Archive for Marcus Oliveira

Light Heavyweight: 2013, Dec 16-22

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on March 6, 2014 by danboxing
There were three notable fights last week, all on Saturday.  

 

First, #12 Juergen Braehmer baffled undefeated Kansas prospect Marcus Oliveira for the better part of 12 rounds in Neubrandenburg, Germany.  Oliveira’s relative lack of experience showed, and he lacked rhythm and appeared to be possibly a bit musclebound.  The wiry Braehmer had no such problems.  He displayed a masterful exhibition of boxing, and frustrated Oliveira with frankly excessive holding down the stretch.  The most interesting and perplexing moment of the fight came in the 10th, when Braehmer was credited with a knockdown after Oliveira took a knee for no apparent reason.  I had the fight 118-109 in Braehmer’s favor.  Judges Garcia Reyes and Colon both had it a very reasonable 117-110, while Jean-Louis Legland turned in an unbelievably bad 115-112 card.  

 

Later that night in Atlantic City, one-loss prospect Ryan Coyne had a similar set of problems against gatekeeper Lionell Thompson.  Thompson was very slick, with fast hands and feet, and extremely sharp and accurate counterpunching.  Coyne didn’t let his hands go much, and could hardly lay a hand on Thompson when he did.  It was a clear shutout over 10 rounds for Thompson, though all three judges somehow found a round (I’m guessing it was the 3rd) to give to Coyne.

 

Meanwhile, in San Antonio, Beibut Shumenov returned from an 18-month layoff to beat down undefeated but untested Slovakian prospect Tamas Kovacs, dropping him three times in less than three rounds.  Kovacs was obviously displaying a total lack of a chin, but the stoppage in the third by referee Rafael Ramos was still very premature.  The fight was only just beginning, and Kovacs was not badly hurt despite the three knockdowns.  Ramos also erred by waiting about 6 seconds to start the count for the second knockdown.  As for Shumenov, he was much more selective with his punches than I remember, and much more powerful, as well.

 

Braehmer’s last loss is now more than 5 years old, which allows his superior quality of good wins to finally supersede the two slightly more impressive ones of Cornelius White.  Braehmer therefore moves up one spot to #11.  

 

I fully expected that Shumenov would reclaim a ranking merely by returning to activity, but with 2 of his significant wins having expired in the past year, his resume really doesn’t stack up all that well.  He fits in below Yunieski Gonzalez, and above Igor Mikhalkin, in the low 20s.  So now we have a “super champion” who is not even a top 20 fighter in his division.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (67-67-67)
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 (28-28-28)
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 (67-393-393)
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 (27-48-48)
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.
4) Chad Dawson (27-394-394)
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 (18-18-75)
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 (18-114-114)
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 (18-182-182)
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 (18-225-225)
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 (18-202-202)
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 (18-38-98)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD8 Michael Gbenga (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
11) Jürgen Brähmer (1-87)
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 (1-105)
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 (8-8)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
14) Cedric Agnew (8-36)
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 (8-23)
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 (8-59)
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 (8-25)
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 (8-47)
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 (4-4)
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 (4-18)
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: Nothing.

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Light Heavyweight: 2013, Dec 9-15

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on February 5, 2014 by danboxing
Friday in Chicago, #5 Andrzej Fonfara fought mid-level journeyman Samuel Miller at a 176 pound contract weight.  Fonfara, to me, didn’t look that great, but made a decision to punch with Miller, catching him in and exchange, and allowing Miller’s momentum to carry him hard to the canvas.  Miller- who fought dirty in the very brief fight- may or may not have been too buzzed to get back up, but didn’t, resulting in a 2nd round KO, with a knockdown in each round.

 

In Poland that night, local one-loss prospect Pawel Glazewski won either 7 or 8 rounds, depending on the judge, against low-level Belorussian journeyman Andrei Salakhutdzinau.

 

Saturday in Liverpool, #20 Enzo Maccarinelli dropped mid-level local journeyman Courtney Fry in the first and sixth rounds before stopping him in the 7th.

 

