Friday in Las Palmas of the Spanish Canary Islands, #8 Gabriel Campillo got a bit more stern a test than expected from low-level British journeyman Ricky Pow. Campillo looked a bit sluggish of both hand and foot early in the fight, and I actually gave his aggressive and rugged opponent rounds one and six, and thought he had an argument in 3 and 4, as well. But when Pow got a little lax on defense, it didn’t take Campillo long to capitalize, blistering his man with a string of sharp combinations that left Pow defenseless on the ropes and obligated the ref to step in during the 7th round. Speaking of that ref, I didn’t catch his name, but I did want to shame him for a crooked-looking point deduction on Pow in the 4th. Pow was unexpectedly competitive at that point, and the ref decided that a minor head clash that looked very accidental merited a lost point for the non-Spanish fighter, despite no visible warnings to that point. Ultimately it wasn’t a major factor, but it could have been.
No changes.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Andre Ward (88-88-88)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 #15 Edwin Rodriguez (as SMW)
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) Adonis Stevenson (49-49-49)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO6 #6 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: 5/24/2014- vs. #6 Andrzej Fonfara
In something of a coup, Stevenson-Fonfara will be carried by Showtime. This not only further diminishes HBO’s stable of top fighters, but also puts in serious doubt the plausibility of what appeared to be an upcoming megafight with Kovalev.
2) Bernard Hopkins (88-414-414)
Last Fight: 4/19/2014- W (SD12*) vs. Beibut Shumenov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Hopkins has been ordered to fight his mandatory, which is the winner of Anatoliy Dudchenko and Nadjib Mohammedi- not exactly big money names- but he has been given leave for a unification fight (presumably with Stevenson) before that.
3) Jean Pascal (17-17-17)
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. Prospective opponents, in order, are Sean Monaghan and Lucian Bute. He wants Stevenson after that, assuming he comes through cleanly.
4) Sergey Kovalev (17-69-69)
Last Fight: 3/29/2014- KO7 #15 Cedric Agnew
Next Fight: Unknown
Kovalev had some choice words for Stevenson after the Haitian defected to Showtime and, apparently, scuttled their much-hyped matchup for later this year. No news yet on what Kovalev’s next move will be after the development.
5) Chad Dawson (17-415-415)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson has signed a deal with manager Al Haymon, which certainly brightens his career prospects. He says he is interested in a Stevenson rematch. Prospects for another occasionally-discussed rematch- with Jean Pascal- increased recently with word that Pascal’s trainer offered Dawson a contract.
6) Andrzej Fonfara (17-39-96)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- KO2 Samuel Miller (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/24/2014- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
See Stevenson’s notes, above.
7) Tony Bellew (17-135-135)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- KO12 Valery Brudov (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bellew is campaigning at cruiserweight now, but he’ll keep his ranking here until he schedules a fight there for after November 30, or until after November 30 itself. BJ Flores wants to fight him, but it sounds like he’ll fight Cleverly before the year is out.
8) Gabriel Campillo (17-203-203)
Last Fight: 5/9/2014- TKO7 Ricky Pow (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
While the result looked good on paper, the reality of Campillo’s uneven performance against Pow should be a little alarming to those who hope to see him remain at the top level.9) Tavoris Cloud (17-246-246)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Cloud should probably get himself back in the win column at some point.
10) Nathan Cleverly (17-223-223)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: 5/17/2014- vs. Shawn Corbin (UNR)
Cleverly’s cruiserweight debut is once again on the schedule. This time for May 17 in Cardiff, and his opponent- on a little over 2 weeks’ notice- is journeyman Shawn Corbin.
11) Isaac Chilemba (17-119)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- UD10 Denis Grachev (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Chilemba looked very very sharp in dominating a game Denis Grachev, and might soon be in line for a shot at Adonis Stevenson.
12) Jürgen Brähmer (17-108)
Last Fight: 4/5/2014- RTD5 Enzo Maccarinelli (UNR)
Next Fight: 6/7/2014- vs. Roberto Feliciano Bolonti (UNR)
After it initially appeared a Maccarinelli rematch is in the works, Braehmer will instead fight perennial gatekeeper Roberto Feliciano Bolonti of Argentina.13) Karo Murat (16-29)
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.
14) Thomas Williams, Jr. (16-16)
Last Fight: 4/24/2014- TKO3 Enrique Ornelas (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Williams just added another faded name to his resume…this one perhaps a bit too faded.
15) Cedric Agnew (17-57)
Last Fight: 3/29/2014- L (KO7) vs. #4 Sergey Kovalev
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.
16) Edwin Rodriguez (17-44)
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.
17) Hadillah Mohoumadi (29-46)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Cornelius White (16-126)
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.
19) Eleider Alvarez (16-68)
Last Fight: 1/18/2014- UD10 Andy Gardiner (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/24/2014- vs. Alexander Johnson (UNR)
Alvarez has switched from an undefeated prospect to a defeated- but more experienced- one in Alexander Johnson, and in doing so has gotten his fight televised in the US.
20) Lucian Bute (16-80)
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.
