Archive for Valery Brudov

Cruiserweight: 2014, Mar 17-23

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on August 5, 2014 by danboxing
Russia’s 2 best cruiserweights were on the same card in Moscow on Saturday.  In the main event, #7 Grigory Drozd destroyed a decent, willing, but ultimately outgunned French journeyman in Jeremy Ouanna.  Ouanna came out showing some impressive quickness and boxing skill, but late in the very first round, Drozd found a jab, looping right combination that caught Ouanna flush, but without much behind it.  Just seconds later, Drozd threw the same combination from maybe 6 inches further out, and the right hand dropped Ouanna for the count this time.

 

On the undercard, narrowly unranked Rakhim Chakhkiev was much too sharp for the willing, durable, yet limited Finnish journeyman Juho Haapoja.  Chakhkiev both outclassed and out-punched Haapoja.  I’d seen the Finn before, but was struck this time in particular by how chubby he looked.  I’d say he’s a blown up super middleweight, at most.  Chakhkiev knocked Haapoja down in the 2nd with a combination, and stopped him on his feet in the 9th.

 

Later that night in Liverpool, #7 Light Heavyweight Tony Bellew made his cruiserweight debut with an entertaining win over Russian gatekeeper Valery Brudov, who certainly didn’t come to lay down.  Bellew scored knockdowns in the 2nd, 6th, and 12th rounds- all fairly devastating shots- but had his struggles, as well.  Brudov badly hurt Bellew in the 7th, and it looked for all the world like he was going to have trouble escaping the round.  He appeared almost totally out on his feet with over a minute left in the round.  Unfortunately for Brudov, one of his punches strayed significantly low while he had Bellew on the ropes.  Referee Phil Edwards did a good job by not giving Bellew the full 5 minutes, but still allowing him a fair amount of time to recover from that particular punch.  It was enough to see Bellew through to the bell, and though Brudov was fighting on mostly even terms for the remainder of the fight, he never again got Bellew in trouble.  Bellew’s recovery culminated in the 12th round knockdown mentioned above, when Bellew’s wide left hand got there just a fraction of a second before Brudov’s in a wide-open exchange.  Brudov hit the canvas for his third time, was unable to get any higher than his hands and knees in his attempt to rise, resulting in a hard-earned knockout win for the local contender.

 

Bellew’s win gets him into the conversation, but just shy of the top 20.  No changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Denis Lebedev (34-215-215)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/19/2014- vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Lebedev-Jones II appears to be more or less a done deal for April 19 in Moscow.
2) Marco Huck (8-380-380)
Last Fight:1/25/2014- TKO6 #5 Firat Arslan
Next Fight: Unknown
Huck fractured his thumb in training, and his fight with Mirko Larghetti is off.
3) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (8-195-195)
Last Fight: 11/23/2013- TKO10 #12 Alexander Alekseev
Next Fight: Unknown
Hernandez’s fight with Kolodziej- originally postponed- has now been cancelled due to an illness to Hernandez.
4) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (27-456-456)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- TKO6 #9 Giacobbe Fragomeni
Next Fight: Unknown
Wlodarczyk had a relatively easy time in his third fight with Fragomeni, and is interested in Huck, Hernandez, Afolabi, Drozd, and Chakhkiev for his next fight.  More recently, he’s being openly pursued by Mchunu.
5) Thabiso Mchunu (8-33-71)
Last Fight: 1/24/2014- UD10 Olanrewaju Durodola (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Wlodarczyk’s notes, above.
6) Firat Arslan (8-97-140)
Last Fight: 1/25/2014- L (TKO6) vs. #3 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
Having visibly regressed since his excellent first effort against Huck, it might be time for the 43 year-old Arslan to consider retirement.
7) Grigory Drozd (17-24-71)
Last Fight: 3/15/2014- KO1 Jeremy Ouanna (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Drozd made quick work of Ouanna, and will hopefully get a short at a top contender soon.
8) Ola Afolabi (17-262-262)
Last Fight: 11/2/2013- W* (MD12) vs. Lukasz Janik (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
An alphabet eliminator has been ordered between Afolabi and unbeaten but unproven Italian prospect Mirko Larghetti.
9) Giacobbe Fragomeni (17-27-279)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #4 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
I really hope that Fragomeni will call it a career.  
10) Silvio Branco (17-17-105)
Last Fight: 7/6/2013- W (TD10) vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Branco says that Chakhkiev lowered their monetary offer at the last minute, and that is why the fight didn’t come off.  He’s saying now that he may soon announce his retirement if he doesn’t get a good fight offer soon.
11) Ilunga Makabu (17-36)
Last Fight: 2/1/2014- TKO2 Ruben Angel Mino (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Makabu will no doubt look for a big fight after his last one was changed into a stay-busy outing without his consent.
12) Santander Silgado (15-20)
Last Fight: 11/1/2013- TKO2 #20 Steve Herelius
Next Fight: Unknown
Silgado was slammed by his own (now former) manager after he declined an arranged fight with Thabiso Mchunu.
13) Mateusz Masternak (15-103)
Last Fight: 2/1/2014- KO4 Sandro Siproshvili (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/12/2014- vs. Sandro Siproshvili (UNR)
Masternak will be back on April 12 at Esbjerg, Denmark.
14) Lukasz Janik (15-20)
Last Fight: 11/2/2013- L* (MD12) vs. #7 Ola Afolabi
Next Fight: Unknown
Janik would like a well-deserved rematch with Afolabi.
15) Nuri Seferi (13-13)
Last Fight: 12/20/2013- W (DQ7*) vs. Steve Herelius (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/11/2014- vs. Gusmyr Perdomo (UNR)
Seferi will now fight on April 11 in Berlin against former super middleweight and light heavyweight fringe contender Gusmyr Perdomo of Venezuela.
16) Danie Venter (8-27)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- KO1 Shawn Cox (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
17) Dmytro Kucher (8-90)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Tony Conquest (4-4)
Last Fight: 2/22/2014- UD12 Daniel Ammann (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Conquest is set to fight in London on April 12, and is hoping to fight for the British title in the foreseeable future.
19) Krzysztof Glowacki (4-34)
Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO9 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Glowacki is the top contender for the title held by Huck, but might never get that exact shot, since Huck is making noise about moving up.
20) Yunier Dorticos (3-3)
Last Fight: 2/28/2014- KO1 Hamilton Ventura (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dorticos- after making one step up recently- is shooting for the stars.  He says he wants either Wlodarczyk or the winner of Jones-Lebedev next.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD:
Friday
Victor Ramirez vs. Glendy Hernandez; Benavidez, Argentina; TyC Sports
Ramirez’s last significant win will be 5 years old in May, and although he’s taking on an interesting challenge in 1-loss Cuban prospect Hernandez (whose only loss was in his last fight against a 242-pound undefeated opponent), Hernandez is insufficiently proven to change that this weekend.  Still, this is a fight worth seeing, and could tell us a lot about the overall quality of the Cuban, or about what Ramirez might have left.