No changes this week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (66-66-66)
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, so who knows when he’ll fight again.
1) Adonis Stevenson (27-27-27)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO6 #6 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: Unknown
Stevenson-Kovalev is the obvious can’t-miss battle in the division.
2) Bernard Hopkins (66-392-392)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- UD12 Karo Murat (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Ward’s notes, above.
3) Sergey Kovalev (26-47-47)
Last Fight: 11/30/2013- TKO2 Ismayl Sillakh (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Stevenson’s notes, above.
4) Chad Dawson (26-393-393)
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 (17-17-74)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- KO2 Samuel Miller (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
There is some buzz about Fonfara being Kovalev’s next opponent if Kovalev-Stevenson isn’t made.
6) Tony Bellew (17-113-113)
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.
7) Gabriel Campillo (17-181-181)
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 (17-224-224)
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 (17-201-201)
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 (17-37-97)
Last Fight: 11/16/2013- UD8 Michael Gbenga (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
11) Cornelius White (17-104)
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) Jürgen Brähmer (16-86)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- UD12 Stefano Abatangelo (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/14/2013- vs. Marcus Oliveira (UNR)
Since getting dominated in your title fight, fighting journeymen, and then taking two years off is the required resume for becoming a WBA Super Champion, Beibut Shumenov has now assumed that dubious title.  Braehmer will now fight prospect Marcus Oliveira for the “regular” title on December 14 in Neubrandenburg, Germany.
13) Karo Murat (7-7)
Last Fight: 10/26/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
14) Cedric Agnew (7-35)
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 (7-22)
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 (7-58)
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 (7-24)
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 (7-46)
Last Fight: 9/28/2013- UD10 Edison Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: 1/18/2013- vs. #6 SMW Thomas Oosthuizen
Alvarez is tentatively scheduled to fight Oosthuizen in January, and I have no new information to suggest whether or not Oosthuizen’s shaky performance and bad cut against Maderna, or the lack of expected alphabet sanctioning, will affect that.
19) Dmitry Sukhotsky (3-3)
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 (3-17)
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: 
Saturday
#12 Juergen Braehmer vs. Marcus Oliveira; Neubrandenburg, Germany; ARD (Germany)
Oliveira is an undefeated prospect with some pedigree, having beaten fellow unbeaten Ryan Coyne in April, as well as gatekeeper Otis Griffin in 2009.  But Coyne wasn’t really proven at any serious level, and so there was quite a gap between his arrival as a top-50 fighter in ’09 and this step up.

 

Lionell Thompson vs. Ryan Coyne; Atlantic City, New Jersey; NBC Sports (US)
As mentioned above, Coyne failed in his first attempt to bust through into legitimate contention when he lost to Oliveira earlier this year.  But he gets another chance this weekend.  Lionell Thompson is no world-beater, but he’s a legitimate top 50 gatekeeper, if not a prospect himself.  He suffered his only two career losses in back-t0-back 2012 fights to Nicholson Poulard (by split decision) and Sergey Kovalev.  He was totally overwhelmed in the latter, but that puts him in the same company as #11 Cornelius White.  The winner of this fight remains a viable prospect in the division, while the loser will look more like a journeyman.

 

Beibut Shumenov vs. Tamas Kovacs; San Antonio, Texas; Showtime (US)
Slovakia’s Tamas Kovacs is undefeated at 23-0, but is so untested that his best opponent to date is probably one-loss prospect Hamza Wandera (12-1) from back in early 2011.  Wandera has 5 losses and a draw since that fight, against progressively weaker competition.  Even at the time of the fight, Wandera had just 26 boxrec rankings points, meaning he was ranked very similarly to Kovacs’ 2nd-best opponent, Steve Kroekel, who entered with a losing record.  Yet Kovacs could only manage a split decision victory over the highly suspect prospect.  In terms of what he’s proven, Kovacs might as well be making his pro debut.  That makes him a pretty safe choice for the highly inactive Kazakh Beibut Shumenov, who hasn’t seen the inside of a ring since June 2, 2012.  Despite the inactivity (not to mention the fact that he clearly lost his title fight and hasn’t fought anything better than borderline top-50 opposition since his July 2010 domination of Vyacheslav Uzelkoff), Shumenov has not only held on to his WBA title, but has actually been promoted to “super champion.”  Okay.  I don’t usually mention alphabet titles, but this one is so absurd, I had to share.  What this fight actually means rankings-wise is that Shumenov can resume a place as a prominent fringe contender, should he avoid an upset.

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Light Heavyweight: 2013, Apr 8-14

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on April 8, 2013 by danboxing
Last week’s #12 Karo Murat last made 175 on October 1, 2011.  He has fought just once since then, which bought him an extra six months based on my rules, since he missed the weight by less than 2 pounds.  He’s been waiting around for a shot at Tavoris Cloud (or Bernard Hopkins for the past month or so), which has been repeatedly frustrated by Don King.  But there’s just no excuse- save for injury- for a fighter to be out of the ring for stretches like these.  Accordingly, he is removed this week, allowing everyone ranked #13 and below last week to advance.  Doudou Ngumbu assumes the #20 position on the strength of his recent win over 14th-ranked Vyacheslav Uzelkoff. 