The Week Ahead:
SaturdayBob Ajisafe vs. Leon Senior; Leeds, England; Channel 5 (UK)
This is one of the two semi-finals of Britain’s MaxiNutrition knockout light heavyweight tournament. Ajisafe narrowly edged out veteran Dean Francis in an all-out war of attrition in the quarters, and has to be the big favorite in this clash. Senior defaulted into the semis after a 2nd-round no contest with Tony Hill, who suffered a cut and was thus unable to move on. His last fight that came to a normal conclusion was back in November, when he was bludgeoned to a 6th round TKO against undefeated prospect Arfan Iqbal, tasting the canvas three times in the process. He’s also never beat anybody of consequence.
Travis Dickinson vs. Matty Clarkson; Leeds, England; Channel 5 (UK)
In the other semifinal, two one-loss prospects meet up. Dickinson’s lone loss, ominously, was a clear decision against Ajisafe in late 2012. His first round fight was a minor upset TKO against once-prominent Danny McIntosh. Clarkson comes off a gimme in the first round against a 5-8-2 fighter, whose presence in the tournament field I can’t quite explain. Even so, he didn’t exactly dominate. Dickinson is the clear favorite in this fight, especially since Clarkson’s lone loss came against mid-level journeyman Courtney Fry, and since he adds a pair of draws against middling competition.
#10 Nathan Cleverly will be in action on a separate card in Cardiff, but he will be at cruiser, and the fight will be discussed exclusively there except to the extent it affects his ranking here.
Undefeated Cuban Yunieski Gonzalez took 107 seconds (which sounds longer than 1:47) to stop his low-level journeyman opponent, Jaison Palomeque, on Thursday in the Miami suburb of Hialeah. The fight was on the non-televised portion of the ESPN card.
Saturday, on the Abraham-Sjekloca undercard in Berlin, Eddy Gutknecht took his very non-threatening (on paper, at least) opponent too lightly, and got beat up a little bit in a draw that probably ends his career as a serious player in this or any division. Argentina’s Pablo Sosa had no legitimate business in the ring with Gutknecht or any top 50 fighter. It’s not just that he was inexperienced, at just 8 career fights coming in, but he had only won 3 of those 8, as well. That sounds slightly worse than it is, since he adds 2 draws, but it’s still a .500 record. In retrospect, he’s been abused by his management somewhat, in that all three of his losses came against guys that are still in the undefeated prospect category today. But still. He has two draws to Adasat Rodriguez, who is nothing special, and has never beaten anybody particularly good.
As for the fight itself, it seemed to me that it swung entirely on the relative effort of the two fighters. Gutknecht did not look like a guy that had trained particularly hard, as he was only able to fight in spurts. That’s not the type of fighter he is, typically. When Gutknecht tried to box off the back foot (his typical style), he was unable to keep Sosa off him, nor to match the Argentine’s aggressive effectiveness. When Gutknecht made a stand or chose to come forward, Sosa tended to go into a shell and could do little if anything. I had it a draw just like judge Joerg Milke, and I thought Ingo Barrabas’s 77-75 card for Sosa was okay. Gerhard Sigl, of whom I’m seldom a fan, showed typical local bias in scoring it 77-75 Gutknecht. There’s just no way Gutknecht actually won more than his share of rounds.
Gutknecht, for all intents and purposes, fades to obscurity, while Sosa remains even lower in the rankings due to his unimpressive past. No changes.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Andre Ward (87-87-87)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 #15 Edwin Rodriguez (as SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ward lost an arbitration with his promoter, but it sounds like the rift between the two is far from solved.1) Adonis Stevenson (48-48-48)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO6 #6 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: 5/24/2014- vs. #6 Andrzej Fonfara
In something of a coup, Stevenson-Fonfara will be carried by Showtime. This not only further diminishes HBO’s stable of top fighters, but also puts in serious doubt the plausibility of what appeared to be an upcoming megafight with Kovalev.
2) Bernard Hopkins (87-413-413)
Last Fight: 4/19/2014- W (SD12*) vs. Beibut Shumenov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Hopkins has been ordered to fight his mandatory, which is the winner of Anatoliy Dudchenko and Nadjib Mohammedi- not exactly big money names- but he has been given leave for a unification fight (presumably with Stevenson) before that.3) Jean Pascal (16-16-16)
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. Prospective opponents, in order, are Sean Monaghan and Lucian Bute. He wants Stevenson after that, assuming he comes through cleanly.
4) Sergey Kovalev (16-68-68)
Last Fight: 3/29/2014- KO7 #15 Cedric Agnew
Next Fight: Unknown
Kovalev had some choice words for Stevenson after the Haitian defected to Showtime and, apparently, scuttled their much-hyped matchup for later this year. No news yet on what Kovalev’s next move will be after the development.
5) Chad Dawson (16-414-414)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson has signed a deal with manager Al Haymon, which certainly brightens his career prospects. He says he is interested in a Stevenson rematch. Prospects for another occasionally-discussed rematch- with Jean Pascal- increased recently with word that Pascal’s trainer offered Dawson a contract.
6) Andrzej Fonfara (16-38-95)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- KO2 Samuel Miller (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/24/2014- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
See Stevenson’s notes, above.
