenson (59-59-59)
Last Fight: 5/24/2014- UD12 #6 Andrzej Fonfara
Next Fight: Unknown
Hopkins wants Kovalev and then Stevenson, according to the legend.
2) Bernard Hopkins (98-424-424)
Last Fight: 4/19/2014- W (SD12*) vs. Beibut Shumenov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Stevenson’s notes, above.
3) Jean Pascal (27-27-27)
Last Fight: 1/18/2014- UD12 #16 Lucian Bute
Next Fight: Unknown
Pascal is pencilled in for a September fight, and perhaps one more before the end of the year.  There is currently talk of Tavoris Cloud being the September opponent.  That’s a significant step up from Sean Monaghan, who had been the odds-on favorite to fight Pascal on that date.
4) Sergey Kovalev (27-79-79)
Last Fight: 3/29/2014- KO7 #15 Cedric Agnew
Next Fight: 8/2/2014- vs. Blake Caparello (UNR)
Kovalev is back on August 2 against apparently one of the few guys willing to fight him- Australian undefeated prospect Blake Caparello.
5) Tony Bellew (5-145-145)
Last Fight: 7/12/2014- TKO5 Julio Cesar Dos Santos (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
By all accounts, Bellew will fight Cleverly in the fall.  The date and location is all that’s left to decide.
6) Andrzej Fonfara (5-49-106)
Last Fight: 5/24/2014- L (UD12) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
There are rumors of negotiations for a fight with Chad Dawson.
7) Gabriel Campillo (5-213-213)
Last Fight: 5/9/2014- TKO7 Ricky Pow (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/1/2014- vs. #13 Thomas Williams, Jr.
This could be the start of Campillo’s resurgence, or the continuation of his decline.  He’ll fight up-and-comer Thomas Williams, Jr. on Friday Night Fights, August 1.
8) Tavoris Cloud (5-256-256)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
A September 27 fight with Pascal is a possibility.
9) Nathan Cleverly (5-233-233)
Last Fight: 7/12/2014- TKO4 Alejandro Valori (UNR)(at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Bellew’s notes, above.
10) Isaac Chilemba (5-5-129)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- UD10 Denis Grachev (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/2/2014- vs. Cory Cummings (UNR)
Chilemba will fight on the Kovalev-Caparello card on August 2, taking on mid-level journeyman Cory Cummings in a stay-busy fight.
11) Jürgen Brähmer (5-118)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- UD12 Roberto Feliciano Bolonti (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Braehmer looked solid for 11 of the 12 rounds against Bolonti.  It’s said that he aspires to a Hopkins fight.
12) Karo Murat (5-39)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
Murat wants Braehmer, his former stablemate, but is now without a promoter, which probably means Sauerland isn’t falling all over themselves to make that fight.
13) Thomas Williams, Jr. (5-26)
Last Fight: 4/24/2014- TKO3 Enrique Ornelas (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/1/2014- vs. #7 Gabriel Campillo
See Campillo’s notes, above.
14) Cedric Agnew (5-67)
Last Fight: 6/27/2014- RTD2 Shannon Miller (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After taking a risk against Kovalev and coming up short, I can only assume that his prospects for a regional title bout against Dudchenko and a IBF eliminator against Sukhotsky might both be out the window at least for the moment.
15) Edwin Rodriguez (5-54)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Andre Ward
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez was scheduled to fight Marcus Johnson on May 24, but Johnson quickly withdrew.
16) Hadillah Mohoumadi (5-56)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
17) Cornelius White (5-136)
Last Fight: 1/24/2014- L (TKO1) vs. Thomas Williams, Jr. (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Never blessed with big-time promotional or managerial ties, White has risked becoming a permanent opponent with his last two losses.
18) Eleider Alvarez (5-78)
Last Fight: 5/24/2014- UD10 Alexander Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
19) Lucian Bute (5-90)
Last Fight: 1/18/2014- L (UD12) vs. Jean Pascal (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bute wants his contractually-guaranteed rematch with Pascal, a fight that appears tentatively planned for late in the year.  He recently parted ways with his long-time trainer, and says he’s in no hurry to get back in the ring.
20) Dmitry Sukhotsky (5-5)
Last Fight: 6/4/2014- UD12 Joey Vegas (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I can’t find a video anywhere, but Sukhotsky’s win over Joey Vegas in Russia was suspiciously close.