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (31-31-31)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ward’s attention seems fixed a division or two (or three) to the south, as the recent names associated with him have been Chavez, Mayweather, and Golovkin.
1) Chad Dawson (31-358-358)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- L(TKO10) vs. SMW Champ Andre Ward (at SMW)
Next Fight: 6/8/2013- vs. SMW #7 Adonis Stevenson
Dawson will fight Adonis Stevenson (who moves up from 168) on June 8 in Montreal.
2) Bernard Hopkins (31-357-357)
Last Fight: 3/9/2012- UD12 #6 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: Unknown
There is now serious talk of Hopkins fighting Cleverly in London this July.
3) Jean Pascal (31-199-199)
Last Fight: 12/14/2012- UD10 Alexei Kuziemski (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. #15 Lucian Bute
Pascal bailed on Dawson for a less internationally compelling fight with Lucian Bute on the same date.
4) Sergey Kovalev (12-12-12)
Last Fight: 1/19/2013- TKO3 #4 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: Unknown
5) Gabriel Campillo (12-146-146)
Last Fight: 1/19/2013- L(TKO3) vs. Sergey Kovalev (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
It remains to be seen whether we’ve seen Campillo rapidly decline, have a bad night, or just run into a world-beater.  But he’s still going to be highly ranked because he recently beat the guy ranked right below him.
6) Tavoris Cloud (12-189-189)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
Cloud’s manager expects him back in action by the end of the year.  Normally that wouldn’t be saying much, but that would be against type for Cloud.
7) Isaac Chilemba (2-2-62)
Last Fight: 3/30/2013- Draw* (SD12) vs. #9 Tony Bellew (should be win)
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. #10 Tony Bellew
That didn’t take long!  Chilemba will rematch Bellew on the Froch-Kessler undercard in London, less than two months removed from getting borderline robbed the first time around.
8) Cornelius White (2-39-69)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- UD8 Otis Griffin (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
White snuck in an under-the-radar 8-rounder against Otis Griffin.  It was a pound over the limit, but will buy him some more time to stay active at 175, at least.
9) Nathan Cleverly (2-166-166)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- TKO8 Shawn Hawk (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. Robin Krasniqi (UNR)
Cleverly probably has a Hopkins fight waiting for him just a few months after the Krasniqi fight, assuming he wins.
10) Tony Bellew (2-78-78)
Last Fight: 3/30/2013- Draw* (SD12) vs. #13 Isaac Chilemba (should be loss)
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. #7 Isaac Chilemba
See Chilemba’s notes, above.
11) Jürgen Brähmer (2-51)
Last Fight: 2/2/2013- UD12 Eduard Gutknecht (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Tony Averlant (UNR)
Braehmer defends his European title in Hamburg on April 27 against journeyman Tony Averlant.  Averlant so far only steps up when he fights for the European belt, having previously been robbed against then-beltholder Eddy Gutknecht, only to get beat by a journeyman himself.
12) Beibut Shumenov (1-146)
Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD12 Enrique Ornelas (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
13) Andrzej Fonfara (1-39)
Last Fight: 11/16/2012- TKO7 Tommy Karpency (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fonfara aggravated a previous injury to his right hand and had to withdraw from his ESPN2 fight with Nicholson Poulard.  He will hope that it heals on its own in a month, but if not he will need surgery that would keep him out for an additional 3-6 months.
14) Yusaf Mack (1-146)
Last Fight: 11/17/2012- L(KO3) vs. #1 SMW Carl Froch (at SMW)
Next Fight: 4/12/2013- vs. Cedric Agnew (UNR)
After I rather thought he should retire after his showing against Carl Froch, Mack is instead back in the ring on April 12 against undefeated prospect Cedric Agnew.
15) Lucian Bute (1-23)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. #3 Jean Pascal
Bute will look to prove what I have long believed- that the 168 pound division is much better man-for-man than 175, by fighting his larger peer in Montreal on May 25.
16) Denis Grachev (1-50)
Last Fight: 3/30/2013– W* (SD10) vs. Zsolt Erdei (UNR) (should be draw)
Next Fight: 7/13/2013- vs. SMW #16 Edwin Rodriguez
Grachev will be fighting Edwin Rodriguez at a catchweight of 171.5 in Monte Carlo for a million dollar prize.
17) Dmitri Sukhotski (1-128)
Last Fight: 12/8/2012- TKO1 Vladimir Borovsky (UNR)
Next Fight: 6/4/2013- vs. Mikhail Krinitsin
Sukhotski will fight in Barnaul, Russia on June 4 against low-level Kazakh journeyman Mikhail Krinitsin.
18) Eleider Alvarez (1-11)
Last Fight: 3/22/2013- TKO3 Nicholson Poulard (UNR)
Next Fight: 5/25/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Alvarez continues to stay busy, as he already has another fight scheduled for the Bute-Pascal undercard on May 25.  No opponent yet, though.
19) Yunieski Gonzalez (1-4)
Last Fight: 3/15/2013- KO8 Rowland Bryant (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Gonzalez took a huge step up in competition and made good, knocking out strong fringe contender Bryant. 
20) Doudou Ngumbu (1-1)
Last Fight: 3/16/2013- UD12 #14 Vyacheslav Uzelkoff
Next Fight: Unknown
 

 

The Week Ahead: There are two fights worth mentioning on Friday this week.

 

At a casino in New Buffalo, Michigan, we get a crossroads fight between undefeated Chicago prospect Cedric Agnew and the apparently shot #14 Yusaf Mack of Philly, who looked so bad against Carl Froch in his last fight that I personally thought he ought to retire.  And that’s even accounting for that fact that he had to cut some extra weight for the fight, and for the fact that Froch is really really good. 

 

In Vegas, and presumably a couple hours or so later, a once-great college rivalry is reignited between two undefeated prospects.  Marcus Oliveira, a member of the Menominee tribe, lives on an Indian reservation near Lawrence, Kansas.  I therefore make an assumption that he is a Jayhawk fan to one extent or another (though he played basketball for a nearby tribal college).  He is undefeated, and rose to roughly top 25 status with a knockout of gatekeeper Otis Griffin in the early summer of 2009.  But then he laid off for a year and has fought just 5 times against extremely weak opposition in the nearly 4 years since.  His inactivity and competition has been so bad that boxrec no longer even ranks him in the top 50 despite the Griffin win.  Almost needless to say, he’s a Don King fighter.  Oliveira’s opponent is Ryan Coyne, who at last check was trying and failing to separate himself from King.  Coyne played safety for the Mizzou Tigers, and comes in with an undefeated record, though he’s marginally less proven than Oliveira.  You might remember him for scheduled fights with Nathan Cleverly and Guillermo Jones, both of which fell through.  Technically speaking, I wouldn’t normally have mentioned this fight because it lacks a top 50 fighter according to boxrec, but given Oliveira’s past success and continued undefeated record, that seemed like quite a technicality indeed.

