Archive for Johnathon Banks

Heavyweight: 2014, Dec 15-21

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on January 13, 2016 by danboxing
In what has to be considered an upset, 46 year old Antonio Tarver easily handled whatever is left of the briefly relevant Johnathon Banks.  To Tarver’s credit, he chose his shots well and set them up nicely, and it was the best he looked since he was campaigning at light heavyweight.  On the other hand, Banks put forth a pathetic joke of a performance.  He only threw about 2 punches the whole fight that had any sort of intent behind them, and was dropped by Tarver before the fight was stopped on the ropes in the 7th.  

 

Unbeaten prospect Gerald Washington needed less than half a round to knock out journeyman Mike Sheppard, a Tarver knockout victim from 2013.  Sheppard was down twice in the 86 seconds the fight lasted.

 

Meanwhile, fellow undefeated American prospect Dominic Breazeale took *gasp* over a full minute longer to get rid of his own journeyman opponent, Epifanio Mendoza of Colombia.  This can be attributed to the fact that Mendoza is a generally competent operator in the ring, having spent some time in the top 50 at 175 and below.  He’s just a lot smaller, and thus similarly had no chance.  Like the bigger and less skilled Sheppard, though, Mendoza fell twice in the short fight.

 

Earlier that day in Moscow, 38 year old one loss…prospect…Alexander Ustinov kinda wasted a significant portion of what little time might be left for him to make a move in the division by fighting morbidly obese journeyman Chauncy Welliver.  The only video I could find of it was edited significantly, but even if I assume Welliver did well in the parts that were cut out, it’s hard to imagine he won a round.  But an 8-round decision over a guy like Welliver is no great accomplishment, especially for a guy looking to presumably make one last push toward a title.  As for his performance, I guess it might be about as expected.  He’s obviously very big- enough so to keep his opponent domesticated and timid- but his hands are slow and his technique robotic enough to prevent him from putting together combinations to any effect, or even generating the concussive power necessary to stop a relatively durable guy like Welliver.  I can’t say I was overly impressed.

 

6’7″ Polish steroid cheat Mariusz Wach is evidently looking to make up for lost time after his suspension and accompanying 2 year layoff, as he stepped into the ring for the second time since October, this time scoring a stoppage in 6 over faded former gatekeeper Travis Walker, who has now lost 6 in a row.  

 

Tarver makes his debut in the heavyweight rankings at #16.  Banks would have been ranked around #20 at the time of the fight if not ineligible for inactivity, but the loss prevents him from returning to the list.  Unfortunately for the division, he’s probably still in the top 25, though.  At 46, it may be that Tarver is the oldest fighter to ever make his debut in the top 20 of a given division.  I don’t have data to back that up, though.  Alex Leapai is bumped from the rankings after 55 consecutive weeks, and everyone else ranked #16 and below drops a slot.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (286-499-499)
Last Fight: 11/15/2014- KO5 #5 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Klitschko plans to make his next defense on April 25.  Bryant Jennings appears likely.  That sounds undeserved, until you hear the other name that was being mentioned- Shannon Briggs.  Fury now has a mandatory position at some point, as well.
1) Tyson Fury (44-44-44)
Last Fight: 11/29/2014- RTD10 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury’s win over Chisora was stunningly easy.  Frankly he dominated by a lot more than did Vitali Klitschko when he met Chisora, and so the now eventually mandatory match-up with Wlad is looking more and more intriguing.  Anthony Joshua is also being discussed, though Fury himself seems to strongly prefer the former.
2) Alexander Povetkin (29-373-373)
Last Fight: 10/24/2014- KO10 #7 Carlos Takam
Next Fight: Unknown
Povetkin’s finishing skills were quite impressive, but it might be a bit worrisome that he was clearly getting outboxed by Takam for a good chunk of the fight.  With the win, he now figures to eventually become the mandatory for the winner of Wilder-Stiverne.  His team seems to want Tyson Fury, though, which would be amazing.
3) Vyacheslav Glazkov (29-40-104)
Last Fight: 11/8/2014- TKO7 Darnell Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/14/2015- vs. #9 Steve Cunningham
With Main Events behind both fighters, you could almost see this one coming.  Glazkov will take on Steve Cunningham, likely on NBC Sports, in March.
4) Amir Mansour (37-37-37)
Last Fight: 11/8/2014- KO7 Fred Kassi (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mansour’s power was brought to bear on the mediocre Kassi, who did a good job of hanging in there- perhaps for longer than most expected while losing every round.
5) Kubrat Pulev (44-137-214)
Last Fight: 11/15/2014- L (KO5) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Back to the drawing board for the Bulgarian.  He at least mounted an attack.  That’s more than some challengers can say.
6) Carlos Takam (3-28-48)
Last Fight: 10/24/2014- L (KO10) vs. #2 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Takam found the ceiling on his rise to the top in #2 Povetkin.  He actually appeared more than a match for the Russian early in the fight, but couldn’t hang in the later rounds.
7) Dereck Chisora (3-159-222)
Last Fight: 11/29/2014- L (RTD10) vs. #1 Tyson Fury
Next Fight: Unknown
Chisora apparently doesn’t want to leave the bad taste in his mouth from his last performance, as he is reportedly planning to fight again on February 28.  He is also said to be splitting from trainer Don Charles.
8) Bermane Stiverne (28-32-94)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- TKO6 #13 Chris Arreola
Next Fight: 1/17/2015- vs. #12 Deontay Wilder
Stiverne-Wilder is finally set for January 17 at the MGM Grand in Vegas, it would appear.
9) Steve Cunningham (28-104-104)
Last Fight: 10/18/2014- W (RTD7) vs. Natu Visinia (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/14/2015- vs. #3 Vyacheslav Glazkov
See Glazkov’s notes, above.
10) Tony Thompson (28-39-238)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- L (UD12) vs. #12 Carlos Takam
Next Fight: 1/24/2015 – vs. #11 Odlanier Solis
Maybe the third time will be the charm.  Thompson-Solis II gets its 3rd intended date on January 24.
11) Odlanier Solis (6-238)
Last Fight: 3/22/2014- L* (SD12) vs. #13 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
See Thompson’s notes, above.
12) Deontay Wilder (6-86)
Last Fight: 8/16/2014- W(RTD4) vs. Jason Gavern (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/17/2015 – vs. #8 Bermane Stiverne 
See Stiverne’s notes, above.
13) Chris Arreola (6-67)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- L (TKO6) vs. #12 Bermane Stiverne
Next Fight: Unknown
Bad news for Arreola fans- he’s reportedly pulled out of a planned December 11 return due to an elbow injury.  Elbow surgery is what he was trying to come back from in the first place.
14) Malik Scott (6-15)
Last Fight: 10/31/2014- UD10 #16 Alex Leapai
Next Fight: Unknown
After an apparently dominant win over Leapai, Scott is probably back in the mix for some sort of big fight.
15) Erkan Teper (6-68)
Last Fight: 6/13/2014- RTD6 Newfel Ouatah (UNR)
Next Fight:Unknown
16) Antonio Tarver (1-1)
Last Fight: 12/11/2014- TKO7 Johnathon Banks (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I doubted Tarver’s ability to succeed at heavyweight, let alone at his age.  So far, so good, though.  It will be interesting to see how he shows against someone psychologically capable of throwing a punch now and then.
17) Andy Ruiz (1-56)
Last Fight: 10/25/2014- TKO1 Kenny Lemos (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/20/2014- vs. Sergei Liakhovich (UNR)
Ruiz has rescheduled his planned October fight with faded former contender Liakhovich for December 20.
18) Bryant Jennings (1-21)
Last Fight: 7/26/2014- W* (SD12) vs. Mike Perez (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Jennings is once again said to be in the running for a Klitschko shot.  After barely and perhaps undeservedly getting by Mike Perez, I’m not sure that’s a natural fit at this stage.
19) Artur Szpilka (1-6)
Last Fight: 11/8/2014- W (UD10) vs. #11 Tomasz Adamek
Next Fight: 1/31/2015- vs. Unknown Opponent
Szpilka returned to camp just a week after the Adamek fight, as he is planning a return for January 31 in Torun, Poland.
20) Mike Perez (1-21)
Last Fight: 7/26/2014- L* (SD12) vs. Bryant Jennings (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Perez is reportedly working with famed trainer Robert Garcia.
 