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2014, Mar 10-16

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on July 28, 2014 by danboxing
Former cruiserweight and heavyweight contender Juan Carlos Gomez returned to cruiser for the first time since 2001 on Saturday, and won a split decision in Hungary against mid-level Croatian journeyman Ivica Bacurin.  This is the type of fight that I’d like to watch for accuracy’s sake, but even though I’m pretty sure the fight was carried on Hungarian TV, there’s no video of it online anywhere that I can find.  It’ll have to stand with the official result, which is essentially null as it concerns the rankings.  Gomez is an active cruiserweight now, but all of his significant wins at that weight are over 12 years old, and thus don’t matter here at this point.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Denis Lebedev (33-214-214)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/19/2014- vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Lebedev-Jones II appears to be more or less a done deal for April 19 in Moscow.
2) Marco Huck (7-379-379)
Last Fight:1/25/2014- TKO6 #5 Firat Arslan
Next Fight: 3/29/2014- vs. Mirko Larghetti (UNR)
Huck’s hastily-procured March 29 opponent will be undefeated Italian prospect Mirko Larghetti.
3) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (7-194-194)
Last Fight: 11/23/2013- TKO10 #12 Alexander Alekseev
Next Fight: Unknown
Hernandez’s fight with Kolodziej- originally postponed- has now been cancelled due to an illness to Hernandez.
4) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (26-455-455)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- TKO6 #9 Giacobbe Fragomeni
Next Fight: Unknown
Wlodarczyk had a relatively easy time in his third fight with Fragomeni, and is interested in Huck, Hernandez, Afolabi, Drozd, and Chakhkiev for his next fight.  More recently, he’s being openly pursued by Mchunu.
5) Thabiso Mchunu (7-32-70)
Last Fight: 1/24/2014- UD10 Olanrewaju Durodola (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
See Wlodarczyk’s notes, above.
6) Firat Arslan (7-96-139)
Last Fight: 1/25/2014- L (TKO6) vs. #3 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
Having visibly regressed since his excellent first effort against Huck, it might be time for the 43 year-old Arslan to consider retirement.
7) Grigory Drozd (16-23-70)
Last Fight: 10/5/2013- TKO11 #13 Mateusz Masternak
Next Fight: 3/15/2014- vs. Jeremy Ouanna (UNR)
Drozd will defend his European title in March against solid French journeyman Jeremy Ouanna, though Wlodarczyk’s team seems to think they might get Drozd in their next fight.
8) Ola Afolabi (16-261-261)
Last Fight: 11/2/2013- W* (MD12) vs. Lukasz Janik (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
An alphabet eliminator has been ordered between Afolabi and unbeaten but unproven Italian prospect Mirko Larghetti.
9) Giacobbe Fragomeni (16-26-278)
Last Fight: 12/6/2013- L (TKO6) vs. #4 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
I really hope that Fragomeni will call it a career.  
10) Silvio Branco (16-16-104)
Last Fight: 7/6/2013- W (TD10) vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Branco says that Chakhkiev lowered their monetary offer at the last minute, and that is why the fight didn’t come off.  He’s saying now that he may soon announce his retirement if he doesn’t get a good fight offer soon.
11) Ilunga Makabu (16-35)
Last Fight: 2/1/2014- TKO2 Ruben Angel Mino (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Makabu will no doubt look for a big fight after his last one was changed into a stay-busy outing without his consent.
12) Santander Silgado (14-19)
Last Fight: 11/1/2013- TKO2 #20 Steve Herelius
Next Fight: Unknown
Silgado is being slammed by his own manager after he declined an arranged fight with Thabiso Mchunu.
13) Mateusz Masternak (14-102)
Last Fight: 2/1/2014- KO4 Sandro Siproshvili (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/12/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Masternak will be back on April 12 at Esbjerg, Denmark. 
14) Lukasz Janik (14-19)
Last Fight: 11/2/2013- L* (MD12) vs. #7 Ola Afolabi
Next Fight: Unknown
Janik would like a well-deserved rematch with Afolabi.
15) Nuri Seferi (12-12)
Last Fight: 12/20/2013- W (DQ7*) vs. Steve Herelius (UNR)
Next Fight: 4/11/2014- vs. Unknown Opponent
Seferi will now apparently fight on April 11 in Berlin.  If I understood the Albanian translation correctly, he’s hoping for Marco Huck.  It was not clear to me how he expects to get around Huck’s fight just two weeks earlier.
16) Danie Venter (7-26)
Last Fight: 9/21/2013- KO1 Shawn Cox (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
I must admit I wrote Venter off when he lost a bit of an upset to Mchunu last year, but Mchunu has proven to be something of a world beater since, and Venter’s overall resume is quietly starting to look pretty solid.
17) Dmytro Kucher (7-89)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
18) Tony Conquest (3-3)
Last Fight: 2/22/2014- UD12 Daniel Ammann (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Conquest is set to fight in London on April 12, and is hoping to fight for the British title in the foreseeable future.
19) Krzysztof Glowacki (3-33)
Last Fight: 12/14/2013- TKO9 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Glowacki is the top contender for the title held by Huck, but might never get that exact shot, since Huck is making noise about moving up.
20) Yunier Dorticos (2-2)
Last Fight: 2/28/2014- KO1 Hamilton Ventura (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Dorticos- after making one step up recently- is shooting for the stars.  He says he wants either Wlodarczyk or the winner of Jones-Lebedev next.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: 
Saturday
#7 Grigory Drozd vs. Jeremy Ouanna; Moscow, Russia; TV Unknown
Ouanna is a high-level French journeyman.  He would be a threat to a lot of gatekeeper-types and unproven prospects, but probably not to as impressive a contender as Drozd.

 

Rakhim Chakhkiev vs. Juho Haapoja; Moscow, Russia; TV Unknown
Chakhkiev is probably the most impressive unranked fighter in the division.  Largely due to his failure to secure a win in a fight he was looking great in against Wlodarczyk, his actual achievements do not yet match his talents.  Haapoja is a high-level journeyman from Finland, who spent some time as a gatekeeper before some recent losses laid him low.  I see him as having no chance.

 

#7 LHW Tony Bellew vs. Valery Brudov; Liverpool, England; Sky (UK)
Liverpool’s own Bellew is moving up to cruiser after making a name for himself at 175.  Brudov is a pretty well-chosen opponent for a first opponent on that quest.  The Russian is a gatekeeper, but a rather small cruiserweight who could probably make 175 himself, if need be.  That is to say, he may or may not actually be a bigger man than Bellew.

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2013: Sep 2-8

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on September 8, 2013 by danboxing
All kinds of action to talk about this week, although only one or two of the fights were really worth talking about.  I’ll start with the most significant:

 

Saturday at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, South Africa, #16 Ilunga “Junior” Makabu of South Africa by way of the Congo was in pretty tough against Oklahoma prospect Eric Fields.  Fields was very obviously the bigger and rangier man, and was doing a great job of splitting Makabu’s guard in the first round.  It looked at that point like a long night for the home fighter.  But it didn’t take long to turn around.  Makabu started giving angles and throwing in combination in the second round, and never looked back.  He had completely taken over the fight by the 5th, when he caught Fields with a beautiful southpaw left hand that chopped Fields down like a tree.  The American gamely rose to his feet after the devastating punch, but was nowhere near ready to continue when the referee called a halt to proceedings.

 

Potentially fictional Brazilian prospect William Fernando Souza Bezerra was scheduled to fight a rematch with fringe top 50-type Ricardo Augusto Souza on Friday, but true to form, the result has not turned up anywhere online yet.  I’ve explained my growing skepticism multiple times in the past as to Souza Bezerra’s legitimacy, with his whole career possibly being staged, and it is continuing to grow as I write this.

 

In Newcastle, Australia on Friday, Daniel Ammann dominated short-notice opponent Ayitey Powers, who was an even lesser challenge than the already awful Peter Brennan who was originally featured.  Ammann won all 10 rounds on all 3 cards.