 

The Week Ahead: 
Saturday
Maxim Vlasov vs. Ruben Acosta; Riga, Latvia; TV Unknown
Acosta is a high-level journeyman who was briefly a member of the Boxrec Top 50 at 168 before he was dismantled by undefeated prospect Callum Smith in October.  I doubt he’ll fare much better against the lanky Russian Vlasov, who gave up his right to a #13 super middleweight ranking when he agreed to make this a light heavyweight fight, as he hasn’t made 168 since November 2012.

 

Robin Krasniqi vs. Oleksandr Cherviak; Dessau, Germany; RAN (Germany)
This is an intriguing fight.  Krasniqi is basically a confirmed gatekeeper, having lost only twice very early in his career and then last year when he stepped up to the level of Nathan Cleverly.  His best win- now way too old to matter in the rankings- was a 6 round decision over fringe contender Berry Butler in 2007.  If he can beat Cherviak, it would be his best win since then.  That’s not necessarily saying much, as that honor currently goes to his knockout of unproven undefeated prospect Serdar Sahin just before the Cleverly fight.  Cherviak has plenty of ups and downs, but is no stranger to springing upsets.  His last significant fight was a stoppage loss to Nadjib Mohammedi, but he exposed and stopped the previously undefeated Dustin Dirks before that, and also beat one-loss prospect Vitali Rusal in 2010.  That being said, Krasniqi would be his best win by a fair amount.