 
THE WEEK AHEAD:
Thursday
Kyotaro Fujimoto vs. Daniel Radeff; Tokyo, Japan; TV Unknown
Fujimoto is a borderline top 50 fighter, but pretty clearly the best heavyweight in Japan for what that’s worth.  His key accomplishment was outpointing pumped up, light hitting middleweight Nobuhiro Ishida in April.  Before that, he took a TKO loss in 2012 to fairly mediocre Kiwi slugger Solomon Haumono.  Opponent Radeff, to be perfectly blunt, is a French nobody.  Not only does he sport a 5-8-2 record, but he’s also a small cruiserweight in reality.  Fujimoto is probably not a world beater by any stretch, but Radeff’s only practical hope in this one is if the Japanese fighter breaks his leg tripping over his fallen opponent.

 

Saturday
#17 Andy Ruiz vs. Sergei Liakhovich; Phoenix, Arizona; Unimas (US) 
Ruiz will finally, I assume, get around to his long anticipated (for lack of a better term) fight with shopworn former contender Liakhovich.  It was delayed from an original date in September for a family issue.  Liakhovich is a sight better than Ruiz’s lone opponent in the interim, Kenny Lemos, but he’s a shell of his former self, to be sure, and I’m not sure he’ll last much longer than did the morbidly obese Lemos.

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Heavyweight: 2014, Dec 8-14

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on January 10, 2016 by danboxing
Kiwi prospect Joseph Parker took care of business in Auckland Saturday, pulling off a highlight-reel knockout of Brazil’s Irinea Beato Costa, Jr.   I only saw the highlights, but it looked like Costa was similarly passive and defensive as when he fought Christian Hammer 5 weeks ago.  The difference is that Parker has put-away power and Hammer does not.  The fight ended in the 4th round after Parker put Costa on his back.

 

Fringe contender Francesco Pianeta escaped with a too close for comfort decision win over cruiserweight journeyman Ivica Bacurin.  Considering there is no video of the fight available online, you could look at the 116-112 (x2), 115-113 cards a few different ways.  Either a) Pianeta, as the huge favorite, got the benefit of the doubt and escaped from a fight he potentially lost, b) Bacurin got the the benefit of the doubt from the hometown judges in an underwhelming performance that Pianeta still clearly deserved to win, or c) the judges called it right, and Pianeta had a bad night that wasn’t bad enough to actually see him lose.  In any case, it obviously doesn’t do much for Pianeta’s career at this stage, at least not in the eyes of a reasonable observer.

 

No changes this week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (285-498-498)
Last Fight: 11/15/2014- KO5 #5 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Klitschko plans to make his next defense on April 25.  Bryant Jennings appears likely.  That sounds undeserved, until you hear the other name that was being mentioned- Shannon Briggs.  Fury now has a mandatory position at some point, as well.
1) Tyson Fury (43-43-43)
Last Fight: 11/29/2014- RTD10 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury’s win over Chisora was stunningly easy.  Frankly he dominated by a lot more than did Vitali Klitschko when he met Chisora, and so the now eventually mandatory match-up with Wlad is looking more and more intriguing.  Anthony Joshua is also being discussed, though Fury himself seems to strongly prefer the former.
2) Alexander Povetkin (28-372-372)
Last Fight: 10/24/2014- KO10 #7 Carlos Takam
Next Fight: Unknown
Povetkin’s finishing skills were quite impressive, but it might be a bit worrisome that he was clearly getting outboxed by Takam for a good chunk of the fight.  With the win, he now figures to eventually become the mandatory for the winner of Wilder-Stiverne.  His team seems to want Tyson Fury, though, which would be amazing.
3) Vyacheslav Glazkov (28-39-103)
Last Fight: 11/8/2014- TKO7 Darnell Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/14/2015- vs. #9 Steve Cunningham
With Main Events behind both fighters, you could almost see this one coming.  Glazkov will take on Steve Cunningham, likely on NBC Sports, in March.
4) Amir Mansour (36-36-36)
Last Fight: 11/8/2014- KO7 Fred Kassi (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mansour’s power was brought to bear on the mediocre Kassi, who did a good job of hanging in there- perhaps for longer than most expected while losing every round.
5) Kubrat Pulev (43-136-213)
Last Fight: 11/15/2014- L (KO5) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Back to the drawing board for the Bulgarian.  He at least mounted an attack.  That’s more than some challengers can say.
6) Carlos Takam (2-27-47)
Last Fight: 10/24/2014- L (KO10) vs. #2 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Takam found the ceiling on his rise to the top in #2 Povetkin.  He actually appeared more than a match for the Russian early in the fight, but couldn’t hang in the later rounds.
7) Dereck Chisora (2-158-221)
Last Fight: 11/29/2014- L (RTD10) vs. #1 Tyson Fury
Next Fight: Unknown
Chisora apparently doesn’t want to leave the bad taste in his mouth from his last performance, as he is reportedly planning to fight again on February 28.
8) Bermane Stiverne (27-31-93)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- TKO6 #13 Chris Arreola
Next Fight: 1/17/2015- vs. #12 Deontay Wilder
Stiverne-Wilder is finally set for January 17 at the MGM Grand in Vegas, it would appear.
9) Steve Cunningham (27-103-103)
Last Fight: 10/18/2014- W (RTD7) vs. Natu Visinia (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/14/2015- vs. #3 Vyacheslav Glazkov
See Glazkov’s notes, above.
10) Tony Thompson (27-38-237)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- L (UD12) vs. #12 Carlos Takam
Next Fight: 1/24/2015 – vs. #11 Odlanier Solis
Maybe the third time will be the charm.  Thompson-Solis II gets its 3rd intended date on January 24.
11) Odlanier Solis (5-237)
Last Fight: 3/22/2014- L* (SD12) vs. #13 Tony Thompson
Next Fight: Unknown
See Thompson’s notes, above.
12) Deontay Wilder (5-85)
Last Fight: 8/16/2014- W(RTD4) vs. Jason Gavern (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/17/2015 – vs. #8 Bermane Stiverne 
See Stiverne’s notes, above.
13) Chris Arreola (5-66)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- L (TKO6) vs. #12 Bermane Stiverne
Next Fight: Unknown
Bad news for Arreola fans- he’s reportedly pulled out of a planned December 11 return due to an elbow injury.  Elbow surgery is what he was trying to come back from in the first place.
14) Malik Scott (5-14)
Last Fight: 10/31/2014- UD10 #16 Alex Leapai
Next Fight: Unknown
After an apparently dominant win over Leapai, Scott is probably back in the mix for some sort of big fight.
15) Erkan Teper (5-67)
Last Fight: 6/13/2014- RTD6 Newfel Ouatah (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/13/2014- vs. Johann Duhaupas (UNR)
Teper will apparently be defending his European title against France’s Johann Duhaupas in Germany on December 13.
16) Andy Ruiz (5-55)
Last Fight: 10/25/2014- TKO1 Kenny Lemos (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/20/2014- vs. Sergei Liakhovich (UNR)
Ruiz has rescheduled his planned October fight with faded former contender Liakhovich for December 20.
17) Bryant Jennings (5-20)
Last Fight: 7/26/2014- W* (SD12) vs. Mike Perez (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Jennings is once again said to be in the running for a Klitschko shot.  After barely and perhaps undeservedly getting by Mike Perez, I’m not sure that’s a natural fit at this stage.
18) Artur Szpilka (5-5)
Last Fight: 11/8/2014- W (UD10) vs. #11 Tomasz Adamek
Next Fight: 1/31/2015- vs. Unknown Opponent
Szpilka returned to camp just a week after the Adamek fight, as he is planning a return for January 31 in Torun, Poland.
19) Mike Perez (14-20)
Last Fight: 7/26/2014- L* (SD12) vs. Bryant Jennings (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Perez is reportedly working with famed trainer Robert Garcia.
20) Alex Leapai (6-55)
Last Fight: 10/31/2014- L (UD10) vs. #20 Malik Scott
Next Fight: Unknown
It looks pretty clear now that Leapai’s win over Boytsov was more about Boytsov’s shortcomings than Leapai’s quality.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD:
Thursday
Alexander Ustinov vs. Chauncey Welliver; Moscow, Russia; TV Unknown
We saw what Welliver is bringing to the table these days just a matter of weeks ago against Lucas Browne.  I guess for those of you interested in comparing Browne to Ustinov (a hobby that’s all the rage these days, I’m sure), you’ll get a treat in this one.