7) Tony Bellew (16-134-134)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- KO12 Valery Brudov (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Bellew is campaigning at cruiserweight now, but he’ll keep his ranking here until he schedules a fight there for after November 30, or until after November 30 itself. BJ Flores wants to fight him, but it sounds like he’ll fight Cleverly before the year is out.
8) Gabriel Campillo (16-202-202)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- L (KO9) vs. #14 Andrzej Fonfara
Next Fight: 5/9/2014- vs. Ricky Pow (UNR)
Campillo has replaced one low-level tune-up opponent with another, as Ibrahim Lopez is out and Ricky Pow is in for Campillo’s May 9 Madrid date.
9) Tavoris Cloud (16-245-245)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Cloud should probably get himself back in the win column at some point.
10) Nathan Cleverly (16-222-222)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: 5/17/2014- vs. Sean Corbin (UNR)
Cleverly’s cruiserweight debut is once again on the schedule. This time for May 17 in Cardiff, and his opponent- on a little over 2 weeks’ notice- is journeyman Sean Corbin.11) Isaac Chilemba (16-118)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- UD10 Denis Grachev (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Chilemba looked very very sharp in dominating a game Denis Grachev, and might soon be in line for a shot at Adonis Stevenson.
12) Jürgen Brähmer (16-107)
Last Fight: 4/5/2014- RTD5 Enzo Maccarinelli (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Braehmer might give Maccarinelli a rematch in June. I like it.
13) Karo Murat (15-28)
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.14) Thomas Williams, Jr. (15-15)
Last Fight: 4/24/2014- TKO3 Enrique Ornelas (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Williams just added another faded name to his resume…this one perhaps a bit too faded.
15) Cedric Agnew (16-56)
Last Fight: 3/29/2014- L (KO7) vs. #4 Sergey Kovalev
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.
16) Edwin Rodriguez (16-43)
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.
17) Hadillah Mohoumadi (28-45)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Cornelius White (15-125)
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.
19) Eleider Alvarez (15-67)
Last Fight: 1/18/2014- UD10 Andy Gardiner (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/24/2014- vs. Alexander Johnson (UNR)
Alvarez has switched from an undefeated prospect to a defeated- but more experienced- one in Alexander Johnson, and in doing so has gotten his fight televised in the US.
20) Lucian Bute (15-79)
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.
The Week Ahead:
Friday#8 Gabriel Campillo vs. Ricky Pow; Las Palmas, Spain; TV Unknown
This fight is just to stay busy and build confidence for Campillo, who frankly disappointed in his last fight. Pow is a Brit living in Spain, and is nothing special, having been stopped twice- once by an unproven prospect, and once by a fairly poor journeyman.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Andre Ward (70-70-70)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 #15 Edwin Rodriguez (as SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
When asked about a fight with Hopkins, Ward acknowledged that it’s one of only two fights that would get him on PPV (the other being Chavez), but said he would only fight Hopkins if the legend called him out. He’s now officially suing his promoter, but seems hopeful of a March or April return. He’s also indicated interest in a Froch rematch or a Groves fight, as well as a huge clash with Golovkin.
1) Adonis Stevenson (31-31-31)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO6 #6 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: Unknown
Stevenson-Kovalev is the obvious can’t-miss battle in the division, but it sounds like Stevenson is looking for a much safer outing against Andrzej Fonfara for April 12.
2) Bernard Hopkins (70-396-396)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- UD12 Karo Murat (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Golden Boy is working on an in-house clash between Hopkins and Shumenov, though B-Hop still says he strongly prefers a middleweight clash with Mayweather- a great superfight, but a fight that is probably not going to get made, realistically.
3) Sergey Kovalev (30-51-51)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO2 Ismayl Sillakh (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Kovalev is actively pursuing a fight with a seemingly reluctant Stevenson, and says he’s open to fighting Ward at 175, too. More recently, there is talk of a March 15 bout, with stated possibilities being Fonfara or the Pascal-Bute winner.4) Chad Dawson (30-397-397)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson is now a promotional free agent, and is looking to sign with a top promoter to start rebuilding after a rough year. He says he is interested in a Stevenson rematch.
5) Andrzej Fonfara (21-21-78)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- KO2 Samuel Miller (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fonfara appears to be a top option to fight both Kovalev and Stevenson. Pick your poison.6) Tony Bellew (21-117-117)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Bellew plans a move to cruiserweight. That division could use some new blood. Cleverly seems like a natural opponent there, since he’s moving up as well. Both men are interested, though Cleverly just signed to fight Makabu.
7) Gabriel Campillo (21-185-185)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- L (KO9) vs. #14 Andrzej Fonfara
Next Fight: Unknown
Campillo might be on his way to deserved obscurity after being robbed of deserved prominence for so much of his career. He still has plenty of boxing skill, but his will might be fading just a bit. For anyone who is wondering he says he plans to make another push for a title, rather than retiring.8) Tavoris Cloud (21-228-228)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Cloud should probably get himself back in the win column at some point.
9) Nathan Cleverly (21-205-205)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: 2/1/2014- vs. #11 CW Ilunga Makabu (at CW)
Cleverly will fight Junior Makabu on the Golovkin card in Monaco, February 1.