 

The next night in Krasnogorsk, Russia, gatekeeper Valery Brudov was similarly dominant in a 6 rounder against similarly awful Jevgenijs Andrejevs in a fight contested at about 180.

 

Makabu’s win is enough to narrowly edge him past Francisco Palacios to #15.  Palacios’ only positive and significant performance in the last 5 years was a loss that probably should have been a win against 6th-ranked Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, before losing a rematch to the same guy, and he will very likely be removed in a few weeks for inactivity.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Denis Lebedev (6-187-187)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lebedev was winning the fight on points against Jones when his eye ballooned and he faded to a stoppage.  Who’s to say that he wouldn’t have won if Jones had been weakened by making weight the right way (or by not using whatever PEDs he may have been masking with the substance)?  Lebedev is accorded the benefit of the doubt, and will be treated like the fight never happened.
2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (51-167-167)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- W*(UD12) vs. #20 Troy Ross
Next Fight: Unknown
Finally some Hernandez news: his hand has been slow to heal, but he’s ready to train again.  He’s looking at a likely October fight with Alekseev.
3) Troy Ross (51-51-83)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L*(UD12) vs. #1 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Next Fight: Unknown
Quote from Ross’s Twitter: “If the right opportunity arises I will fight again.”  That sounds more like a semi-retired fighter than the guy that just outfought the division’s #1 contender.  Here’s hoping he starts hunting for good fights like a starving mountain man any second now.
4) Marco Huck (6-352-352)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- W (MD12) vs. #5 Ola Afolabi
Next Fight: 9/14/2013- vs. #6 Firat Arslan
Huck will make a mandatory defense in a rematch against Firat Arslan on September 14.
5) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (6-428-428)
Last Fight: 6/21/2013- TKO8 Rakhim Chakhkiev (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
It’s not official, but all signs point to a February 22 heavyweight fight in Poland against countryman Albert Sosnowski.
6) Firat Arslan (6-69-112)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD10 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/14/2013- vs. #4 Marco Huck
See Huck’s notes, above.

7) Thabiso Mchunu (5-5-43)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Eddie Chambers (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mchunu intends to be back by the end of the year, and says he’ll take on anyone in the division.  I don’t blame him.  I’d pick him to beat anyone.
8) Ola Afolabi (5-234-234)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (MD12) vs. #8 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
If there is to be a Super 4 Cruiserweight tournament in Monaco, it appears it either won’t be on November 2 anymore, or that Afolabi won’t be participating if so, as he is slated for a November 2 fight on the Golovkin-Stevens undercard at Madison Square Garden.
9) Danny Green (5-43-196)
Last Fight: 11/21/2012- UD12 Shane Cameron (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Green is leaning toward retirement at last check.
10) B.J. Flores (5-14-167)
Last Fight: 10/6/2012- TKO2 David McNemar (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Flores has been released from his contract with Don King, and is now rumored for an upcoming Million Dollar tournament in Monaco.
11) Giacobbe Fragomeni (5-251)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- UD8 Toni Visic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fragomeni snuck in a strictly stay-busy fight with Toni Visic on about 1 day’s notice as far as I can tell.
12) Silvio Branco (5-77)
Last Fight: 7/6/2013- W (TD10) vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Branco continues to chug along at 47 years young.  He’s like a lower-level Hopkins.
13) Alexander Alekseev (5-138)
Last Fight: 2/22/2013- UD12* Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Alekseev is very likely for a shot at Yoan Pablo Hernandez in October.
14) Mateusz Masternak (5-75)
Last Fight: 4/13/2013- TKO9 Sean Corbin (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #18 Grigory Drozd
Masternak-Drozd once again appears set for 10/5 on the Klitsckho-Povetkin undercard after Boxrec had it off the schedule for some reason for a few weeks.
15) Ilunga Makabu (1-8)
Last Fight: 8/31/2013- TKO5 Eric Fields (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Makabu is rumored for a Monaco 4-man tournament in the fall along with Flores and Australian Brad Pitt.

16) Francisco Palacios (1-127)

Last Fight: 9/22/2012- L(U12) vs. #7 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
Palacios very likely will not fight until after his contract with Don King expires in September.
17) Enad Licina (6-167)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- UD6 Marko Rupcic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Licina has been fighting nobodies slightly over the heavyweight limit since November.  He’ll be removed in November for inactivity at cruiserweight if he doesn’t schedule something at 200 by then, or in January if he does that but doesn’t get a significant win, since his last one will be 5 years old then.
18) Grigory Drozd (6-43)
Last Fight: 12/17/2012- UD12 Jean-Marc Monrose (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #14 Mateusz Masternak
See Masternak’s notes, above.
19) Dmytro Kucher (6-62)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Kucher is practically back to square one after falling short against Makabu.
20) Krzysztof Glowacki (6-6)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- UD8 Taylor Mabika (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: No action to report in the upcoming week.

Leave a comment »

Light Heavyweight: 2013, Aug 26- Sep 1

Posted in Light Heavyweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on August 30, 2013 by danboxing
On what I must say was a pretty mediocre overall Sauerland card in Schwerin, Germany on Saturday, #13 Juergen Braehmer won a very ho-hum decision over borderline top 50 Italian fringe prospect Stefano Abatangelo, winning on points in a fight that he was never really dominating nor in danger of losing.
 

The same night in Donetsk, Ukraine, one-loss prospect Ismayl Sillakh put a steady beating on low-level Russian journeyman Konstantin Piternov.  Piternov had had enough by the bell to start the 7th, and could not continue.  But while thoroughly dominating, Sillakh may have been displaying the very flaws that got him knocked out by banger Denis Grachev.  From the very first round, Sillakh stood directly in front of Piternov, in range, with his hands low.  Piternov, before the fight was beaten out of him, even timed some pretty solid left hooks, though his power was nothing to write home about.  Not only that, but Sillakh displayed a very predictable rhythm and punch selection.  These two factors, if not corrected, will get him knocked out again the next time he fights a fringe contender that can punch.  But for now, he had plenty of handspeed and workrate to overcome those flaws and dominate the lowly journeyman.  

 

