SportsRatings: Boxing/MMA

Deontay Wilder vs. Robert Helenius round-by-round scoring

 #13 Deontay Wilder is on the comeback trail vs. a revitalized #16 Robert Helenius who is looking for one last run at glory.

Wilder (42-2-1, 41 KOs) hasn't won a fight since beating Luis Ortiz in 2019. Since they he'd dropped two fights to #1 Tyson Fury, the first a big loss, the 2nd a back-and-forth classic where Fury was the last man standing. 

Helenius (31-3-0) had suffered his third loss, to Gerald Washington, and was relegated to gatekeeper status against Adam Kownacki, who was undefeated and in the top ten. Helenius shocked the boxing world by handing Kownacki his first loss via TKO, and he won the rematch in much the same fashion, putting him in line for a bigger fight.

The two have sparred a lot, with Helenius playing the part of Tyson Fury for Wilder. Wilder has been ranked as high as #2, while Helenius was actually at #4 in 2011 and again in 2013. The winner tonight will be back in the top ten; Wilder was there just a few months ago but Helenius hasn't been there since 2015.

Two other top 100 heavyweight matchups were on the undercard:

• #45 Gurgen "Big Gug" Hovhannisyan took on #90 Michael Polite Coffie. Hovhannisyan won and raised his record to 4-0 as Coffie couldn't answer the bell for round 7. Big Gug will move into the top 40 as Coffie exits the top 100.
• #6 Frank Sanchez battled #99 Carlos Negron. Sanchez was fighting very aggressively but somewhat sloppily, which allowed Negron to stay in it with his jab. In the 9th round however, Sanchez connected with a solid right that put Negron down hanging on the ropes. He beat the count but it was stopped within the round. Sanchez will slip past Anthony Joshua to our #5 spot in our November rankings.

Wilder vs. Helenius round-by-round scoring:

1. Both staying at distance to start. Helenius moving forward but not super-agressively like I expected, in Fury mode. He isn't trying to crowd and wrestle Wilder. Wilder goes for the home run but whiffs early! Other than that, he's keeping his distance. Wilder connects and Helenius pushes him back across the ring. Body shot by Helenius. Corners Wilder but doesn't do anything, staying away a lot more than I though. Wilder right hand counter puts Helenius ON THE CANVAS and it's over.

Wow. That was quick.

Robert Helenius chose a strategy that wasn't going to do anything but put him out. He didn't use any kind of strategy that could have worked. He stayed at distance: punching distance for Wilder's long arms.

And let's be clear: this fight had KO written all over it, sooner or later. I thought it would last to the 7th round (wishful thinking for an interesting fight). Helenius is the perfect opponent for Wilder, from Wilder's standpoint.

Wilder is back in our top ten, and deservedly so. A lot of his decline in our rankings was the lack of a "W" since 2019. He'll be around #7 come November. Helenius had his resurgence but he'll drop well outside the top 25. His short-lived comeback might be over for good; if he continues he'll remain at the gatekeeper level, unless he exposes another Kownacki along the way.

#6 Joe Joyce vs. #7 Joseph Parker round-by-round scoring: Winner gets top 5

Joe Joyce, Olympic Silver Medalist, takes on #7 Joseph Parker in Manchester, England. The winner will break into the top 5 for the first time. