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Middleweight: 2013, Apr 22-28

danboxing — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 20:58:48 +0000

Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, #18 Curtis Stevens was the beneficiary of a judging debacle on the Cunningham-Fury undercard. You could probably have seen it coming, sadly, when the judges were announced. John McKaie is, I feel confident in saying, the single worst judge in America, if not the world. You can generally pick the true winner of the fight by choosing the guy that McKaie had losing. It’s like the guy is testing the New York commission to see how many fights a judge can blatantly ruin before they stop hiring him. Don Trella is very hit and miss, but at least he’s avoided embarrassing himself since his ludicrous Quillin-N’Dam card in October. I was not particularly familiar with Robin Taylor’s work going into the fight, as he seldom works TV fights. Naturally NBC’s commentary crew of BJ Flores, Kenny Rice, and silent partner Larry “Rubber Stamp” Hazzard tried to sell the public on the idea that Stevens was winning. But for those of you that bought their ludicrous commentary, here’s what really happened:

Journeyman Derrick Findley came forward, consistently backing Stevens up and landing the better shots- particularly to the body. Simply put, he was more aggressive, controlled the ring, and landed more and more telling shots. Round-by-round, he clearly won the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th. He clearly lost the 1st, 4th, and 6th. The only difficult round to score was the 8th and final, which I narrowly gave to Findley to earn him a 77-75 edge. Obviously if you were generous to Stevens, he may have eked out a draw. But this is where the ringside crooks stepped in. McKaie and Taylor each had it 78-74 for Stevens, meaning that in a short 8 round fight, they both gave Stevens the lone toss-up, as well as two clear Findley rounds. That’s just another day at the office for McKaie, at least. But Don Trella returned to Quillin-N’Dam form, throroughly embarrassing himself by giving Stevens all but one round. Trella and Taylor need some major intervention and rehabilitation, and in my opinion should not work high-profile fights until they’ve proven themselves competent. McKaie is a different matter. He’s a consistent and flagrant offender, and should without any question never be allowed to judge a fight again under any circumstances.

A few hours later in Mexico City, undefeated prospect Gilberto Ramirez knocked out inexperienced low-level journeyman and late replacement Juan De Angel with a body shot in the latter half of the 3rd round. Ramirez had been scheduled to fight comparatively top-notch journeyman Dionisio Miranda until that fight fell through.

Stevens tumbles from the top 20 with the awful performance, allowing the rather unworthy Jose Miguel Torres to claim the #20 spot on the strength of his upset win over undefeated prospect and fringe contender Patrick Majewski from November 2011. He’s been slumming since then, and has a spotty prior record at lower weights, both factors which make me regret having to rank him at this stage. What about Findley, you ask? Well, two things. He has a poor record prior to Saturday as a traveling opponent to often unproven or mediocre prospects and other fighters. Also, he came in at 161 to Stevens’ 159, making it hard to give him full credit for a close win in the middleweight division. He’s made me want to watch his fights going forward, but I can’t in good conscience consider ranking him. The Japanese duo of Fuchigami and Ishida move up to 18 and 19, respectively.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (158-158-158)

Last Fight: 9/15/2012- UD12 #4 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #9 Martin Murray

Martinez will look to come back strong from knee surgery when he takes on Martin Murray in Argentina on April 27. The fight will be revolutionary in that instant replay will be available to the referee.

1) Daniel Geale (96-201-201)

Last Fight: 1/30/2013- UD12 #11 Anthony Mundine

Next Fight: Unknown

With Soliman testing positive for a PED, his expected fight with Geale is probably out. Perhaps a Sturm rematch is the most obvious follow-up. Sergio has also expressed interest in a fight with him after Murray.

2) Felix Sturm (8-501-501)

Last Fight: 2/1/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #12 Sam Soliman (on PEDs)

Next Fight: Unknown

Sturm says on Twitter that he’s resumed light training, and will soon announce his plans for his next fight, which he describes as a big event.

3) Gennady Golovkin (8-34-97)

Last Fight: 3/30/2013- KO3 #19 Nobuhiro Ishida

Next Fight: 6/29/2013- vs. #4 Matthew Macklin

Golovkin-Macklin appears to be on for June 29 on HBO, and that’s huge.

4) Matthew Macklin (8-96-187)

Last Fight: 9/15/2012- TKO1 Joachim Alcine (UNR)

Next Fight: 6/29/2013- vs. #3 Gennady Golovkin

See Golovkin’s notes, above.

5) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (8-99-117)

Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: 7/13/2013- vs. #17 Bryan Vera

Chavez has apparently settled on Bryan Vera for his next outing, which has been delayed to July 13.

6) Peter Quillin (8-27-48)

Last Fight: 10/20/2012- UD12 #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam

Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Fernando Guerrero (UNR)

Quillin’s fight with Guerrero has been postponed from February 9 to April 27 due to an injury to the card’s headliner, Danny Garcia.

7) Dmitry Pirog (8-143-143)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida

Next Fight: Unknown

After bleak reports of his back injury situation surfaced over recent weeks, finally we get a bit of hopeful news, as Pirog’s US promoter Art Pelullo says that Pirog is hoping to return in late August if all goes well.

8) Grzegorz Proksa (8-106-106)

Last Fight: 2/9/2013- UD6 Norbert Szekeres (UNR)

Next Fight: 6/28/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent

Proksa will bounce back from a hand injury and return on June 28 in the US. No further details yet.

9) Martin Murray (8-73-73)

Last Fight: 11/24/2012- TKO6 Jorge Navarro (UNR)

Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Murray will look to prove that he belongs at or above the level he achieved by drawing with Sturm when he fights the Champ in Argentina on April 27.

10) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (8-8-130)

Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter Quillin

Next Fight: Unknown

N’Dam was recently seen sparring at Mayweather’s gym with some of his top prospects. This has fueled speculation of his possibly signing with Mayweather Promotions, himself.

11) Marco Antonio Rubio (6-117)

Last Fight: 3/23/2013- UD12 Marcus Upshaw (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Rubio seems to be the mandatory for both the Quillin-Guerrero and the Martinez-Murray winner unless I’ve missed something.

12) Anthony Mundine (6-117)

Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale

Next Fight: Unknown

Mundine expects to fight again in late June or July, but doesn’t know against whom or in what division yet. He has hinted he may be moving back down to 154.

13) Osumanu Adama (6-109)

Last Fight: 3/16/2012- W(SD10) vs. Grady Brewer (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Adama came in heavy and nearly lost to 42 year-old Grady Brewer. The fact that he missed weight by only a half pound gives him the opportunity to schedule a middleweight fight by September 7 to maintain a ranking, though.

14) Darren Barker (7-80)

Last Fight: 3/9/2013- RTD4 Simone Rotolo (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

It appears that Barker has lost out to Bryan Vera for an opportunity to fight Chavez.

15) Max Bursak (7-117)

Last Fight: 2/2/2013- TKO3 Julien Marie Sainte (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Bursak is now the EBU champion after destroying journeyman Sainte.

16) Demetrius Andrade (7-88)

Last Fight: 1/25/2013- UD10 Freddy Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW)

Next Fight: 7/6/2013- vs. Zaurbek Baysangurov (UNR) (at JMW)

Andrade will finally have a significant fight at the 154 pound limit, as he challenges for the ridiculous title of Russia’s Zaurbek Baysangurov in either Kiev or Odessa in the Ukraine.

17) Bryan Vera (8-27)

Last Fight: 3/29/2013- TKO7* Donatas Bondorovas (UNR)

Next Fight: 7/13/2013- vs. #5 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

After an absolutely abysmal performance from which he was lucky to escape without a loss against journeyman Donatas Bondas, Vera appears to be the choice to fight JCC on July 13.

18) Makoto Fuchigami (1-8)

Last Fight: 10/12/2012- RTD6 Marlon Alta (UNR)

Next Fight: 5/4/2013- vs. Akio Shibata (UNR)

Fuchigami has a good domestic-level opportunity on his hands, fighting essentially a peer in junior middleweight fringe contender Akio Shibata.

