SportsRatings: Boxing/MMA

Mitchell nears heavyweight boxing top ten; Pulev-Dimitrenko on May 5th

Seth Mitchell had a first-round scare against Chazz Witherspoon but righted the ship and put his opponent away in the 3rd, and he climbs from #18 to #11 in this month's SportsRatings Heavyweight Top 100.

Mitchell is now 25-0 with 19 stoppages, no losses, and just one draw—since avenged—to blemish his record. He's 11-0 against ranked fighters, and has moved from #37 six months ago due to a solid win (TKO 2) over Timur Ibragimov and the Witherspoon fight.

He also solidifies his status as one of the very top American heavyweights, ranking 4th behind #6 Chris Arreola, #7 Eddie Chambers, and #9 Tony Thompson. Witherspoon (30-3) again drops off the top 100, but he'll surely bounce back as he did after losses to Arreola and Thompson. Witherspoon is becoming a gatekeeper in the mode of #20 Monte Barrett; fighters who beat him have a title shot in their future, while those who lose, don't.

Top-ranked American Heavyweights (in bold) as of May 1, 2012:

-3 Yr	-1 Yr	-6 mos	Apr Rank	May Rank	Fighter	Rating	Rated Record	April results / May schedule
6	15	12	6	6	CHRIS ARREOLA	19.86	19-2-0
7	8	5	7	7	EDDIE CHAMBERS	19.63	14-2-0	last win -14 months.
2	5	9	10	8	RUSLAN CHAGAEV	19.05	15-2-0	KO 3 #155 BILLY ZUMBRUN
19	12	11	8	9	TONY THOMPSON	18.68	17-1-0
26	4	8	9	10	DAVID HAYE	18.33	5-1-0	last win -17 months.
--	37	37	18	11	SETH MITCHELL	18.17	11-0-0	TKO 3 #46 CHAZZ WITHERSPOON

Two top ten fighters were in action last month: #4 Tyson Fury put away Martin Rogan in the 5th, while Ruslan Chagaev needed just 3 rounds to KO Billy Zumbrun. Fury's win helped create a smidge of distance between he and #5 Robert Helenius, while Chagaev gained a couple of spots. Three years ago this month Chagaev was at #2, while Fury was very green at #93.

Denis Boytsov (31-0) moved up a spot to #15 by winning a wide unanimous decision over Domonick Guinn. Only one judge gave Guinn a single round, a patter that held in his previous two losses, both of which were also to undefeated fighters (Amir Mansour and Kubrat Pulev).

Yet another undefeated prospect, Alexander Ustinov (27-0) climbed a notch with a victory over Jason Gavern. Ustinov has been in a holding pattern for over a year as he schedules mostly stay-busy fights.

Kelvin Price moved up 9 spots to #36, beating Arron Lyons, while Kevin Johnson leaped back into the top 100 at #39 with an April 1st TKO of former #32 Alex Leapai in Australia. Juan Carlos Gomez paid back Darnell Wilson for his earlier upset loss, regaining a bit of lost ground to #45. Joe Hanks' first-round KO of journeyman Marcus Rhode was good enough to put Hanks just outside the top 50, while Rhode's first stint in our top 100 came to a quick end.

Upcoming: Pulev-Dimitrenko, Airich-Solis, Price-Sexton

Mitchell may have fallen just short of the top ten but either #12 Kubrat Pulev or #13 Alexander Dimitrenko will get there after their May 5th showdown. Dimitrenko (32-1) resided in the top ten before his only loss to Eddie Chambers, while undefeated Bulgarian Pulev (15-0) has been moving up the charts rapidly since his debut in September of 2009. That was 2 month after Dimitrenko's loss, meaning Pulev has fought 5 times as often as Dimitrenko lately. We favor Pulev to get the win and the top ten ranking. Also on that card is #14 Edmund Gerber (19-0) who has a much more manageable foe in current #148 Maurice Harris.

Odlanier Solis, ranked #42 after his loss to Vitali Klitschko and subsequent inactivity while recovering from his knee injury, begins his comeback on May 19 as he faces #17 Konstantin Airich. Airich (23-5-2), was barely holding on to a top 300 ranking before he upset Ondrej Pala and leapt into the top 20 last month. He has won six fights in a row, against reasonable competition, so he should provide a decent comeback test for olympic gold medalist Solis, who needs to re-establish himself as a force on the heavyweight scene and prove that the layoff hasn't eroded his skills—or added to his weight problem. We expect Solis to win but will be watching his conditioning.

Also on the 19th another olympic medalist, the UK's David Price, ranked #24, faces off against #34 Sam Sexton for the British heavyweight title that #4 Tyson Fury gave up rather than face Price. Many believe Price would defeat Fury given the opportunity, but there are questions about Price's chin lingering from his amateur days. Sexton's chin has its own weaknesses, and Price's accurate punching will most likely expose them; we pick Price in a late stoppage. The two are fairly well-matched skillwise, but Price's reach gives him a big advantage.

Klitscho-Chisora: First the Slap, now the Fight; Live Round by Round scoring

Vitali Klitschko, #2 in SportsRatings' Heavyweight Boxing rankings, and #87 Dereck Chisora fight on February 18 in Germany, a day after The Slap:

Will it hurt or help Chisora, who is of course a decided underdog after (officially) losing his last two bouts? The first was to #4 Tyson Fury when Chisora was terribly out of shape, and the subsequent bout to #5 Robert Helenius was a very controversial decision for Helenius.

"The Slap" is not likely to change the dynamic that much given the difference in talent and expectations, but in some ways shaking things up can't hurt Chisora. When the clear path ahead of you leads to defeat, anything you can do to disturb those conditions is better than simply being led down the path.

It's also questionable whether it was a strategic move by Chisora or just his hot head; remember, he actually bit Paul Butlin during their bout in 2009. If things go badly for Chisora in the early rounds, will he actually "pull out all the stops" including underhanded tactics? In that case it could make the fight interesting. It has certainly added interest, and the crowd in Munich is very anti-Chisora in addition to being pro-Klitschko as usual.

The was delayed for over 1/2 hour due to a "dispute" over Chisora's hand tape. Live round-by-round scoring will commence with the fight. There was some pushing and shoving in the ring before the national anthems (for which Chisora used America the Beautiful).