10) Isaac Chilemba (21-41-101)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD8 Michael Gbenga (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
11) Jürgen Brähmer (4-90)
Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD12 Marcus Oliveira (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Braehmer now has an alphabet title. The rather abysmal rankings of that organization would suggest that guys like Mohammedi and Eleider Alvarez are at the top of the heap to challenge for that.
12) Cornelius White (4-108)
Last Fight: 6/14/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #5 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
White was blasted out by Kovalev, but at least he has good company in that regard.
13) Karo Murat (11-11)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
14) Cedric Agnew (11-39)
Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Agnew has been ordered to defend his regional title against fringe contender Anatoliy Dudchenko.
15) Edwin Rodriguez (11-26)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Andre Ward
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez’s trainer Ronnie Shields opines that a fight against a top-15 level light heavyweight would be a good jumping-off point for his anticipated permanent move up. Before that happens, he’ll need to recover from minor elbow surgery he had in December.
16) Lucian Bute (11-62)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 1/18/2014- vs. Jean Pascal (UNR)
Bute-Pascal has been pushed back to January 18.
17) Hadillah Mohoumadi (11-28)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mohoumadi snuck in a low-level win on November 30, apparently at 168.
18) Eleider Alvarez (11-50)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- UD10 Edison Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Oosthuizen was apparently pulled from the fight and fired by his promoter after being remarkably out of shape a little less than two weeks ahead of his intended fight with Alvarez. The search is on for a new opponent, but HBO has reportedly rejected Denis Grachev. Don George wanted in, but Alvarez’s promoter expected a rejection on that as well, and turned it down themselves.19) Dmitry Sukhotsky (7-7)
Last Fight: 11/23/2013- TKO5 Eduard Gutknecht (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
As conclusive as the Sukhotsky-Gutknecht result looks on paper, I’d actually like to see a rematch, since Gutknecht was having the better of it before his eye began to balloon.
20) Enzo Maccarinelli (7-21)
Last Fight: 12/7/2013- TKO7 Courtney Fry (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Maccarinelli has a likely fanciful desire to fight Bernard Hopkins.
The Week Ahead: A third fourth slow week in a row.
Nothing to report, except that I got a few nice presents for Christmas.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Andre Ward (69-69-69)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 #15 Edwin Rodriguez (as SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
When asked about a fight with Hopkins, Ward acknowledged that it’s one of only two fights that would get him on PPV (the other being Chavez), but said he would only fight Hopkins if the legend called him out. He’s now officially suing his promoter, but seems hopeful of a March or April return. He’s also indicated interest in a Froch rematch or a Groves fight.1) Adonis Stevenson (30-30-30)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO6 #6 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: Unknown
Stevenson-Kovalev is the obvious can’t-miss battle in the division, but it sounds like Stevenson is looking for a much safer outing against Andrzej Fonfara for April 12.
2) Bernard Hopkins (69-395-395)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- UD12 Karo Murat (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Golden Boy is working on an in-house clash between Hopkins and Shumenov, though B-Hop still says he strongly prefers a middleweight clash with Mayweather- a great superfight, but a fight that is probably not going to get made, realistically.
3) Sergey Kovalev (29-50-50)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO2 Ismayl Sillakh (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Kovalev is actively pursuing a fight with a seemingly reluctant Stevenson, and says he’s open to fighting Ward at 175, too. More recently, there is talk of a February or March bout, with stated possibilities being Fonfara or the Pascal-Bute winner.4) Chad Dawson (29-396-396)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson is now a promotional free agent, and is looking to sign with a top promoter to start rebuilding after a rough year. He says he is interested in a Stevenson rematch.
5) Andrzej Fonfara (20-20-77)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- KO2 Samuel Miller (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fonfara was being discussed as a possible alternative for Kovalev if Stevenson fell through, but apparently there are now active discussions for him to fight Stevenson, instead.
6) Tony Bellew (20-116-116)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Bellew plans a move to cruiserweight. That division could use some new blood. Cleverly seems like a natural opponent there, since he’s moving up as well. Both men are interested, though Cleverly just signed to fight Makabu.7) Gabriel Campillo (20-184-184)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- L (KO9) vs. #14 Andrzej Fonfara
Next Fight: Unknown
Campillo might be on his way to deserved obscurity after being robbed of deserved prominence for so much of his career. He still has plenty of boxing skill, but his will might be fading just a bit.
8) Tavoris Cloud (20-227-227)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Cloud should probably get himself back in the win column at some point.
9) Nathan Cleverly (20-204-204)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: 2/1/2014- vs. #11 CW Ilunga Makabu (at CW)
Cleverly will fight Junior Makabu on the Golovkin card in Monaco, February 1.10) Isaac Chilemba (20-40-100)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD8 Michael Gbenga (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
11) Jürgen Brähmer (3-89)
Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD12 Marcus Oliveira (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Braehmer now has an alphabet title. The rather abysmal rankings of that organization would suggest that guys like Mohammedi and Eleider Alvarez are at the top of the heap to challenge for that.
12) Cornelius White (3-107)
Last Fight: 6/14/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #5 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
White was blasted out by Kovalev, but at least he has good company in that regard.