 

Johnathan Banks vs. Antonio Tarver; Temecula, California; ESPN2 (US)
Tarver has been out of the ring a little over a year, and hasn’t been in the ring against anyone half-decent in over 2 1/2.  He looked kinda stiff-legged and old the last time around.  Not only that, but it’s kind of an open question as to when the last time he was in against someone half-decent without the help of steroids.  The last time he was in against a half-decent heavyweight was, at best, 4 years ago, assuming you count Nagy Aguilera.  These facts don’t bode well for him against Banks who, while he did lose his last fight almost 18 months ago to a guy that was later stopped in one by Chris Arreola, is at least something like a fringe contender at or around his prime in his early 30s.  On the bright side, Banks could probably still make cruiserweight, so he may give Tarver one of his better shots as among notable heavyweights.

 

Gerald Washington vs. Mike Sheppard; Temecula, California; ESPN2 (US)
Remember when I mentioned Tarver’s last fight and implied it wasn’t against a half-decent opponent?  Washington is fighting that same guy on the undercard.  Not sure if this will make TV on a deep card.

 

Dominic Breazeale vs. Epifanio Mendoza; Temecula, CA; ESPN2 (US)
In another fight that might not make the telecast, former Olympian Breazeale looks to showcase his power against a 39 year-old Colombian journeyman who could last have been called anything better than that, if you’re being charitable, about 5 years ago at light heavyweight.  His glory days as a low-level gatekeeper were really at middleweight and 168, though.

 

Friday
Mariusz Wach vs. Travis Walker; Radom, Poland; TV Unknown 
Wach takes a step towards getting back in contention.  His last opponent in October was a durable but unskilled journeyman.  Walker is 35 and clearly past his prime after 5 straight losses, but he was a top 50 fighter less than 2 years ago and is a halfway decent name for Wach to build upon, if nothing else.

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Heavyweight: 2014, Jun 23-29

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on November 9, 2014 by danboxing
No heavyweight action to report from last week, including by last week’s #19 Johnathon Banks, who has been too busy training the Heavyweight Champ, I guess, to get into any fights in the past year, himself.  His removal for that reason allows Pianeta to move up to #19, and makes way for Malik Scott to return at #20 for the first time since he was bounced by Eddie Chambers’ return on March 31.  So why not Chambers, you ask?  Well, March was a far different time than June when viewing his resume.  His best career win- over a #8-ranked Dimitrenko- will be over 5 years old before the end of next week.  While Scott doesn’t have a win like that against someone ranked as high as #8 at the time, he did most likely deserve to beat Glazkov, who is currently #3.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (261-474-474)
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 (19-19-19)
Last Fight: 2/15/2014- TKO4 Joey Abell (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/26/2014- vs. #6 Dereck Chisora
Fury-Chisora has been made.  July 26, in Manchester.  The winner will become one of Wlad’s mandatories.
2) Alexander Povetkin (4-348-348)
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 (4-15-79)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- UD12 #4 Tomasz Adamek
Next Fight: 8/9/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Glazkov returns in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on August 9, in a fight with an undetermined opponent to be televised on NBC Sports.
4) Amir Mansour (12-12-12)
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 (19-112-189)
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 (19-134-197)
Last Fight: 2/15/2014- UD12 Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/26/2014- vs. #1 Tyson Fury
See Fury’s notes, above.
7) Carlos Takam (3-3-23)
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 (3-7-69)
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.
9) Steve Cunningham (3-79-79)
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 (3-14-213)
Last Fight: 6/6/2014- L (UD12) vs. #12 Carlos Takam
Next Fight: Unknown
Not that there’s any shame in being beaten by Takam necessarily, but Thompson’s performance was poor enough that you have to start wondering how much he has left.
11) Tomasz Adamek (3-218)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- L (UD12) vs. #18 Vyacheslav Glazkov
Next Fight: Unknown
Adamek expects to return on October 18.  Not much detail yet, but Ray Austin is a potential opponent.
12) Odlanier Solis (3-213)
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 (7-61)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- KO1 #19 Malik Scott
Next Fight: Unknown
See Stiverne’s notes, above.
14) Chris Arreola (7-42)
Last Fight: 5/10/2014- L (TKO6) vs. #12 Bermane Stiverne
Next Fight: Unknown
Having spent the better part of the last 5 years losing or fighting nobodies, Arreola’s resume now depends entirely on the Mitchell win.
15) Erkan Teper (12-43)
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 (12-31)
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 (12-31)
Last Fight: 5/17/2014- TKO2 Manuel Quezada (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Even against a faded Quezada who showed little resistance, I must confess to being impressed by Ruiz’s skill and heavy hands, especially considering the sharp contrast between his physique and the results it yields.
18) Seth Mitchell (12-55)
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 (1-15)
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 (1-1)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- L (KO1) vs. #13 Deontay Wilder
Next Fight: Unknown

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: 
Friday
Matias Vidondo vs. Miguel Morales; Capitan Bermudez, Argentina; Off TV
Vidondo is a 38 year old from Neuquen who you could almost still call a prospect, since he has only one loss.  He comes off a couple easy stoppage wins over the past 7 months, and a disqualification win over gatekeeper Fabio Moli in August.  Morales is a lower-mid-level journeyman from Rio Gallegos.  At 45, he makes Vidondo look like a spring chicken.  He comes in with an even .500 record, and has lost to a lot of guys a lot worse than Vidondo in his day.  However, he did get an upset victory against arguably the best opponent of his career back in 2010- a guy roughly at Vidondo’s level.  The fight is scheduled for just 6 rounds.

 

Gerald Washington vs. Travis Walker; Las Vegas, Nevada; Off TV
Washington is a crude-looking undefeated San Jose prospect who nevertheless is quite advanced based on his level of competition.  Walker is a journeyman based in Houston who has never beaten a top 50 fighter, but has taken out a couple decent unbeaten prospects in his time.  Unfortunately, this is no longer his time.  He just turned 35, and has lost 4 consecutive fights to Lucas Browne, Mike Perez, Derric Rossy, and Tomasz Adamek.  This should make the ShoBox broadcast, but my understanding is that it will not.

 

Saturday
Zack Mwekassa vs. Bernard Adie; Kinshasa, Congo; TV Unknown
Mwekassa is a gatekeeper at cruiser, and is moving up to fight for a regional belt against Kenya’s Adie, who at 11-1 has never remotely fought anybody.  I’m not sure if this is a permanent move for Mwekassa, or just a vacation up north, so to speak.

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Heavyweight: 2013, Jun 24-30

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on June 25, 2013 by danboxing
#20 Seth Mitchell got his revenge over the man who handed him his only career defeat on Saturday, but in very strange fashion.  #10 Johnathon Banks was thought of as a bit of a lazy underachiever, having only managed a draw with journeyman Jason Gavern in his only real test at heavyweight.  But then in just a 2-week span, he becomes a famous trainer by guiding the Heavyweight champion to a dominant victory after the passing of both men’s trainer, Manny Steward, and then he really starts to look like a boxing guru by apparently diagnosing Seth Mitchell’s flaws in the ring and exploiting them with clinical and punishing execution.  But the rematch undid the illusion of his genius entirely.

 

Both men were cautious for the first couple rounds, skirmishing and jabbing from distance.  Near the end of the 2nd, Mitchell caught Banks with a fairly ordinary uppercut on the inside and then kind of a half-punch, half-shove to the shoulder or so as he leaned forward.  It was ruled a knockdown- questionable and certainly not a bad one, if it was one at all, and it came in an otherwise nondescript round.  But the third turned out to be Banks’ high-water mark.  He caught Mitchell a couple times with hard, hurtful shots, and it looked like a repeat of the first fight’s result was in order.  Mitchell was nearly out on his feet for much of the round, but Banks didn’t show the same killer instinct that sealed his victory the first time around.  Mitchell was still not entirely steadied at the start of the 4th, but Banks let him off the hook to such an extent that I thought Mitchell pretty clearly won the round. 

 

And it didn’t get better from there for Banks.  Mitchell fought, against type, as a pure boxer.  He didn’t exactly conjure images of a prime Sergio Martinez with his jab, but it was enough to keep a peculiarly passive Banks completely cowed.  I felt that Banks nicked the 8th, but Mitchell easily won each of the other remaining rounds.  The crowd hated it.  The broadcasters- who apparently fell asleep and scored the fight preposterously close- questioned whether the redemption demonstrates that Mitchell any chance of being relevant.  I’ll agree with them to the extent that his chin really does appear to be problematic, having been roughly out on his feet during each of his last three fights, against less than spectacular punchers.  But as far as this fight went, Mitchell fought intelligently and dominated.  Granted, he got a lot of cooperation from his opponent, who as far as I can tell didn’t even try to crouch behind the high guard, draw and errant punch off a weave, and land a big shot, the way he did in the 3rd.  Hell, he didn’t even bother to work his way in at any point.  He just languished at the end of Mitchell’s range, not punching.  Many folks have suggested the fight may have been fixed.  Given the fact that Banks seems to have let up just when he had Mitchell almost out of there, and then didn’t try for the rest of the fight whatsoever, I can see their point.

