In much lesser news, light welterweight fringe contender Silverio Ortiz stopped lower-mid-level journeyman Ivan Pereyra in 8 rounds in Cancun that same night.
No other changes this week.
Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20) Champ: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (207-239-239)
Last Fight: 9/14/2013- W* (MD12) vs. #2 JMW Saul Alvarez (at JMW) Next Fight: 5/3/2014- vs. #4 Marcos Maidana Thankfully, it will be the worthy Maidana rather than the likely washed-up Khan that fights Floyd on May 3. 1) Manny Pacquiao (1-280-280) Last Fight: 4/12/2014- UD12 #1 Timothy Bradley Next Fight: Unknown The fight has lost some of its luster over time, but Pacquiao has once again put himself in a position to deserve a shot at Mayweather. Still, that fight is likely not practically possible at the moment, and as crazy as it sounds after 4 odd fights, another Pacquiao and Marquez fight might help clarify the divisional picture further in the mean time. 2) Juan Manuel Marquez (27-127-127) Last Fight: 10/12/2013- L (SD12) vs. #17 Timothy Bradley Next Fight: 5/17/2014- vs. #? JWW Mike Alvarado Marquez takes on Alvarado near L.A. on May 17.
3) Timothy Bradley (1-27-97)
Last Fight: 4/12/2014- L (UD12) vs. #3 Manny Pacquiao Next Fight: Unknown Bradley’s best options for a next fight, practically-speaking, are limited to re-hashes of previous fights like Marquez and Provodnikov. 4) Marcos Maidana (19-45-45) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- UD12 LW Champ Adrien Broner Next Fight: 5/3/2014- vs. Champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Maidana will get a shot at the true title on May 3. 5) Keith Thurman (18-18-58) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO9 #6 Jesus Soto-Karass Next Fight: 4/26/2014- vs. Julio Diaz (UNR) Thurman gets tough gatekeeper Julio Diaz on April 26. If he passes that test, there’s talk of a Matthysse fight after that. 6) Shawn Porter (18-19-19) Last Fight: 12/7/2013- UD12 #5 Devon Alexander Next Fight: 4/19/2014- vs. #14 Paulie Malignaggi Porter-Malignaggi is made, and it will land on the Hopkins-Shumenov undercard on April 19. 7) Robert Guerrero (19-73-90) Last Fight: 5/4/2013- L (UD12) vs. Champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Next Fight: Unknown Guerrero is being called out by Devon Alexander currently, and needs to schedule a fight before early May to avoid removal. 8) Kell Brook (19-155-155)Last Fight:3/15/2014- TKO8 Alvaro Robles (UNR) (at JMW) Next Fight: Unknown Brook has been assured of a fight with the Porter-Malignaggi winner by July 19. No word yet on whether that will be complicated in any way by his recovery from a stab wound in the leg suffered while in Spain. 9) Devon Alexander (19-112-112) Last Fight: 12/7/2013- L (UD12) vs. Shawn Porter (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Alexander’s trainer has named Berto and Judah as guys that would make sense for the St. Louisan’s next fight, while Alexander himself seems to prefer Guerrero or Collazo. 10) Randall Bailey (21-21-21) Last Fight: 11/23/2013- W (DQ8) vs. Humberto Toledo (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Bailey said recently in an interview that he’d like to fight Thurman. 11) Josesito Lopez (21-95) Last Fight: 12/13/2013- W (TD8) vs. Mike Arnaoutis (UNR) Next Fight: 4/24/2014- vs. Aron Martinez (UNR) Lopez will fight journeyman Aron Martinez in Riverside on April 24. 12) Jesus Soto Karass (18-64) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- L (TKO9) vs. #13 Keith Thurman Next Fight: Unknown His results are now decidedly mixed, but I suspect Soto Karass will continue to get decent TV fights, since his fights are almost always entertaining, and always a test for his opponent. 13) Andre Berto (18-73) Last Fight: 7/27/2013- L (TKO12) vs. #11 Jesus Soto Karass Next Fight: Unknown Berto is now recovered from surgery and is training for a July return. Alexander wants him. 14) Paulie Malignaggi (19-19) Last Fight: 12/7/2013- UD12 #8? JWW Zab Judah Next Fight: 4/19/2014- vs. #6 Shawn Porter See Porter’s notes, above. 15) Chris van Heerden (19-96) Last Fight: 2/6/2014- RTD4 Cosme Rivera (UNR) Next Fight: 4/16/2014- vs. Ray Narh (UNR) Van Heerden-Narh is made for Santa Monica on April 16. 16) Luis Carlos Abregu (19-51) Last Fight: 4/4/2014- TKO8 Jean Carlos Prada (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Abregu is interested in fighting Brandon Rios in the US. 17) Luis Collazo (11-11) Last Fight: 1/30/2014- KO2 Victor Ortiz (UNR) Next Fight: 5/3/2014- vs. Amir Khan (UNR) It appears that Collazo-Khan is on for the Mayweather-Maidana undercard on May 3. 18) Jan Zaveck (11-227)
Last Fight: 10/19/2013- UD8 Sebastien Allais (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown There are rumors that Zaveck may soon be positioned for a minor (IBO) title fight. 19) Leonard Bundu (5-7) Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO12 Lee Purdy (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown Bundu’s fight with Gianluca Branco, scheduled for April 12, is now off due to a training injury to Branco. Bundu’s camp is now targeting May as his next appearance, and Frankie Gavin has been installed as his new mandatory. 20) Jo Jo Dan (5-5) Last Fight: 11/30/2013- W* SD12 vs. Kevin Bizier (UNR) Next Fight: Unknown
The Week Ahead: Wednesday #15 Chris Van Heerden vs. Ray Narh; Santa Monica, California; Off TV Van Heerden is looking to impress against his best opponent since making his US debut. Narh is a serviceable Ghanaian journeyman coming off back-to-back losses to Ray Robinson and Jessie Vargas, but who does have a win over Ronald Cruz from last year. Like all of the other decent or better match-ups on a quietly stacked card, it will unfortunately not be televised.
Friday David Avanesyan vs. Kaizer Mabuza; Krasnodar, Russia; TV Unknown Avanesyan is a one-loss Russian prospect, though I assume he’s of Armenian descent based on his name. His lone setback came in his second pro fight against fellow unbeaten Andrey Klimov. More recently, he was forced to settle for a draw with another undefeated prospect, Aslanbek Kozaev, in March of last year. Neither loss is unforgivable, and Avanesyan stands as a borderline member of the top 50, and remains a somewhat viable prospect. South Africa’s Mabuza- once a top contender at 140- is probably no longer a top-50 operator at 147, having lost what appears to have been a dominant decision to Bethuel Ushona in the fall. He’s won just two of his last six, and is unlikely to get any favors from the officials in Russia.
Saturday #6 Shawn Porter vs. #14 Paulie Malignaggi; Washington, D.C.; Showtime (US) Porter looks to follow up on his career-making upset performance against Devon Alexander against expert boxer Paulie Malignaggi, who though lacking in power is seldom outmatched. If the sometimes crude Porter’s win over Alexander was a fluke, Malignaggi should be able to prove it by frustrating his opponent all night behind a jab.