• Round One: Klitschko pawing and Chisora ducking a lot; some wrestling from Chisora. It's very much a scrap as opposed to a "sweet science" bout so far. Klitscho timing Chisora's entries with jabs. Chisora very active, but late in the round was already covering up more than he did early, his work rate slowing. Klitscho 10-9.
• Round Two: Chisora comes out lunging again, swinging wildly at times, backing Vitali up. Vitali responding methodically, Chisora using a cross guard. More tying up, wrestling. Vitali pummels Chisora with some hard shots, tied up again. Now Chisora is backing up when Vitali winds up, but he's still active, swinging harder than almost anyone has tried lately against Vitali. Vitali's guard is low and he's hitting Chisora with hard shots. Chisora again, late in the round, standing inactive in front of Klitschko. Klitschko 10-9, 20-18.
• Round Three: Chisora still moving forward, but not lunging in or swinging as much. Vitali dancing, backing up and countering well. He doesn't look concerned. Chisora keeps moving into range, and Klitschko backs up a bit and hits him. Still with the guard very low, luring his opponent in. Chisora is starting to look like every Klitschko opponent, inactive and standing in front, in range. Big shot at the end by Chisora whiffs as Vitali saw it all the way. Klitschko 10-9; 30-27.
• Round Four: Chisora doing better early on, taking direction from his corner to at least throw an entry jab instead of nothing. Moving his head more, too, like he did in round one. Ducking Klitschko's overhand rights. Still, nothing substantial coming from him offensively as Vitali ties him up when he gets too close. Chisora nearly catches Vitali with a big punch and Vitali stumbles a bit; another haymaker just misses. Vitali looking a bit tired for the first time in the fight. Lots of tying up late in the round as both fighters slowing a bit. 10-10; Klitschko 40-37. Judges call it 40-36, 40-37, and 39-37 at this point. First 3 rounds unanimous, I'm sure, and last round called three different ways.
• Round Five: Chisora still swinging for that one big shot, but none are connecting; he doesn't have the speed to surprise Vitali. Still moving forward, Klitschko backpedalling, throwing short punches. He blocks a Chisora punch with his glove. He's looking like the opposite of Kevin Johnson against Vitali—not much defense but very active on offense. Klitschko 10-9; 50-46.
• Round Six: Body punches by Chisora in the first minute; he even gets a tap in on VItali's chin in the tie-up. Vitali looks more annoyed than hurt. A strong right from Chisora was his best punch of the fight. Now Vitali looks tired, but not in trouble. Not much action in the last minute as Chisora slows down. Chisora barely won that round, barely. Chisora 10-9; Klitschko 59-56.
• Round Seven: Chisora starts off very active, not connecting much but putting Vitali back on his heels. Decent right connects, but Vitali battles back. Looking like a real brawl now in the middle of the seventh. Chisora slowing down a lot in the 2nd half of the round, though, looking quite tired. Klitschko scoring a bit in the last minute to the crowd's delight. Each fighter won half the round. 10-10; Klitschko 69-66.
• Round Eight: Once again, Chisora coming in strong to start. Both are trading punches in center ring, moving around each other, both a high work rate in the first minute, but both tired. Looping overhand to the head connects for Chisora, Vitali responds with straight right. More looping rights to the head connect for Chisora. Hell of a first two minutes. Chisora still fighting hard, Klitschko notably tired—so is Chisora but he's pushing forward. Chisora 10-9; Klitschko 78-76. Scorecards say: 79-74; 79-73; 79-73 so the judges aren't giving Chisora as much credit, and Vitali isn't in much danger of losing on the cards.
• Round Nine: The brawl continues where it left off. Not many solid shots but lots of partially connecting punches, slipped punches, and wrestling. Chisora seems to have lost his fear and isn't freezing like he did a few rounds ago. He's probably about as tired as he can get, so he keeps pressing on. Vitali is moving slower, too. Good right from Klitschko. Another punch to the face gets the crowd going. Klitschko 10-9; 88-85.
• Round Ten: Vitali seems strengthened by the scorecard numbers, which weren't revealed until after the ninth by mistake. He looks looser and is fighting more his fight in the ninth. Meanwhile Chisora may be running out of gas. Will he have enough to make the last few rounds interesting? He finishes will a good punch, but Klitschko takes the round 10-9; 98-94.
• Round Eleven: Chisora needs a knockout, obviously, and has two rounds to do it. Vitali wants a KO, too. Chisora back to his tired style, walking in slowly and trying a haymaker instead of jabbing and pressing. Uppercut by Chisora connects but isn't effective. Three strong jabs from Vitali and Chisora lunges in, tied up. Vitali feeling it now, dancing, jabbing and landing, while still tired. Chisora not giving up by a long shot, still has the strength for big haymaker attempts but none has connected. Klitschko 10-9; 108-103.
• Round Twelve: Fighters touch gloves before the round. Chisora starts off carefully rather than bulldozing like he has before. Looking for that one punch to change the fight. Vitali tying up Chisora when he gets inside. Jabs to the face by Klitschko. Last minute, but Chisora doesn't look as active this round. Picks it up a bit late but has can't get the big punch he needs. Good shot near the end but it's too little too late. 10-10; Klitschko 118-113.

All in all a very good effort by Chisora. He never quit, and was never in danger of being knocked out. He lost to a better fighter, mainly because of size and reach advantage rather than boxing prowess, though Vitali was generally more skilled of the two. Chisora did his best to mix things up and keep Klitschko off balance, and it worked at times, but the judges in Germany didn't give him very much credit for it based on the 8th round scores.

The final cards: 118-110, 118-110, 119-111 for Klitschko. Chisora still acting like an idiot after the fight, trying to start another one. Maybe angling for a fight with Wladimir? Or maybe he's just an idiot, like he proved again Paul Butlin. It's too bad, as he conducted himself well in the ring (well, while the fight was going on. He did spit water into Wladimir's face prior to the staredown, but Wladimir just smiled.)

Preview: Klitschko vs. Haye at 5:15 Eastern Time (USA) Saturday, June 2

After a luckluster June which saw the top 25 of the SportsRatings Top 100 Heavyweights change negligibly, the biggest fight of the year happens tomorrow, June 2, when #1 Wladimir Klitschko faces #4 David Haye in a bout that's been anticipated for years.

First, lets get this out of the way: The fight time. When events happen in Europe there's a lot of confusion in the U.S. as to when the bell will ring. In short, the fight—held in Hamburg, Germany— should start at or around 5:15 eastern time, with HBO beginning coverage at 4:30. Other times/dates around the world of interest to those watching the combatants:

United States
California (Pacific time): 2:15 PM
Denver, CO (Mountain): 3:15 PM
Chicago (Central): 4:15 PM
New York (Eastern): 5:15 PM

United Kingdom 10:15 PM

Germany: 11:15 PM

Ukraine: 12:15 AM June 3

Russia
Moscow: 1:15 AM June 3
Novosibirsk: 4:15 AM June 3
Vladivostok: 8:15 AM June 3

Japan: 6:15 am June 3

Australia (Sydney): 7:15 AM June 3

New Zealand: 9:15 AM June 3

Gives a good idea of Russia's size, doesn't it? Remember these times are for the approximate start of Round One. If you want to catch the staredown, referees' directions, and national anthems, start watching on the hour (15 minutes earlier). And if the walk-ins are important to you, tune in 15 minutes before the hour.