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Light Heavyweight: 2012, Jan 30- Feb 5

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on April 1, 2012 by danboxing
Former contender Juergen Braehmer returned to action as advertised and, as expected, stopped journeyman Jose Maria Guerrero of Spain.  What was not expected- at least by me- was that both guys came in at 176.25 pounds for the fight.  As a result, Braehmer still is not an active light heavyweight, and does not reclaim a ranking after being inactive since spring 2010.

 

Undefeated Kansas-based Wisconsinite Marcus Oliveira did exactly as expected, as well, stopping badly faded former contender Antwun Echols.  Echols needs to retire, and commissions need to stop licensing him.  He’s been stopped in 7 of his last 9 fights against decent but not great fighters, and there is no way that is healthy.  Echols is not remotely a threat to ever win a significant fight again, and at this point he’s just sacrificing his long-term health for a quick buck and a chance to lend his once-worthy name to the resume of prospects.  Echols is apparently good for 2 plus rounds, though- he has been stopped in the third round of each of his last 4 fights, this one included.

 

No changes to the rankings this week.

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: Bernard Hopkins (37-295-295)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- NC vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: 4/28/2012- vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Hopkins and Dawson will square off- hopefully to a conclusion this time- on regular HBO in late April.
1) Jean Pascal (37-137-137)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- L(UD12) vs. #1 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has ordered an eliminator vs. Sillakh after originally offering Pascal an outright shot at the winner of the ill-fated Hopkins-Dawson fight.  Pascal has basically confirmed that he is 100% all for that fight and his sole goal is winning his title back.
2) Chad Dawson (59-296-296)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- NC* vs. Champ Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
See Hopkins’ notes, above.
3) Tavoris Cloud (59-127-127)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- TKO8 #8 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Erdei’s injured hand has nixed the entire New Year’s Eve card.  Somewhat inexplicably, Showtime rejected Gabriel Campillo- who is likely better than Erdei- as a replacement opponent.
4) Gabriel Campillo (16-84-84)
Last Fight: 10/1/2011- Draw (SD12) vs. #14 Karo Murat
Next Fight: Unknown
See Cloud’s notes, above.
5) Nathan Cleverly (16-104-104)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- W*(MD12) vs. Tony Bellew (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/25/2012- vs. Tommy Karpency (UNR)
Cleverly’s next opponent is American journeyman Tommy Karpency.  A bit of a disappointment.
6) Karo Murat (18-18-39)
Last Fight: 10/1/2011- Draw (SD12) vs. #4 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: Unknown
I never thought this would happen, but I now rate the long-overrated Murat even higher than does Ring Magazine.
7) Tony Bellew (16-16-16)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- L*(MD12) vs. #4 Nathan Cleverly
Next Fight: 4/14/2012- vs. #17 Danny McIntosh
Bellew will face McIntosh in Liverpool on April 14.
8) Eduard Gutknecht (16-39-39)
Last Fight: 7/16/2011- UD12 Lorenzo Di Giacomo (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/4/2011- vs. Vyacheslav Uzelkov (UNR)
Gutknecht will fight fringe contender/prospect Uzelkov on February 4.
9) Beibut Shumenov (16-80-84)
Last Fight: 7/29/2011- TKO9 Danny Santiago (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Shumenov’s attempts to get a fight with Cleverly have apparently failed.  Shumenov wants to unify the alphabet titles, but he appears to be the odd man out in a lot of those fights.  This might be an ideal time for a rematch with Campillo if he can’t get a unification at this point.
10) Yusaf Mack (16-48-84)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- L(TKO8) vs. #3 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: Unknown
Mack looks a little too small to compete with the top guys at this weight, but still has a good enough resume to avoid dropping too far.
11) Dmitri Sukhotski (16-66)
Last Fight: 10/8/2011- TKO2 Nadjib Mohammedi (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Sukhotski has a fight with Cleverly on the horizon, but it appears unlikely to be in Cleverly’s next appearance in February.
12) Adrian Diaconu (16-247)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- L(UD12) vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: Unknown
A quality fighter, Diaconu is nevertheless slipping in the rankings simply because he never wins against anyone above the journeyman level.  He ought to try and find some kind of mid-range fringe contender just to get a decent win, because fighting journeymen or top contenders isn’t working out for him.
13) Ismayl Sillakh (16-55)
Last Fight: 11/4/2011- TKO4 Ali Ismailov (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has slated Sillakh for an eliminator against Pascal.
14) Cornelius White (7-7)
Last Fight: 12/17/2011- UD6 #16 Yordanis Despaigne
Next Fight: Unknown
White, who was blown out in one round by prospect Don George at super middleweight early in 2011, may be a fluke.  But at least for one night, he looked a lot better against former top amateur Yordanis Despaigne than did established fringe contender Edison Miranda.
15) Zsolt Erdei (7-63)
Last Fight: 6/4/2011- KO6 Byron Mitchell (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Erdei’s injured hand has nixed the entire New Year’s Eve card, including his fight with Cloud. 
16) Edison Miranda (7-7)
Last Fight: 12/17/2011- TKO5 Kariz Kariuki (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/3/2012- vs. Isaac Chilemba (UNR)
Despaigne has withdrawn from an essentially made rematch with Miranda, citing mental unreadiness after being upset by Cornelius White.  Miranda will instead face an even tougher foe in fringe contender Isaac Chilemba on Friday Night Fights’ February 3 installment.
17) Danny McIntosh (7-84)
Last Fight: 5/7/2011- L(TKO8) vs. Eduard Gutknecht (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/14/2012- vs. #7 Tony Bellew
McIntosh will travel to Liverpool to fight Bellew for the British title.
18) Jesus Gonzales (7-30)
Last Fight: 7/8/2011- UD12 Francisco Sierra (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/18/2012- vs. Adonis Stevenson (UNR) (at SMW)
His present and future are probably both at 168, but he beat a good enough light heavyweight to earn this ranking, nevertheless.
19) Luis Garcia (2-5)
Last Fight: 12/30/2011- UD8 Alexander Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Hopefully 2012 looks a more like 2010 than 2011 for Garcia.  The prospect fought 6 times in the former and only once in the latter.
20) Dyah Davis (2-2)
Last Fight: 1/6/2012- UD10 Alfonso Gomez (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
In a fight in January that has no bearing on his ranking here, Davis dominated a guy that outboxed Kelly Pavlik.

 

The Week Ahead: There is one good fight each on both Friday and Saturday.  Headlining Friday Night Fights on ESPN2, #16 Edison Miranda of Colombia takes on fringe contender and former top-15 Super Middleweight Isaac Chilemba of Malawi in Las Vegas, in a fight that will obviously have implications in the rankings.  The following night in Frankfurt, Germany, #8 Eduard Gutknecht battles one-loss prospect Vyacheslav Uzelkov of the Ukraine.

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Light Heavyweight: 2012, Jan 23-29

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on April 1, 2012 by danboxing
Thierry Karl is removed from the rankings this week, as he has not competed at 175 in over a year now.  Dyah Davis re-enters at #20 after 3 weeks out, as Luis Garcia moves up one spot to #19.  No in-ring action to report.

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: Bernard Hopkins (36-294-294)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- NC vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has ordered a Dawson rematch.  There is much speculation floating around that the matchup is extremely unmarketable due to the poor PPV numbers of the first fight.  Also, Dawson has unequivocally stated his desire for a Pascal rematch next.  But on the other hand, Hopkins is under contract for another fight with HBO, and it’s hard to come up with anyone realistic that would make a more natural opponent for Hopkins.
1) Jean Pascal (36-136-136)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- L(UD12) vs. #1 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has ordered an eliminator vs. Sillakh after originally offering Pascal an outright shot at the winner of the ill-fated Hopkins-Dawson fight.  Pascal has basically confirmed that he is 100% all for that fight and his sole goal is winning his title back.
2) Chad Dawson (58-295-295)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- NC* vs. Champ Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
See Hopkins’ notes, above.
3) Tavoris Cloud (58-126-126)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- TKO8 #8 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Erdei’s injured hand has nixed the entire New Year’s Eve card.  Somewhat inexplicably, Showtime rejected Gabriel Campillo- who is likely better than Erdei- as a replacement opponent.
4) Gabriel Campillo (15-83-83)
Last Fight: 10/1/2011- Draw (SD12) vs. #14 Karo Murat
Next Fight: Unknown
See Cloud’s notes, above.
5) Nathan Cleverly (15-103-103)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- W*(MD12) vs. Tony Bellew (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/25/2012- vs. Tommy Karpency (UNR)
Cleverly’s next opponent is American journeyman Tommy Karpency.  A bit of a disappointment.  Promoter Frank Warren wants a Froch fight in June, as well.
6) Karo Murat (17-17-38)
Last Fight: 10/1/2011- Draw (SD12) vs. #4 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: Unknown
I never thought this would happen, but I now rate the long-overrated Murat even higher than does Ring Magazine.
7) Tony Bellew (15-15-15)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- L*(MD12) vs. #4 Nathan Cleverly
Next Fight: 4/14/2012- vs. #17 Danny McIntosh
Bellew will face McIntosh in Liverpool on April 14.
8) Eduard Gutknecht (15-38-38)
Last Fight: 7/16/2011- UD12 Lorenzo Di Giacomo (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/4/2011- vs. Vyacheslav Uzelkov (UNR)
Gutknecht will fight fringe contender/prospect Uzelkov on February 4.
9) Beibut Shumenov (15-79-83)
Last Fight: 7/29/2011- TKO9 Danny Santiago (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Shumenov’s attempts to get a fight with Cleverly have apparently failed.  Shumenov wants to unify the alphabet titles, but he appears to be the odd man out in a lot of those fights.  This might be an ideal time for a rematch with Campillo if he can’t get a unification at this point.
10) Yusaf Mack (15-47-83)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- L(TKO8) vs. #3 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: Unknown
Mack looks a little too small to compete with the top guys at this weight, but still has a good enough resume to avoid dropping too far.
11) Dmitri Sukhotski (15-65)
Last Fight: 10/8/2011- TKO2 Nadjib Mohammedi (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Sukhotski has a fight with Cleverly on the horizon, but it appears unlikely to be in Cleverly’s next appearance in February.
12) Adrian Diaconu (15-246)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- L(UD12) vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: Unknown
A quality fighter, Diaconu is nevertheless slipping in the rankings simply because he never wins against anyone above the journeyman level.  He ought to try and find some kind of mid-range fringe contender just to get a decent win, because fighting journeymen or top contenders isn’t working out for him.