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2014, Jul 21-27

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 12, 2014 by danboxing
Argentine Gatekeeper Victor Ramirez continued his rather leisurely comeback on Saturday, knocking out low-level Brazilian journeyman Cleiton Conceicao in 4, having dropped him twice in the final round.  No changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Marco Huck (10-398-398)
Last Fight:1/25/2014- TKO6 #5 Firat Arslan
Next Fight: 8/30/2014- vs. Mirko Larghetti (UNR)
As it turns out, Huck’s August 30 opponent will be Mirko Larghetti, the Italian prospect he was scheduled to fight earlier this year before injury scuttled the bout.
2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (10-213-213)
Last Fight: 11/23/2013- TKO10 #12 Alexander Alekseev
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #6 Firat Arslan
Hernandez is set to fight Arslan on August 16, in Erfurt, Germany.  
3) Denis Lebedev (10-233-233)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lebedev is said to be returning in September, with the exact date to be reported in August.  Pawel Kolodziej is being considered, along with a couple unnamed options.
4) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (45-474-474)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- TKO6 #9 Giacobbe Fragomeni
Next Fight: Unknown
It’s looking like Wlodarczyk will be back in August, possibly against BJ Flores, though Makabu’s win over Glen Johnson has him in position for a shot, as well.
5) Thabiso Mchunu (26-51-89)
Last Fight: 1/24/2014- UD10 Olanrewaju Durodola (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mchunu’s scheduled fight with Brazilian prospect was scrapped on just a day’s notice due to the surprise withdrawal of the card’s sponsors.
6) Firat Arslan (26-115-158)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- UD8 Tamas Bajzath (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #2 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
See Hernandez’s notes, above.
7) Grigory Drozd (35-42-89)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- KO1 Jeremy Ouanna (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
8) Rakhim Chakhkiev (8-8-8)
Last Fight: 5/30/2014- UD12 #11 Santander Silgado
Next Fight: Unknown
Chakhkiev has finally cashed in a high-level win to go with his hype and promise.  Most likely another title shot is not far off.
9) Ilunga Makabu (4-4-54)
Last Fight: 6/28/2014- TKO9 Glen Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Makabu didn’t look great for most of his fight with 45 year-old Glen Johnson, but he had a lot more in the tank than the old veteran, and became only the 2nd guy to get him out of there.
10) Ola Afolabi (4-280-280)
Last Fight: 11/2/2013- W* (MD12) vs. Lukasz Janik (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/26/2014- vs. Anthony Caputo Smith (UNR)
The rumor that is Pawel Kolodziej is once again involved in a fight that’s not coming off, as he withdrew from his July 26 date with Afolabi, who will now fight the much weaker Anthony Caputo Smith.
11) Lukasz Janik (4-38)
Last Fight: 6/28/2014- UD10 Rico Hoye (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Janik did enough to beat a perhaps better-than-expected Rico Hoye, but didn’t exactly light the world on fire in doing so.
12) Ovill McKenzie (4-15)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- TKO2 Jon-Lewis Dickinson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After blowing out the British Champion, McKenzie has his sites set on a European or perhaps World belt.  He wants to fight Marco Huck most of all.
13) Youri Kalenga (4-5)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- W (SD12*) vs. #12 Mateusz Masternak
Next Fight: Unknown
How a guy can get dominated by Arturs Kulikauskis, only to come back and dominate Mateusz Masternak within about 9 months, is beyond me.  Still, the former fight aside, he’s got another pretty nice win on his resume right before that, over Iago Kiladze, a then-undefeated prospect.
14) Nathan Cleverly (2-2)
Last Fight: 7/12/2014- TKO4 Alejandro Valori (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Cleverly will likely fight Bellew in November, give or take.
15) Giacobbe Fragomeni (2-297)
Last Fight: 4/26/2014- vs. Olegs Lopajevs (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The fight with Lopajevs was purely a stay-busy contest, but he’s talking about another title shot even at 44 years old.
16) Mateusz Masternak (2-121)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- L (SD12*) vs. Youri Kalenga (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Having now lost to his last two decent opponents, the future of Masternak, who looked like a can’t-miss talent not long ago, seems very much in doubt.
17) Santander Silgado (2-38)
Last Fight: 5/30/2014- L (UD12) vs. Rakhim Chakhkiev (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I don’t want to say Silgado made it easy for Chakhkiev, because it looked relatively difficult, but he sure didn’t help himself by taking a fight with a fringe contending Olympic Gold Medalist on 2 weeks’ notice.
18) Danie Venter (2-45)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- KO1 Shawn Cox (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Venter’s June 6 fight was cancelled a day in advance due to a withdrawal of the card’s sponsors.
19) Nuri Seferi (5-31)
Last Fight: 5/16/2014- UD12 Tamas Lodi (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I took Seferi’s stated desire to fight Marco Huck as idle chatter, but that fight now looks likely for August 30, deserved or not.
20) Gusmyr Perdomo (5-15)
Last Fight: 4/11/2014- Robbery Loss (should be draw) vs. #15 Nuri Seferi
Next Fight: 8/30/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Perdomo deserved at least a draw against Seferi, but the judges summoned just enough coincidental incompetence to take it from him.  He’s back on August 30.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: 
Saturday
Mairis Briedis vs. Joey Vegas; Riga, Latvia; TV Unknown
This is a very nice test for undefeated local prospect Briedis.  Vegas recently gave fringe contender Dmitry Sukhotsky all he could handle in Sukhotsky’s backyard, so this is not a gimme fight.  The only problem is that that fight was at Vegas’ natural 175 weight.  Briedis, you would think, is the much bigger man.

 

Roy Jones, Jr. vs. Courtney Fry; Riga, Latvia; TV Unknown
Well, I guess you could at least give the 45 year-old Jones credit for knowing where he’s at in his career.  Fry is a low-level British journeyman, and is pushing 40, himself.  Even a fully washed-up Jones shouldn’t have trouble in this one.

 

#10 Ola Afolabi vs. Anthony Caputo Smith; New York, New York; Off TV
Afolabi comes off essentially a robbery win over Lukasz Janik, and will have a much easier night against mid-level journeyman Anthony Caputo Smith on the Golovkin-Geale undercard.

 

William Fernando Souza Bezerra vs. Ricardo Souza; Sao Paolo, Brazil; TV Unknown
I still can’t really confirm that Souza Bezerra’s fights are real.  The two I’ve seen video of have both looked extremely fishy.  Neither of those fights were against Souza, whom Bezerra has fought twice before.  He knocked him out in one and four rounds in those two fights, so I’m not sure what there is left to prove.