Tale of the Tape

Now, the fight. Klitschko of course has a huge size advantage, and he weighed in at 243 to Haye's 213. He's also about 4 inches taller and has a 3 inch reach advantage. Haye is 5 years younger at 30.

Fight Tactics

Most people expect Klitschko to follow the pattern that has led him to dominate for the last five years: jabbing his opponent to death while avoiding getting hit. Of his last several foes, only 6' 6" Tony Thompson was able to get in any decent shots, while even the likes of Sultan Ibragimov, Ruslan Chagaev, and Eddie Chambers were all pretty much shut out offensively. To avoid getting hit, Klitschko keeps a distance with his reach, uses backward movement when the opponent closes, and clinches if he managed to get inside. Lately, the jab has almost been enough on its own.

Can Haye break the spell and deliver any punishment? His reach and height disadvantage aren't as great as the others who fared poorly (Ibragimov, Chagaev, and Chambers all stand around 6' 1"), and he's probably the fastest fighter Wladimir has ever faced.

Some have suggested that Haye will fight Klitschko the way he fought Nicolay Valuev—staying at a distance, then closing quickly to deliver shots and backing out just as fast. This would be much harder to pull off against Klitschko than Valuev, it goes without saying. But standing at Wladimir's jab distance is suicide.

Though it might just be a mental tactic, Haye claims he intends to end the fight quickly by knockout, and in reality putting everything he's got into a few make-or-break rounds might not be a bad idea given Wladimir's complete dominance of later rounds against worn-down opponents. Klitschko has reiterated his long-held stance that he will batter Haye for "12 rounds of pizza face" before knocking him out.

Haye and the Hype

This is probably the most anticipated heavyweight title fight since Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson in 2002. While Lewis' fight with Vitali Klitschko is the most-remembered heavyweight title fight of this century, it wasn't preceded with a lot of hype as Vitali was a late replacement and wasn't expected to be a big challenge to Lewis. Since then, all the "real" title fights have involved a Klitschko (and have drawn less U.S. interest) or have been various alphabet belts that most observers consider secondary. Haye holds the WBA belt, meaning that the WBA, IBF, and WBO will be united after the fight, with Vitali Klitschko holding the WBC.

The hype of this fight can be attributed mostly to David Haye's mouth, and secondarily to his ring performance. Haye was a Cruiserweight champion known for his speed and his demolition of Enzo Macinarelli, which at the time was a rare occurrence. Since moving up to heavyweight he's dispatched Monte Barrett (TKO 5) in a short, fairly entertaining fight; Valuev (MD 12) in a very uneventful bout; John Ruiz (TKO 9) in perhaps Haye's best effort; and most recently, Audley Harrison (TKO 3) in a completely 1-sided joke.

Haye promised to "clean up" the heavyweight division, confronted Wladimir on an escalator to make the fight two years ago, wore t-shirts depicting both Klitschkos decapitated...then pulled out of the scheduled bout claiming a hand injury.

When Haye pulled out of the first fight, many assumed the injury was an excuse for either a) losing the tv sponsorship that would have made the fight lucrative for him, b) wanting better terms, ones that didn't include a rematch-clause involving Vitali, or c) he was scared and wanted out. The fact that he eventually made the fight suggests that he wasn't scared. He did get better terms for this fight, with no rematch clauses, probably due to the leverage from his WBA belt.

However, even though he broke off the first fight, the only reason it happened was due to his constant haranguing of the Klitschkos. At that time his heavyweight resume was weak. Now, despite few fights at this level, it's as strong as most of those the Klitschkos have been facing recently as they steamroll the division. And like him or not, he did "clean up" the division in the manner he promised: since losing to Haye, long-time boxing fan nemeses Valuev and Ruiz have yet to fight again, and Audley Harrison is at least a big step closer to retirement.

Will the fight live up to the hype? Will it be the most exciting heavyweight title fight since Lewis-Klitschko? Or will it be another uneventful, one-sided affair, with Haye unable to make any ground on the champion?

We think Haye has injected some much-needed energy into the heavyweight scene, and he does have good speed and unorthodox delivery, giving him a chance to be Wladimir most successful title challenger. But that doesn't say a lot, as no one has come close to beating Wlad in several years. We see Haye having some success a la Tony Thompson, but Wlad's jab and technique are still at their peak. If Haye plays it conservatively he will lose a wide decision. If he goes for broke, it will be an interesting first 6 rounds but Klitschko more than likely wins this scenario, too, by mid-to-late TKO.

Here's hoping Haye lays it all on the line, which gives him his only chance to actually win. Boxing needs an exciting heavyweight title fight, and more people will be watching this one than in a long time. 

Strikeforce HW Round 1.5 preview: Barnett vs. Rogers, Overeem vs. Werdum

Less than an hour away from the main events of the 2nd half (or "Phase 2") of Strikeforce heavyweight tournament bracket first round. In the other half of the bracket a few months ago, of course, Fedor Emelianenko lost to Antono Silva, while Sergei Kharitanov beat Andre Arlovski.

In tonight's half of the bracket, Josh Barnett takes on Brett Rogers while Alistair Overeem tackles Fabricio Werdum, the other man to beat Fedor recently.

One subplot of these fights is the question: just how many of these guys are on steroids? Overeem gained a huge amount of weight over his career; his defenders claim it was nothing unusual. But his body change looks akin to what Barry Bonds went through. Rogers is another physical freak, while Josh Barnett certainly has a checkered past in terms of PED use. Fabricio Werdum is probably the least suspect, but how many Brazilians were going around 250 pounds 20 years ago? Strikeforce has certainly been less concerned with stringent testing than the UFC in the past; now that they're owned by Zuffa, will that change?

The other subplot is: How do these guys line up against the best heavyweights in the UFC? Once a champion is crowned, how would he do against, say, the winner of Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez?

Barnett vs. Rogers

Josh Barnett (29-5) is ranked 7th in the SportsRatings Heavyweight MMA top 25, and 25th in the overall (pound-for-pound) Top 100. Barnett's career has had its ups and downs, largely due to testing positive for steroids twice three times. One of those results cancelled an entire event during which he was to fight Fedor Emelianenko.

Barnett looked a bit less bulky and less "cut" than normal at the weigh in. Is this what he looks like when not on steroids? Or has he just had to cycle down to pass the tests? Either way, it seems that any advantages he had before might be lessened.

Rogers (11-2) has lost twice after a 10-0 start during which he didn't beat many big names. As a result, he's no longer in our Top 25 among heavyweights. But his losses are to Emelianenko and Overeem, which is nothing to be ashamed of. We think Rogers has a great chance to get a win against a possibly beyond-his-peak Barnett, but he has to overcome the spectre of those two losses to do so.

Ultimately, Rogers might be too one-dimensional for the top rung of the MMA heavyweight division. He's similar to Shane Carwin, who stormed to a 10-0 record but has lost twice now when his punching didn't get the job done. And Carwin has a wrestling background, so he's much less 1-dimensional in theory than Rogers. Barnett in his prime might have been equal to a Junior Dos Santos but those days might be gone.