13) Karo Murat (10-10)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
14) Cedric Agnew (10-38)
Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Agnew has been ordered to defend his regional title against fringe contender Anatoliy Dudchenko.
15) Edwin Rodriguez (10-25)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Andre Ward
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez’s trainer Ronnie Shields opines that a fight against a top-15 level light heavyweight would be a good jumping-off point for his anticipated permanent move up. Before that happens, he’ll need to recover from minor elbow surgery he had in December.16) Lucian Bute (10-61)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 1/18/2014- vs. Jean Pascal (UNR)
Bute-Pascal has been pushed back to January 18.
17) Hadillah Mohoumadi (10-27)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mohoumadi snuck in a low-level win on November 30, apparently at 168.
18) Eleider Alvarez (10-49)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- UD10 Edison Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/18/2013- vs. #6 SMW Thomas Oosthuizen
Alvarez-Oosthuizen appears to be a go for the Bute-Pascal undercard.
19) Dmitry Sukhotsky (6-6)
Last Fight: 11/23/2013- TKO5 Eduard Gutknecht (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
As conclusive as the Sukhotsky-Gutknecht result looks on paper, I’d actually like to see a rematch, since Gutknecht was having the better of it before his eye began to balloon.
20) Enzo Maccarinelli (6-20)
Last Fight: 12/7/2013- TKO7 Courtney Fry (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Maccarinelli has a likely fanciful desire to fight Bernard Hopkins.
The Week Ahead: A third slow week in a row begins the new year.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Andre Ward (68-68-68)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD12 #15 Edwin Rodriguez (as SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
When asked about a fight with Hopkins, Ward acknowledged that it’s one of only two fights that would get him on PPV (the other being Chavez), but said he would only fight Hopkins if the legend called him out. He’s now officially suing his promoter, but seems hopeful of a March or April return.
1) Adonis Stevenson (29-29-29)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO6 #6 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: Unknown
Stevenson-Kovalev is the obvious can’t-miss battle in the division, but it sounds like Stevenson is looking for a much safer outing against Andrzej Fonfara for April 12.
2) Bernard Hopkins (68-394-394)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- UD12 Karo Murat (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Golden Boy is working on an in-house clash between Hopkins and Shumenov, though B-Hop still says he strongly prefers a middleweight clash with Mayweather- a great superfight, but a fight that is probably not going to get made, realistically.
3) Sergey Kovalev (28-49-49)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO2 Ismayl Sillakh (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Kovalev is actively pursuing a fight with a seemingly reluctant Stevenson, and says he’s open to fighting Ward at 175, too. More recently, there is talk of a February or March bout, with stated possibilities being Fonfara or the Pascal-Bute winner.4) Chad Dawson (28-395-395)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson is now a promotional free agent, and is looking to sign with a top promoter to start rebuilding after a rough year. He says he is interested in a Stevenson rematch.
5) Andrzej Fonfara (19-19-76)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- KO2 Samuel Miller (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fonfara was being discussed as a possible alternative for Kovalev if Stevenson fell through, but apparently there are now active discussions for him to fight Stevenson, instead.
6) Tony Bellew (19-115-115)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Bellew plans a move to cruiserweight. That division could use some new blood. Cleverly seems like a natural opponent there, since he’s moving up as well. Both men are interested.
7) Gabriel Campillo (19-183-183)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- L (KO9) vs. #14 Andrzej Fonfara
Next Fight: Unknown
Campillo might be on his way to deserved obscurity after being robbed of deserved prominence for so much of his career. He still has plenty of boxing skill, but his will might be fading just a bit.
8) Tavoris Cloud (19-226-226)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- L (TKO7) vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Cloud should probably get himself back in the win column at some point.
9) Nathan Cleverly (19-203-203)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
Cleverly withdrew from his cruiserweight debut against Daniel Ammann with a back injury, on just 4 days notice. It appears that his future remains a division to the north, however.
10) Isaac Chilemba (19-39-99)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD8 Michael Gbenga (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
11) Jürgen Brähmer (2-88)
Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD12 Marcus Oliveira (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Braehmer now has an alphabet title. The rather abysmal rankings of that organization would suggest that guys like Mohammedi and Eleider Alvarez are at the top of the heap to challenge for that.
12) Cornelius White (2-106)
Last Fight: 6/14/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #5 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
White was blasted out by Kovalev, but at least he has good company in that regard.
13) Karo Murat (9-9)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
14) Cedric Agnew (9-37)
Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Agnew has been ordered to defend his regional title against fringe contender Anatoliy Dudchenko.
15) Edwin Rodriguez (9-24)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Andre Ward
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez’s trainer Ronnie Shields opines that a fight against a top-15 level light heavyweight would be a good jumping-off point for his anticipated permanent move up.
16) Lucian Bute (9-60)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 1/18/2014- vs. Jean Pascal (UNR)
Bute-Pascal has been pushed back to January 18.
17) Hadillah Mohoumadi (9-26)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO5 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mohoumadi snuck in a low-level win on November 30, apparently at 168.