Leave a comment »

Heavyweight: 2014, Jul 21-27

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 12, 2014 by danboxing
No heavyweight action to report from last week, for a second week in a row.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (265-478-478)
Last Fight: 4/26/2014- TKO5 #16 Alex Leapai
Next Fight: 9/6/2014- vs. #5 Kubrat Pulev
It’s looking all but certain that Wlad will fight Pulev on September 6.
1) Tyson Fury (23-23-23)
Last Fight: 2/15/2014- TKO4 Joey Abell (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury can barely get in the ring lately, as Chisora withdrew from their 7/26 matchup on less than a week’s notice after fracturing his hand in sparring.  
2) Alexander Povetkin (8-352-352)
Last Fight: 5/30/2014- TKO7 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Povetkin wants to return in late October, and wants to rematch the Champ when he’s gotten at least 3 fights in with his new trainer.
3) Vyacheslav Glazkov (8-19-83)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- UD12 #4 Tomasz Adamek
Next Fight: 8/9/2014- vs. Derric Rossy (UNR)
Glazkov returns in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on August 9, in a fight with gatekeeper Derric Rossy to be televised on NBC Sports.
4) Amir Mansour (16-16-16)
Last Fight: 4/4/2014- Robbery L (UD10) vs. #4 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: Unknown
Cunningham had the more sympathetic story and a legitimately great comeback attempt, but Mansour had the better collection of rounds legitimately won.  Mansour was robbed even though the fight was close, and deserves Cunningham’s former position in the rankings for his effort.
5) Kubrat Pulev (23-116-193)
Last Fight: 4/5/2014- RTD3 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/6/2014- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
See Klitschko’s notes, above.
6) Dereck Chisora (23-138-201)
Last Fight: 2/15/2014- UD12 Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Fury’s notes, above.
7) Carlos Takam (7-7-27)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- UD12 #9 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
Takam’s potential appears nearly boundless after he handled Tony Thompson more easily than anyone not named Wladimir Klitschko.
8) Bermane Stiverne (7-11-73)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- TKO6 #13 Chris Arreola
Next Fight: Unknown
Stiverne is hoping to fight Wilder sometime in November in either Montreal or Las Vegas, while Don King wants to stage it in Mexico for some reason.
9) Steve Cunningham (7-83-83)
Last Fight: 4/4/2014- Robbery W (UD10) vs. Amir Mansour (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I hope you’ll all pray for his daughter to recover from her life-threatening health condition, and the guy had guts to come back from the 2 knockdowns.  But he didn’t win the fight.
10) Tony Thompson (7-18-217)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- L (UD12) vs. #12 Carlos Takam
Next Fight: Unknown
Thompson volunteered to replace Dereck Chisora against Tyson Fury, but my guess is that’s a non-starter on such short notice.
11) Tomasz Adamek (7-222)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- L (UD12) vs. #18 Vyacheslav Glazkov
Next Fight: 10/18/2014- vs. Artur Szpilka (UNR)
Adamek is back on October 18 against all-action gatekeeper Artur Szpilka, in what should be a cash cow for the promoters in Lodz, Poland.
12) Odlanier Solis (7-217)
Last Fight: 3/22/2014- L* (SD12) vs. #13 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
The Solis haters are out in force, claiming a clear loss in a fight that Solis deserved to win.  You might not like his physique or his training habits or his style, but if he outfights the other guy, he still deserves to be respected as a winner at least as much as a disappointment.  A loss to Thompson is not that embarrassing, especially when you ought to have won it.
13) Deontay Wilder (11-65)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- KO1 #19 Malik Scott
Next Fight: Unknown
See Stiverne’s notes, above.
14) Chris Arreola (11-46)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- L (TKO6) vs. #12 Bermane Stiverne
Next Fight: Unknown
Arreola just had elbow surgery, but is expected back in the ring in October.
15) Erkan Teper (16-47)
Last Fight: 6/13/2014- RTD6 Newfel Ouatah (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Teper’s effort in his last fight- and perhaps especially in the gym leading up to it- was awful, and he got lucky when his opponent turned out to be almost as out of shape as him, in addition to being an apparent quitter.
16) Alex Leapai (16-35)
Last Fight: 4/26/2014- L (KO5) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Leapai is reportedly interested in fighting Shannon Briggs in the wake of his total non-performance against the Champ.
17) Andy Ruiz (16-35)
Last Fight: 5/17/2014- TKO2 Manuel Quezada (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ruiz pulled out of his August 9 fight with Nagy Aguilera due to a family health issues.
18) Seth Mitchell (16-59)
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.
19) Francesco Pianeta (5-19)
Last Fight: 5/30/2014- KO1 Mickael Vieira (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Pianeta says he wants to give Vieira a rematch due to the flukey broken arm that KO’d the Frenchman.  The fight was a waste of time the first time, honestly, so I’m not sure we need a second helping, regardless of the reason.
20) Malik Scott (5-5)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- L (KO1) vs. #13 Deontay Wilder
Next Fight: Unknown

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: 
Wednesday
Charles Martin vs. Kertson Manswell; New York, NY; Off TV
Martin is a fairly active undefeated prospect from St. Louis, who fights out of California.  Manswell is a frequently recycled journeyman from Trinidad and/or Tobago.  I’m not sure why he keeps getting used as an opponent for serious guys.  Maybe it’s because you might have heard of him, and he often gets stopped early.

 

Saturday
Eddie Chambers vs. Marcelo Nascimento; Manchester, England; Channel 5 (UK)
Chambers is slowly building toward respectable competition.  Nascimento is absolutely no threat, but he’s not a complete non-entity either.  He’s a lower-mid-level journeyman from Brazil, who can handle himself a little, more or less.

 

Bryant Jennings vs. Mike Perez; New York, New York; HBO (US)
This is a heck of a matchup of prospects.  Jennings is undefeated, and has worked his way up from an unknown underdog in tennis shoes to a guy getting occasional buzz for a Klitschko shot.  Perez looked on his way straight to the top when he put a nearly deadly beating on fellow undefeated prospect Magomed Abdusalamov, but in his only fight since, he looked affected by the tragic triumph, and laid an egg against another prospect in Carlos Takam.  Takam won easily, but Perez got a ridiculous gift to escape with a shameful draw.  This is a pick ’em fight.

Leave a comment »