I hate to reward the beating of lackluster opponents, but Braehmer’s overall volume of top 50 work obligates me to move him past Cedric Agnew to the #12 spot.  No other changes.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: Andre Ward (51-51-51)
Last Fight: 9/8/2012- TKO10 Champ Chad Dawson (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Ward has offers more or less on the table to fight Froch or Stevenson.  He is trying to split with promoter Dan Goossen, though, which could conceivably complicate matters.
1) Adonis Stevenson (12-12-12)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- TKO1 #1 Chad Dawson
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #8 Tavoris Cloud
It’s Stevenson-Cloud in September, with the winner to fight Bellew in November. 
2) Bernard Hopkins (51-377-377)
Last Fight: 3/9/2012- UD12 #6 Tavoris Cloud
Next Fight: 10/26/2013- vs. Karo Murat (UNR)
Hopkins-Murat has been reset for October 26, with Showtime televising.
3) Sergey Kovalev (11-32-32)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO4 #8 Nathan Cleverly
Next Fight: Unknown
Kovalev’s manager expects his next opponent to be chosen by mid-September.  His mandatory is Braehmer, and Fonfara has been rumored, as well.
4) Chad Dawson (11-378-378)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L(TKO1) vs. SMW #6 Adonis Stevenson
Next Fight: Unknown
Dawson’s career is suddenly in an all-out tailspin just 2 fights after winning the lineal title from Hopkins.
5) Andrzej Fonfara (2-2-59)
Last Fight: 8/16/2013- KO9 #6 Gabriel Campillo
Next Fight: Unknown
See Kovalev’s notes, above.
6) Tony Bellew (2-98-98)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- UD12 #7 Isaac Chilemba
Next Fight: 11/30/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Bellew is scheduled to fight the Stevenson-Cloud winner on his November 30 birthday.
7) Gabriel Campillo (2-166-166)
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 (2-209-209)
Last Fight: 3/9/2013- L (UD12) vs. #2 Bernard Hopkins
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. #1 Adonis Stevenson
See Stevenson’s notes, above.
9) Nathan Cleverly (2-186-186)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- L (TKO4) vs. #3 Sergey Kovalev
Next Fight: Unknown
Cleverly says he’ll take a vacation after his drubbing at the hands of Kovalev, and is unsure as to whether he’ll keep fighting or not.
10) Isaac Chilemba (2-22-82)
Last Fight: 5/25/2013- L (UD12) vs. #9 Tony Bellew
Next Fight: Unknown
Chilemba may have lost the second fight to Bellew in his opponent’s back yard, but between the two fights, he’s managed to elevate himself somewhat.
11) Cornelius White (2-89)
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 (1-71)
Last Fight: 8/24/2013- UD12 Stefano Abatangelo (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Braehmer is Kovalev’s mandatory, for whatever that’s worth.
13) Cedric Agnew (1-20)
Last Fight: 4/12/2013- UD12 #14 Yusaf Mack
Next Fight: Unknown
Agnew may have caught a fading Yusaf Mack at the right time, but he’s clearly a climber, having now beaten both Mack and Otis Griffin.

14) Edwin Rodriguez (2-7)

Last Fight: 7/13/2013- TKO1 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: Unknown
Rodriguez turned in a career-best performance against Grachev, and thus has earned a ranking in a division he has no intention of continuing in.  He wants Ward or Bika next.
15) Lucian Bute (7-43)
Last Fight: 11/3/2012- UD12 #16 Denis Grachev
Next Fight: 12/7/2013- vs. Jean Pascal (UNR)
Bute-Pascal has been rescheduled tentatively for December 7 after Bute suffered a hand injury.  They’ve also reserved January 25 as a back-up plan.  Either way, it will be in Montreal.
16) Hadillah Mohoumadi (7-9)
Last Fight: 6/29/2013- TKO7 CW #20 Pawel Glazewski
Next Fight: Unknown
Often robbed at 168, Mohoumadi took matters into his hands in his first major outing at 175 by stopping the local favorite.
17) Enzo Maccarinelli (2-2)
Last Fight: 8/17/2013- TKO11 Ovill McKenzie (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Maccarinelli has revitalized his career to an extent with the gutsy McKenzie win.
18) Denis Grachev (2-70)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (TKO1) vs. #13 SMW Edwin Rodriguez
Next Fight: Unknown
19) Dmitry Sukhotsky (2-148)
Last Fight: 6/4/2013- KO3 Mikhail Krinitsin (UNR) (at SMW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Sukhotsky may be sticking around at 168 from now on, but only time will tell.  He has until December to schedule a fight at 175 if he wants to keep his ranking.
20) Eleider Alvarez (2-31)
Last Fight: 3/22/2013- TKO3 Nicholson Poulard (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/28/2013- vs. Edison Miranda (UNR)
Alvarez’s 9/28 opponent will be fringe contender Edison Miranda.  If nothing else, this will crown an undisputed Champion of Colombia and probably South America.

 

The Week Ahead: In Kempton Park, South Africa, local undefeated prospect Ryno Liebenberg fights mid-level Argentine journeyman Gabriel Ramirez on Saturday.

 

Gatekeeper Valery Brudov is also in action, but it’s unclear whether that will be a cruiserweight or light heavyweight fight.  I’ll mention it here next week if relevant. 

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2013: Aug 26- Sep 1

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on August 27, 2013 by danboxing
Both of the fights mentioned in my “The Week Ahead” section last week were cancelled on short notice.  No changes this week.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Denis Lebedev (5-186-186)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lebedev was winning the fight on points against Jones when his eye ballooned and he faded to a stoppage.  Who’s to say that he wouldn’t have won if Jones had been weakened by making weight the right way (or by not using whatever PEDs he may have been masking with the substance)?  Lebedev is accorded the benefit of the doubt, and will be treated like the fight never happened.
2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (50-166-166)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- W*(UD12) vs. #20 Troy Ross
Next Fight: Unknown
Finally some Hernandez news: his hand has been slow to heal, but he’s ready to train again.  He’s looking at a likely October fight with Alekseev.
3) Troy Ross (50-50-82)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L*(UD12) vs. #1 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Next Fight: Unknown
Quote from Ross’s Twitter: “If the right opportunity arises I will fight again.”  That sounds more like a semi-retired fighter than the guy that just outfought the division’s #1 contender.  Here’s hoping he starts hunting for good fights like a starving mountain man any second now.
4) Marco Huck (5-351-351)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- W (MD12) vs. #5 Ola Afolabi
Next Fight: 9/14/2013- vs. #6 Firat Arslan
Huck will make a mandatory defense in a rematch against Firat Arslan on September 14.
5) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (5-427-427)
Last Fight: 6/21/2013- TKO8 Rakhim Chakhkiev (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Wlodarczyk indicated interest in moving up to fight Adamek, but Adamek isn’t for it, and Albert Sosnowski has been discussed instead.  Meanwhile, his mandatory is Giacobbe Fragomeni, who would have little chance after struggling to practical stalemates with 46-47 year old Silvio Branco.
6) Firat Arslan (5-68-111)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD10 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/14/2013- vs. #4 Marco Huck
See Huck’s notes, above.