Overeem vs. Werdum

Alistair Overeem (34-11) is another enigma in terms of his recent career. He racked up many losses when he was a smaller fighter, but since "getting big" he's 9 match winning streak in four different promotions. But few of his opponents have been top names. He beat Rogers after Fedor did, but before that lost to Kharitonov and Werdum, two of the other fighters in the brackets.

He has looked impressive in winning, particularly against Rogers, whom he dominated from the start. In this tournament he will face world-class competition, and if he comes out the winner, he can claim as much as Cain Velasquez to be the world heavyweight champion. However, in our ratings he's only #10 right now.

Who is ranked #1? Believe it or not, it's Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), who earned an outrageous amount of points due to being the first man in a decade to beat Fedor. Facing Overeem, who is the Strikeforce champ, Werdum will have to prove himself in a hurry. Overeem was considerably less bulky and strong when he lost to Werdum, but Werdum is a lot bigger now, too. Werdum is perhaps the opposite of Brett Rogers in that he has a great BJJ ground game but limited punching power despite his Muay Thai credentials.

We'll find out, basically, whether Werdum's win over Fedor was a fluke. Despite that win, and Werdum's preview win over Overeem, Overeem still has to be considered a favorite.

Strikeforce winner vs. UFC heavyweights

The two promotions' heavyweight rosters are pretty evenly matched. Barnett, Rogers, Werdum, Overeem, Silva, Kharitonov, and Emelianenko are all UFC worthy (only Arlovski, of the tournament competitors, is not anymore). A few years ago, it was probably superior, because of the top slot.

A few years ago, Fedor was still unstoppable, and the UFC didn't really have a great champion. Brock Lesnar was just waiting to be exposed; Shane Carwin is one-dimensional; Frank Mir isn't any better than the Strikeforce fighters; and while Junior Dos Santos is good, he wouldn't necessarily have a better than par chance in the Strikeforce tournament.

But since Cain Velasquez dominated Brock Lesnar, and Fedor lost twice, the top spot among heavyweights has to go to Cain. The tie among the equally-matched stables is broken by the top slot: Cain is the new Fedor.

So for now, Velasquez is the new gold standard for MMA heavyweights. But the Strikeforce winner might get a chance to face the UFC champ. But that fighter would go into the fight against Velasquez an underdog.

After pullouts, Perez, Sprott new Prizefighter favorites

While the rest of the boxing world is focused on Manny vs. Mosley, fans of the heavyweight division have another Prizefighter heavyweight tournament to look forwards to.

Though it's still the most loaded of the five heavyweight tourneys, it could have been great. The original lineup featured 8 fighters in the SportsRatings Top 250, and 3 in the Top 100. After pullouts by Juan Carlos Gomez, Kevin Johnson, and Fres Oquendo, there are still 6 in the top 250 and one top 100 fighter—the undefeated prospect Mike Perez.

Replacing Gomez is undefeated but unranked Lucien Bot (14-0-1); Johnson was replaced by #305 Evgeny Orlov (13-8-1); and Oquendo's replacement is #182 Kertson Manswell (20-1).

Manswell will face #41 Mike Perez (13-0-0). Though Manswell has just one loss, he doesn't really have more than a couple of notable wins, and has little experience against good fighters. Oquendo would have provided a seasoned test for Perez, who should beat Manswell without much difficulty. Manswell does stand 6' 4", 4 inches taller than Perez, his only advantage in the fight.

Orlov will face #128 Gregory Tony (14-1), whose resumé is similar to Manswell's—a loss against the only really good fighter (Robert Helenius) he faced. But that's better than Orlov's record, which includes many losses against both good and bad opponents. Again, Orlov's advantage is his size; he is 6' 9" and occasionally north of 300 pounds, and could give Tony problems in a 3-round fight.

The only matchup which stayed constant is probably the best of the first round, as #210 Michael Sprott (36-15-0) takes on #138 Tye Fields (45-3-0). Like Orlov, Fields is a giant (6' 8", 275 or so), he's a better fighter than Orlov. Still, his record is enormously padded and only roughly a dozen or so of his 45 wins are over 'name' fighters. He recently lost to Michael Grant, while Sprott has had mixed success lately: he won almost all of his fight against Audley Harrison before succumbing to a 1-punch knockout in the final seconds, but bounced back to win the last heavyweight Prizefighter tourney. In a 3-round fight, Sprott has a clear boxing advantage and just has to avoid Fields' big shots.

Finally, the undefeated Bot faces #245 Konstantine Airich (16-3-2). Airich is only 2-3-2 in rated wins and recently lost to the struggling Gbenga Oloukun, but Bot barely beat Pavel Dolgavs (now 8-14-1) in his last fight a year ago. This is the worst of the first round matches and the winner is very likely to fall in the second round anyway.

The favorite Perez may have to prove he can beat several tall fighters if things shape up a certain way. After beating Manswell, he could face Orlov and then Fields, a true valley of the giants with an average height of 6' 7" among the three. But more likely he will face Tony in round 2, and then Sprott. The aging Sprott won't be able to keep up with Perez, who is very active in the early rounds and is the fighter best suited to a 3-round format. Fields is usually agressive, too, so the format isn't bad for him, either. But he has little or no defense and if he somehow beats Sprott, then reaches the final, Perez will probably overwhelm him the way Monte Barrett did.

It's too bad Oquendo, Gomez, and Johnson pulled out, or we could have seen a number of very high-profile heavyweight fights. Perez would have had to defeat all three most likely to claim the title. He will probably earn the Prizefighter title today, but it will be a lot less impressive than if the original slate had remained, and rather than a likely Perez-Sprott clash we might have seen a Johnson-Gomez final.

The tournament is on Sky Sports 1 in the UK and on the internet at www.liveprizefighter.tv. The fights are scheduled to start at 10:00pm UK time, which is 5:00 Eastern time. Apparently it started at 4:00 eastern, whatever. 

August HW Boxing: Adamek-Grant, Ibragimov, Arreola, and Helenius in action

August offers a lot more than July did for heavyweight boxing fans, and if you count the July 31st fights as the kickoff it's pretty much a shutout.

August 13: #22 Chris Arreola (28-2) vs. #95 Manual Quezada (29-5)

The first big-time fight comes on the 13th, when #22 Chris Arreola mounts another comeback against #95 Manuel Quezada. Really both fighters are looking to bounce back: Arreola from his loss to Tomasz Adamek, and Quezada from his defeat by Jason Gavern. Additionally, the fight is being promoted as the "Mexican-American Heavyweight Title."