 

I’m not sure I believe, as I once did, that Mitchell is likely to succeed Wladimir Klitschko as Champion, but he did what he had to do, while employing the only strategy with which he could have hoped to succeed.  He handed Banks a pillow, and Banks fell asleep on it.  Mitchell is not building his reputation as a crowd favorite, but his first job is to win, and he had a knockout loss and a pair of wobbly legs to prove he wasn’t going to do that by going to war.  Despite being a big, strong, athletic guy, Mitchell’s chin means that the less entertaining he is, the further he’s likely to go.

 

Mitchell advances to #12 with the win.  Banks falls back to #18.  In the exchange, Bermane Stiverne moves up to debut in the top 10, and Tony Thompson ascends to #11.  On the other end, Denis Boytsov and Franklin Lawrence fall back to #19 and #20, respectively.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (209-422-422)
Last Fight: 5/4/2013- TKO6 Francesco Pianeta
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #4 Alexander Povetkin
The drug testing issues between Klitschko and Povetkin have reportedly been resolved (with a confidentiality clause), and both sides appear ready to officially sign the contract for the 10/5 fight.
1) Vitali Klitschko (246-246-246)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO4 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Vitali-Stiverne deadline has passed with no deal, but I can’t find any evidence that a scheduled purse bid has been held or rescheduled.  Pretty odd for a very big international fight.
2) Tyson Fury (10-101-101)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- KO7 #3 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury shockingly pulled out the the eliminator with Pulev, and appears close to signing on to a deal to fight Haye, instead, perhaps in September.  Without having really checked, it seems like that winner might have a chance to eclipse Vitali.
3) David Haye (10-50-50)
Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: Unknown
See Fury’s notes, above.
4) Alexander Povetkin (50-296-296)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- TKO3 Andrzej Wawryzk (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
See Wlad’s notes, above.
5) Steve Cunningham (10-27-27)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- L (KO7) vs. #6 Tyson Fury
Next Fight: Unknown
Only time will tell where Cunningham goes form here.  His hopes for a title shot are dashed at least for awhile.  Perhaps a trilogy with Adamek would make sense at this point.
6) Tomasz Adamek (10-166-166)
Last Fight: 12/22/2012- W (SD12)* vs. CW #4 Steve Cunningham (Robbery)
Next Fight: 8/3/2013- vs. Tony Grano (UNR)
Adamek will fight high-level journeyman Tony Grano on NBC Sports from the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.  He’s one fight too late, as journeyman/prospect Eric Molina already exposed Grano in April.
7) Kubrat Pulev (3-60-137)
Last Fight: 9/29/2012- KO11 Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
One recent report had Pulev close to a deal to fight Chagaev on August 24.  Then came the news that the EBU was mandating a rematch with Dimitrenko as his next title defense, with purse bids to be held on July 10.
8) Dereck Chisora (3-82-145)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- TKO9 Hector Avila (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/20/2013- vs. #17 Malik Scott
In a surprise announcement, Chisora will be fighting Malik Scott- a much better opponent than the other guys that had been discussed.
9) Odlanier Solis (3-14-161)
Last Fight: 3/22/2013- UD12 Leif Larsen (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/27/2013- vs. Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Solis has signed on to fight in a planned WBC “World Cup” tournament, but for now is set for a tune-up type fight against Turkish journeyman Yakup Saglam.
10) Bermane Stiverne (1-1-17)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola
Next Fight: Unknown
Stiverne is hoping that Vitali doesn’t retire so that he can try and do the honors himself.  At this point he’d be a pretty credible opponent, too.
11) Tony Thompson (1-161)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- TKO2 David Price (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/6/2013- vs. David Price (UNR)
After originally saying he’d only fight David Price in a rematch if Price came to the US, Thompson has instead agreed to fight in Price’s Liverpool backyard again.
12) Seth Mitchell (1-3)
Last Fight: 6/22/2013- UD12 #10 Johnathon Banks
Next Fight: Unknown
Banks wants a trilogy, but I’m not sure I see the percentages in it.  The fans won’t want it after the mundane last 9 rounds, and it’s not going to enhance Mitchell’s career much at this point, even with another dominant win.
13) Deontay Wilder (3-9)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO1 Audley Harrison (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Date
Wilder appears to be off the July 13 card in Brooklyn, and is now likely to fight Sergei Liakhovich on ShoBox, in Alabama.  No date, though.
14) Robert Helenius (3-161)
Last Fight: 3/23/2013- W*(UD10) vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
If Helenius’ team was accurate on the severity of his hand injury, it should be healed by about now, although there were immediate rumors that the injury was more serious.
15) Alexander Dimitrenko (3-128)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko is now the mandatory challenger for Pulev’s European belt, though it sounded a week ago like Pulev was about to sign for a fight with Chagaev.
16) Vyacheslav Glazkov (3-27)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- Draw* (SD10) vs. Malik Scott (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/3/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Glazkov will be back in action for the Main Events/NBC Sports card on August 3 in Connecticut, but has no opponent yet.
17) Malik Scott (3-18)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- Draw* (SD10) vs. #19 Vyacheslav Glazkov
Next Fight: 7/20/2013- vs. #8 Dereck Chisora
Scott will travel to London and try upset Dereck Chisora on July 20.
18) Johnathon Banks (1-32)
Last Fight: 6/22/2013- L (UD12) vs. #20 Seth Mitchell
Next Fight: Unknown
See Mitchell’s notes, above.
19) Denis Boytsov (1-210)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO3 Alexander Nesterenko (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov knocked out novice Ukrainian Nesterenko in a very short-notice fight on June 15.  No word on a worthwhile fight for the unbeaten Russian, though.
20) Franklin Lawrence (1-17)
Last Fight: 1/25/2013- Mark Brown (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lawrence reportedly pulled out of a planned (and very good) crossroads fight with prospect Bryant Jennings.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: I have no action to report for the upcoming week.

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Heavyweight: 2013, Jun 17-23

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on June 18, 2013 by danboxing
In the most visible fight of the weekend, undefeated American prospect Bryant Jennings had his hands full with rugged Russian journeyman Andrey Fedosov, with the fight even on my card after 6.  But that’s as far as it got.  Fedosov’s eye had swollen shut, and the fight was called when he told the doctor he couldn’t see. 

 

In Hattersheim, Germany, one-loss prospect Manuel Charr had an easy time with late replacement and low-level Ukrainian journeyman Oleksy Mazikin, stopping him in the third after winning the first two, apparently with a knockdown thrown in at some point before the final round.

 

On that same card, Denis Boytsov knocked out 9-1 novice Ukrainian Alexander Nesterenko in 3.  The fight was so last-minute that it hadn’t even been announced as of last week’s update.

 

Another undefeated prospect, Poland’s Artur Szpilka, got a comfortable 10-round decision in Poland over blue collar mid-level American journeyman Brian Minto, probably as preparation for his upcoming rematch with the similar but slightly better Mike Mollo.

 

Finally, in Norwich, England, English gatekeeper Sam Sexton got an easy shutout in a 6-rounder over weak Czech journeyman Jiri Svacina.