7) Thabiso Mchunu (4-4-42)
Last Fight: 8/3/2013- UD10 Eddie Chambers (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Mchunu intends to be back by the end of the year, and says he’ll take on anyone in the division.  I don’t blame him.  I’d pick him to beat anyone.
8) Ola Afolabi (4-233-233)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (MD12) vs. #8 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
Afolabi is rumored for the next Monaco Million Dollar Super 4 tournament, along with BJ Flores, Ilunga Makabu, and Australian prospect Brad Pitt.
9) Danny Green (4-42-195)
Last Fight: 11/21/2012- UD12 Shane Cameron (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Green is leaning toward retirement at last check.
10) B.J. Flores (4-13-166)
Last Fight: 10/6/2012- TKO2 David McNemar (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Flores has been released from his contract with Don King, and is now rumored for an upcoming Million Dollar tournament in Monaco on November 2, with the other participants rumored to be Ilunga Makabu, Brad Pitt, and Ola Afolabi.
11) Giacobbe Fragomeni (4-250)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- UD8 Toni Visic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fragomeni snuck in a strictly stay-busy fight with Toni Visic on about 1 day’s notice as far as I can tell.
12) Silvio Branco (4-76)
Last Fight: 7/6/2013- W (TD10) vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Branco continues to chug along at 47 years young.  He’s like a lower-level Hopkins.
13) Alexander Alekseev (4-137)
Last Fight: 2/22/2013- UD12* Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Alekseev is very likely for a shot at Yoan Pablo Hernandez in October.
14) Mateusz Masternak (4-74)
Last Fight: 4/13/2013- TKO9 Sean Corbin (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #18 Grigory Drozd
The Masternak-Drozd fight on October 5 no longer appears on Boxrec’s schedule.  That’s usually an ominous sign.  Still, I have seen no report of it falling through, so I’ll continue to list it until I actually hear otherwise.
15) Francisco Palacios (4-126)
Last Fight: 9/22/2012- L(U12) vs. #7 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
Palacios very likely will not fight until after his contract with Don King expires in September.
16) Ilunga Makabu (4-7)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- W (MD12) vs. #17 Dmytro Kucher
Next Fight: 8/31/2013- vs. Eric Fields (UNR)
Makabu takes on borderline top-30 Oklahoma one-loss prospect Eric Fields in South Africa on August 31.  He’s also rumored for a Monaco 4-man tournament in the fall along with Flores, Afolabi, and Australian Brad Pitt.
17) Enad Licina (5-166)
Last Fight: 7/27/2013- UD6 Marko Rupcic (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Licina has been fighting nobodies slightly over the heavyweight limit since November.  He’ll be removed in November for inactivity at cruiserweight if he doesn’t schedule something at 200 by then, or in January if he does that but doesn’t get a significant win, since his last one will be 5 years old then.
18) Grigory Drozd (5-42)
Last Fight: 12/17/2012- UD12 Jean-Marc Monrose (UNR)
Next Fight: 10/5/2013- vs. #14 Mateusz Masternak
See Masternak’s notes, above.
19) Dmytro Kucher (5-61)
Last Fight: 7/13/2013- L (MD12) vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Kucher is practically back to square one after falling short against Makabu.
20) Krzysztof Glowacki (5-5)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- UD8 Taylor Mabika (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Friday: In Newcastle, Australia, gatekeeper Daniel Ammann stays busy against the awful Peter Brennan in both men’s home state of New South Wales.

 

In Villa Anastacio, Brazil, fringe contending undefeated prospect William Fernando Souza Bezerra will at least theoretically be fighting Ricardo Augusto Souza, who boxrec lists as a top 50 fighter.  I can almost guarantee, however, that the results of the fight will not be available anywhere online until about a week after it supposedly happened.  This always happens with Souza Bezerra’s fights, and it only feeds the growing perception that his record is fabricated.  I have looked hard for evidence of Souza Bezerra’s being a legitimate fighter, and have found one very poor-quality photograph in an online newspaper and one ringside handy-cam video of one of his fights against a nobody, and that video is frankly less convincing than a WWE match.  He knocked his opponent out at something like the 3:15 mark of round 1, with a punch that didn’t didn’t look all that devastating.  The ref also didn’t appear real, as he began counting, at 1, about 5 seconds after the knockdown occurred.  So even though his official record puts him in serious consideration for a top 20 spot, I will not rank him until it appears at least 50-50 that he’s actually fighting his fights, and doing so on the level.

 

Saturday: In Kempton Park, South Africa, #16 Ilunga Makabu faces probably the 2nd-toughest test of his career in one-loss Oklahoma prospect Eric Fields.  Fields’ only loss was over 5 years ago to Ola Afolabi, but he has been borderline irrelevant of late, having not fought anyone even near the top 50 in over 2 years.

 

The same night in Krasnogorsk, Russia, gatekeeper Valery Brudov will be in action against low-level journeyman Jevgenijs Andrejevs.  This fight may be at 175, though, since Brudov has been edging down in weight for some time.  I’ll only discuss it here next week if it was indeed above 175.
 

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2013: Jul 1-7

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on July 4, 2013 by danboxing
Inactive Russian gatekeeper Valery Brudov got in the ring for the first time in 16 months on Thursday in Pskov, Russia, and won a solid 8-round decision over 1-0 novice Sergey Gorokhov.

 

#20 Pawel Glazewski was stopped by a super middleweight fringe contender at 175 on Saturday, and is thus removed from the rankings.  Taking his place is his countryman, Krzysztof Glowacki, whose entire claim is based on a TKO of gatekeeper Felipe Romero last summer.  You could make a case for William Fernando Souza Bezerra, except that his two wins over boxrec top-50 opponents were barely so.  There is also substantial doubt as to whether the fights actually took place, since the only video of a Souza Bezerra fight in existence appears to depict a WWE-level fixed fight.  You could also make a case for Marcos Ahumada to a similar extent to Glazewski’s own claim- that is to say that he has a very impressive win, but only a few pounds over the light heavyweight limit. 

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Guillermo Jones (7-7-7)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- TKO11 #1 Denis Lebedev
Next Fight: Unknown
Jones wants to fight Wladimir Klitschko (he said the same a couple years ago), while Lebedev is asking for a rematch.
2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (42-158-158)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- W*(UD12) vs. #20 Troy Ross
Next Fight: Unknown
Hernandez pulled out of his scheduled 2/2 fight with Eric Fields with a fractured hand.
3) Troy Ross (42-42-74)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L*(UD12) vs. #1 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Next Fight: Unknown
Quote from Ross’s Twitter: “If the right opportunity arises I will fight again.”  That sounds more like a semi-retired fighter than the guy that just outfought the division’s #1 contender.  Here’s hoping he starts hunting for good fights like a starving mountain man any second now.
4) Denis Lebedev (7-178-178)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lebedev hopes to return on the Klitschko-Povetkin undercard in early October, which seems a bit quick given how ugly his eye looked after his last fight.  He is hoping for a rematch with Jones, too.  He has also parted from his promoter.
5) Marco Huck (4-343-343)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- W (MD12) vs. #5 Ola Afolabi
Next Fight: 9/14/2013- vs. #7 Firat Arslan
Huck will make a mandatory defense in a rematch against Firat Arslan on September 14.
6) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (7-419-419)
Last Fight: 6/21/2013- TKO8 Rakhim Chakhkiev (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Wlodarczyk showed tremendous determination in first weathering a storm, and then rapidly breaking down a strong young challenger in his own backyard in Chakhkiev.  He indicated interest in moving up to fight Adamek, but Adamek isn’t for it.
7) Firat Arslan (7-60-103)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD10 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/14/2013- vs. #5 Marco Huck
See Huck’s notes, above.
8) Ola Afolabi (4-225-225)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (MD12) vs. #8 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
9) Danny Green (5-34-187)
Last Fight: 11/21/2012- UD12 Shane Cameron (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Green has been helping an Australian UFC fighter prepare for an upcoming fight, but still no word on whether he plans to fight again.
10) B.J. Flores (5-5-158)
Last Fight: 10/6/2012- TKO2 David McNemar (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Flores’ fight with Nuri Seferi appears to have been off very quickly after it was apparently made.  No word on his next move.
11) Giacobbe Fragomeni (5-242)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- W*(SD12) vs. #13 Silvio Branco
Next Fight: Unknown
There is some speculation that Masternak might try to lure Fragomeni out of his mandatory shot at Wlodarczyk with a higher monetary offer that might put Masternak in the same position with a victory.
12) Silvio Branco (5-68)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- L*(SD12) vs. #12 Giacobbe Fragomeni
Next Fight: 7/6/2013- vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR)
Looks like Branco’s moving on from the Fragomeni series, and will be fighting Finnish gatekeeper Juho Haapoja in Italy on 7/6.
13) Alexander Alekseev (5-129)
Last Fight: 2/22/2013- UD12* Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Alekseev barely squeaked by after building an early lead against Wilson, but it’s still an improvement from his previous fight.
14) Mateusz Masternak (5-66)
Last Fight: 4/13/2013- TKO9 Sean Corbin (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/24/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Masternak returns on August 24, and it might be against mandatory challenger Jeremy Ouanna if Ouanna can get by Latvian Mairis Briedis.
15) Francisco Palacios (5-118)
Last Fight: 9/22/2012- L(U12) vs. #7 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
Palacios very likely will not fight until after his contract with Don King expires in September.
16) Thabiso Mchunu (5-34)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- TKO5 #20 Danie Venter
Next Fight: 8/3/2013- vs. Eddie Chambers (UNR)
Mchunu is being treated as a stepping stone f0r the cruiserweight ambitions of recent heavyweight contender Eddie Chambers, and the two will do battle in that context on NBC Sports Network come August 3.
17) Dmytro Kucher (5-53)
Last Fight: 3/21/2013- UD12 Julio Cesar Dos Santos (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/13/2013- vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR)
A clash of good-looking prospects is on tap for July 13, as Kucher will meet Junior Makabu in Monaco.
18) Enad Licina (5-158)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO3 Marcel Zeller (UNR) (at HW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Licina has now fought two generic weak opponents in a row.  No idea if he plans to be a serious contender ever again or not.  His only significant win in the last 5 years is now roughly 4 1/2 years old.  That means he’ll fade to obscurity if he doesn’t beat someone worth beating in the next half-year or so.
19) Grigory Drozd (5-34)
Last Fight: 12/17/2012- UD12 Jean-Marc Monrose (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Krzysztof Glowacki (1-1)
Last Fight: 4/20/2013- UD8 Taylor Mabika (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/18/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Glowacki is back in action on August 18, but no opponent has been announced yet.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Friday in Porto Carras, Greece, French gatekeeper Jeremy Ouanna battles undefeated Latvian prospect Mairis Briedis.