Arreola won't get back in the top ten by beating Quezada, but he can once again put himself in position. Still, it won't prove anything to his detractors; he's already demonstrated he can beat 2nd-tier fighters like Chazz Witherspoon and Brian Minto. He needs to prove he can beat a  real contender. Quezada had a long winning streak broken by Gavern, and he can make up for that loss with a win over Arreola. That would put him back near the top 25, similar to where he was before his loss, and would drop Arreola out of the top 50 and into the ranks of gatekeeper in most people's estimation.

August 21: #6 Tomasz Adamek (41-1) vs. #58 Michael Grant (46-3)

The man who recently beat Arreola, Tomasz Adamek, looks to prove he can beat an even bigger man when he takes on 6' 7" Michael Grant on August 21 for what is probably the Fight of the Month. Adamek, a former light heavyweight and cruiserweight, rose up the heavyweight rankings as fast as David Haye, who is only one spot ahead of him in the SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Top 100.

Though a win would make a potential title fight—whoever it was with—more interesting, Adamek won't surpass Haye in our rankings by beating Grant. The latter has been inactive lately, beating unrated Kevin Burnett for his only fight in 2010, and not fighting at all in 2009. He hasn't lost since 2003, however, when he fell to Dominick Guinn, and his only other defeats are to Jameel McCline and Lennox Lewis. Grant's comeback attempt at age 37 may be unlikely, but he can still be dangerous and has a decided size advantage over Adamek. A win would put him knocking on the door of the top ten, and possibly put him next in line for a fight against one of the similarly-tall Klitschko brothers. If Shannon Briggs, why not Grant?

August 21: #23 Robert Helenius (12-0) vs. #50 Gregory Tony (12-0)

Finland's Helenius takes on France's Tony in a battle of undefeated European prospects. Helenius is 26 and thus far a bit more accomplished than the 32-year-old former K1 kickboxer Tony. Both are tall, at 6' 6" and 6'5" respectively.

Helenius is the better-known of the two, having defeated Lamon Brewster and Gbenga Oloukun most recently. Beating Tony would be another step toward an eventual title shot, but he'd still be outside the top 10 and needs a marquee win to separate himself from the crowded pack of young Euro contenders. It's definitely a bigger opportunity for Tony, who could get his name in the mix with an upset.

August 24: #16 Timur Ibragimov (28-2-1) vs. #104 Gucharan Singh (20-0)

Coming off his biggest win, a decision over aging legend Oliver McCall in June, Timur Ibragimov seeks to continue his momentum when he faces undefeated Singh on the 24th. For a fight that won't gain him much in prestige this seems like a bit of a risk. Singh has hardly faced the best competition as a pro (only one rated fighter, journeyman Colin Kenna) and has just 11 stoppages among his 20 wins. He competed in the Olympics in 2000 as a light heavy and was more or less a cruiserweight until the last couple of years. But any undefeated fighter is an unknown quantity, and Ibragimov can have trouble with just about anyone decent.

That said, Ibragimov's experience should help him continue his climb toward an unlikely title shot at age 35. Singh, who also goes by "Guru" Nagra, is India's #1 heavyweight fighter by way of New Jersey and clearly has a lot more to gain from this bout: a leap back into the top 100 and the cheers of a billion people if he pulls off the upset.

Preview & Analysis of UFC 116: Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin

"ex"-UFC champ Brock Lesnar is ranked #3 by SportsRatings among heavyweights, interim champ Shane Carwin just 9th. But when they battle at UFC 116 tonight, for many it will determine the best Heavyweight MMA fighter in the world.

UFC 116 Main Card

#10 Brock Lesnar (#3 HW) vs. #38 Shane Carwin (#9 HW) (HW title fight)
#49 Yoshihiro Akiyama (#14 LH) vs. #167 Chris Leben (Light HW)
#213 Chris Lytle vs. #476 Matt Brown (Welterweight)
#614 Stephan Bonnar vs. #280 Krzysztof Soszynski (Light HW)
#111 George Sotiropoulos vs. #98 Kurt Pellegrino (Lightweight)

Heavyweight title fight

#10 Brock Lesnar (4-1; #3 HW) vs. #38 Shane Carwin (12-0, #9 HW)

Key points and questions regarding this fight:

• Has Lesnar recovered from his near-death experience? This is the main question of the fight. Lesnar needed an extended amount of time to recover from his ordeal, which has allowed his body to be fully recovered and trained, but it's been a while since he's been in the ring.
• Which is more important—competition level or experience? Lesnar's limited résumé (5 fights) lends to doubts as to whether he can survive a technical fight. That is, the longer the fight goes, the more unfamiliar situations he'll be in. Carwin, however, hasn't had that many more rounds (12 partial rounds, total) and the competition he's faced hasn't been as good overall. He has notched wins over Frank Mir and Gabriel Gonzaga, while in his short career Lesnar has faced Mir twice, Heath Herring, and Randy Couture.
  
• How much of a puncher's advantage does Carwin have? Carwin is mainly known for his punching, but Lesnar is no slouch in that area. Beyond his ground-and-pound, Lesnar caught Randy Couture with what was essentially a knockout punch. We also don't know who has a better chin, as neither has been extensively tested in that area. Both have eaten a few hard shots and come out unfazed.
• How much of a grappling advantage does Lesnar have? Like Lesnar, Carwin was a wrestler in college, but not nearly on the same level. How he'll do when the fight gets in the clinch or goes to the ground is key to his ability to win the fight, even if his grappling is just defensive.
• Who will win if stamina becomes an issue? Lesnar's overall health appears good, but again based on his bout with misdiagnosed diverticulosis and time off, his stamina may be an issue if the fight goes three rounds. On Carwin's part, he hasn't proven he can go for a second round, since he hasn't needed to yet. What happens in the later rounds is anyone's guess.
• Does size matter? Both fighters are huge; each is at least 6' 2", and both will weight about 265 for the fight. Lesnar has fought at around 280, and Carwin weighs about that "walking around." Both are very strong. One thing that might be settled is which fighter is actually taller; Lesnar claims 6' 3" and Carwin is sometimes listed at 6'4".
• Do we really know enough about either of these fighter to make a judgement? Everyone seems to have an opinion about who will win this fight, but with so few big matches between both of them, style differences, and issues regarding each's condition and stamina, I'm not sure any analysis can tell us what's going to happen with reasonable certainty. Overall I've never been impressed with Carwin, who overwhelms opponents offensively but doesn't have a lot of defense. Lesnar relies a lot on his size and power, too, but seems like he's trying to learn the complete game more.

Light Heavyweight bout: #49 Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1, #14 LH) vs. #167 Chris Leben (20-6)

Time off vs. staying busy: One thing that stands out in this fight is how active (or not) each fighter has been. Akiyama took nearly a year between beating Masanori Tonooka in Dream 6 and defeating Alan Belcher in UFC 100. Now it's been almost another year. Leben, in contrast, fought just a few weeks ago, beating Alan Simpson in Ultimate Fighter 11. If readiness vs. ring rust is a factor, Leben has a shot. Otherwise, Akiyama should be a heavy favorite to beat an already-tired competitor.