19) Nobuhiro Ishida (1-60)

Last Fight: 3/30/2013- L (KO3) vs. #3 Gennady Golovkin

Next Fight: Unknown

Ishida said before the Golovkin fight that he’d retire if he lost. But that could have just been posturing. I won’t remove him as a retired fighter until I find some post-fight confirmation of his intentions.

20) Jose Miguel Torres (1-1)

Last Fight: 3/16/2013- TKO4 Javier Gonzalez (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Torres sneaks into the rankings based on a nearly 18 month old upset win over Patrick Majewski, but considering the awful opposition he has faced since, I’m not particularly happy about it.

The Week Ahead: Five notable middleweights are in action this week in 3 separate fights. The big one is the Championship fight between reigning Champ Sergio Martinez and promising Englishman Martin Murray (#9), who is best known for a draw with Felix Sturm that he easily could have won. That fight will be televised on HBO in the US, and takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Murray is hardly the most daunting opponent Sergio has fought since beating Pavlik for the title, but there’s always a bit of added intrigue when a guy is coming off major knee surgery, especially a fighter that relies on mobility as much as Sergio.

In a competing card on Showtime from Brooklyn, #6 Peter Quillin takes on prospect/fringe contender Fernando Guerrero. Guerrero has won 4 straight against limited opposition since his ill-fated foray into the junior middleweight division that saw him being stopped by Grady Brewer back in 2011. Quillin fights for the first time since he dropped Hassan N’Dam 6 times and still barely eked out a win last year.

On that undercard, prospect Danny Jacobs looks to continue his comeback from cancer, still taking it easy in terms of his competition level. His opponent is mediocre journeyman Keenan Collins.

Middleweight: 2013, Apr 15-21

danboxing — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:25:38 +0000

In last week’s most significant fight, fringe contender and EU titlist Roberto Santos of Spain gave Austrian prospect Marcos Nader a rematch of their nip-and-tuck draw from last fall, and yet again was served an unsatisfactory outcome in his opponent’s backyard. I scored both fights 115-113 for Santos, but I can’t say that Nader didn’t have an argument in both. In the first few rounds, a nimble Nader grossly out-boxed a sluggish-looking Santos to build an early lead. Most of the rounds between 4 and 11 could have gone either way, though Santos was building momentum and closing the distance progressively round-by-round. By the final round, Nader was in full retreat with Santos bum rushing him with plenty of flush shots. Nader won by scores of 116-112 (x2) and 115-113. I can’t say any of the scores were completely out of line, but I do think they reflect a highly partisan Nader crowd.

Staying with the Marcos theme for the moment, one-loss Mexican prospect Marcos Reyes stopped journeyman Eric Mitchell late in the 5th round of their fight in Hidalgo, Mexico.

And in Neuquen, Argentina, local one-loss prospect Billi Godoy successfully continued his rebound from his debatable first loss, establishing a 2-fight winning streak by outpointing weak Brazilian journeyman Valdevan Pereira. The only problem is that he probably was expected to stop Pereira sometime before the final bell rang to close the 10-round contest.

No changes to the rankings, as the Santos-Nader fight will be treated much like a draw given the nature of the decision.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (157-157-157)

Last Fight: 9/15/2012- UD12 #4 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. #9 Martin Murray

1) Daniel Geale (95-200-200)

Last Fight: 1/30/2013- UD12 #11 Anthony Mundine

Next Fight: Unknown

With Soliman testing positive for a PED, his expected fight with Geale is probably out. Perhaps a Sturm rematch is the most obvious follow-up. Sergio has also expressed interest in a fight with him after Murray.

2) Felix Sturm (7-500-500)

Last Fight: 2/1/2013- L* (UD12) vs. #12 Sam Soliman (on PEDs)

Next Fight: Unknown

Sturm says on Twitter that he’s resumed light training, and will soon announce his plans for his next fight, which he describes as a big event.

3) Gennady Golovkin (7-33-96)

Last Fight: 3/30/2013- KO3 #19 Nobuhiro Ishida

Next Fight: 6/29/2013- vs. #4 Matthew Macklin

Golovkin-Macklin appears to be on for June 29 on HBO, and that’s huge.

4) Matthew Macklin (7-95-186)

Last Fight: 9/15/2012- TKO1 Joachim Alcine (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

See Golovkin’s notes, above.

5) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (7-98-116)

Last Fight: 9/15/2012- L (UD12) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: 6/22/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent

Lots of Chavez news breaking. He’s staying with Freddie Roach after it looked like they were splitsville. It looks likely that Darren Barker is likely his guy for 6/22, and he’s saying that Andre Ward and Gennady Golovkin are his top choices for a fall fight, rather than a rematch with Martinez.

6) Peter Quillin (7-26-47)

Last Fight: 10/20/2012- UD12 #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam

Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Fernando Guerrero (UNR)

Quillin’s fight with Guerrero has been postponed from February 9 to April 27 due to an injury to the card’s headliner, Danny Garcia.

7) Dmitry Pirog (7-142-142)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida

Next Fight: Unknown

8) Grzegorz Proksa (7-105-105)

Last Fight: 2/9/2013- UD6 Norbert Szekeres (UNR)

Next Fight: 6/28/2013- vs. Unknown Opponent

Proksa will bounce back from a hand injury and return on June 28 in the US. No further details yet.

9) Martin Murray (7-72-72)

Last Fight: 11/24/2012- TKO6 Jorge Navarro (UNR)

Next Fight: 4/27/2013- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Murray will look to prove that he belongs at or above the level he achieved by drawing with Sturm when he fights the Champ in Argentina on April 27.

10) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (7-7-129)

Last Fight: 10/20/2012- L (UD12) vs. #20 Peter Quillin

Next Fight: Unknown

N’Dam was recently seen sparring at Mayweather’s gym with some of his top prospects. This has fueled speculation of his possibly signing with Mayweather Promotions, himself.

11) Marco Antonio Rubio (5-116)

Last Fight: 3/23/2013- UD12 Marcus Upshaw (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Rubio seems to be the mandatory for both the Quillin-Guerrero and the Martinez-Murray winner unless I’ve missed something.

12) Anthony Mundine (5-116)

Last Fight: 1/30/2013- L (UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale

Next Fight: Unknown

Mundine expects to fight again in June, but doesn’t know against whom or in what division yet. He has hinted he may be moving back down to 154.

13) Osumanu Adama (5-108)

Last Fight: 3/16/2012- W(SD10) vs. Grady Brewer (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

14) Darren Barker (6-79)

Last Fight: 3/9/2013- RTD4 Simone Rotolo (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Barker is the leading candidate for a 6/22 fight with Chavez.

15) Max Bursak (6-116)

Last Fight: 2/2/2013- TKO3 Julien Marie Sainte (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Bursak is now the EBU champion after destroying journeyman Sainte.

16) Demetrius Andrade (6-87)

Last Fight: 1/25/2013- UD10 Freddy Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW)

Next Fight: 7/6/2013- vs. Zaurbek Baysangurov (UNR) (at JMW)

Andrade will finally have a significant fight at the 154 pound limit, as he challenges the ridiculous title of Russia’s Zaurbek Baysangurov in either Kiev or Odessa in the Ukraine.

17) Bryan Vera (7-26)

Last Fight: 3/29/2013- TKO7* Donatas Bondorovas (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Vera looked like absolute crap against ordinary journeyman Donatas Bondas, getting a potential gift from the referee in a highly questionable 7th round stoppage, which saved him from needing the robbery that the judges were cooking up on the scorecards. He remains one of the top candidates to fight JCC in June.

18) Curtis Stevens (7-13)

Last Fight: 1/19/2013- KO1 Elvin Ayala (UNR)

Next Fight: 4/20/2013- vs. Derrick Findley (UNR)

Stevens will fight on the Fury-Cunningham undercard at MSG on 4/20 against veteran journeyman Derrick Findley.