13) Ismayl Sillakh (15-54)
Last Fight: 11/4/2011- TKO4 Ali Ismailov (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has slated Sillakh for an eliminator against Pascal.
14) Cornelius White (6-6)
Last Fight: 12/17/2011- UD6 #16 Yordanis Despaigne
Next Fight: Unknown
White, who was blown out in one round by prospect Don George at super middleweight early in 2011, may be a fluke.  But at least for one night, he looked a lot better against former top amateur Yordanis Despaigne than did established fringe contender Edison Miranda.
15) Zsolt Erdei (6-62)
Last Fight: 6/4/2011- KO6 Byron Mitchell (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Erdei’s injured hand has nixed the entire New Year’s Eve card, including his fight with Cloud. 
16) Edison Miranda (6-6)
Last Fight: 12/17/2011- TKO5 Kariz Kariuki (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/3/2012- vs. Isaac Chilemba (UNR)
Despaigne has withdrawn from an essentially made rematch with Miranda, citing mental unreadiness after being upset by Cornelius White.  Miranda will instead face an even tougher foe in fringe contender Isaac Chilemba on Friday Night Fights’ February 3 installment.
17) Danny McIntosh (6-83)
Last Fight: 5/7/2011- L(TKO8) vs. Eduard Gutknecht (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/14/2012- vs. #7 Tony Bellew
McIntosh will travel to Liverpool to fight Bellew for the British title.
18) Jesus Gonzales (6-29)
Last Fight: 7/8/2011- UD12 Francisco Sierra (UNR)
Next Fight: 2/18/2012- vs. Adonis Stevenson (UNR) (at SMW)
His present and future are probably both at 168, but he beat a good enough light heavyweight to earn this ranking, nevertheless.
19) Luis Garcia (1-4)
Last Fight: 12/30/2011- UD8 Alexander Johnson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Hopefully 2012 looks a more like 2010 than 2011 for Garcia.  The prospect fought 6 times in the former and only once in the latter.
20) Dyah Davis (1-1)
Last Fight: 1/6/2012- UD10 Alfonso Gomez (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
In a fight in January that has no bearing on his ranking here, Davis dominated a guy that outboxed Kelly Pavlik.

 

The Week Ahead: A couple fights to mention on Saturday.  Former top 10 contender Juergen Braehmer of Germany returns to action for the first time since April 2010 (though he’s been known to pull out at the last minute, so we’ll have to wait and see) against Spanish journeyman Jose Maria Guerrero in Germany.  Chances are he’ll enter the rankings at some level just by fighting in general.  Later in Wisconsin, local undefeated prospect Marcus Oliveira takes on former contender Antwun Echols in an 8-rounder.  Oliveira had a respectable amateur career with about 200 wins, but got a pretty late start in the pros which finds him, at almost 33, just now creeping into the top 50, give or take.  Echols is a 40-year-old former contender who is about 9 years overdue for retirement.  Commissions really should think twice about licensing the guy, as he’s been stopped in 6 of his last 8 fights- none of which were against real world-beaters.  Oliveira is pretty good about getting guys out of there, and will probably make that 7 of 9.

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Light Heavyweight: 2011, Nov 7-13

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 24, 2011 by danboxing
I made a bit of a mistake last week in advertising Sillakh-Ismailov.  Evidently the fight was never going to be fought at 175, which I should have known based on Ismailov’s history of never having fought below cruiserweight.  I’ve already published my cruiserweight update and the fight is inconsequential to the rankings, so I’ll just mention here.  Suffice it to say Sillakh continued Ismailov’s streak of stoppage losses with a 4th round TKO.

 

Allan Green won a comfortable decision over local favorite Sebastian Demers in Quebec City on Saturday.  Demers came in just a shade over 168, and while he was probably still a top-50 fighter at that weight, I’m not sure he does a ton for Green’s resume at 175.

 

 Undefeated prospect Marcus Oliveira, who has been fighting infrequently against poor opposition, stopped Chris Eppley- a 10-1 fighter who has fought exclusively bums- in four rounds.

 

In a fight that was announced very late, #18 Thierry Karl fought the awful Mile Nikolic at cruiserweight, knocking him out in 1.

 

All of this action, however, pales in comparison to non-action on behalf of prospect and #19 contender Luis Garcia, who has been inactive for a year, doesn’t have a fight scheduled, and accordingly is bounced from the rankings due to inactivity.  Marcus Johnson returns to the rankings at #20 after three weeks away.