 

No changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (208-421-421)
Last Fight: 5/4/2013- TKO6 Francesco Pianeta
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #4 Alexander Povetkin
The drug testing issues between Klitschko and Povetkin have reportedly been resolved (with a confidentiality clause), and both sides appear ready to officially sign the contract for the 10/5 fight.
1) Vitali Klitschko (245-245-245)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO4 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Vitali-Stiverne deadline has passed with no deal, but I can’t find any evidence that a scheduled purse bid has been held or rescheduled.  Pretty odd for a very big international fight.
2) Tyson Fury (9-100-100)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- KO7 #3 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: Unknown
Fury shockingly pulled out the the eliminator with Pulev, and appears close to signing on to a deal to fight Haye, instead, perhaps in September.  Without having really checked, it seems like that winner might have a chance to eclipse Vitali.
3) David Haye (9-49-49)
Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: Unknown
See Fury’s notes, above.
4) Alexander Povetkin (49-295-295)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- TKO3 Andrzej Wawryzk (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
See Wlad’s notes, above.
5) Steve Cunningham (9-26-26)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- L (KO7) vs. #6 Tyson Fury
Next Fight: Unknown
Only time will tell where Cunningham goes form here.  His hopes for a title shot are dashed at least for awhile.  Perhaps a trilogy with Adamek would make sense at this point.
6) Tomasz Adamek (9-165-165)
Last Fight: 12/22/2012- W (SD12)* vs. CW #4 Steve Cunningham (Robbery)
Next Fight: 8/3/2013- vs. Tony Grano (UNR)
Adamek will fight high-level journeyman Tony Grano on NBC Sports from the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.  He’s one fight too late, as journeyman/prospect Eric Molina already exposed Grano in April.
7) Kubrat Pulev (2-59-136)
Last Fight: 9/29/2012- KO11 Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev is close to finalizing a deal to fight Chagaev on August 24 in Germany.
8) Dereck Chisora (2-81-144)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- TKO9 Hector Avila (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/20/2013- vs. #17 Malik Scott
In a surprise announcement, Chisora will be fighting Malik Scott- a much better opponent than the other guys that had been discussed.
9) Odlanier Solis (2-13-160)
Last Fight: 3/22/2013- UD12 Leif Larsen (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/27/2013- vs. Yakup Saglam (UNR)
Solis has signed on to fight in a planned WBC “World Cup” tournament, but for now is set for a tune-up type fight against Turkish journeyman Yakup Saglam.
10) Johnathon Banks (2-31)
Last Fight: 11/17/2012- TKO2 #11 Seth Mitchell
Next Fight: 6/22/2013- vs. #20 Seth Mitchell
The Mitchell rematch- postponed due to a broken thumb by Banks- has been reset for the Malignaggi-Broner undercard on June 22.
11) Bermane Stiverne (2-16)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD12 #15 Chris Arreola
Next Fight: Unknown
Stiverne is hoping that Vitali doesn’t retire so that he can try and do the honors himself.  At this point he’d be a pretty credible opponent, too.
12) Tony Thompson (2-160)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- TKO2 David Price (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/6/2013- vs. David Price (UNR)
After originally saying he’d only fight David Price in a rematch if Price came to the US, Thompson has instead agreed to fight in Price’s Liverpool backyard again.
13) Deontay Wilder (2-8)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- TKO1 Audley Harrison (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown Date
Wilder appears to be off the July 13 card in Brooklyn, and is now likely to fight Sergei Liakhovich on ShoBox, in Alabama.  No date, though.
14) Robert Helenius (2-160)
Last Fight: 3/23/2013- W*(UD10) vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
If Helenius’ team was accurate on the severity of his hand injury, it should be healed by about now, although there were immediate rumors that the injury was more serious.
15) Alexander Dimitrenko (2-127)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Ivica Perkovic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko’s future is in doubt after he struggled mightily to survive a heavy knockdown and outpoint typically inept journeyman Ivica Perkovic.
16) Vyacheslav Glazkov (2-26)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- Draw* (SD10) vs. Malik Scott (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Glazkov got the benefit of the doubt in every close round from two of the judges against Scott.  It was just about as close to a robbery as you can get without me calling it that. 
17) Malik Scott (2-17)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- Draw* (SD10) vs. #19 Vyacheslav Glazkov
Next Fight: 7/20/2013- vs. #8 Dereck Chisora
Scott will travel to London and try upset Dereck Chisora on July 20.
18) Denis Boytsov (2-209)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO3 Alexander Nesterenko (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov knocked out novice Ukrainian Nesterenko in a very short-notice fight on June 15.  No word on a worthwhile fight for the unbeaten Russian, though.
19) Franklin Lawrence (2-16)
Last Fight: 1/25/2013- Mark Brown (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lawrence reportedly pulled out of a planned (and very good) crossroads fight with prospect Bryant Jennings.
20) Seth Mitchell (2-2)
Last Fight: 11/17/2013- L (TKO2) vs. Johnathon Banks (UNR)
Next Fight: 6/22/2013- vs. #10 Johnathon Banks

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: #10 Johnathon Banks rematches #20 Seth Mitchell, looking to confirm the early knockout result of the last fight.  They find themselves on opposite ends of the equation this time.  Last time out, Banks was a fringe contender looking to make a name, while Banks was a highly-touted prospect that seemed one good fight away from a title shot.  Aside from the fact that all the real titles are owned by Banks’ trainee or that trainee’s brother, that script has flipped.  Obviously the winner probably winds up in the top 10.

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Heavyweight: 2012, Nov 19-25

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on November 19, 2012 by danboxing
Last week’s #11 Seth Mitchell was shockingly upset on Saturday by Johnathon Banks- an aging fringe prospect that had- in one attempt- proved more as a trainer than as a fighter.  But that all changed.  Mitchell won a largely uneventful first round, but got badly hurt early in the second, and never recovered.  Banks- the much smaller man- kept tagging him, as Mitchell failed to hold on.  Mitchell was dropped three times before referee Eddie Cotton waved the fight off as Mitchell did his best impression of Trevor Berbick on the canvas.

 

Italian prospect Francesco Pianeta disposed of one-loss fringe prospect Nelson Dominguez of Argentina in less than a round earlier in the evening.

 

The waves from the Banks upset are huge.  Mitchell goes from a #11 contender with a looming Klitschko shot to being totally out of the rankings.  He’s not too far out, but he’s out.  Banks goes from a mediocre prospect and apparently a loss waiting to happen to a #9 contender.  Oh.  And at last check, he was also the trainer of the Heavyweight Champion of the World.  Assuming that remains in effect, Wlad will (himself included) have 3 of the top 10 heavyweights in the world in his corner.  What remains to be seen is whether or not Banks will get a shot at one of the brothers despite being so close to them.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (178-391-391)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- UD12 Mariusz Wach (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Wlad’s already planning to defend again on an unknown March date, with Boytsov and Povetkin apparently the leading candidates at the moment.
1) Vitali Klitschko (215-215-215)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO4 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vitali says he’ll decide whether to retire or fight on by December 17.
2) David Haye (19-19-19)
Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: Unknown
Haye has indicated that a fight with Vitali may be the only fight that would lure him away from re-retiring.  He may get his wish, as there is now talk of a March 2013 matchup.
3) Tomasz Adamek (19-135-135)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO5 Travis Walker (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/22/2012- vs. CW #4 Steve Cunningham
Originally scheduled to fight Odlanier Solis, Adamek will instead fight a rematch of his classic cruiserweight title fight of 4 years ago when he fights Steve Cunningham in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, after Solis pulled out.
4) Alexander Povetkin (19-265-265)
Last Fight: 9/29/2012- TKO2 Hasim Rahman (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
For whatever it’s worth the WBA appears poised to order an early 2013 fight with Wlad.
5) Tyson Fury (3-70-70)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO5 Vinny Maddalone (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/1/2012- vs. Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Fury will fight Kevin Johnson on December 1.  Johnson finally got a significant win in his career back in April, but then struggled in the one night, three fight format of Prizefighter, losing in the final to Tor Hamer after deserving to lose in the semis to Albert Sosnowski.
6) Eddie Chambers (3-23-23)
Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(UD12) vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek
Next Fight: Unknown
Chambers has announced he’ll be moving down to cruiserweight.  He’ll stay rated here for the time being, until he’s been inactive at heavyweight for a year or schedules a cruiserweight fight for after that time.
7) Kubrat Pulev (3-29-106)
Last Fight: 9/29/2012- KO11 Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev may be in for a fight with the Adamek-Cunningham winner, or may go straight to a shot at Wlad in early 2013.
8) Dereck Chisora (3-51-114)
Last Fight: 7/14/2012- L(TKO5) vs. David Haye (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Haye loss will be a huge setback for the already underrated Chisora.  Many will forget that he did clearly beat Helenius.
9) Johnathon Banks (1-1-1)