19) Makoto Fuchigami (3-7)

Last Fight: 10/12/2012- RTD6 Marlon Alta (UNR)

Next Fight: 5/4/2013- vs. Akio Shibata (UNR)

Fuchigami has a good domestic-level opportunity on his hands, fighting essentially a peer in junior middleweight fringe contender Akio Shibata.

20) Nobuhiro Ishida (3-59)

Last Fight: 3/30/2013- L (KO3) vs. #3 Gennady Golovkin

Next Fight: Unknown

The Week Ahead: Two notable middleweight fights to report next week, both on Saturday:

In the middle of the afternoon, #18 Curtis Stevens opens NBC’s live broadcast from Madison Square Garden with a showcase fight against durable journeyman Derrick Findley.

That evening in Mexico City, undefeated prospect Gilberto Ramirez takes on very capable Colombian journeyman Dionisio Miranda.

Gilberto Ramirez Listo para Su Debut Con Top Rank‏

boxingpulse — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:59:00 +0000

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramírez se enfrentara al fuerte ponchador colombiano Dionisio Miranda en su debut con Top Rank este sábado 20 de abril en la Arena de la Ciudad de México en la misma función en la cual el ex campeón mundial Cristian Mijares y el clasificado número uno Victor “Vikingo” Terrazas disputaran el campeonato mundial supergallo del Consejo Mundial de Boxeo (CMB) que esta vacante.

Miranda (22-8, 19 Kos) de Colombia viene de lograr una impresionte victoria en Polonia sobre el local Oleg Liseev a quien noqueo cuatro asaltos. La magna cartelera es una promoción de Promociones Zanfer en Asociación con Top Rank y Zapari Boxing. La función será televisada en México por TV Azteca, la casa del boxeo y en los Estados Unidos por Unimas en su gustado programa “Solo Boxeo Tecate”.

Ramírez ha estado entrenando en la ciudad de México por cinco semanas y está listo para hacer su debut bajo la empresa de Top Rank.

“Me siento bien motivado y contento de realizar mi debut con Top Rank, es algo que siempre quise en mi carrera pelear en las carteleras de los mejores promotores, como lo son Top Rank y Promociones Zanfer”, dijo Ramírez.

Las primeras dos semanas las hizo en el gimnasio Chabacano haciendo sparring con el prospecto ex campeón mundial amateur peso Completo Mario Heredia durante una semana y media después se cambiaron al famoso gimnasio Pancho Rosales.

En las ultimsas semanas de concentración se integraron al equipo los ex Olímpicos nacionales y prospectos Iván Montero 10-0 peso súper welter originario de Tlaxcala ganador de tres medallas nacionales y Alan “Amenaza” Campa peso medio 11-0 de Guaymas Sonora, ganador de cuatro olimpiadas nacionales y medalla de plata en los panamericanos de República Dominicana del 2011.

Ramírez tuvo excelentes sesiones de sparreo con los tres ex integrantes del Comité Olímpico Mexicano, quienes le ayudaron mucho a desarrollar la velocidad y explosividad, estuvo trabajado con su equipo de trabajo Héctor y Jesús Zápari.

Sobre su rival en turno Ramírez comento:

“Sobre el conocimiento de mi rival sé que es un boxeador fuerte con buena pegada
y ha enfrentado a peleadores de buena categoría, pero estamos listos para
pelearle como se acomode ya sea para boxearlo o fajarnos”

Ramirez (24-0, 19 KOs) de Mazatlan, Sinaloa, México, conquisto el campeonato de peso mediano juvenil del CMB en el 2010 y lo ha defendido exitosamente en seis ocasiones.

Actualmente es el cuarto clasificado del CMB en las 160 libras y es el sexto clasificado la Asociación Mundial de Boxeo en el mismo peso y es promovido por Top Rank, Promociones Zanfer y Zapari Boxing.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rene Perez/Zapari Boxing

Middleweight: 2012, Aug 27- Sep 2

danboxing — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:00:42 +0000

#10 Sam Soliman turned in a fairly impressive performance in Geelong, Australia on Friday. He won a solid decision over tough and likely underrated gatekeeper Giovanni Lorenzo, even managing to drop Lorenzo in the 12th round. If you like to use fighters like Lorenzo as measuring sticks, then Soliman comes out looking like a real winner. When Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (currently #6) fought Lorenzo last year, the result was a very close decision that (although N’Dam legtimately won it) could have gone the other way without too much stretching, although two of the judges didn’t actually watch the fight.

The following night in Tulum, Mexico, undefeated Mexican prospect Gilberto Ramirez dominated Colombian journeyman Richard Gutierrez, winning all rounds on all cards.

Soliman remains stuck at #10, as #9 Anthony Mundine has still been tested and succeeded at a higher level than Soliman has in recent years, despite his avenged hiccup against Garth Wood. No changes to the rankings.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (124-124-124)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- RTD11 #3 Matthew Macklin

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. #2 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Looks like there’s no hitch to the negotiations for Martinez-Chavez, and it looks like that fight is going forward on 9/15 in Vegas.

1) Daniel Geale (62-167-167)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- UD12 #11 Osumanu Adama

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #4 Felix Sturm

Geale-Sturm now has a confirmed date of 9/1.

2) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (11-65-83)

Last Fight: 6/16/2012- TKO7 SMW #10 Andy Lee

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

See Martinez’ notes, above.

3) Grzegorz Proksa (11-72-72)

Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO8 Kerry Hope (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #13 Gennady Golovkin

Proksa is officially braver than most of his peers, as he will take on rising knockout sensation Gennady Golovkin, September 1 on HBO.

4) Felix Sturm (11-467-467)

Last Fight: 4/13/2012- RTD9 Sebastian Zbik (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #1 Daniel Geale

See Geale’s notes, above.

5) Matthew Macklin (20-62-153)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- L(RTD11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. Joachim Alcine (UNR)

Macklin will fight the resurgent Joachim Alcine on the Martinez-Chavez undercard.

6) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (30-96-96)

Last Fight: 5/4/2012- UD12 #15 Max Bursak

Next Fight: Unknown

The WBO has ordered a fight between N’Dam and Pirog.

7) Dmitry Pirog (17-109-109)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida

Next Fight: Unknown

Pirog had a short-lived entry on his calendar to fight Golovkin in August, but withdrew very quickly with a back injury.

8) Martin Murray (17-39-39)

Last Fight: 6/16/2012- UD10 Karim Achour (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Murray is currently entertaining the concept of fights with British Isles rivals Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders.

9) Anthony Mundine (26-30-83)

Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO7 Bronco McKart (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Mundine recently split with his long-time manager. Maybe he’s upset that he had to waste time fighting Bronco McKart.

10) Sam Soliman (26-26-28)

Last Fight: 8/24/2012- UD12 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Soliman is now the mandatory for the Geale-Sturm winner. If Geale emerges victorious, that would set up a big-money domestic showdown in Australia.

11) Marco Antonio Rubio (25-83)

Last Fight: 6/30/2012- TKO7 Jorge Cota (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

It appears that Rubio will probably be fighting on 9/8 as originally speculated, but his opponent is likely to be Carlos Baldomir instead of Peter Quillin.

12) Osumanu Adama (25-75)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale

Next Fight: Unknown

Adama came up short against Geale, but has nothing to be ashamed of. He frequently took the #1 contender out of his game plan and looked entirely in his league at that lofty level.

13) Gennady Golovkin (14-63)

Last Fight: 5/12/2012- TKO3 Makoto Fuchigami (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #3 Grzegorz Proksa

Golovkin will finally get the test he needs to make his ranking match his hype, when he battles dynamic #3 contender Grzegorz Proksa on HBO September 1.

14) Avtandil Khurtsidze (14-83)

Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

15) Max Bursak (14-83)

Last Fight: 7/21/2012- KO1 Sergei Melis (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Lightning-quick knockout in his recent stay busy fight. No big deal either way.

16) Demetrius Andrade (14-54)

Last Fight: 5/5/2012- KO1 Rudy Cisneros (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Andrade showed chilling power in destroying easy mark Cisneros.