 

For comparison, here are the current Ring Magazine Ratings:
Champ: Bernard Hopkins
1) Jean Pascal
2) Tavoris Cloud
3) Chad Dawson
4) Nathan Cleverly
5) Adrian Diaconu
6) Zsolt Erdei
7) Beibut Shumenov
8) Karo Murat
9) Gabriel Campillo
10) Ismayl Sillakh

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: Bernard Hopkins (25-283-283)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- NC* vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: Unknown
The first official blow against Pat Russell’s bad TKO decision has been struck, as the WBC announced that its title would stay with Hopkins despite the call.
1) Jean Pascal (25-125-125)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- L(UD12) vs. #1 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson wants Pascal, but a Dawson-Hopkins rematch may supersede that before it’s all said and done.
2) Chad Dawson (47-284-284)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- NC* vs. Champ Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
See Hopkins’ notes, above.
3) Tavoris Cloud (47-115-115)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- TKO8 #8 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: 12/31/2011- vs. #14 Zsolt Erdei
Cloud looks to close out the year in fine fashion by beating arguable lineal title claimant Zsolt Erdei as the ball drops on 2011.
4) Gabriel Campillo (4-72-72)
Last Fight: 10/1/2011- Draw (SD12) vs. #14 Karo Murat
Next Fight: Unknown
Campillo had my sympathy after being robbed against Shumenov, but hasn’t helped his case with a long stretch of inactivity against good fighters followed by a back-and-forth draw with Murat.
5) Nathan Cleverly (4-92-92)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- W*(MD12) vs. Tony Bellew (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBO has ordered him to fight Dmitri Sukhotski in 2012.
6) Karo Murat (6-6-27)
Last Fight: 10/1/2011- Draw (SD12) vs. #4 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: Unknown
I never thought this would happen, but I now rate the long-overrated Murat even higher than does Ring Magazine.
7) Tony Bellew (4-4-4)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- L*(MD12) vs. #4 Nathan Cleverly
Next Fight: Unknown
Deserved better than a majority decision loss against Cleverly.  I thought he won the fight or deserved, at worst, a draw.
8) Eduard Gutknecht (4-27-27)
Last Fight: 7/16/2011- UD12 Lorenzo Di Giacomo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ho-hum victory over Di Giacomo.  Hopefully he steps back up soon.
9) Beibut Shumenov (4-68-72)
Last Fight: 7/29/2011- TKO9 Danny Santiago (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
10) Yusaf Mack (4-36-72)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- L(TKO8) vs. #3 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: Unknown
Mack looks a little too small to compete with the top guys at this weight, but still has a good enough resume to avoid dropping too far.
11) Dmitri Sukhotski (4-54)
Last Fight: 10/8/2011- TKO2 Nadjib Mohammedi (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Cleverly’s notes, above.
12) Adrian Diaconu (4-235)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- L(UD12) vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: Unknown
A quality fighter, Diaconu is nevertheless slipping in the rankings simply because he never wins against anyone above the journeyman level.  He ought to try and find some kind of mid-range fringe contender just to get a decent win, because fighting journeymen or top contenders isn’t working out for him.
13) Ismayl Sillakh (4-43)
Last Fight: 11/4/2011- TKO4 Ali Ismailov (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
14) Zsolt Erdei (4-51)
Last Fight: 6/4/2011- KO6 Byron Mitchell (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/31/2011- vs. #3 Tavoris Cloud (UNR)
See Cloud’s notes, above.
15) Danny McIntosh (4-72)
Last Fight: 5/7/2011- L(TKO8) vs. Eduard Gutknecht (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Significantly diminished by his loss to Gutknecht, but still has a better win in Thierry Karl than the two guys rated immediately below him: Karo Murat and…well…Thierry Karl.
16) Yordanis Despaigne (4-15)
Last Fight: 7/29/2011- W(DQ5) vs. Edison Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
There was talk immediately after the Miranda fight of a rematch taking place, but no new news on that.
17) Jesus Gonzales (4-18)
Last Fight: 7/8/2011- UD12 Francisco Sierra (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
His present and future are probably both at 168, but he beat a good enough light heavyweight to earn this ranking, nevertheless.
18) Thierry Karl (4-72)
Last Fight: 11/5/2011- KO1 Mile Nikolic (UNR) (at CW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Karl is a threat to be removed in late January if he doesn’t schedule a light heavyweight fight soon.
19) Dyah Davis (1-33)
Last Fight: 10/21/2011- UD6 Darnell Boone (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Marcus Johnson (1-1)
Last Fight: 4/8/2011- L*(UD10) vs. #19 Dyah Davis
Next Fight: 11/19/2011- vs. Billy Bailey (UNR)

 

The Week Ahead:  Nothing doing.

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Light Heavyweight: 2011, Oct 31 – Nov 6

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on December 23, 2011 by danboxing
Nothing going on this week at 175.