Last Fight: 11/17/2012- TKO2 #11 Seth Mitchell
Next Fight: Unknown
After his big win, Banks said he would like a chance to avenge his only career loss against Tomasz Adamek, and would also like to try and take Povetkin’s paper championship.
10) Odlanier Solis (1-3-130)
Last Fight: 5/19/2012- UD12 Konstantin Airich (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Solis pulled out of his December 22 fight with Adamek, apparently due to severe differences with his Turkish promoter Ahmet Oner, from whom he is apparently trying to separate himself.  Solis’ scheduling has been notoriously unreliable under Oner ever since he injured his knee against Vitali Klitschko.
11) Marco Huck (1-39)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- W*(UD12) vs. CW #10 Firat Arslan (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
Huck will be fighting a trilogy with Afolabi, with the last fight being in March, when Afolabi is likely to get robbed in Germany.
12) Robert Helenius (2-130)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- W*(UD10) vs. Sherman Williams (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Barely squeaked by after a comatose performance against journeyman Williams.  The judges had it pretty wide, but make no mistake- it was a 1 or 2 point either way kind of fight.
13) Ruslan Chagaev (19-314)
Last Fight: 9/1/2012- TKO7 Werner Kreiskott (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/1/2012- vs. Mike Perez (UNR)
Chagaev has signed on for a really nice crossroads fight with fast-rising undefeated Cuban Mike Perez.
14) Alexander Dimitrenko (19-97)
Last Fight: 5/5/2012- L(KO11) vs. #17 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Despite showing the heart of a quitter and the consistency of a random number generator against Pulev, Dimitrenko hangs on to a solid ranking because the other guys in his tier haven’t been winning meaningful fights lately.
15) Tony Thompson (19-130)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- L(TKO6) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
In case any of you thought the first fight was a fluke, now you know for sure: Thompson really isn’t as good as Wlad Klitschko.
16) Chris Arreola (19-192)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- KO1 Eric Molina (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/26/2013- vs. #19 Bermane Stiverne
As I long expected, Don King wasn’t able to finalize the fight in Venezuela.  Dan Goossen will now stage the fight as the co-feature to Ward-Pavlik in L.A., January 26.
17) Denis Boytsov (19-179)
Last Fight: 4/13/2012- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After bowing out of the Tyson Fury fight shortly after agreeing to it, Boytsov appears to be a candidate for a shot at the title against Wlad in March.
18) Jean-Marc Mormeck (19-130)
Last Fight: 3/3/2012- L(TKO4) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Boxrec has removed the Wlodarczyk-Mormeck fight from the schedule after posting it.  I’ll do the same until I can get at the truth of the situation.
19) Bermane Stiverne (19-74)
Last Fight: 4/14/2012- UD8 Willie Herring (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/26/2013- vs. #16 Chris Arreola
See Arreola’s notes above.
20) Edmund Gerber (19-29)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD8 Darnell Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Had little problem with fat little journeyman Darnell Wilson, except a big scare in the closing seconds of round 1.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Nothing going on at heavyweight this week.

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Heavyweight: 2012, Nov 12-18

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on November 16, 2012 by danboxing
Wladimir Klitschko put on a clinic in defending his championship against granite-chinned but otherwise mostly helpless Polish prospect Mariusz Wach.  Klitschko showed just about every aspect of his game.  He even displayed some stick-and-move boxing- something that seldom makes sense for him since he’s usually the bigger, longer fighter, and can control distance with his jab alone.  In this case, Wach was the taller man and could reach him.  But he was no less dominant than usual.  Despite fighting his weakest opponent in recent years, at least in terms of experience and accomplishment, this to me is one of Wlad’s most impressive performances.  He wasn’t just good.  He was flashy-good.  And he’s mentally tough.  He lost the trainer in Manny Steward that helped bring him from being a damaged fighter with a weak chin and a ton of unrealized potential to one of the most dominant champions in heavyweight history.  And he didn’t miss a beat.  Credit also must be paid to heavyweight fringe contender Johnathon Banks who, despite being just a week away from his own big-time fight, took on the very difficult task of trying to fill Steward’s shoes, and seemed to have given good advice and inspired the absolute confidence of his fighter- who incidentally is 6 years older than him and vastly more accomplished.  It couldn’t have been easy.  But it was well-done.

 

Now for something not so well-done.  #9 Robert Helenius made his return from shoulder surgery in what was supposed to be a tune-up against mid-range journeyman Sherman Williams.  Considering that his level of opposition was considerably worse than in his last fight- a completely bogus win over Dereck Chisora- I would have to say that this performance was significantly worse.  Helenius didn’t lose the fight.  The totally in-the-tank scorecards gave him between a 5 and 8 point advantage over 10 rounds.  Finnish judges judging a Finnish Sauerland fighter on a Sauerland card in Finland.  Enough said there.  I won’t say Helenius deserved to lose, but I also won’t say he deserved to win.  It was all even on my card, and I think either guy had an argument.  That’s embarrassing for a guy with Helenius’ talent and physical advantages.  And it’s not even like Williams really pushed him.  The 5’11” designated opponent did land one big shot that wobbled the so-called Nordic Nightmare, but other than that he threw one shot at at time- often jabbing to the body- but he never really gave Helenius anything to be uncomfortable about for the most part.  Helenius- as is too often the case- simply sleep-walked through the fight.

 

With his abysmal performance- which, again, I saw as a draw- Helenius can’t help but drop in the rankings.  He falls all the way to #12.  It was a reasonably easy call considering Helenius’ inconsistency.  Why?  In Helenius’ previous fight, he was beaten by Chisora, whom I ranked #18 at the time.  In Mitchell’s last and only fight against a top-50 opponent, he beat a #19 fighter in Timur Ibragimov.  In the past, Helenius’ loss was largely forgiven due to his past success- most notably a KO of #6 Sam Peter.  Now that he’s fought to a stalemate with a relative non-entity like Williams, he currently appears objectively to be more like the guy that loses to #18 contenders than the guy that beats a #6, while Mitchell’s lone rankable win has yet to be mitigated.  But Helenius’ descent is halted by Ruslan Chagaev, who hasn’t had a significant win since the first month of 2008- nearly 5 years ago.  I’ve decided against ranking Williams, as his only other notable result in the past 5 years was a loss to untested Manuel Charr.  I’ve got him on my watch list, but I think the closeness of that fight had more to do with Helenius than it did with Williams, who wasn’t exactly lighting things up.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (177-390-390)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- UD12 Mariusz Wach (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Wlad’s already planning to defend again on an unknown March date, with Boytsov and Povetkin apparently the leading candidates at the moment.
1) Vitali Klitschko (214-214-214)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO4 Manuel Charr (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Vitali says he’ll decide whether to retire or fight on by December 17.
2) David Haye (18-18-18)
Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO5 #6 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: Unknown
Haye has indicated that a fight with Vitali may be the only fight that would lure him away from re-retiring.  He may get his wish, as there is now talk of a March 2013 matchup.
3) Tomasz Adamek (18-134-134)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO5 Travis Walker (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/22/2012- vs. CW #4 Steve Cunningham
Originally scheduled to fight Odlanier Solis, Adamek will instead fight a rematch of his classic cruiserweight title fight of 4 years ago when he fights Steve Cunningham in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, after Solis pulled out.
4) Alexander Povetkin (18-264-264)
Last Fight: 9/29/2012- TKO2 Hasim Rahman (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
For whatever it’s worth the WBA appears poised to order an early 2013 fight with Wlad.
5) Tyson Fury (2-69-69)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO5 Vinny Maddalone (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/1/2012- vs. Kevin Johnson (UNR)
Fury will fight Kevin Johnson on December 1.  Johnson finally got a significant win in his career back in April, but then struggled in the one night, three fight format of Prizefighter, losing in the final to Tor Hamer after deserving to lose in the semis to Albert Sosnowski.
6) Eddie Chambers (2-22-22)
Last Fight: 6/16/2012- L(UD12) vs. #3 Tomasz Adamek
Next Fight: Unknown
Chambers has announced he’ll be moving down to cruiserweight.  He’ll stay rated here for the time being, until he’s been inactive at heavyweight for a year or schedules a cruiserweight fight for after that time.
7) Kubrat Pulev (2-28-105)
Last Fight: 9/29/2012- KO11 Alexander Ustinov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Pulev may be in for a fight with the Adamek-Cunningham winner, or may go straight to a shot at Wlad in early 2013.
8) Dereck Chisora (2-50-113)
Last Fight: 7/14/2012- L(TKO5) vs. David Haye (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The Haye loss will be a huge setback for the already underrated Chisora.  Many will forget that he did clearly beat Helenius.
9) Odlanier Solis (1-2-129)
Last Fight: 5/19/2012- UD12 Konstantin Airich (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Solis pulled out of his December 22 fight with Adamek, apparently due to severe differences with his Turkish promoter Ahmet Oner, from whom he is apparently trying to separate himself.  Solis’ scheduling has been notoriously unreliable under Oner ever since he injured his knee against Vitali Klitschko.
10) Marco Huck (1-1-38)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- W*(UD12) vs. CW #10 Firat Arslan (Robbery)
Next Fight: Unknown
After getting the benefit of a disgusting robbery against Arslan, there is talk of a rematch.  Before the fight, he had begun agitating for a Klitschko shot, but he would clearly get destroyed in that one.
11) Seth Mitchell (1-49)