17) Darren Barker (14-46)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: Unknown

What a tough year for Barker. He was scheduled for a tune-up comeback fight after hip surgery on September 8, but had to pull out with an arm tendon injury. He won’t be able to train for a month at least.

18) Billi Godoy (14-45)

Last Fight: 7/7/2012- UD12 Jorge Heiland (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Godoy went life and death with solid journeyman Heiland. He’s going to have to do better than that when he fights legitimate top 50 opposition, or his time in the top 20 will be very short. Hell of a fight, though.

19) Nobuhiro Ishida (14-26)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog

Next Fight: Unknown

Barely challenged Pirog at all, but has enough mileage left on the Kirkland upset to remain ranked for the moment.

20) Peter Quillin (14-14)

Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD10 Winky Wright (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent

Quillin is set to return on September 8, but no opponent after Rubio was a no-go.

The Week Ahead: It’s a big week at 160. In Oberhausen, Germany on Saturday, #1 Daniel Geale looks to do the nearly impossible and walk away with a win over #4 Felix Sturm in Germany. If Sturm’s remaining skill doesn’t get you, the judges probably will.

Later that night in Verona, New York, #13 Gennady Golovkin finally gets a chance to prove his intimidating skills against top competition when he steps into the ring with #3 Grzegorz Proksa. Why did Proksa agree to fight such a dangerous contender? Well, in the eyes of many, he has a lot more to prove than an average #3 contender, as he officially lost (though he was robbed) against unheralded journeyman Kerry Hope earlier this year. These guys are both excellent punchers with sensational styles. Don’t miss this one.

Middleweight: 2012, Aug 20-26

danboxing — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:58:45 +0000

No middleweight fights that we care about happened last week.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (123-123-123)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- RTD11 #3 Matthew Macklin

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. #2 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Looks like there’s no hitch to the negotiations for Martinez-Chavez, and it looks like that fight is going forward on 9/15 in Vegas.

1) Daniel Geale (61-166-166)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- UD12 #11 Osumanu Adama

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #4 Felix Sturm

Geale-Sturm now has a confirmed date of 9/1.

2) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (10-64-82)

Last Fight: 6/16/2012- TKO7 SMW #10 Andy Lee

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

See Martinez’ notes, above.

3) Grzegorz Proksa (10-71-71)

Last Fight: 7/7/2012- TKO8 Kerry Hope (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #13 Gennady Golovkin

Proksa is officially braver than most of his peers, as he will take on rising knockout sensation Gennady Golovkin, September 1 on HBO.

4) Felix Sturm (10-466-466)

Last Fight: 4/13/2012- RTD9 Sebastian Zbik (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #1 Daniel Geale

See Geale’s notes, above.

5) Matthew Macklin (19-61-152)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- L(RTD11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. Joachim Alcine (UNR)

Macklin will fight the resurgent Joachim Alcine on the Martinez-Chavez undercard.

6) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (29-95-95)

Last Fight: 5/4/2012- UD12 #15 Max Bursak

Next Fight: Unknown

The WBO has ordered a fight between N’Dam and Pirog.

7) Dmitry Pirog (16-108-108)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida

Next Fight: Unknown

Pirog had a short-lived entry on his calendar to fight Golovkin in August, but withdrew very quickly with a back injury.

8) Martin Murray (16-38-38)

Last Fight: 6/16/2012- UD10 Karim Achour (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Murray is currently entertaining the concept of fights with British Isles rivals Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders.

9) Anthony Mundine (25-29-82)

Last Fight: 7/14/2012- TKO7 Bronco McKart (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Mundine recently split with his long-time manager. Maybe he’s upset that he had to waste time fighting Bronco McKart.

10) Sam Soliman (25-25-27)

Last Fight: 2/19/2012- UD12 #15 Garth Wood

Next Fight: 8/24/2012- vs. Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)

I don’t know if I missed it or if it really was signed on short notice, but Soliman is fighting Giovanni Lorenzo on Saturday.

11) Marco Antonio Rubio (24-82)

Last Fight: 6/30/2012- TKO7 Jorge Cota (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

It appears that Rubio will probably be fighting on 9/8 as originally speculated, but his opponent is likely to be Carlos Baldomir instead of Peter Quillin as originally speculated.

12) Osumanu Adama (24-74)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale

Next Fight: Unknown

Adama came up short against Geale, but has nothing to be ashamed of. He frequently took the #1 contender out of his game plan and looked entirely in his league at that lofty level.

13) Gennady Golovkin (13-62)

Last Fight: 5/12/2012- TKO3 Makoto Fuchigami (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #3 Grzegorz Proksa

Golovkin will finally get the test he needs to make his ranking match his hype, when he battles dynamic #3 contender Grzegorz Proksa on HBO September 1.

14) Avtandil Khurtsidze (13-82)

Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

15) Max Bursak (13-82)

Last Fight: 7/21/2012- KO1 Sergei Melis (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Lightning-quick knockout in his recent stay busy fight. No big deal either way.

16) Demetrius Andrade (13-53)

Last Fight: 5/5/2012- KO1 Rudy Cisneros (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Andrade showed chilling power in destroying easy mark Cisneros.

17) Darren Barker (13-45)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Simone Rotolo (UNR)

Barker will return from hip surgery on September 8 in London against top-level Italian journeyman Simone Rotolo.

18) Billi Godoy (13-44)

Last Fight: 7/7/2012- UD12 Jorge Heiland (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

19) Nobuhiro Ishida (13-25)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog

Next Fight: Unknown

Barely challenged Pirog at all, but has enough mileage left on the Kirkland upset to remain ranked for the moment.

20) Peter Quillin (13-13)

Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD10 Winky Wright (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent

Quillin is set to return on September 8, but no opponent after Rubio was a no-go.

The Week Ahead: Friday in Geelong, Australia, #10 Sam Soliman fights veteran Dominican gatekeeper Giovanni Lorenzo. Lorenzo is a solid test, having given current #6 Hassan N’Dam all he could handle in a fight last year.

In Tulum, Mexico on Saturday, undefeated Mexican prospect Gilberto Ramirez takes on Colombian journeyman Richard Gutierrez.

Middleweight: 2012, Jun 18-24

danboxing — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 03:10:58 +0000

#4 Julio Cesar Chavez showed extremely heavy hands and tenacity against Super Middleweight #10 Andy Lee, who was game and active, but simply couldn’t keep Chavez off of him. It was like a bull versus a matador in a ring that was just a bit too small to give the matador a chance. Lee gave everything he had, but couldn’t hurt his man and got quickly worn down and stopped in the 7th. Lee made the 160 pound limit for only the 2nd time in the last 4 years, and his major victories are all technically at super middleweight. As a result, there’s nothing to rate him on here despite his now being active at 160.

Earlier that same night in Manchester, #8 Martin Murray won what looks to have been a pretty average 10 round decision over French journeyman Karim Achour.

In Playa del Carmen, Mexico, undefeated Mexican prospect Gilberto Ramirez stopped journeyman Isaac Mendez, who was a late replacement for J.C. Candelo, in round 8. I’m certain that Mendez saw that coming, as we all know from the TV show “Heroes” that he can paint the future.

And finally, and again earlier in the night, Domenico Spada of Rome just managed to edge out Polish journeyman Mariusz Cendrowski for the silly color-coded alphabet belt that Avtandil Khurtsidze appears to have vacated for some reason or another.

Chavez, who I believed at one time not all that long ago was a complete pretender, claws his way up the rankings all the way to #2. To be honest, he was pretty close to eclipsing Geale, as well.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (114-114-114)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- RTD11 #3 Matthew Macklin

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. #2 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Looks like there’s no hitch to the negotiations for Martinez-Chavez, and it looks like that fight is going forward on 9/15 in Vegas.

1) Daniel Geale (52-157-157)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- UD12 #11 Osumanu Adama

Next Fight: Unknown Date- vs. #4 Felix Sturm

Geale’s fight with Sturm is definitely on, but the originally-reported 9/1 date is no longer certain, as they are trying to avoid conflicting with Vitali Klitschko’s next fight.

2) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (1-55-73)

Last Fight: 6/16/2012- TKO7 SMW #10 Andy Lee

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

See Martinez’ notes, above.

3) Grzegorz Proksa (1-62-62)

Last Fight: 5/10/2012- TKO3 Rudolf Varga (UNR)

Next Fight: 7/7/2012- vs. Kerry Hope (UNR)

After his silly exhibition in Budapest, it’s back to business as he rematches journeyman Kerry Hope in July.

4) Felix Sturm (1-457-457)

Last Fight: 4/13/2012- RTD9 Sebastian Zbik (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown Date- vs. #1 Daniel Geale

See Geale’s notes, above.

5) Matthew Macklin (10-52-143)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- L(RTD11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: Unknown

Macklin says he’d like to return in September for a fight in the US.

6) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (20-86-86)

Last Fight: 5/4/2012- UD12 #15 Max Bursak

Next Fight: Unknown

The WBO has ordered a fight between N’Dam and Pirog.

7) Dmitry Pirog (7-99-99)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida

Next Fight: Unknown

The word is that a fight with Golovkin is 90% done.

8) Martin Murray (7-29-29)

Last Fight: 12/2/2011- Draw(SD12) vs. #3 Felix Sturm

Next Fight: 6/16/2012- vs. Karim Achour (UNR)

Murray’s June 16 opponent will be French journeyman Karim Achour.

9) Anthony Mundine (16-20-73)

Last Fight: 10/19/2011- UD12 Rigoberto Alvarez (UNR) (at JMW)

Next Fight: 7/14/2012- vs. Bronco McKart (UNR)

Mundine will fight 41-year-old journeyman and former contender Bronco McKart on July 14 in Vegas. The fight will be televised by something named WealthTV.

10) Sam Soliman (16-16-18)

Last Fight: 2/19/2012- UD12 #15 Garth Wood

Next Fight: Unknown

11) Marco Antonio Rubio (15-73)

Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #7 Julio Cesar Chavez

Next Fight: 6/30/2012- vs. Jorge Cota (UNR)

Rubio’s fight with Cota was postponed until the end of the month at the last minute.

12) Osumanu Adama (15-65)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale

Next Fight: Unknown

Adama came up short against Geale, but has nothing to be ashamed of. He frequently took the #1 contender out of his game plan and looked entirely in his league at that lofty level.

13) Gennady Golovkin (4-53)

Last Fight: 5/12/2012- TKO3 Makoto Fuchigami (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

The latest news is that a fight with Pirog is 90% done.

14) Avtandil Khurtsidze (4-73)

Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

15) Max Bursak (4-73)

Last Fight: 5/4/2012- L (UD12) vs. #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam

Next Fight: Unknown

16) Demetrius Andrade (4-44)

Last Fight: 5/5/2012- KO1 Rudy Cisneros (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Andrade showed chilling power in destroying easy mark Cisneros.

17) Darren Barker (4-36)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent

Barker will return from hip surgery on September 8 in London. No opponent yet.

18) Billi Godoy (4-35)

Last Fight: 4/13/2012- UD10 Carlos Baldomir (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Godoy needs a lot of improvement if he’s going to fight his relative peers in the rankings. He had more than a little trouble with crude and old Carlos Baldomir.

19) Nobuhiro Ishida (4-16)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog

Next Fight: Unknown

Barely challenged Pirog at all, but has enough mileage left on the Kirkland upset to remain ranked for the moment.

20) Peter Quillin (4-4)

Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD10 Winky Wright (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Quillin fought adequately but largely unspectacularly in beating an old, inactive Winky Wright.

The Week Ahead: No action at 160 this week.

Middleweight: 2012, Jun 11-17

danboxing — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 02:00:50 +0000

None of last week’s favorites had any particular trouble taking care of business. David Lemieux got back in the win column with a 2nd-round knockout of Mexican journeyman Jaudiel Zepeda in Montreal on Friday in a fight contested a tad over the divisional limit. That same night in Culiacan, Mexico, 154-pound fringe contender Saul Roman came away with an identical result over late replacement Martin Avila, knocking the journeyman out with a body shot in the 2nd of a fight that actually ended up as a super middleweight contest by a fair margin.

Saturday’s card in Chihuahua was without its headliner, as #11 Marco Antonio Rubio’s scrap with undefeated Jorge Cota was postponed until later in the month, but the card went on as planned, and prospect Marcos Reyes outpointed journeyman Octavio Castro over the 10 round distance.

No changes in the rankings.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (113-113-113)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- RTD11 #3 Matthew Macklin

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent

Sergio has signed a contract to fight the Chavez-Lee winner, with 9/15 being the tentative date. Recent news indicates that the contract is non-binding, but would lead to Chavez being stripped of his alphabet title if he dishonors it. It also provides that if Lee wins, that fight would be in Argentina.

1) Daniel Geale (51-156-156)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- UD12 #11 Osumanu Adama

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #3 Felix Sturm

With the Pirog fight falling through, Geale didn’t ease up a bit, scheduling a fight with #3 Felix Sturm in Germany.

2) Grzegorz Proksa (37-61-61)

Last Fight: 5/10/2012- TKO3 Rudolf Varga (UNR)

Next Fight: 7/7/2012- vs. Kerry Hope (UNR)

After his silly exhibition in Budapest, it’s back to business as he rematches journeyman Kerry Hope in July.

3) Felix Sturm (9-456-456)

Last Fight: 4/13/2012- RTD9 Sebastian Zbik (UNR)

Next Fight: 9/1/2012- vs. #1 Daniel Geale

Sturm will have a chance to gain back his old luster against the division’s #1 contender.

4) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (9-54-72)

Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD12 #10 Marco Antonio Rubio

Next Fight: 6/16/2012- vs. SMW #11 Andy Lee

See Martinez’ notes, above.

5) Matthew Macklin (9-51-142)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- L(RTD11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: Unknown

Macklin says he’d like to return in September for a fight in the US.

6) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (19-85-85)

Last Fight: 5/4/2012- UD12 #15 Max Bursak

Next Fight: Unknown

The WBO has ordered a fight between N’Dam and Pirog.

7) Dmitry Pirog (6-98-98)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- UD12 #20 Nobuhiro Ishida

Next Fight: Unknown

The word is that a fight with Golovkin is 90% done.

8) Martin Murray (6-28-28)

Last Fight: 12/2/2011- Draw(SD12) vs. #3 Felix Sturm

Next Fight: 6/16/2012- vs. Karim Achour (UNR)

Murray’s June 16 opponent will be French journeyman Karim Achour.

9) Anthony Mundine (15-19-72)

Last Fight: 10/19/2011- UD12 Rigoberto Alvarez (UNR) (at JMW)

Next Fight: 7/14/2012- vs. Bronco McKart (UNR)

Mundine will fight 41-year-old journeyman and former contender Bronco McKart on July 14 in Vegas. The fight will be televised by something named WealthTV.

10) Sam Soliman (15-15-17)

Last Fight: 2/19/2012- UD12 #15 Garth Wood

Next Fight: Unknown

11) Marco Antonio Rubio (14-72)

Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #7 Julio Cesar Chavez

Next Fight: 6/30/2012- vs. Jorge Cota (UNR)

Rubio’s fight with Cota was postponed until the end of the month at the last minute.

12) Osumanu Adama (14-64)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale

Next Fight: Unknown

Adama came up short against Geale, but has nothing to be ashamed of. He frequently took the #1 contender out of his game plan and looked entirely in his league at that lofty level.

13) Gennady Golovkin (3-52)

Last Fight: 5/12/2012- TKO3 Makoto Fuchigami (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

The latest news is that a fight with Pirog is 90% done.

14) Avtandil Khurtsidze (3-72)

Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

15) Max Bursak (3-72)

Last Fight: 5/4/2012- L (UD12) vs. #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam

Next Fight: Unknown

16) Demetrius Andrade (3-43)

Last Fight: 5/5/2012- KO1 Rudy Cisneros (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Andrade showed chilling power in destroying easy mark Cisneros.