Welterweight: 2014, Jul 14-20

Posted in Rankings, Welterweight with tags , , , , , , , on December 11, 2014 by danboxing
Nothing to report at you from last week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (220-252-252)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- W* (MD12) vs. #4 Marcos Maidana
Next Fight: 9/13/2014- vs. #1 Marcos Maidana
Mayweather will give Maidama a well-deserved rematch on September 13.
1) Marcos Maidana (11-58-58)
Last Fight:5/3/2014- L* (MD12) vs. Champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Next Fight: 9/13/2014- vs. Champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
See Mayweather’s notes, above.
2) Manny Pacquiao (11-293-293)
Last Fight: 4/12/2014- UD12 #1 Timothy Bradley
Next Fight: 11/23/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Pacquiao will be back on November 23 in Macau, with the totally unworthy Chris Algieri now looking like the most likely opponent (for a PPV, mind you).  But Algieri is reportedly getting greedy, and his monetary demands are putting that fight mercifully in jeopardy.
3) Juan Manuel Marquez (11-140-140)
Last Fight: 5/17/2014- UD12 #? JWW Mike Alvarado
Next Fight: Unknown
The otherwise likely scenario of Pacquiao-Marquez V is maybe a little less likely now, with Marquez having asked for $20 million, which was not well-received by the Pacquiao camp.
4) Timothy Bradley (11-40-110)
Last Fight: 4/12/2014- L (UD12) vs. #3 Manny Pacquiao
Next Fight: Unknown
Bradley says he intends to return in December after rehabbing a bad calf.  There is a lot of talk of him fighting Cotto, but I find it hard to take that seriously.
5) Keith Thurman (31-31-71)
Last Fight: 4/26/2014- RTD3 Julio Diaz (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
There’s a rumor that has Thurman fighting Maidana on September 13.  He’s also expressed interest in Tim Bradley, a politically difficult proposition, though some believe the departure of Richard Schaeffer from Golden Boy might make it more realistic.
6) Shawn Porter (31-32-32)
Last Fight: 4/19/2014- KO4 #14 Paulie Malignaggi
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #7 Kell Brook
Porter-Brook is now made for August 16 in New York.
7) Kell Brook (4-168-168)
Last Fight:3/15/2014- TKO8 Alvaro Robles (UNR) (at JMW)
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #6 Shawn Porter
See Porter’s notes, above.
8) Devon Alexander (4-125-125)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- W* (UD10) vs. #12 Jesus Soto Karass (at 149)
Next Fight: Unknown
Alexander wants to fight Keith Thurman.
9) Jesus Soto Karass (4-4-77)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- L* (UD10) vs. #9 Devon Alexander (at 149)
Next Fight: Unknown
Soto Karass once again proved much better than the “gatekeeper” moniker he’s gotten from underinformed fans and media, giving Alexander all he could handle and giving himself an argument that he deserved the decision.
10) Randall Bailey (34-34-34)
Last Fight: 11/23/2013- W (DQ8) vs. Humberto Toledo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bailey’s scheduled fight with prospect Freddy Lawson fell through apparently at or near the last minute, but I can’t find a peep about when or why online- at least not yet.
11) Josesito Lopez (34-108)
Last Fight: 4/24/2014- TKO5 Aron Martinez (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/6/2014- Unknown Opponent
Lopez will share a card with Berto, Matthysse, and Broner on September 6.  No opponent yet, but Lopez had previously said he expected a big fight in September.
12) Robert Guerrero (4-103)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- W*(UD12) vs. Yoshihiro Kamegai (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Crossfit may have gotten Guerrero in better shape, but it sure didn’t help his gameplan.  He abandoned all skill advantages and barely squeaked by with a toss-up decision over a borderline top 50 fighter.  Adrien Broner wants to fight him, and there is some indication he may be a candidate to fight Pacquiao in November.
13) Andre Berto (31-86)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- L (TKO12) vs. #11 Jesus Soto Karass
Next Fight: 9/6/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent 
Initially expected to return in July, Berto is now expected back on September 6.
14) Amir Khan (11-11)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- UD12 #17 Luis Collazo
Next Fight: Unknown
Khan is angling for a Pacquiao shot in November.
15) Paulie Malignaggi (11-32) 
Last Fight: 4/19/2014- L (KO4) vs. #6 Shawn Porter
Next Fight: Unknown
Malignaggi confirms he’s considering retirement.
16) Chris van Heerden (11-109)
Last Fight: 4/16/2014- W (SD10) vs. Ray Narh (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/25/2014- vs. Cecil McCalla (UNR)
Van Heerden will finally get on US TV, taking on undefeated prospect Cecil McCalla on ShoBox July 25.
17) Luis Carlos Abregu (11-64)
Last Fight: 4/4/2014- TKO8 Jean Carlos Prada (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Abregu offered Brandon Rios a fight, but Rios turned it down.  He is also interested in Thurman, and is reportedly on the list of potential opponents for Pacquiao.  Pac’s team is not interested, and I can see why.  Abregu is hardly a household name outside Argentina, except among hardcore fans.
18) Jan Zaveck (24-240)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- UD8 Sebastien Allais (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
19) Leonard Bundu (18-20)
Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO12 Lee Purdy (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/1/2014- vs. Frankie Gavin (UNR)
Bundu will fight unbeaten Brit Frankie Gavin in Wolverhampton, England on August 1 for Bundu’s European belt.

20) Yoshihiro Kamegai (4-4)
Last Fight: 6/21/2014- L* (UD12) vs. #7 Robert Guerrero
Next Fight: Unknown
I personally think Kamegai won a toss-up fight with Guerrero, a credential that stands out like a sore thumb on a resume that had him barely ranked in the top 50 by boxrec at the time.

 

The Week Ahead: No meaningful welterweight action to report for next week, for a second time in a row.

Leave a comment »