18) Eleider Alvarez (9-48)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- UD10 Edison Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/18/2013- vs. #6 SMW Thomas Oosthuizen
Alvarez-Oosthuizen appears to be a go for the Bute-Pascal undercard.
19) Dmitry Sukhotsky (5-5)
Last Fight: 11/23/2013- TKO5 Eduard Gutknecht (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
As conclusive as the Sukhotsky-Gutknecht result looks on paper, I’d actually like to see a rematch, since Gutknecht was having the better of it before his eye began to balloon.
20) Enzo Maccarinelli (5-19)
Last Fight: 12/7/2013- TKO7 Courtney Fry (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Maccarinelli has a likely fanciful desire to fight Bernard Hopkins.
The Week Ahead: A second consecutive actionless week.
Friday at Comiskey Park in Chicago, #14 Andrzej Fonfara pulled one out of the fire against #6 Gabriel Campillo. This was a great crossroads fight, as it held the potential to prove whether or not Fonfara was for real, and whether or not Campillo had faded. I’d say the answers to both are likely yes, although I’m more convinced of the negative on Campillo than the positive on Fonfara. Campillo clearly still has world-class skill, but he has now been stopped in his last two significant fights. His intangibles seem to have withered. Not so much his chin, since he went down multiple times in perhaps his finest performance overall against Cloud- but rather his raw desire not to get stopped, and thereby to win.
I don’t know what the likely pro-Fonfara scorecards looked like at the time of the stoppage, but I had Campillo winning 7 of the 8 completed rounds when Fonfara put him down with a combination midway through the 9th, and Campillo stayed there, his body language that of a broken man.
The following night in Cardiff, Wales, #3 Sergey Kovalev easily handled #8 Nathan Cleverly in his opponent’s backyard. It wasn’t quite the all-out, seek-and-destroy destruction from the jump the way Kovalev’s victories over Campillo and White played out, but it was close. It was more like Kovalev methodically broke Cleverly down, but as a testament to Kovalev’s devastating power, that breaking down process took less than 4 rounds to complete. Regardless of the method, it was clear in the end that Cleverly was hopelessly outgunned and never had a chance. The Welshman is by nature a volume puncher, and he had no chance to apply that style against a guy who could counter that style by punching in between with devastating effect. As a result, he was much more careful than usual, but still couldn’t remotely deal with the Russian’s power, even in more of a skirmish.
On the undercard, fringe contender Ovill McKenzie and gatekeeper Enzo Maccarinelli fought a rematch of their very prematurely stopped fight from last fall. In that fight, McKenzie was looking the better of the two by far, but hadn’t hurt Maccarinelli significantly when the fight was stopped in the 2nd. It’s also worth noting that McKenzie is known to fade after about 5 or 6 rounds.
Flash forward to last weekend. It was a gut check for both guys. The British commentary team took it as a foregone conclusion that the fight would end within a round or two either way. Not the case. Both fighters fought with dogged determination through 10 rather grueling rounds, with each guy largely seeking the knockout everyone expected. On my card, the Welshman Maccarinelli won 3 of the first 4, with McKenzie coming back strong to sweep the next three and claim a narrow lead after 7. BoxNation color man Barry Jones, who appeared to be strongly biased in favor of Maccarinelli, had it for the home fighter even at that point. But it became a moot point, as Maccarinelli caught a second wind in the 8th, swept the next three rounds, and- having pinned McKenzie in the corner- landed a devastating uppercut in the 10th that had McKenzie in a very vulnerable position: hunched over with his hands hanging down, completely unconscious, but still very much on his feet. Luckily, Maccarinelli landed only one glancing blow to the top of the head before the ref made it there to stop it.
Fonfara rockets up to #5, joining no less than Kovalev as the only fighters to ever legitimately beat Campillo. Campillo is forced down to #7 by the move, but avoids further descent due to the fact that he still compares favorably to new #8 Tavoris Cloud, since he clearly beat Cloud last year and since Cloud has no wins since. Likewise, Cleverly is bumped down to #9 by Fonfara’s promotion, but suffers no further decline since there’s no particular shame in even an early stoppage to Kovalev at this point, and since his overall resume still swamps that of new #10 Chilemba, with both having what could be described as mixed results against Bellew and wins over #16 contenders, but with the remainder of Cleverly’s body of work being far superior. Kovalev can’t eclipse Hopkins, since Hopkins has won at a Championship level in the last 5 years and failed only at the level of #2 in that span, where Kovalev has yet to venture. Maccarinelli makes his debut as a light heavyweight player, well after many had written him off as shot, parking at #17 behind Hadillah Mohoumadi and ahead of the recently-struggling Denis Grachev. Everyone #5-13 last week is forced down a spot by Fonfara’s rise, including Cornelius White, who exits the top 10 after 57 weeks. Everyone #17 and below likewise takes a slight dip due to Maccarinelli’s debut, including last week’s #20 Yunieski Gonzalez, whose ouster comes after 22 weeks in the rankings.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Andre Ward (50-50-50)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ward has offers more or less on the table to fight Froch or Stevenson. He is trying to split with promoter Dan Goossen, though, which could conceivably complicate matters.