Welterweight bout: #213 Chris Lytle (28-17-5) vs. #476 Matt Brown (11-8)

Youth vs. Experience: Chris Lytle is almost 36 and has been through a lot of fights. Brown is 29 and has a lot fewer. If father time catches up with Lytle he could lose, but otherwise experience should win the day. While Lytle's entire career includes recognizable opponents, Brown has had just five (2 wins, 3 losses) higher-profile fights in his career, including a loss to Lytle in 2007.

Light Heavyweight bout: #614 Stephan Bonnar (11-7) vs. #280 Krzysztof Soszynski (21-9-1)

History repeats: If that's the case, Soszynski should control the fight and beat Bonnar easily, like he did when they fought in UFC 110. Although the referee stoppage was poor, the decision in the record books accurately reflected the likely outcome. If styles make fights, this one will go much like the last. It's up to Bonnar to throw a wrench in the works.

Lightweight bout: #111 George Sotiropoulos (12-2) vs. #98 Kurt Pellegrino (16-4)

2nd best matchup of the night: Or at least it is on paper, featuring two quality grapplers. Pellegrino is coming off a solid 4-match win streak, while Sotiropolous has been cleaning up lesser foes. But Sotiropoulos has been unstoppable lately, and even his last loss (Shinya Aoki in 2006) was due to disqualification from a leg kick to the groin after an odd, leg-locked first round. This bout sends the winner to higher ground in the lightweight division.

Undercard

#235 Brendan Schaub (5-1) vs. #619 Chris Tuchscherer (18-2)
Ricardo Romero (10-1) vs. #826 Seth Petruzelli (12-4)
#315 Kendall Grove (11-7) vs. #248 Goran Reljic (8-1)
Gerald Harris (16-2) vs. Dave Branch (6-0)
Daniel Roberts (9-1) vs. #554 Forrest Petz (17-7)
Jon Madsen (5-0) vs. Karlos Vemola (7-0)

While Schaub should be a strong favorite, most the rest of the ranked fighters are ranked low for a reason and facing up-and-coming opponents, making the task hard for Petruzelli and Petz. Two fights feature less experienced competitors, with undefeated Dave Branch in his seventh fight against tough Gerald Harris, and undefeated fighters Madsen and Vemola squaring off.

Perhaps the best undercard fight is Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic. Reljic suffered his first loss recently against C.B. Dollaway, and Grove lost to Mark Munoz in UFC 112. With both fighters coming off losses, the winner gets another chance at becoming a main card fighter while the loser sinks further into MMA oblivion.

April Heavyweight Boxing Lineup Kicks Off With Haye-Ruiz Title Fight Tonight

The month of April has quite a bit to offer heavyweight boxing fans, but most of the matchups leave something to be desired. Here are the top five fights of the month in chronological order:

• April 3rd: #5 David Haye (23-1) vs. #59 John Ruiz (44-8-1)
  
  Let's face it, if Ruiz wins it's terrible for heavyweight boxing. Ruiz is somehow once again fighting for the WBA title; despite going 3-3 over the last five years (with another loss turned into a No Contest) he keeps getting ranked at the top.
  
  Haye has only three heavyweight fights under his belt but the cruiserweight champ did the HW world a big favor by beating Nicolay Valuev, and he can do it another by beating Ruiz. Ruiz is tough for anyone to fight and Haye will further prove himself as a heavyweight if he can beat him, especially if it's by stoppage. But I think it's most likely that this one goes the distance, and like Ruiz's last several title fights, he loses a decision that he'll dispute.
  
  Even if it's a close fight, though, it will be a unanimous decision for Haye. The fight's in the UK, and the judges aren't going to give Ruiz the nod unless he dominates. Which is fine by me; the WBA needs to get rid of Ruiz and Valuev (and Kali Meehan) from the top of their rankings.


• April 9th: #55 Audley Harrison (26-4) vs. #247 Michael Sprott (32-14)
  
  Harrison's up and down career is currently on a very slight "up" after winning the latest heavyweight Prizefighter tournament, but he's facing the last guy to knock him out. Now 38, the Olympic gold medalist reached the top 10 in 2005 before losing to Danny Williams and Dominick Guinn back-to-back. He KO'd Williams to move back into the top 25 before losing to Sprott. Losing to Martin Rogan in December 2008 knocked him clean out of the SportsRatings Top 100, but the Prizefighter tourney win has him back near the top 50.
  
  Sprott, however, has fallen on hard times. His career's ups and downs make Harrison's look like smooth sailing. After beating Harrison and, just prior, then-undefeated Rene Detweiller, Sprott was 30-10 but ranked in the top 50. Since then he's 2-4, with losses to #173 Matt Skelton, #115 Taras Bidenko, #151 Lamon Brewster, and #32 Alexander Ustinov and wins over #149 Zack Page and unrated Werner Kreiskott. Sprott's been a gatekeeper his whole career but he could turn Harrison into one, too, with a win.
  
  This is Harrison's last stand and he needs a win. Sprott's been so bad lately I think Audley will get the win. He'll probably have to go the distance, though, as Sprott generally doesn't get stopped.
   
• April 10th: #157 Evander Holyfield (42-10-2) vs. #170 Frans Botha (47-4-3)
  
  A sad spectacle in a way, both 40+ fighters are still going, and not ranked too poorly considering their advanced years. But Holyfield is coming off two straight losses, to Sultan Ibragimov and the pathetic fight with Valuev, while Botha's most recent effort was a draw with #154 Pedro Carrion.
  
  Hard to pick this one. Botha has youth (relatively; he's 41) on his side and beat Timo Hoffman recently, while Holyfield doesn't have a win since 2007. But Holyfield is undoubtedly the more skilled. Pretty much everyone loses with this fight.
  
  
• April 16th: #11 Tony Thompson (33-2) vs. #294 Owen Beck (29-4)
  
  Klitschko victim Thompson continues to make his way back into the title shot mix. Originally his opponent was supposed to be #131 Jason Estrada. Either way he just stays busy, as he's beaten scores of fighters of either level. Beating Beck might or might not get him back in the top ten, but either way given that he's had his chance and is 39, he might not get another unless he beats some bigger names.
  
  
• April 24th: #8 Chris Arreola (28-1) vs. #27 Tomasz Adamek (40-1)
  
  This is probably the best matchup of the month. Will Adamek exploit Arreola's lack of defense and win a decision? Or will Arreola's size overpower the former light heavyweight/cruiserweight? Those are the general-consensus outcomes.
  
  Both fighters have a lot to gain with a win. Adamek can erase any doubts that he belongs in the HW division; beating a busted Golota and winning unconvincingly against Jason Estrada didn't prove that much. But beating Arreola would show he could beat a bigger, highly-ranked fighter who can punch hard and take a punch himself.
  