Last Fight: 4/28/2012- TKO3 Chazz Witherspoon (UNR)
Next Fight: 11/17/2012- vs. Johnathon Banks (UNR)
Not sure why, but Mitchell’s return has been moved back about 6 weeks to November 17.
12) Robert Helenius (1-129)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- W*(UD10) vs. Sherman Williams (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Barely squeaked by after a comatose performance against journeyman Williams.  The judges had it pretty wide, but make no mistake- it was a 1 or 2 point either way kind of fight.
13) Ruslan Chagaev (18-313)
Last Fight: 9/1/2012- TKO7 Werner Kreiskott (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/1/2012- vs. Mike Perez (UNR)
Chagaev has signed on for a really nice crossroads fight with fast-rising undefeated Cuban Mike Perez.
14) Alexander Dimitrenko (18-96)
Last Fight: 5/5/2012- L(KO11) vs. #17 Kubrat Pulev
Next Fight: Unknown
Despite showing the heart of a quitter and the consistency of a random number generator against Pulev, Dimitrenko hangs on to a solid ranking because the other guys in his tier haven’t been winning meaningful fights lately.
15) Tony Thompson (18-129)
Last Fight: 7/7/2012- L(TKO6) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
In case any of you thought the first fight was a fluke, now you know for sure: Thompson really isn’t as good as Wlad Klitschko.
16) Chris Arreola (18-191)
Last Fight: 2/18/2012- KO1 Eric Molina (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/15/2012- vs. #19 Bermane Stiverne
Arreola will officially step back up in competition on December 15, when he fights Stiverne.  This should still be considered tentative, though, since no venue has been named.  It’s also not entirely clear that Arreola- who has stated his disgust with the fight’s promoter Don King in the past- has agreed to the terms.
17) Denis Boytsov (18-178)
Last Fight: 4/13/2012- UD10 Dominick Guinn (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After bowing out of the Tyson Fury fight shortly after agreeing to it, Boytsov appears to be a candidate for a shot at the title against Wlad in March.
18) Jean-Marc Mormeck (18-129)
Last Fight: 3/3/2012- L(TKO4) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: 12/22/2012- vs. CW #6 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (at CW)
After Wlodarczyk originally appeared to shoot down the rumors, that fight now appears to be on.
19) Bermane Stiverne (18-73)
Last Fight: 4/14/2012- UD8 Willie Herring (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/15/2012- vs. #16 Chris Arreola
See Arreola’s notes above.
20) Edmund Gerber (18-28)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD8 Darnell Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Had little problem with fat little journeyman Darnell Wilson, except a big scare in the closing seconds of round 1.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Friday in Magdeburg, Germany, undefeated Italian prospect Francesco Pianeta continues his slow-walk back to contention after recovering from cancer by fighting relative novice Nelson Domingues of Argentina.  In Domingues’ only other outing against a significant fighter, he was knocked out in two by so-so undefeated prospect Andrzej Wawrzyk.

 

Saturday, #11 Seth Mitchell takes on fringe contender Johnathon Banks, whose only loss was at cruiserweight to Tomasz Adamek, but who also suffered a disappointing draw with Jason Gavern.  Regardless of the outcome, Banks is sure to make history as the only guy to ever fight a top-15 heavyweight while being the trainer of the reigning Heavyweight Champion.  If Banks manages to win, he would have earned consideration for what would have to be considered an awkward fight scenario.  I very much doubt Wlad would fight him anymore than he’d fight his brother Vitali, though, and something tells me Vitali might have qualms about that fight, too.

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Heavyweight: 2011, Sep 12-18

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 11, 2011 by danboxing
Vitali Klitschko proved one of two things this weekend, or a combination of the two: 1) He is not getting old in any significant way, 2) Tomasz Adamek is not a big or strong enough guy to compete with top heavyweights.  Klitschko thoroughly dominated Adamek round after round, knocked him down in the 6th, and ultimately stopped his overwhelmed opponent on accumulation of punishment in the 10th.  At no point did Adamek appear to have a chance to get something going, much less to win.  No changes to the rankings, however, since a loss to arguably the best heavyweight in the world in a fashion no worse than other top fighters have done does not really act as a strike against Adamek in relation to his competition.  Vitali’s ranking is topped out until he fights his brother.

 

On the undercard, prospect Jonathon Banks knocked out low-level opponent Ivica Bacurin in round 6 after winning each of the preceding rounds.

 

For Comparison, here are the Current Ring Magazine Heavyweight Rankings:
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko
1) Vitali Klitschko
2) Alexander Povetkin
3) Tomasz Adamek
4) David Haye
5) Eddie Chambers
6) Robert Helenius
7) Alexander Dimitrenko
8) Denis Boystov
9) Ruslan Chagaev
10) Chris Arreola

 

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (116-329-329)
Last Fight: 7/2/2011- UD12 #2 David Haye
Next Fight: Unknown
Wlad is apparently negotiating a fight with #15 Jean Marc Mormeck which would take place December 10.
1) Vitali Klitschko (153-153-153)
Last Fight: 9/10/2011- TKO10 #6 Tomasz Adamek
Next Fight: Unknown
Dimitrenko and Haye both want to fight him, and there is even talk by business interests in Bern, Switzerland of bringing Valuev back to fight him there.
2) Alexander Povetkin (3-203-203)
Last Fight: 8/27/2011- UD12 #6 Ruslan Chagaev
Next Fight: Unknown
Appears to be looking at Alexander Dimitrenko and the ancient Evander Holyfield for his next fight, which will likely take place in Zurich, Switzerland.  In addition, he has made an offer to Mormeck.
3) David Haye (3-130-130)
Last Fight: 7/2/2011- L(UD12) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
The word on the street has it that a Haye-Vitali fight is likely in the cards.
 4) Eddie Chambers (3-128-128)
Last Fight: 2/11/2011- UD12 Derric Rossy (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/29/2011- vs. #9 Tony Thompson
Chambers’ eliminator with Tony Thompson is now set for late October on the Ward-Froch undercard.
5) Robert Helenius (3-24-68)
Last Fight: 8/27/2011- TKO9 Sergei Liakhovich (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After taking out Liakhovich, Helenius now wants a Klitschko.
6) Tomasz Adamek (3-73-73)
Last Fight: 9/10/2011- L (TKO10) vs. #1 Vitali Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Adamek plans to return next year and wants only the best fights.
7) Ruslan Chagaev (3-252-252)
Last Fight: 8/27/2011- L (UD12) vs. #5 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Chagaev wants to fight again by the end of the year and get back on a title track.
8) Tyson Fury (8-8)
Last Fight: 7/23/2011- UD12 #14 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: 9/17/2011- vs. Nicolai Firtha (UNR)
Fury will fight decent journeyman Nicolai Firtha on 9/17 in Belfast.
9) Tony Thompson (8-68-68)
Last Fight: 5/27/2011- TKO3 Maurice Harris (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/29/2011- vs. #3 Eddie Chambers
The Chambers fight is now official for the Ward-Froch undercard in October.
10) Odlanier Solis (39-39-68)
Last Fight: 3/19/2011- L (TKO1) vs. #1 Vitali Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Strange news from Solis.  His promoter, Ahmed Ohner, recently said he would be returning in October against a specific journeyman, but Solis claims he has not received medical clearance after 3 separate knee surgeries, and that he is completely unaware of any specific plans for his return.  The quick return seemed a bit hard to believe given his torn ACL, but one would think Ohner would be a credible source.  I will treat that fight as off until I hear something conclusive.
11) Juan Carlos Gomez (8-68)
Last Fight: 12/4/2010- TKO4 Harold Sconiers (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Treading water like nobody’s business.
12) Alexander Dimitrenko (8-35)
Last Fight: 3/26/2011- TKO12 Albert Sosnowski (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/24/2011- vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Will fight journeyman Michael Sprott, about a month later than originally planned.
13) Chris Arreola (8-130)
Last Fight: 7/9/2011- UD10 Friday Ahunanya (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Arreola is expected to be in action again in either October or November.
14) Denis Boytsov (8-117)
Last Fight: 11/19/2010- KO2 Mike Sheppard (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov is in talks to fight journeyman Matthew Greer on September 24.
15) Jean Marc Mormeck (25-68)
Last Fight: 12/2/2010- SD12 #19 Timur Ibragimov
Next Fight: Unknown
May be in line to fight Wlad on December 10, and also has an offer on the table from Povetkin.
16) Bermane Stiverne (12-12)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- TKO10 #20 Ray Austin
Next Fight: Unknown
The only thing impressive about Stiverne’s performance against Austin was his power, but a win is a win.
17) Samuel Peter (12-68)
Last Fight: 4/2/2011- L(KO9) vs. #16 Robert Helenius
Next Fight: Unknown
We’ll have to see if and how Peter rebounds from his latest knockout loss- this one more brutal than the last.  If the relatively young (30) Nigerian decides to forge on, he’ll have to overcome the reality of being treated as a stepping stone at least for tall up-and-comers.
18) Franklin Lawrence (12-16)
Last Fight:5/27/2011- RTD7 Jason Gavern (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lawrence has signed with Gary Shaw and figures to get a decent fight or two as a result.
19) Kubrat Pulev (12-44)
Last Fight: 7/16/2011- UD8 Maxim Pediura (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/22/2011- vs. Unknown Opponent
After turning down Tyson Fury, Martin Rogan has withdrawn from a fight with Pulev, as well.  Pulev will fight on October 22, but the opponent is now unknown.
20) Dereck Chisora (8-52)
Last Fight: 7/23/2011- L(UD12) vs. Tyson Fury (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Chisora recently said that he expects a rematch with Fury.  I’m not sure he’s earned it based on his effort in training and his performance in the ring.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD:  In Vegas on Friday, American undefeated prospect Seth Mitchell continues his slow climb up the rankings with another safety-first fight with a mediocre journeyman in Hector Ferreyro.  The next night, #8 Tyson Fury takes on much better journeyman Nicolai Firtha in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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Heavyweight: 2011, Sep 5-11