17) Darren Barker (3-35)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: 9/8/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent

Barker will return from hip surgery on September 8 in London. No opponent yet.

18) Billi Godoy (3-34)

Last Fight: 4/13/2012- UD10 Carlos Baldomir (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Godoy needs a lot of improvement if he’s going to fight his relative peers in the rankings. He had more than a little trouble with crude and old Carlos Baldomir.

19) Nobuhiro Ishida (3-15)

Last Fight: 5/1/2012- L(UD12) vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog

Next Fight: Unknown

Barely challenged Pirog at all, but has enough mileage left on the Kirkland upset to remain ranked for the moment.

20) Peter Quillin (3-3)

Last Fight: 6/2/2012- UD10 Winky Wright (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Quillin fought adequately but largely unspectacularly in beating an old, inactive Winky Wright.

The Week Ahead: A busy night for middleweights on Saturday.

The headliner is #4 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. vs. Super Middleweight #10 Andy Lee in El Paso, Texas. The winner gets no less than a shot at the Championship.

#8 Martin Murray takes on French journeyman Karim Achour in Manchester.

In Playa del Carmen, Mexico, undefeated Mexican Gilberto Ramirez takes on veteran journeyman J.C. Candelo.

And finally, Roman gatekeeper Domenico Spada fights in his hometown against Polish journeyman Mariusz Cendrowski.

Middleweight: 2012, Apr 9-15

danboxing — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:45:04 +0000

Gatekeeper-level Minnesotan Andy Kolle won an 8-round decision against frequently recycled journeyman opponent Michael Walker in Superior, Wisconsin, on Saturday. No changes to the rankings.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (104-104-104)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- RTD11 #3 Matthew Macklin

Next Fight: 9/15/2012- vs. Unknown Opponent

Sergio has signed a contract to fight the Chavez-Lee winner, with 9/15 being the tentative date.

1) Daniel Geale (42-147-147)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- UD12 #11 Osumanu Adama

Next Fight: Unknown

2) Grzegorz Proksa (28-52-52)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- L*(MD12) vs. Kerry Hope (UNR) (Robbery)

Next Fight: Unknown

Proksa wants a rematch in the worst kind of way, but his cut may keep him out 5-6 months. Kerry Hope has audaciously suggested that Proksa (who clearly beat him in reality) might need to build to the rematch.

3) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (4-45-63)

Last Fight: 2/4/2012- UD12 #10 Marco Antonio Rubio

Next Fight: 6/16/2012- vs. SMW #11 Andy Lee

Chavez signed 2 deals in one week. He will fight Andy Lee on June 16 and, if he wins, will progress to challenge for the title, likely on September 15.

4) Matthew Macklin (4-42-133)

Last Fight: 3/17/2012- L(RTD11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: Unknown

Macklin deserves a break after a taxing effort against Martinez.

5) Felix Sturm (10-447-447)

Last Fight: 12/2/2012- Draw (SD12) vs. Martin Murray (UNR)

Next Fight: 4/13/2012- vs. Sebastian Zbik (UNR)

It looked like Sturm would be promoting Zbik’s fight with Proksa. Now he’s fighting Zbik instead, after Zbik showed his disgust for Sturm by pulling out.

6) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (10-76-76)

Last Fight: 4/2/2011- UD12 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)

Next Fight: 5/4/2012- vs. #15 Max Bursak

Originally rumored for April 20 in Equatorial Guinea, N’Dam will now fight Bursak in France two weeks later, instead.

7) Martin Murray (10-19-19)

Last Fight: 12/2/2011- Draw(SD12) vs. #3 Felix Sturm

Next Fight: Unknown

Murray ran into visa problems (the customs kind, not the credit kind), scuttling a big payday against Chavez.

8) Dmitry Pirog (19-89-89)

Last Fight: 9/25/2011- RTD10 Gennady Martirosyan (UNR)

Next Fight: 5/1/2012- vs. #20 Nobuhiro Ishida

Pirog will settle for Ishida on May 1 after several other potential opponents fell through.

9) Anthony Mundine (6-10-63)

Last Fight: 10/19/2011- UD12 Rigoberto Alvarez (UNR) (at JMW)

Next Fight: Unknown

Mundine wants Chavez foremost, but would settle for Trout or Geale.

10) Sam Soliman (6-6-8)

Last Fight: 2/19/2012- UD12 #15 Garth Wood

Next Fight: Unknown

11) Marco Antonio Rubio (5-63)

Last Fight: 2/4/2012- L(UD12) vs. #7 Julio Cesar Chavez

Next Fight: Unknown

Rubio is reportedly looking at a July fight with Ricardo Mayorga.

12) Osumanu Adama (5-55)

Last Fight: 3/7/2012- L(UD12) vs. #1 Daniel Geale

Next Fight: Unknown

Adama came up short against Geale, but has nothing to be ashamed of. He frequently took the #1 contender out of his game plan and looked entirely in his league at that lofty level.

13) Paul Williams (6-8)

Last Fight: 2/18/2012- UD12 #17 Nobuhiro Ishida (as JMW)

Next Fight: Unknown

Williams is likely to fight on Showtime on June 30, with Joachim Alcine reportedly interested.

14) Avtandil Khurtsidze (6-63)

Last Fight: 12/18/2011- W(MD12) vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

The WBC has ordered Khurtsidze to defend his new goofy color-coded belt against gatekeeper Domenico Spada.

15) Max Bursak (6-63)

Last Fight: 12/17/2012- TKO3 Laatekwei Hammond (UNR)

Next Fight: 5/4/2012- vs. #6 Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam

Bursak will be fighting N’Dam in France on May 4.

16) Gennady Golovkin (6-43)

Last Fight: 12/9/2011- KO1 Lajuan Simon (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Golovkin can’t get anyone to fight him, but Sturm has been ordered to defend his belt against him by September.

17) Demetrius Andrade (6-34)

Last Fight: 2/10/2012- KO2 Angel Hernandez (UNR) (at JMW)

Next Fight: Unknown

18) Darren Barker (6-26)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: Unknown

Barker bowed out of opportunities to fight Murray and Pirog, and now we have a possible reason as he has apparently been injured for a while, needs surgery, and is done until the fall.

19) Billi Godoy (6-25)

Last Fight: 11/12/2011- TKO1 Luciano Silva (UNR)

Next Fight: 4/13/2012- vs. Carlos Baldomir (UNR)

Godoy is now set to fight former welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir in Neuquen, Argentina on April 13.

20) Nobuhiro Ishida (6-6)

Last Fight: 2/18/2012- L(UD12) vs. JMW #? Paul Williams

Next Fight: 5/1/2012- vs. #8 Dmitry Pirog

Ishida will look to play spoiler again on May 1 in Moscow.

The Week Ahead: A busy one on tap.

Monday: Japanese fringe contender Makoto Fuchigami fights Korean journeyman Kyung-Suk Kwak in Tokyo.

Friday: Cologne, Germany plays host to an interesting match-up between #5 Felix Sturm and fringe contender Sebastian Zbik. Zbik doesn’t strike me as someone that belongs at the top 5 level, but frankly, in barely and in some ways corruptly squeaking by an even less proven Martin Murray, neither does Sturm anymore. If more interest is needed, then let it be said that these guys really don’t like each other.

Saturday: In Edinburgh, Scotland, fringe prospect Craig McEwan stays busy with Paul Morby, a mere 6-12 fighter.

In Miami, prospect Joey Hernandez is in against Shakir Ashanti, who is best known as a punching bag that Cory Spinks worked on for 10 rounds last June.

In Mexico City, gatekeeper Saul Roman fights journeyman Richard Gutierrez, while in Arandas, Mexico, undefeated prospect Gilberto Ramirez fights another journeyman in Jaime Barboza.

Finally, in Neuquen, Argentina, undefeated prospect and #19 contender Billi Godoy battles former welterweight champion and current journeyman Carlos Baldomir.