  Arreola beat two other fighters who were just inside the top 30 at the time: Chazz Witherspoon and Brian Minto. Adamek combines Witherspoon's skills and Minto's toughness, and a lot more people would respect Arreola if he won. He hasn't fought anyone better than the two mentioned  other than Vitali Klitschko, and he lost badly in that one. But if he beats Adamek people will question the Polish fighter, not give Arreola accolades. He still needs to fight a real, legit top 20 or top 10 before the prospect of facing another Klitschko can come up again. I'm hoping for a good fight out of this one, whatever happens.

Klitschko/Johnson title fight; Maskaev, Ustinov, Banks, Guinn all in action this weekend

The second big weekend of heavyweight boxing this month arrives with a headlining WBC title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Kevin Johnson and several other fights featuring Top 100 fighters.

#2 Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KO) vs. #29 Kevin Johnson (22-0-1, 9 KO) (Berne, Switzerland)

This is obviously the big one, held in Switzerland and shown by HBO on tape delay Saturday night. Though undefeated, "Kingpin" Johnson is given little chance in this bout mainly due to lack of experience against top fighters. Klitschko is a +1800 favorite while Johnson is a +750 underdog; converted to percentages this gives Johnson about an 11% chance to pull off the upset.

In some ways it will be like a man used to dealing with housecats being thrown in with a lion, but Johnson has good skills and so far has proven to be sturdy. We don't give him much of a chance to win, either, but could see him being the second person to go the distance in a losing bout. His reach and jab could enable him to fight on the outside against Vitali, which is normally a terrible idea, but Johnson's sideways stance could protect him from taking damage during the fight, and this would enable him to stay in the fight past the 8 to 10 round mark where previous Klitschko opponents Peter, Gomez, and Arreola gave up or were stopped.

But Johnson's résumé as a fighter does little to indicate that he has the ability or power to win the contest. His best victory is probably a KO over Devin Vargas, a smaller heavyweight who was undefeated at 17-0 and currently ranks #89. Other than that none of his victims are currently in the top 100, though in only his 4th professional fight he drew with #44 Timur Ibragimov in 4 rounds; this was five years ago and Ibragimov was just 13-0 at the time but it showed Johnson had potential.

A few months after the Ibragimov draw Johnson beat Robert Wiggins, then ranked #105, in 8 rounds and jumped into the SportsRatings Heavyweight Top 100 for the first time at #58. It was over a year before he had another significant opponent in #143 Robert Hawkins in March, 2006, in another 8 round unanimous decision. He stayed busy after that and in December beat #178 Charles Davis for his 13th win, putting him in the top 50.

Johnson fought five times in 2007, beating #114 Ron Guerrero, #130 Damian Wills, and #372 Jermell Barnes to inch into the top 30. In 2008 he beat #205 Terry Smith as well as the aging Bruce Seldon who was no longer ranked at the time, and unheralded Matthew Greer. This year he's fought just once, the win over Vargas, who wasn't yet ranked despite being 17-0. As mentioned, Vargas is now #89, making him the highest ranked of Johnson's current victims, along with the Ibragimov draw. Johnson inched as high as #23 in the rankings before beginning to slide due to inactivity, which in his case means he hasn't fought a rated fighter in a year and a half (though this is perhaps unfair as Vargas is currently ranked).

Without having fought an opponent who was in the top 100 at the time, Johnson is going to face a very different situation when he gets in the ring with perhaps the best fighter of this era. Klitschko's last three post-comeback opponents were all much more experienced, even Arreola. He doesn't have the KO ability of Arreola or Peter (though he claims he was holding back on purpose in his early fights), his ability to take a punch seems sound but is untested, and his boxing skills perhaps aren't the equal of Gomez'. His main advantage is his reach, and the fact that he's somewhat of an unknown quantity. Know one is quite sure how good he is, but if he's really good, we'll find out on Saturday.

Other action: Ustinov/Barrett, Guinn/Davis, Banks, Maskaev

• #45 Alexander Ustinov (18-0 15KO) vs. #145 Monte Barrett (34-8) (in Berne, Switzerland)
  Up and coming fighter Alex Ustinov takes on gatekeeper/journeyman Monte Barrett on the Klitscko-Johnson undercard. Ustinov is 6' 7" and 300 lbs and is a former kickboxer. While not athletic like the Klitschkos he's much more mobile than the other Russian Giant, Valuev, and has an aggressive, pummeling style; a win would move him into the top 30. Barrett lost his last two bouts by KO, but both were to quality fighters, David Haye and Odlanier Solis. If he loses this one as expected it will be interesting to see how long he will continue to be a true "gatekeeper" for title hopefuls. A shock win by Barrett would put him back in the top 100 and keep him around a while longer but Ustinov shows little indication of being another Tye Fields.
• #91 Dominick Guinn (31-6-1) vs. #206 Charles Davis (19-17-2) (in Chicago, Illinois)
  Guinn is enjoying something of a career renaissance after suffering all six of his losses in an 11 fight span. He's won three straight, knocking out Jean Bergeron (only his 2nd loss) in two rounds, decisioning massive Gabe Brown, and most recently handing Johnnie White his first-ever loss in 22 fights with a first-round TKO. All of this has put Guinn back in the top 100 for the first time in years. His opponent, Davis, is on a comeback trail of sorts, too; after 9 straight losses knocked him out of the rating system completely, Davis drew with Bermane Stiverne, then defeated Arron Lyons and Elieser Castillo. It wasn't enough to put him back in the top 200 even, but it's better than 9 straight losses. Davis probably is out of his league against Guinn, who has lost mostly to current top 100 fighters.
• #59 Johnathon Banks (22-1 15 KO) vs. Marcel Zeller (22-5 21 KO) (Berne, Switzerland)
  Another heavyweight fight on the Klitschko undercard, Johnathan Banks takes on unrated Marcel Zeller. Banks has beaten two heavyweights (current #370 Paul Butlin and #170 Javier Mora) since moving up from cruiserweight where he lost to Tomasz Adamek (currently #56 HW). Banks shouldn't have much trouble with Zeller, who isn't great but always gives his all: in addition to winning 21 of 22 by stoppage, he's also lost 4 of 5 the same way.
• #16 Oleg Maskaev (36-6) vs. Nagy Aguilera (14-2) (Sacramento, CA, on December 11)
  Maskaev continues his comeback from the Sam Peter loss with another tuneup as he hope to get a title shot soon. Fights like this one aren't likely to convince anyone that the aging fighter deserves consideration, however.
• #64 Fres Oquendo vs. #146 Franklin Lawrence - cancelled
  This would have been a decent addition to an active weekend for heavyweights but the fight has apparently been cancelled.

Arreola-Minto, Thompson-Witherspoon headline huge day of heavyweight boxing December 5th

October was a big month for heavyweight boxing, while November was pretty much dead other than the Valuev-Haye bout. December, however, is huge with the 5th one of the bigger days in years.