Junior Middleweight: 2014, Jul 14-20

Posted in Junior Middleweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 11, 2014 by danboxing
Wednesday in Vegas, welterweight fringe contender Alfonso Gomez returned for the first time in nearly 2 years, rising from two knockdowns (only one of which even arguably was one) to narrowly defeat welterweight gatekeeper Ed Paredes at a 151 pound catchweight.  Paredes had a great opportunity to win the fight, as Gomez had serious problems with his balance which directly led to both the arguably real and the Kenny Bayless-created knockdown.  Unfortunately for him, he threw away that opportunity by fighting in a stiff and robotic manner, and by failing to keep his activity level at an acceptable level.  Gomez was able to carry the day largely due to his excellent timing and late-round accuracy, plus impressive elusiveness down the stretch.  Even so, I had him losing the fight 95-94, but that’s only after deferring to the clearly botched knockdown call.  The range of scores that should have been acceptable with quality referee work would have been between 95-94 and 98-91 Gomez.  Dave Moretti’s 99-92 card impermissibly ignored Kenny Bayless’s call, and was also blatantly biased in favor of Gomez besides that.  Adelaide Byrd’s card was decent at 96-93, while Dick Houck had round 4 10-9, which isn’t really defensible, but otherwise had a halfway decent card at 98-92.

 

In the week’s biggest fight by a wide margin, #1 Canelo Alvarez beat #3 Erislandy Lara clearly beat Erislandy Lara, who fought downright shamefully by running for his life from the opening bell onward.  He didn’t wait until he thought he was far enough ahead, and he didn’t set traps and counterpunch off his movement.  He ran.  He ran, and he only punched in desperate self-defense when Canelo managed to cut him off and get into his grill.  Canelo was the effective aggressor by about 10 miles, made Lara uncomfortable throughout (making him the ring general), and landed more and the extremely more effective punches.  He went to the body especially well.  Perhaps predictably, commentators like Paulie Malignaggi who think their own warped view of what constitutes proper and admirable strategy trumps common sense and…well…landing significant punches saw it as a Lara win.  I had it 118-110, and thought a reasonable judge could score it anything between 119-109 Canelo and 116-112 Canelo.  Bottom line: Canelo won, and it wasn’t even especially close.  Levi Martinez had the only decent card among the three official judges, scoring it 117-111 for Canelo.  Dave Moretti (yes, the same guy who pretty much botched his scoring in Gomez-Paredes above) had it for the right guy, but too close at 115-113.  Jerry Roth proved that he’s a good candidate for retirement by scoring it 115-113 Lara.  Don’t overthink it, guys.  If a guy runs a lot and doesn’t punch off that movement often, he probably didn’t beat the guy that’s punching off the front foot and taking the fight to him.

 