1) Adonis Stevenson (11-11-11)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO1 #1 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #8 Tavoris Cloud
It’s Stevenson-Cloud in September, with the winner to fight Bellew in November.
2) Bernard Hopkins (50-376-376) Last Fight: 3/9/2012- UD12 #6 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Karo Murat (UNR)
Hopkins-Murat has been reset for October 26, with Showtime televising.
3) Sergey Kovalev (10-31-31)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO4 #8 Nathan Cleverly
Next Fight: Unknown
Kovalev continues to cut through top 10 light heavyweights like butter. The only two challenges that would really mean anything to his ranking at this point (assuming Ward won’t move up) are Hopkins and Stevenson.4) Chad Dawson (10-377-377)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson’s career is suddenly in an all-out tailspin just 2 fights after winning the lineal title from Hopkins.
5) Andrzej Fonfara (1-1-58)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- KO9 #6 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: Unknown
Fonfara looked outclassed for the most part, but got the desired result in the end, knocking out a fading Campillo in the latter half of the fight.6) Tony Bellew (1-97-97)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- UD12 #7 Isaac Chilemba
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Bellew is scheduled to fight the Stevenson-Cloud winner on his November 30 birthday.
7) Gabriel Campillo (1-165-165)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- L (KO9) vs. #14 Andrzej Fonfara
Next Fight: Unknown
Campillo might be on his way to deserved obscurity after being robbed of deserved prominence for so much of his career. He still has plenty of boxing skill, but his will might be fading just a bit.8) Tavoris Cloud (1-208-208)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
See Stevenson’s notes, above.
9) Nathan Cleverly (1-185-185)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
Cleverly says he’ll take a vacation after his drubbing at the hands of Kovalev, and is unsure as to whether he’ll keep fighting or not.10) Isaac Chilemba (1-21-81)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- L (UD12) vs. #9 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: Unknown
Chilemba may have lost the second fight to Bellew in his opponent’s back yard, but between the two fights, he’s managed to elevate himself somewhat.
11) Cornelius White (1-88)
Last Fight: 6/14/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #5 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
White was blasted out by Kovalev, but at least he has good company in that regard.
12) Cedric Agnew (1-19)
Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Agnew may have caught a fading Yusaf Mack at the right time, but he’s clearly a climber, having now beaten both Mack and Otis Griffin.
13) Jürgen Brähmer (1-70)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO2 Tony Averlant (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/24/2013- vs. Stefano Abatangelo (UNR)
Braehmer will take on low-level Italian gatekeeper Abatangelo on August 24, while awaiting a title shot.
14) Edwin Rodriguez (1-6)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO1 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez turned in a career-best performance against Grachev, and thus has earned a ranking in a division he has no intention of continuing in. He wants Ward or Bika next.
15) Lucian Bute (6-42)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. Jean Pascal (UNR)
Bute-Pascal has been rescheduled tentatively for December 7 after Bute suffered a hand injury. They’ve also reserved January 25 as a back-up plan. Either way, it will be in Montreal.
16) Hadillah Mohoumadi (6-8)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- TKO7 CW #20 Pawel Glazewski
Next Fight: Unknown
Often robbed at 168, Mohoumadi took matters into his hands in his first major outing at 175 by stopping the local favorite.
17) Enzo Maccarinelli (1-1)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO11 Ovill McKenzie (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Maccarinelli has revitalized his career to an extent with the gutsy McKenzie win.18) Denis Grachev (1-69)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (TKO1) vs. #13 SMW Edwin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown
19) Dmitry Sukhotsky (1-147)
Last Fight: 6/4/2013- KO3 Mikhail Krinitsin (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Sukhotsky may be sticking around at 168 from now on, but only time will tell. He has until December to schedule a fight at 175 if he wants to keep his ranking.
20) Eleider Alvarez (1-30)
Last Fight: 3/22/2013- TKO3 Nicholson Poulard (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. Edison Miranda (UNR)
Alvarez’s 9/28 opponent will be fringe contender Edison Miranda.The Week Ahead: There are two Euro fights to report this week, both on Saturday.
In Schwerin, Germany, #13 Juergen Braehmer takes on barely top-50 Italian fringe prospect Stefano Abatangelo.
In Donetsk, Ukraine, local one-loss prospect Ismayl Sillakh will fight low-level Russian journeyman Konstantin Piternov in essentially a stay-busy fight.
Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20) Champ: Andre Ward (49-49-49)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ward has offers more or less on the table to fight Froch or Stevenson. He is trying to split with promoter Dan Goossen, though, which could conceivably complicate matters.
1) Adonis Stevenson (10-10-10)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO1 #1 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #7 Tavoris Cloud
It’s Stevenson-Cloud in September, with the winner to fight Bellew in November.
2) Bernard Hopkins (49-375-375) Last Fight: 3/9/2012- UD12 #6 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Karo Murat (UNR)
Hopkins-Murat has been reset for October 26, with Showtime televising.3) Sergey Kovalev (9-30-30)
Last Fight: 6/14/2013- TKO3 #10 Cornelius White
Next Fight: 8/17/2013- vs. #8 Nathan Cleverly
Kovalev had the inside track to fight Hopkins, but instead opted for a sure thing against Cleverly.