Posted in Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on October 10, 2011 by danboxing
No action at heavy this week.

 

For Comparison, here are the Current Ring Magazine Heavyweight Rankings:
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko
1) Vitali Klitschko
2) Alexander Povetkin
3) Tomasz Adamek
4) David Haye
5) Eddie Chambers
6) Robert Helenius
7) Alexander Dimitrenko
8) Denis Boystov
9) Ruslan Chagaev
10) Chris Arreola

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: Wladimir Klitschko (115-328-328)
Last Fight: 7/2/2011- UD12 #2 David Haye
Next Fight: Unknown
There was talk about a potential fight with prospect Mariusz Wach, but that fight is off.
1) Vitali Klitschko (152-152-152)
Last Fight: 3/19/2011- TKO1 #10 Odlanier Solis
Next Fight: 9/10/2011- vs. #7 Tomasz Adamek
Klitschko apparently broke camp for one day to visit the Ukraine, where a political opposition leader was arrested under dubious circumstances.  Vitali is something of a political leader himself, but was back in training just a day later.
2) Alexander Povetkin (2-202-202)
Last Fight: 8/27/2011- UD12 #6 Ruslan Chagaev
Next Fight: Unknown
Appears to be looking at Alexander Dimitrenko and the ancient Evander Holyfield for his next fight, which will likely take place in Zurich, Switzerland.
3) David Haye (2-129-129)
Last Fight: 7/2/2011- L(UD12) vs. Champ Wladimir Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
As he is still the #2 contender almost by default, Haye appears likely to get a shot at Vitali in late 2011 or early 2012, or at least the Povetkin-Chagaev winner- that is if he is doesn’t retire in October as he has promised repeatedly.
 4) Eddie Chambers (2-127-127)
Last Fight: 2/11/2011- UD12 Derric Rossy (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/29/2011- vs. #9 Tony Thompson
Chambers’ eliminator with Tony Thompson is now set for late October on the Ward-Froch undercard.
5) Robert Helenius (2-23-67)
Last Fight: 8/27/2011- TKO9 Sergei Liakhovich (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After taking out Liakhovich, Helenius now wants a Klitschko.
6) Tomasz Adamek (2-72-72)
Last Fight: 4/9/2011- UD12 Kevin McBride (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/10/2011- vs. #1 Vitali Klitschko
Time for Adamek to get serious, as he faces a live opponent for the first time in a long stretch this September.
7) Ruslan Chagaev (2-251-251)
Last Fight: 8/27/2011- L (UD12) vs. #5 Alexander Povetkin
Next Fight: Unknown
Chagaev wants to fight again by the end of the year and get back on a title track.
8) Tyson Fury (7-7)
Last Fight: 7/23/2011- UD12 #14 Dereck Chisora
Next Fight: 9/17/2011- vs. Nicolai Firtha (UNR)
Fury will fight decent journeyman Nicolai Firtha on 9/17 in Belfast.
9) Tony Thompson (7-67-67)
Last Fight: 5/27/2011- TKO3 Maurice Harris (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/29/2011- vs. #3 Eddie Chambers
The Chambers fight is now official for the Ward-Froch undercard in October.
10) Odlanier Solis (38-38-67)
Last Fight: 3/19/2011- L (TKO1) vs. #1 Vitali Klitschko
Next Fight: Unknown
Strange news from Solis.  His promoter, Ahmed Ohner, recently said he would be returning in October against a specific journeyman, but Solis claims he has not received medical clearance after 3 separate knee surgeries, and that he is completely unaware of any specific plans for his return.  The quick return seemed a bit hard to believe given his torn ACL, but one would think Ohner would be a credible source.  I will treat that fight as off until I hear something conclusive.
11) Juan Carlos Gomez (7-67)
Last Fight: 12/4/2010- TKO4 Harold Sconiers (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Treading water like nobody’s business.
12) Alexander Dimitrenko (7-34)
Last Fight: 3/26/2011- TKO12 Albert Sosnowski (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/24/2011- vs. Michael Sprott (UNR)
Will fight journeyman Michael Sprott, about a month later than originally planned.
13) Chris Arreola (7-129)
Last Fight: 7/9/2011- UD10 Friday Ahunanya (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Arreola is expected to be in action again in either October or November.
14) Denis Boytsov (7-116)
Last Fight: 11/19/2010- KO2 Mike Sheppard (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Boytsov is in talks to fight journeyman Matthew Greer on September 24.
15) Jean Marc Mormeck (24-67)
Last Fight: 12/2/2010- SD12 #19 Timur Ibragimov
Next Fight: Unknown
Prospective opponent Dimitrenko is passing on his EBU mandatory defense with Mormeck in favor of a voluntary one with someone else.
16) Bermane Stiverne (11-11)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- TKO10 #20 Ray Austin
Next Fight: Unknown
The only thing impressive about Stiverne’s performance against Austin was his power, but a win is a win.
17) Samuel Peter (11-67)
Last Fight: 4/2/2011- L(KO9) vs. #16 Robert Helenius
Next Fight: Unknown
We’ll have to see if and how Peter rebounds from his latest knockout loss- this one more brutal than the last.  If the relatively young (30) Nigerian decides to forge on, he’ll have to overcome the reality of being treated as a stepping stone at least for tall up-and-comers.
18) Franklin Lawrence (11-15)
Last Fight:5/27/2011- RTD7 Jason Gavern (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lawrence has signed with Gary Shaw and figures to get a decent fight or two as a result.
19) Kubrat Pulev (11-43)
Last Fight: 7/16/2011- UD8 Maxim Pediura (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/22/2011- vs. Unknown Opponent
After turning down Tyson Fury, Martin Rogan has withdrawn from a fight with Pulev, as well.  Pulev will fight on October 22, but the opponent is now unknown.
20) Dereck Chisora (7-51)
Last Fight: 7/23/2011- L(UD12) vs. Tyson Fury (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Chisora recently said that he expects a rematch with Fury.  I’m not sure he’s earned it based on his effort in training and his performance in the ring.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD:  A very nice matchup in Wroclaw, Poland as #1 Vitali Klitschko takes on #6 Tomasz Adamek.  Adamek is too small to deal with most good and powerful heavyweights as I think his close call with Chris Arreola proved, but on the other hand I saw a comparative slug like Odlanier Solis effectively outbox Vitali for a good solid round before his body gave up on him earlier in the year.  It appears to me as if Vitali has lost a little bit at 40 years old, and thus I could see Adamek exploiting this for a decision win.  That being said, I can obviously also see the much bigger Klitschko crushing the plucky Pole.


Speaking of Adamek, on the same card we find prospect Johnathon Banks, whose only career loss was as a cruiserweight to Adamek 2 1/2 years ago.  Banks takes on journeyman Ivica Bacurin, a woefully inexperienced Croatian fighter who has lost to the not-so-formidable Ismail Abdoul and also has a draw with weak Euro trial horse Remijius Ziausys, and thus is probably a little worse than his 8-1-1 record.

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