There are no changes this week.  Alvarez-Lara just kinda reinforces the status quo.  You might say it makes Alvarez the uncrowned champion, but uncrowned he remains, since there’s no reason to skip Carlos Molina to create a championship fight.  Gomez installs himself as a fringe contender at this weight, but he is unable to break through to the top 20.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)
Champ: None
1) Saul Alvarez (19-176-191)
Last Fight: 7/12/2014- W (SD12) vs. #3 Erislandy Lara (at 155)
Next Fight: Unknown
Canelo deserves none of the detraction he’s getting for his very legitimate win over Lara.  He is getting some buzz as a potential challenger for Cotto’s Middleweight Championship.
2) Carlos Molina (19-158-173)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W (SD12) vs. #5 Ishe Smith
Next Fight: 10/11/2014- vs. #10 Cornelius Bundrage
Molina’s fight with Bundrage has been moved back to October 11.
3) Erislandy Lara (19-158-180)
Last Fight: 7/12/2014- L (SD12) vs. #1 Saul Alvarez (at 155)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lara clearly lost, despite what Malignaggi and company want you to believe. 
4) Miguel Cotto (6-215-215)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- RTD10 MW Champ Sergio Martinez (at MW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Cotto is now the Middleweight Champion, so it remains to be seen if he’ll continue to fight at 154 at all.  He’s reportedly interested in fighting Canelo, in a likely catchweight fight, if Canelo can get by Lara.
5) Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (6-44-44)
Last Fight: 5/3/2014- W* (MD12) vs. #4 WW Marcos Maidana (at WW)
Next Fight: 9/13/2014- vs. #1 WW Marcos Maidana (at WW)
Floyd recently said he’s rematching Maidana on September 13.  I’m glad.  Maidana deserves that, at the very least.
6) Austin Trout (6-111-180)
Last Fight: 12/7/2013- L (UD12) vs. #5 Erislandy Lara
Next Fight: 8/22/2014- vs. Daniel Dawson (UNR)
Trout will look to get back on track with a fairly easy Friday Night Fights main event against upper mid-level Australian journeyman Daniel Dawson, who was once a fringe contender, but not since 2007.
7) Ishe Smith (6-73-73)
Last Fight: 5/2/2014- KO2 Ryan Davis (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I know he was a relatively short-notice replacement, but Ryan Davis was a little too hapless even by that standard.
8) Joshua Clottey (6-14-14)
Last Fight: 4/9/2014- UD12 #7 Anthony Mundine
Next Fight: Unknown
For those looking for a good way to revitalize a practically evaporated career, you couldn’t do much better than the example Clottey just provided.  He wants to fight Mayweather, but I’d say he’s at least one top 5 win away from having a chance at that.
9) Anthony Mundine (14-33-33)
Last Fight: 4/9/2014- L (UD12) vs. Joshua Clottey (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mundine is reportedly in talks to bring the now much larger and also more retired Danny Green into a rematch.  He’s also getting an offer from up-and-coming prospect Jeff Horn.
10) Cornelius Bundrage (14-206-206)
Last Fight: 1/24/2014- UD12 Joey Hernandez (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/10/2014- vs. #2 Carlos Molina
See Molina’s notes, above.
11) Demetrius Andrade (5-36)
Last Fight: 6/14/2014- TKO7 #20 Brian Rose
Next Fight: Unknown
After manhandling an overrated Brian Rose, Andrade says he’s ready for the big names.
12) Alfredo Angulo (5-251)
Last Fight: 3/8/2014- L (TKO10) vs. #4 Saul Alvarez
Next Fight: Unknown
Angulo could probably use a fight with a gatekeeper or low level fringe contender just to get his career momentum going.  He’s drawing interest from Julian Williams.
13) Sergey Rabchenko (5-109)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 Bradley Pryce (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Rabchenko’s fight in Rome was cancelled on 3 days’ notice due to Visa issues, and his would-be opponent, journeyman Emanuele Della Rosa, will be fighting undefeated prospect Isaac Real for what had been Rabchenko’s European title.
14) Jermell Charlo (5-58)
Last Fight: 5/24/2014- UD12 Charlie Ota (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
15) Vanes Martirosyan (6-163)
Last Fight: 3/21/2014- UD10 Mario Lozano (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vanes was supposed to fight on the Stiverne-Arreola card from what I understood, but that fight quietly disappeared from the schedule at some unknown point in time.  He’s been dropped by Top Rank and signed with Dan Goossen, as well.
16) Brian Castaño (6-6)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- TKO4 #15 Cesar Sastre Silva
Next Fight: 8/?/2014- vs. Sebastian Lujan (UNR)
Castano was tentatively scheduled to fight Sebastian Lujan on July 19, but the fight has been postponed to sometime in August due to a Castano illness.
17) Gabriel Rosado (9-25)
Last Fight: 1/25/2014- L (UD10) vs. #18 Jermell Charlo
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #10 SMW Bryan Vera (at MW)
Rosado will be fighting Bryan Vera in a new event called Big Knockout Boxing.  The knockdown rules are different, and the ring is replaced with a circular “pit.”  I probably won’t know if it will count in the rankings until I’ve had a chance to see it in action.
18) Zaurbek Baysangurov (9-14)
Last Fight: 4/12/2014- TKO12 #20 Guido Pitto
Next Fight: Unknown
Baysangurov looked the best I’ve seen him, by far, against Pitto.
19) Willie Nelson (9-72)
Last Fight: 6/7/2014- TKO1 Darryl Cunningham (UNR) (at MW)
Next Fight: 8/8/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Nelson was just days away from removal for inactivity at 154 when Lou DiBella announced he’d be fighting on August 8.  There’s no opponent yet, and so there’s still the possibility he’ll be removed if it becomes clear that he’s fighting at 160 again.  Stay tuned.
20) Kell Brook (5-5)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- TKO8 Alvaro Robles (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/16/2014- vs. #6 WW Shawn Porter (at WW)
Brook is really a welterweight (and a top 10 contender at that weight), but has thrown in enough significant wins near the 154 limit to make himself independently a fringe contender at this weight.  He’ll get a shot at a welterweight belt on August 16 against Shawn Porter in New York.

 

The Week Ahead: Nothing of importance to report for this week.

Leave a comment »

« Older Entries