4) Chad Dawson (9-376-376)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson’s career is suddenly in an all-out tailspin just 2 fights after winning the lineal title from Hopkins.
5) Tony Bellew (9-96-96)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- UD12 #7 Isaac Chilemba
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Bellew is scheduled to fight the Stevenson-Cloud winner on his November 30 birthday.
6) Gabriel Campillo (10-164-164)
Last Fight: 6/14/2013- TKO2 Ionut Trandafir Ilie (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/16/2013- vs. #14 Andrzej Fonfara
Campillo will fight Fonfara in an interesting crossroads fight at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The fight has been declared an eliminator for the Hopkins-Murat winner, too.
7) Tavoris Cloud (10-207-207)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
See Stevenson’s notes, above.
8) Nathan Cleverly (10-184-184)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- UD12 Robin Krasniqi (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/17/2013- vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Kovalev-Cleverly is done for 8/17 in Cardiff, with HBO to televise in the states.
9) Isaac Chilemba (10-20-80)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- L (UD12) vs. #9 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: Unknown
Chilemba may have lost the second fight to Bellew in his opponent’s back yard, but between the two fights, he’s managed to elevate himself somewhat.
10) Cornelius White (10-57-87)
Last Fight: 6/14/2013- L (TKO3) vs. #5 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
White was blasted out by Kovalev, but at least he has good company in that regard.
11) Cedric Agnew (10-18)
Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Agnew may have caught a fading Yusaf Mack at the right time, but he’s clearly a climber, having now beaten both Mack and Otis Griffin.
12) Jürgen Brähmer (10-69)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO2 Tony Averlant (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/24/2013- vs. Stefano Abatangelo (UNR)
Braehmer will take on low-level Italian gatekeeper Abatangelo on August 24, while awaiting a title shot.
13) Edwin Rodriguez (5-5)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO1 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez turned in a career-best performance against Grachev, and thus has earned a ranking in a division he has no intention of continuing in. He wants Ward or Bika next.
14) Andrzej Fonfara (5-57)
Last Fight: 11/16/2012- TKO7 Tommy Karpency (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/16/2013- vs. #6 Gabriel Campillo
Fonfara will get a huge opportunity to launch himself into the top 5 when he takes on Gabriel Campillo in Chicago. The winner is apparently to become the mandatory for the Hopkins-Murat winner, as well.
15) Lucian Bute (5-41)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. Jean Pascal (UNR)
Bute-Pascal has been rescheduled tentatively for December 7 after Bute suffered a hand injury. They’ve also reserved January 25 as a back-up plan. Either way, it will be in Montreal.
16) Hadillah Mohoumadi (5-7)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- TKO7 CW #20 Pawel Glazewski
Next Fight: Unknown
Often robbed at 168, Mohoumadi took matters into his hands in his first major outing at 175 by stopping the local favorite.
17) Denis Grachev (5-68)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (TKO1) vs. #13 SMW Edwin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Dmitry Sukhotsky (5-146)
Last Fight: 6/4/2013- KO3 Mikhail Krinitsin (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Sukhotsky may be sticking around at 168 from now on, but only time will tell. He has until December to schedule a fight at 175 if he wants to keep his ranking.
19) Eleider Alvarez (5-29)
Last Fight: 3/22/2013- TKO3 Nicholson Poulard (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Alvarez is being placed on the September 28 Stevenson-Cloud undercard.20) Yunieski Gonzalez (5-22)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO7 Emiliano Cayetano (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Gonzalez snuck in a very low-profile knockout over low-level journeyman Emiliano Cayetano in the Dominican Republic. Strictly stay-busy material.
The Week Ahead: The division kicks back into high gear this weekend, with two crucial bouts, and another that bears watching.
Friday in Comiskey Park in Chicago (yes, I know the name has changed, but I’ll go with history over sponsorship any day), #6 Gabriel Campillo will look to prove he’s still one of the divisional elite after his brutal loss to Sergey Kovalev when he battles locally-based Polish prospect and #14 contender (and noted yet essentially unpunished steroid cheat) Andrzej Fonfara.
The following night in Cardiff, Wales, the sensational #3 Sergey Kovalev goes on the road to take on local favorite and #8 contender Nathan Cleverly.
On the Cleverly-Kovalev undercard, fading and chinny gatekeeper and former cruiserweight contender Enzo Macarinelli gets a rematch with fringe contender Ovill McKenzie. In their first meating back in November, McKenzie was looking good in the 2nd round, when Referee Ian John-Lewis essentially cancelled the fight. Macca wasn’t hut and hadn’t taken an extraordinary amount of punishment. Rumors abound that John-Lewis could be found in his hotel lobby before the fight telling anyone that would listen that he didn’t “fancy the fight” because he believed Macca was shot and had no chin left. Instead of protesting the fight by declining his appointment, he instead took matters into his own hands, turning it into what can only be fairly viewed as a no contest. He made a mockery of proceedings by giving Macca no chance to show that he had something left, and gave McKenzie no chance to earn the victory. Based on how he looked in the short first fight, I think McKenzie has an excellent chance to prevail this time. Hopefully on the level this time.