Middleweight: 2011, Nov 28- Dec 4

danboxing — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 20:21:57 +0000

Sheffield’s Ryan Rhodes moved up in weight to outpoint quality journeyman Sergei Khomitski in the former’s native Yorkshire on Saturday. That same day in Mexico City, #14 Nobuhiro Ishida stopped late replacement Edson Espinoza (who was making his pro debut) in the closing seconds of the first round. And last but not least, undefeated Mexican Gilberto Ramirez stayed that way on that same card, stopping credible gatekeeper Samuel Miller of Colombia in just 4 rounds.

Ramirez in particular has improved his credibility, but he still falls well short of a top-20 ranking in a very competitive division. No changes this week.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (85-85-85)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- KO11 #20 Darren Barker

Next Fight: Unknown

There are simply too many potential challengers for Martinez’ crown to list them all here.

1) Daniel Geale (23-128-128)

Last Fight: 8/31/2011- UD12 Eromosele Albert (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Geale vs. Pirog on New Year’s Eve once looked like a good bet, but that fight appears in jeopardy, as Geale now says he’s waiting on TV network input.

2) Grzegorz Proksa (9-33-33)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- RTD3 #4 Sebastian Sylvester

Next Fight: Unknown

After destroying Sylvester, Proksa may be in for a fight with fringe contender Sebastian Zbik next.

3) Felix Sturm (9-428-428)

Last Fight: 6/25/2011- W*(SD12) vs. #11 Matthew Macklin

Next Fight: 12/2/2012- vs. Martin Murray (UNR)

Apparently ducking a rematch with British contender Matthew Macklin, Sturm will instead fight his countryman, undefeated prospect Martin Murray, in Mannheim.

4) Matthew Macklin (9-23-114)

Last Fight: 6/25/2011- L*(SD12) vs. #1 Felix Sturm

Next Fight: Unknown
Macklin couldn’t secure a rematch of his borderline robbery loss to Sturm, as the German has opted to fight countryman Martin Murray, instead.

5) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (21-57-57)

Last Fight: 4/2/2011- UD12 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

A fight rumored to be in the works with Gennady Golovkin has reportedly been scuttled by N’Dam’s unwillingness to fight the Kazakh, but N’Dam says he wants to fight someone in January.

6) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (2-26-44)

Last Fight: 11/19/2011- TKO5 Peter Manfredo, Jr. (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Chavez will return to the ring on HBO on either January 28 or February 4, but no opponent has yet been announced.

7) Dmitry Pirog (2-70-70)

Last Fight: 9/25/2011- RTD10 Gennady Martirosyan (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

See Geale’s notes, above.

8) Sebastian Sylvester (2-329-329)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(RTD3) vs. #9 Grzegorz Proksa

Next Fight: Unknown

Sylvester may be getting long in the tooth after being destroyed by Proksa.

9) Marco Antonio Rubio (9-34-44)

Last Fight: 9/3/2011- TKO5 Mohammed Akrong (UNR)

Next Fight: 12/16/2011- vs. Matt Vanda (UNR)

Rubio has substituted unknown journeyman Mohammed Said with a higher quality one in steady veteran Matt Vanda.

10) Anthony Mundine (21-21-44)

Last Fight: 10/19/2011- UD12 Rigoberto Alvarez (UNR) (at JMW)

Next Fight: Unknown

Mundine believes he’s been blacklisted in the US for comments he made in 2001 blaming the US for 9/11 and supporting Al Quaeda. Well boo-hoo, asshole. Austin Trout is also trying to make a fight with Mundine.

11) Osumanu Adama (8-36)

Last Fight: 10/6/2011- TKO9 Roman Karmazin (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Adama has now quietly put together a really respectable resume after battering Karmazin.

12) Max Bursak (8-44)

Last Fight: 10/22/2011- TKO3 Abdulaziz Matazimov (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Bursak had little trouble with his latest weak opponent.

13) Garth Wood (2-44)

Last Fight: 4/13/2011- L (UD10) vs. #20 Anthony Mundine

Next Fight: Unknown

Wood appeared set to fight journyeman Johannes Mwetupunga on the Geale-Albert undercard, but pulled out of that fight.

14) Nobuhiro Ishida (2-34)

Last Fight: 11/26/2011- TKO1 Edson Espinoza (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

A fighter in his pro debut isn’t exactly the level of opponent we all want to see Ishida fighting.

15) Gennady Golovkin (2-24)

Last Fight: 6/17/2011- KO10 Kassim Ouma (UNR)

Next Fight: 12/9/2011- vs. Lajuan Simon (UNR)

Golovkin is now set to fight journeyman Lajuan Simon in December.

16) Avtandil Khurtsidze (2-44)

Last Fight: 10/3/2012- TKO2 Jason LeHoullier (at SMW)

Next Fight: 12/18/2011- vs. Ossie Duran (UNR)

Khurtsidze will fight dangerous gatekeeper Ossie Duran in the Ukraine a week before Christmas.

17) Demetrius Andrade (2-15)

Last Fight: 9/21/2011- RTD3 Saul Duran (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Andrade is likely fighting in January.

18) Darren Barker (2-7)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: Unknown

Barker has been receiving interest from Chavez and Geale after his over-performance against Martinez.

19) Billi Godoy (2-6)

Last Fight: 11/12/2011- TKO1 Luciano Silva (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

20) Dominik Britsch (2-2)

Last Fight: 10/22/2011- W*(MD12) vs. #15 Billy Lyell

Next Fight: Unknown

The Week Ahead: #3 Felix Sturm, who appears for all the world to be in decline, takes on undefeated English prospect Martin Murray in Mannheim on Friday.

Middleweight: 2011, Nov 21-27

danboxing — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 19:44:31 +0000

#8 Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. crossed paths with borderline fringe contender Peter Manfredo, Jr. of Providence, Rhode Island on Saturday in Houston, Texas. Chavez scored a 5th round TKO against an opponent that is roughly on par with his other two previous best opponents, Lyell and Zbik. HBO made it sound like a domination. It wasn’t. Chavez started strong, winning the first two rounds on my card, but Manfredo started to assert himself in the third. He had won two rounds in a row to my eyes and was bullying the larger Chavez a bit when, in the 5th, the Mexican star landed a big shot that hurt the American, and proceeded to go into full windmill mode. Frequently poor referee Lawrence Cole stepped in and stopped the fight extremely prematurely. Chavez was very much on the offensive, but Manfredo’s defense remained more than competent at that point, as 3 of every 4 punches Chavez threw failed to land. To me it was a 50-50 shot that Manfredo could have weathered the storm. We’ll never know.

In another somewhat significant fight, this one in Flemington, Australia, aging Australian Sam Soliman, having just turned 38 and having apparently peaked as a contender 6 years ago, outpointed his contemporary, 37 year old Nigerian gatekeeper Eromosele Albert, to become relevant again.

As it stands, Chavez has improved his standing, advancing 2 spots to #6 before running into the brick wall that is N’Dam’s resume. This forces Dmitry Pirog and Sebastian Sylvester down a spot each. Paul Williams (#13 last week) exits the rankings due to the fact that he hasn’t fought at middleweight in a year. This allows everyone rated #14 or below last week to advance one place, and makes room for undefeated German prospect Dominik Britsch to debut at #20. For what it’s worth, Manfredo (unranked last week) announced his retirement immediately after his loss to Chavez.

Dan’s Top 20 (Weeks in Current Position-Weeks in Top 10 if applicable-Weeks in Top 20)

Champ: Sergio Martinez (84-84-84)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- KO11 #20 Darren Barker

Next Fight: Unknown

There are simply too many potential challengers for Martinez’ crown to list them all here.

1) Daniel Geale (22-127-127)

Last Fight: 8/31/2011- UD12 Eromosele Albert (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Geale says he’s 90% sure he’ll be fighting Pirog on New Year’s Eve.

2) Grzegorz Proksa (8-32-32)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- RTD3 #4 Sebastian Sylvester

Next Fight: Unknown

After destroying Sylvester, Proksa may be in for a fight with fringe contender Sebastian Zbik next.