 

The following night in Civitavecchia, Italy, 46 year-old #12 Silvio Branco of that city squares off with Finnish gatekeeper Juho Haapoja.

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2013: Jun 24-30

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on June 26, 2013 by danboxing
#6 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk took a big risk by taking on very impressive undefeated prospect Rakhim Chakhkiev in Chakhkiev’s backyard in Moscow, Friday, but came out on top in a very strange fight.  Chakhkiev looked beastly for the first few rounds, busting the Polish contender up in the first 3 and dropping him in the 3rd.  It looked nearly over.  I still gave the Russian the next two rounds, but Wlodarczyk began holding his own about that time.  In what had been another close round in the 6th, Wlodarczyk knocked the Russian down in the closing seconds with a very short left out of a clinch (similar to the Tony Thompson punch that dropped David Price).  He dropped him again with about 10 seconds left in the 7th, this time with a three-punch combo that had Chakhkiev a bit off balance.  A little bit more than halfway through the 8th, Chakhkiev again went down from a pair of looping slaps to the side of his head as he came in leaning forward.  A few seconds after the action resumed, Wlodarczyk caught him with a dynamite and perfectly-timed left hook as Chakhkiev leaned in to throw a right hook that never got there.  This was the heaviest of the 4 knockdowns, and prompted referee Daniel Van de Wiele to stop the contest without a count.  In the flow of the action, I thought Chakhkiev had merely lost his will to stand and just sort of submitted to all of the knockdowns.  Watching the knockdowns in isolation, I think he just has a mediocre chin and got caught with some good shots while he was tiring.  In any case, it’s a big comeback win for Wlodarczyk.

 

Still, no changes to the rankings, as Wlodarczyk is still stuck behind the massive resume and good recent win of Marco Huck.

 

Dan’s Top 20 (weeks in current position-weeks in top 10 (if applicable)-weeks in top 20)
Champ: None
1) Guillermo Jones (6-6-6)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- TKO11 #1 Denis Lebedev
Next Fight: Unknown
Jones wants to fight Wladimir Klitschko (he said the same a couple years ago), while Lebedev is asking for a rematch.
2) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (41-157-157)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- W*(UD12) vs. #20 Troy Ross
Next Fight: Unknown
Hernandez pulled out of his scheduled 2/2 fight with Eric Fields with a fractured hand.
3) Troy Ross (41-41-73)
Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L*(UD12) vs. #1 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Next Fight: Unknown
Quote from Ross’s Twitter: “If the right opportunity arises I will fight again.”  That sounds more like a semi-retired fighter than the guy that just outfought the division’s #1 contender.  Here’s hoping he starts hunting for good fights like a starving mountain man any second now.
4) Denis Lebedev (6-177-177)
Last Fight: 5/17/2013- L (TKO11) vs. Guillermo Jones (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Lebedev hopes to return on the Klitschko-Povetkin undercard in early October, which seems a bit quick given how ugly his eye looked after his last fight.  He is hoping for a rematch with Jones, too.  He has also parted from his promoter.
5) Marco Huck (3-342-342)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- W (MD12) vs. #5 Ola Afolabi
Next Fight: 9/14/2013- vs. #7 Firat Arslan
Huck will make a mandatory defense in a rematch against Firat Arslan on September 14.
6) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (6-418-418)
Last Fight: 6/21/2013- TKO8 Rakhim Chakhkiev (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Wlodarczyk showed tremendous determination in first weathering a storm, and then rapidly breaking down a strong young challenger in his own backyard in Chakhkiev.
7) Firat Arslan (6-59-102)
Last Fight: 4/27/2013- UD10 Varol Vekiloglu (UNR)
Next Fight: 9/14/2013- vs. #5 Marco Huck
See Huck’s notes, above.
8) Ola Afolabi (3-224-224)
Last Fight: 6/8/2013- L (MD12) vs. #8 Marco Huck
Next Fight: Unknown
9) Danny Green (4-33-186)
Last Fight: 11/21/2012- UD12 Shane Cameron (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Green has been helping an Australian UFC fighter prepare for an upcoming fight, but still no word on whether he plans to fight again.
10) B.J. Flores (4-4-157)
Last Fight: 10/6/2012- TKO2 David McNemar (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Flores’ fight with Nuri Seferi appears to have been off very quickly after it was apparently made.  No word on his next move.
11) Giacobbe Fragomeni (4-241)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- W*(SD12) vs. #13 Silvio Branco
Next Fight: Unknown
There is some speculation that Masternak might try to lure Fragomeni out of his mandatory shot at Wlodarczyk with a higher monetary offer that might put Masternak in the same position with a victory.
12) Silvio Branco (4-67)
Last Fight: 12/15/2012- L*(SD12) vs. #12 Giacobbe Fragomeni
Next Fight: 7/6/2013- vs. Juho Haapoja (UNR)
Looks like Branco’s moving on from the Fragomeni series, and will be fighting Finnish gatekeeper Juho Haapoja in Italy on 7/6.
13) Alexander Alekseev (4-128)
Last Fight: 2/22/2013- UD12* Garrett Wilson (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Alekseev barely squeaked by after building an early lead against Wilson, but it’s still an improvement from his previous fight.
14) Mateusz Masternak (4-65)
Last Fight: 4/13/2013- TKO9 Sean Corbin (UNR)
Next Fight: 8/24/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent
Masternak returns on August 24, but no other details are available.
15) Francisco Palacios (4-117)
Last Fight: 9/22/2012- L(U12) vs. #7 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
Palacios has been trying to convince Antonio Tarver to fight him, but is behind held back in all of his pursuits by having Don King as a promoter.
16) Thabiso Mchunu (4-33)
Last Fight: 11/10/2012- TKO5 #20 Danie Venter
Next Fight: 8/3/2013- vs. Eddie Chambers (UNR)
Mchunu is being treated as a stepping stone f0r the cruiserweight ambitions of recent heavyweight contender Eddie Chambers, and the two will do battle in that context on NBC Sports Network come August 3.
17) Dmytro Kucher (4-52)
Last Fight: 3/21/2013- UD12 Julio Cesar Dos Santos (UNR)
Next Fight: 7/13/2013- vs. Ilunga Makabu (UNR)
A clash of good-looking prospects is on tap for July 13, as Kucher will meet Junior Makabu in Monaco.
18) Enad Licina (4-157)
Last Fight: 6/15/2013- KO3 Marcel Zeller (UNR) (at HW)
Next Fight: Unknown
Licina has now fought two generic weak opponents in a row.  No idea if he plans to be a serious contender ever again or not.  His only significant win in the last 5 years is now roughly 4 1/2 years old.  That means he’ll fade to obscurity if he doesn’t beat someone worth beating in the next half-year or so.
19) Grigory Drozd (4-33)
Last Fight: 12/17/2012- UD12 Jean-Marc Monrose (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
20) Pawel Glazewski (4-4)
Last Fight: 2/23/2013- UD10 Bartlomiej Grafka (UNR) (at LHW)
Next Fight: 6/29/2013- vs. Hadillah Mohoumadi (UNR) (at LHW)
Glazewski’s opponent for 6/29 will be Hadillah Mohoumadi, the super middleweight fringe contender. 