Nine fighters in the SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Top 100 are in action Saturday. The weekend of the 12th is also big, with seven top boxers in action including Vitali Klitscho vs. Kevin Johnson. But while this weekend doesn't have a title bout it makes up for it in sheer volume of fights.

Atlantic City: Arreola-Minto and Thompson-Witherspoon feature all top-30 fighters

Four top-30 fighters are looking to get closer to or even enter the top 10 with wins on Saturday. Two are former top 10 fighters whose losses to Klitschko brothers dropped them into the second ten; two are fighters who are peaking again after earlier losses. Both fights are in Atlantic City, New Jersey Saturday night as part of the undercard of the Paul Williams/Sergio Gabriel Martinez welterweight contest, and the Arreola-Minto fight will be part of the HBO broadcast.

13th-ranked Chris Arreola (27-1), recently defeated by Vitali Klitscho, attempts a comeback of sorts as he takes on the equally-aggressive Brian Minto (34-2), ranked #27 by SportsRatings. Arreola is much larger than the 5' 11", 218 lb. Minto—perhaps a bit too large, as he weighed in at 263, easily his heaviest weight. 

Arreola's weight has often been an issue, and despite his trainer's assurances that he would come in at or just slightly over the 251 he carried for the Klitschko bout, he's put on 12 pounds in two months. Extra weight hasn't slowed him down in the past or reduces his considerable power, and against Minto it shouldn't matter, but it does add another question mark to his career potential.

Minto's biggest win came recently when he handed #112 Donnell Holmes his first loss in a controversial technical decision, and he has losses to Tony Tubbs and Luan Krasniqi. He's won seven in a row, three of those over ranked fighters. Minto has stopped 21 opponents out of 34 wins, and along with Arreola's 24 of 27 it suggests a short fight might be in order.

Neither fighter brings much defense to the table. Arreola has more offensive skill, more power, and a stronger chin—he took Vitali's best punches for 10 rounds and was never knocked down—so he should win, probably within four rounds. It will be a rough and tumble fight, though, and Arreola knocked down early like he was against Travis Walker, before finishing matters. Minto's hope is that Arreola overexerts himself and gasses out, which isn't much of a hope, but eventually there is a limit to how big Arreola can get and maintain his stamina. Minto is not likely the fighter to take advantage of Chris' poor conditioning, however.

Arreola's biggest win is over #28 Chazz Witherspoon (26-1), who is climbing the ratings again and takes on #20 Tony Thompson (32-2), who lost a title bout to Wladimir Klitschko a few years back. Both are very tall (6' 4" and 6' 5") and both started boxing in their 20s, but Thompson is 10 years Witherspoon's senior, as well as 15-20 lbs. heavier. The two are friends and have sparred together.

If Thompson's age is starting to catch up to him, Witherspoon could win. Thompson has been basically inactive since the July, 2008 Klitschko fight, which he lost in an 11th round stoppage. He's had one fight since then, a 5th round TKO of Adnan Serin (who recently lost to John Ruiz by TKO also for his 11th loss). Witherspoon, on the other hand, has fought three times since losing to Arreola around the same time, and notched up his best victory when he beat Adam Richards (currently #38) by 8th round TKO. It was Richards' 2nd loss, and he dropped to cruiserweight after that bout.

But Thompson has faced far better opposition than Witherspoon, including decisions over #91 Dominic Guinn and #44 Timur Ibragamov. Thompson lasted 11 rounds with the best boxer in the world while Witherspoon couldn't go four rounds with Arreola; unless Witherspoon has made a quantum leap of improvement, Thompson's advantage in power and experience should make the difference in a technical bout, which will probably go to the later rounds or result in a unanimous decision for Thompson.

Germany: Other fights include Povetkin, Platov, Pianeta, and Pulev

The P's have it: Three fighters at or near the top ten are in action: #3 Alex Povetkin, #10 Oleg Platov, and #11 Francesco Pianeta all take on foes ranked outside the top 100.

Originally three of these fights were better contests, but Owen Beck, Lamon Brewster, and Cengic Koc dropped out, so Povetkin faces #207 Leo Nolan and Pianeta takes on #246 Evgeny Orlov. Platov goes up against the dreaded TBA. Yet another "P" fighter, #55 Kubrat Pulev, battles #198 Zack Page. All of these bouts are in Germany on the undercard of the cruiserweight championship bout where #70 Ola Afolabi takes on Marco Huck.

• Alexander Povetkin (17-0) vs. Leo Nolan (27-1) - As he waits for his turn at Wlad Klitschko, Povetkin should have little trouble with Nolan, who has just three wins over ranked fighters in the last five years and just one fight since losing to #245 Hector Ferreyro in January, 2007.
• Francesco Pianeta (19-0-1) vs. Evgeny Orlov (10-5-1) - Pianeta is fresh off a TKO over #129 Matt Skelton, and he also holds victories over #118 Michael Marrone, #135 Johann Duhaupas, and #148 Colin Wilson. His one blemish is the draw against #22 Albert Sosnowski, which suggests he may not have title-contending potential just yet, though he's still young (only 25). He shouldn't have any difficulty with Orlov, who became registered by beating Humberto Evora (now 3-7-1) and has since lost three fights.
• Oleg Platov (28-1) vs. TBA - Another young heavyweight, Platov has been rising steadily and made the top 10 last month, with six wins over ranked boxers and no losses since very early in his career (in 2002 at age 19). He's beaten #117 Henry Akinwande and #148 Colin Wilson, but his biggest fight (against Danny Williams) was ruled a no contest due to a cut.
• Kubrat Pulev (3-0) vs. Zack Page (19-25-2) - Bulgarian Pulev is just 3-0 but has extensive amateur experience. He jumped into the top 100 after beating former #105 Gbenga Oloukun. Page is a journeyman with tons of pro experience, so Pulev will get a lot out of this fight whether it's competitive or not. In fact, Page just beat Ferreyro, who handed Povetkin's opponent Nolan his only loss, so this fight should be a lot more evenly matched than that one.
• Ola Afolabi (14-1-3) vs. Marco Huck (26-1) - Afolabi is ranked as a heavyweight due to his wins over Willie Chapman and rated cruiserweights Orlin Norris and Eric Fields. Huck hasn't fought any ranked heavies or cruiserweights, so if Afolabi wins, he gains nothing; if he loses, however, he'll be credited with a loss to an unrated fighter and fall from the top 100. As it is, he's losing points from attrition due to inactivity in the heavyweight division. Huck won't be ranked if he wins, either, as both are fighting as cruiserweights.

By Sunday I'll recap the bouts and revise the Heavyweight Boxing Top 100 accordingly; then next weekend I'll preview Vitali Klitschko vs. Kevin Johnson, as well as bouts with top 100 fighters Oleg Maskaev, Alexander Ustinov, Johnathan Banks, Fres Oquendo, and Dominick Guinn.