 

For comparison, here are the current Ring Magazine Ratings:
Champ: Bernard Hopkins
1) Jean Pascal
2) Tavoris Cloud
3) Chad Dawson
4) Nathan Cleverly
5) Adrian Diaconu
6) Zsolt Erdei
7) Beibut Shumenov
8) Karo Murat
9) Gabriel Campillo
10) Ismayl Sillakh

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: Bernard Hopkins (24-282-282)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- NC* vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: Unknown
The first official blow against Pat Russell’s bad TKO decision has been struck, as the WBC announced that its title would stay with Hopkins despite the call.
1) Jean Pascal (24-124-124)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- L(UD12) vs. #1 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson wants Pascal, but a Dawson-Hopkins rematch may supersede that before it’s all said and done.
2) Chad Dawson (46-283-283)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- NC* vs. Champ Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: Unknown
See Hopkins’ notes, above.
3) Tavoris Cloud (46-114-114)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- TKO8 #8 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: 12/31/2011- vs. #14 Zsolt Erdei
Cloud looks to close out the year in fine fashion by beating arguable lineal title claimant Zsolt Erdei as the ball drops on 2011.
4) Gabriel Campillo (3-71-71)
Last Fight: 10/1/2011- Draw (SD12) vs. #14 Karo Murat
Next Fight: Unknown
Campillo had my sympathy after being robbed against Shumenov, but hasn’t helped his case with a long stretch of inactivity against good fighters followed by a back-and-forth draw with Murat.
5) Nathan Cleverly (3-91-91)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- W*(MD12) vs. Tony Bellew (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBO has ordered him to fight Dmitri Sukhotski in 2012.
6) Karo Murat (5-5-26)
Last Fight: 10/1/2011- Draw (SD12) vs. #4 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: Unknown
I never thought this would happen, but I now rate the long-overrated Murat even higher than does Ring Magazine.
7) Tony Bellew (3-3-3)
Last Fight: 10/15/2011- L*(MD12) vs. #4 Nathan Cleverly
Next Fight: Unknown
Deserved better than a majority decision loss against Cleverly.  I thought he won the fight or deserved, at worst, a draw.
8) Eduard Gutknecht (3-26-26)
Last Fight: 7/16/2011- UD12 Lorenzo Di Giacomo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ho-hum victory over Di Giacomo.  Hopefully he steps back up soon.
9) Beibut Shumenov (3-67-71)
Last Fight: 7/29/2011- TKO9 Danny Santiago (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
10) Yusaf Mack (3-35-71)
Last Fight: 6/25/2011- L(TKO8) vs. #3 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: Unknown
Mack looks a little too small to compete with the top guys at this weight, but still has a good enough resume to avoid dropping too far.
11) Dmitri Sukhotski (3-53)
Last Fight: 10/8/2011- TKO2 Nadjib Mohammedi (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Cleverly’s notes, above.
12) Adrian Diaconu (3-234)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- L(UD12) vs. #2 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: Unknown
A quality fighter, Diaconu is nevertheless slipping in the rankings simply because he never wins against anyone above the journeyman level.  He ought to try and find some kind of mid-range fringe contender just to get a decent win, because fighting journeymen or top contenders isn’t working out for him.
13) Ismayl Sillakh (3-42)
Last Fight: 5/21/2011- TKO3 Hamza Wandera (UNR) (as CW)
Next Fight: 11/4/2011- vs. Ali Ismailov (UNR)
Sillakh is slated to fight in Moscow on November 4 against Ali Ismailov.
14) Zsolt Erdei (3-50)
Last Fight: 6/4/2011- KO6 Byron Mitchell (UNR)
Next Fight: 12/31/2011- vs. #3 Tavoris Cloud (UNR)
See Cloud’s notes, above.
15) Danny McIntosh (3-71)
Last Fight: 5/7/2011- L(TKO8) vs. Eduard Gutknecht (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Significantly diminished by his loss to Gutknecht, but still has a better win in Thierry Karl than the two guys rated immediately below him: Karo Murat and…well…Thierry Karl.
16) Yordanis Despaigne (3-14)
Last Fight: 7/29/2011- W(DQ5) vs. Edison Miranda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
There was talk immediately after the Miranda fight of a rematch taking place, but no new news on that.
17) Jesus Gonzales (3-17)
Last Fight: 7/8/2011- UD12 Francisco Sierra (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
His present and future are probably both at 168, but he beat a good enough light heavyweight to earn this ranking, nevertheless.
18) Thierry Karl (3-71)
Last Fight: 1/22/2011- L (TKO11) vs. #17 Danny McIntosh
Next Fight: Unknown
Will probably see a long layoff and a few tune-ups after being stopped by McIntosh.  Karl might be done as a major contender.
19) Luis Garcia (3-42)
Last Fight: 11/6/2010- TKO2 Byron Mitchell (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Garcia is at risk of being removed from the rankings after this week.
20) Dyah Davis (3-32)
Last Fight: 10/21/2011- UD6 Darnell Boone (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown

 

The Week Ahead:  Friday in Moscow, #13 Ismayl Sillakh takes on cruiserweight journeyman Ali Ismailov.  Ismailov was at one time a notable fighter, but is coming off four consecutive stoppage losses. 

 

Saturday, Allan Green faces off with Sebastian Demers in Quebec City for a collision of two recent super middleweight fringe contenders.  Also, painfully inactive undefeated prospect Marcus Oliveira fights Chris Eppley, who at 10-1 has fought exclusively nobodies, and has lost to one of them in the process.    That fight is in Hollywood, Florida.

 

Also, if #19 Luis Garcia doesn’t schedule a fight by the end of the week, he will be removed from the rankings for a year’s inactivity.

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