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Russian gatekeeper Valery Brudov returns to the ring for the first time in 16 months against, strangely, a 1-0 fighter in Sergey Gorokhov.  That will be Thursday in Pskov, Russia.

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2012, Mar 5-11

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on March 26, 2012 by danboxing
On the Klitschko-Mormeck undercard in Dusseldorf, Russian gatekeeper Valery Brudov was the victim of a comprehensive beating at the hands of #7 Ola Afolabi of England.  The fight was halted after completion of a 5th round that saw Brudov suffering his second knockdown of the fight.  This fight was for the “interim WBO title,” or in practical terms, the right to face either Marco Huck (should he return to cruiser), or perhaps Denis Lebedev.  No changes to the rankings, as Afolabi has basically just been treading water with borderline opponents while waiting around for a fight with Huck.

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: None
1) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (5-89-89)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD12 #4 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: Unknown
Erased any doubt as to the better fighter between him and Cunningham.  A fight with Lebedev now would be huge.
2) Denis Lebedev (5-109-109)
Last Fight: 11/4/2011- UD12 James Toney (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
There appears to be a deal in the works for Lebedev to fight French gatekeeper Rachid El Hadak in Moscow on April 4.  If true, this would be a strangely weak and low-profile opponent for a contender of Lebedev’s stature.
3) Antonio Tarver (5-33-33)
Last Fight: 7/20/2011- RTD9 #7 Danny Green
Next Fight: Unknown
After it appeared Tarver would likely fight Wlodarczyk, there is now serious buzz that he might accept a challenge from Lateef Kayode in late May, instead.
4) Marco Huck (5-274-274)
Last Fight: 2/25/2012- L*(MD12) vs. HW #2 Alexander Povetkin (at HW)
Next Fight: Unknown
After a shockingly strong showing against Povetkin that he probably deserved to win, Huck’s immediate future as a cruiserweight is uncertain.  Povetkin is ducking an immediate rematch, but Huck has previously stated a desire to fight one of the Klitschkos. 
5) Steve Cunningham (5-403-403)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #3 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Next Fight: Unknown
See Lebedev’s notes, above.
6) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (14-350-350)
Last Fight: 11/30/2011- TKO11 #9 Danny Green
Next Fight: Unknown
The Tarver fight now appears unlikely, and I’ve found no news on what plan B is for Wlodarczyk.
7) Ola Afolabi (14-156-156)
Last Fight: 3/3/2012- RTD5 Valery Brudov (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Having won an interim title with the win over Brudov, Afolabi is now set to fight for the full WBO belt against Huck should the latter drop back to 200.
8) Guillermo Jones (14-75-75)
Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO6 Michael Marrone (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Jones is still in talks with his mandatory Kayode at last check, but the latest buzz has the Nigerian fighting Tarver, instead.
9) Danny Green (33-118-118)
Last Fight: 11/30/2011- L(TKO11) vs. #8 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
Green says he would like a rematch with Anthony Mundine- something that’s unlikely at best now that Mundine is fighting about 4 divisions to the south of him.  I do not believe retirement has been ruled out for Green.
10) Giacobbe Fragomeni (33-173-173)
Last Fight: 7/8/2011- UD6 Remigijus Ziausys (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/17/2012- vs. Silvio Branco (UNR)
Fragomeni will fight fellow Italian Silvio Branco for some silly color-coordinated “world title” on St. Patrick’s day.  The combined age of the two combatants: 87.
11) B.J. Flores (21-89)
Last Fight: 1/28/2012- TKO6 Hugo Pineda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Flores has been accused by Afolabi of ducking, but Flores claims he was given only 3 weeks notice for an offered fight.
12) Francisco Palacios (21-49)
Last Fight: 11/5/2011- UD8 Joell Godfrey (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has mandated a rematch with Wlodarczyk, but that seems almost forgotten as Wlodarczyk appears poised for a fight with Antonio Tarver.
13) Alexander Alexeev (5-60)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD12 #15 Enad Licina
Next Fight: Unknown
If his record is any indication, he has probably reached just about the ranking he currently tops out at.
14) Lateef Kayode (5-68)
Last Fight: 9/9/2011- UD10 Felix Cora, Jr. (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
WBA titlist Guillermo Jones has been ordered to fight Kayode, but Kayode is currently deep into talks with Antonio Tarver, as well.
15) Enad Licina (4-89)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #17 Alexander Alexeev
Next Fight: Unknown
May be getting a little shopworn.  He’s not a pushover by any means, but you’d have to be crazy to imagine him as a top-10-type guy.
16) Troy Ross (4-5)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD8 Lukasz Rusiewicz (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Inactivity combined with poor competition are killing the career of top-level talent Ross, but at least he’s technically an active cruiserweight again, and thus eligible to remain in the rankings.
17) Firat Arslan (4-34)
Last Fight: 1/28/2012- TKO2 Orlando Farias (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Arslan is 41 and not getting any younger.  Unless he’s already decided to call it a day, expect a better opponent in his next fight than Farias.
18) Grigory Drozd (4-4)
Last Fight: 2/8/2012- RTD9 Richard Hall (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Drozd hasn’t been doing badly whatsoever when he steps into the ring.  The only problem?  He has averaged less than 1 fight per year since the start of 2009.
19) Matt Godfrey (5-25)
Last Fight: 6/10/2011- L(UD10) vs. #17 Lateef Kayode
Next Fight: Unknown
It’s a testament to the stagnation in the bottom half of the rankings that Godfrey- who last had a significant win over 3 years ago- continues to hang around the top 20.
20) Eric Fields (5-21)
Last Fight: 1/28/2011- UD8 Derrick Brown (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fields is the latest in a fairly long line of iffy candidates to enter in the rankings.  He’s a one-loss prospect with a win over marginal gatekeeper Danny Batchelder back in June.  What separates him from the 2 or 3 guys he beat out for this spot is the fact that his loss- in 2008 against current #6 Ola Afolabi- is a lot more forgivable than the losses of his competitors.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Nothing of note going on at cruiser this week.

