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: Saturday Bob 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.