3) Felix Sturm (8-427-427)

Last Fight: 6/25/2011- W*(SD12) vs. #11 Matthew Macklin

Next Fight: 12/2/2012- vs. Martin Murray (UNR)

Apparently ducking a rematch with British contender Matthew Macklin, Sturm will instead fight his countryman, undefeated prospect Martin Murray, in Mannheim.

4) Matthew Macklin (8-22-113)

Last Fight: 6/25/2011- L*(SD12) vs. #1 Felix Sturm

Next Fight: Unknown
Macklin couldn’t secure a rematch of his borderline robbery loss to Sturm, as the German has opted to fight countryman Martin Murray, instead.

5) Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam (20-56-56)

Last Fight: 4/2/2011- UD12 Giovanni Lorenzo (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

A fight rumored to be in the works with Gennady Golovkin has reportedly been scuttled by N’Dam’s unwillingness to fight the Kazakh, but N’Dam says he wants to fight someone in January.

6) Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (1-25-43)

Last Fight: 11/19/2011- TKO5 Peter Manfredo, Jr. (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

In the immediate aftermath of his victory over Manfredo, Chavez has expressed interest in the Cotto-Margarito winner. There is also some talk of a superfight with Canelo, but De La Hoya doesn’t want that fight at any weight over 156, which may be impossible for Chavez, who is a huge middleweight.

7) Dmitry Pirog (1-69-69)

Last Fight: 9/25/2011- RTD10 Gennady Martirosyan (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Geale says there’s a 90% chance he’ll be fighting Pirog on New Year’s Eve.

8) Sebastian Sylvester (1-328-328)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(RTD3) vs. #9 Grzegorz Proksa

Next Fight: Unknown

Sylvester may be getting long in the tooth after being destroyed by Proksa.

9) Marco Antonio Rubio (8-33-43)

Last Fight: 9/3/2011- TKO5 Mohammed Akrong (UNR)

Next Fight: 12/16/2011- vs. Mohammed Said (UNR)

Rubio is feasting on journeymen at the moment.

10) Anthony Mundine (20-20-43)

Last Fight: 10/19/2011- UD12 Rigoberto Alvarez (UNR) (at JMW)

Next Fight: Unknown

11) Osumanu Adama (7-35)

Last Fight: 10/6/2011- TKO9 Roman Karmazin (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Adama has now quietly put together a really respectable resume after battering Karmazin.

12) Max Bursak (7-43)

Last Fight: 10/22/2011- TKO3 Abdulaziz Matazimov (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Bursak had little trouble with his latest weak opponent.

13) Garth Wood (1-43)

Last Fight: 4/13/2011- L (UD10) vs. #20 Anthony Mundine

Next Fight: Unknown

Wood appeared set to fight journyeman Johannes Mwetupunga on the Geale-Albert undercard, but pulled out of that fight.

14) Nobuhiro Ishida (1-33)

Last Fight: 4/9/2011- TKO1 James Kirkland (UNR)

Next Fight: 11/26/2011- vs. Jose Luis Cruz (UNR)

Ishida will fight journeyman Jose Luis Cruz in a purely stay-busy fight.

15) Gennady Golovkin (1-23)

Last Fight: 6/17/2011- KO10 Kassim Ouma (UNR)

Next Fight: 12/9/2011- vs. Lajuan Simon (UNR)

Golovkin is now set to fight journeyman Lajuan Simon in December.

16) Avtandil Khurtsidze (1-43)

Last Fight: 10/3/2012- TKO2 Jason LeHoullier (at SMW)

Next Fight: Unknown

Khurtsidze suddenly appeared set to fight Ishida in December, and just as suddenly the fight was scrapped.

17) Demetrius Andrade (1-14)

Last Fight: 9/21/2011- RTD3 Saul Duran (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

Andrade is likely fighting in January.

18) Darren Barker (1-6)

Last Fight: 10/1/2011- L(KO11) vs. Champ Sergio Martinez

Next Fight: Unknown

Barker has been receiving interest from Chavez and Geale after his over-performance against Martinez.

19) Billi Godoy (1-5)

Last Fight: 11/12/2011- TKO1 Luciano Silva (UNR)

Next Fight: Unknown

20) Dominik Britsch (1-1)

Last Fight: 10/22/2011- W*(MD12) vs. #15 Billy Lyell

Next Fight: Unknown

The Week Ahead: Junior Middleweight contender Ryan Rhodes moves up in weight to fight quality journeyman Sergei Khomitski in Yorkshire on Saturday. Across the pond in Mexico City, undefeated Mexican Gilberto Ramirez takes on Colombian gatekeeper Samuel Miller, while #14 Nobuhiro Ishida stays busy against journeyman Jose Luis Cruz on the same card, in his first action since he knocked out James Kirkland in the upset of the year.

Mexican phenom Gilberto Ramirez preserves undefeated record at Barboza's expense, Terrazas sparks out Palma

On The Beak — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 19:21:43 +0000

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On The Beak – Admin

Mexico’s middleweight hopeful Gilberto ‘Lefty’ Ramirez (21-0-0, 18ko) kept his undefeated record and his WBC Youth title by a unanimous decision (97-93, 100-90 and 100-91) over Costa Rican veteran Jaime ‘El Indio’ Barboza (17-7-0, 8ko) at the Municipal Auditorium in Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico on Saturday, April 14.

Direct link to article.

Ramirez’s accuracy, fast pace and strength in the first part of the fight led to a broad lead in the score cards as the Mazatlan fighter tried to knock the opponent out and complete his evening’s work early. Barboza not only endured the early barrage of punches but took advantage of Ramirez tiring towards the late rounds where he was able to land a few punches of his own, however, this was not enough to change the tide of the fight.

It was Ramirez’s fourth defence of his title. He said: “I might have tried too hard to knock out Baroboza since the beginning of the fight and that cost me a little at the end. But I think that a fight like this gives me the experience that will be helpful in future fights.”

Elsewhere on the bill, world-ranked super bantamweight Victor Terrazas knocked out Jose Palma as, 57 seconds into the fourth round, a flashing right from Victor ‘Viking’ left his Colombian counterpart on the canvas and flat on his back. Terrazas once again showed his power over a South American who gave a great account of himself until the lightning fast punch ended the toe-to-toe brawl.

With the victory, Terrazas kept his WBC Silver Championship title and will now await the winner of Abner Mares versus Eric Morel who will fight for the WBC world title at 122lbs next week. Terrazas is now 33-2-1, 19ko while Jose Palma fell to 15-6-2 with 10 knockouts.

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Power punching Mexican Gilberto Ramirez to spar with Canelo Alvarez

On The Beak — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:44:06 +0000

Boxing News 24/7

Robert Delgado – Los Angeles

From Sinoloa, a Mexican state that producers a conveyor belt of fighters, comes Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez, a 20-year-old middleweight prospect who has, thus far, boxed exclusively in his home country but, by the end of the year, will be thrust into the American spotlight to showcase his skills in front of a wider and international audience. A devastating puncher, Ramirez has been physically readying himself for his current Guadalajara training camp where he will soon link up with his promoter and sparring partner, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez…

Direct link to article.

Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez strikes the heavy bag in Guadelajara

Ramirez (20-0-0, 18ko) fights on March 17 when he makes a further defence of his WBC middleweight youth title. An opponent has yet to be selected, but his manager, Hector Zapiri, is keen on matching the southpaw with “an African/American boxer” because “he needs to get used to fast, skillful and strong boxers. The plan is that he will fight in the US by the end of the year.”

Zapiri also confirmed that Canelo Alvarez (39-0-1, 29ko), who boxes Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39ko) on May 5 as the main support for Floyd Mayweather Jr’s Cinco de Mayo punch-up with Miguel Cotto, will spar with Gilberto “next week”.

Ramirez fought five times in 2011, all of which he triumphed in by way of technical knockout. His March fight will be a third defence of the youth belt at 160lbs that he won in 2010 due to a stoppage win over Rogelio Medina. He has since made two successful defences against Oney Valdes and Amilcar Funes.

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