Leave a comment »

Cruiserweight: 2012, Feb 27- Mar 4

Posted in Cruiserweight, Rankings with tags , , , , , , , on March 26, 2012 by danboxing
Former light heavyweight fringe contender Thierry Karl fought for- get this- the WBF International Cruiserweight title (note it’s not even the WBF world title) on Friday in his native France against Georgian journeyman Sandro Siproshvili, and escaped with a decision that awarded him between 7 and 10 rounds of a 10-rounder, depending on which judge you ask.

 

Former top contender Wayne Braithwaite of Guyana fought as a small  heavyweight against unproven fringe prospect Shawn Cox of Barbados, in Braithwaite’s home country, and was shockingly sparked out in the first round, having failed to rise from his 3rd knockdown at the hands of the younger Cox.  It’s hard to view Cox as a world-beater considering he lost to Salvatore Erittu, a fellow undefeated prospect that has gone nowhere since that fight over two years ago, and so this has got to be seen as a sure sign that Braithwaite- the only man to ever beat Yoan Pablo Hernandez so far- is finished.  In lesser news, Philadelphia fringe contender Garrett Wilson stopped no-hoper Pedro Martinez early in round 3 of a scheduled 8 in the hometown of both fighters.

 

Finally, on Sunday, undefeated Ukrainian Dmitro Kucher walked away with a win in Kiev when his opponent- solid Czech journeyman Lubos Suda, retired with an injury following the 8th round of a 10-rounder.

 

It’s tempting to consider rating Cox based on his sensational performance against Braithwaite, but I don’t feel that I can do so at the moment.  Braithwaite is a good 2 years removed from his last prior fight, and almost 4 years removed from his last significant victory.  Given that fact and Cox’s less than stellar prior record of accomplishment, it is extremely unclear whether Braithwaite entered the ring as anything like a top 50 fighter, and even if so, I get out of having to rate the fight based on the fact that both guys came in roughly 10 full pounds over the cruiserweight limit.  This result definitely makes Cox a prospect to watch, but at this time I think it would be premature to give him any consideration for a ranking.  Therefore, no movement this week.

 

Dan’s Top 20
Champ: None
1) Yoan Pablo Hernandez (4-88-88)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD12 #4 Steve Cunningham
Next Fight: Unknown
Erased any doubt as to the better fighter between him and Cunningham.  A fight with Lebedev now would be huge.
2) Denis Lebedev (4-108-108)
Last Fight: 11/4/2011- UD12 James Toney (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
There has been speculation that Lebedev might fight Steve Cunningham next.
3) Antonio Tarver (4-32-32)
Last Fight: 7/20/2011- RTD9 #7 Danny Green
Next Fight: Unknown
The latest word is that there is a 75% chance that Tarver will fight Wlodarczyk on Showtime, April 28.
4) Marco Huck (4-273-273)
Last Fight: 2/25/2012- L*(MD12) vs. HW #2 Alexander Povetkin (at HW)
Next Fight: Unknown
After a shockingly strong showing against Povetkin that he probably deserved to win, Huck’s immediate future as a cruiserweight is uncertain.  Povetkin is ducking an immediate rematch, but Huck has previously stated a desire to fight one of the Klitschkos. 
5) Steve Cunningham (4-402-402)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #3 Yoan Pablo Hernandez
Next Fight: Unknown
See Lebedev’s notes, above.
6) Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (13-349-349)
Last Fight: 11/30/2011- TKO11 #9 Danny Green
Next Fight: Unknown
See Tarver’s notes, above.
7) Ola Afolabi (13-155-155)
Last Fight: 9/10/2011- UD8 Lukasz Rusiewicz (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/3/2012- vs. Valery Brudov (UNR)
Afolabi signed a late-breaking fight with a very good short-notice opponent in gatekeeper Valery Brudov.  This will probably serve as a warm up for his next fight against either Huck or Lebedev.
8) Guillermo Jones (13-74-74)
Last Fight: 11/5/2011- TKO6 Michael Marrone (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
After discussions with Lebedev fell apart, it now appears that his mandatory obligation against Kayode is the most probable next fight for Jones.
9) Danny Green (32-117-117)
Last Fight: 11/30/2011- L(TKO11) vs. #8 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Next Fight: Unknown
Green says he would like a rematch with Anthony Mundine- something that’s unlikely at best now that Mundine is fighting about 4 divisions to the south of him.  I do not believe retirement has been ruled out for Green.
10) Giacobbe Fragomeni (32-172-172)
Last Fight: 7/8/2011- UD6 Remigijus Ziausys (UNR)
Next Fight: 3/17/2012- vs. Silvio Branco (UNR)
Fragomeni will fight fellow Italian Silvio Branco for some silly color-coordinated “world title” on St. Patrick’s day.  The combined age of the two combatants: 87.
11) B.J. Flores (20-88)
Last Fight: 1/28/2012- TKO6 Hugo Pineda (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Flores has been accused by Afolabi of ducking.
12) Francisco Palacios (20-48)
Last Fight: 11/5/2011- UD8 Joell Godfrey (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
The WBC has mandated a rematch with Wlodarczyk, but that seems almost forgotten as Wlodarczyk appears poised for a fight with Antonio Tarver.
13) Alexander Alexeev (4-59)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD12 #15 Enad Licina
Next Fight: Unknown
If his record is any indication, he has probably reached just about the ranking he currently tops out at.
14) Lateef Kayode (4-67)
Last Fight: 9/9/2011- UD10 Felix Cora, Jr. (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
WBA titlist Guillermo Jones has been ordered to fight Kayode.
15) Enad Licina (3-88)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #17 Alexander Alexeev
Next Fight: Unknown
May be getting a little shopworn.  He’s not a pushover by any means, but you’d have to be crazy to imagine him as a top-10-type guy.
16) Troy Ross (3-4)
Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD8 Lukasz Rusiewicz (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Inactivity combined with poor competition are killing the career of top-level talent Ross, but at least he’s technically an active cruiserweight again, and thus eligible to remain in the rankings.
17) Firat Arslan (3-33)
Last Fight: 1/28/2012- TKO2 Orlando Farias (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Arslan is 41 and not getting any younger.  Unless he’s already decided to call it a day, expect a better opponent in his next fight than Farias.
18) Grigory Drozd (3-3)
Last Fight: 2/8/2012- RTD9 Richard Hall (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Drozd hasn’t been doing badly whatsoever when he steps into the ring.  The only problem?  He has averaged less than 1 fight per year since the start of 2009.
19) Matt Godfrey (4-24)
Last Fight: 6/10/2011- L(UD10) vs. #17 Lateef Kayode
Next Fight: Unknown
It’s a testament to the stagnation in the bottom half of the rankings that Godfrey- who last had a significant win over 3 years ago- continues to hang around the top 20.
20) Eric Fields (4-20)
Last Fight: 1/28/2011- UD8 Derrick Brown (UNR)
Next Fight: Unknown
Fields is the latest in a fairly long line of iffy candidates to enter in the rankings.  He’s a one-loss prospect with a win over marginal gatekeeper Danny Batchelder back in June.  What separates him from the 2 or 3 guys he beat out for this spot is the fact that his loss- in 2008 against current #6 Ola Afolabi- is a lot more forgivable than the losses of his competitors.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD: Russian gatekeeper Valery Brudov takes on #7 Ola Afolabi of England on the Klitschko-Mormeck undercard in Dusseldorf on Saturday in the division’s only meaningful action.

Leave a comment »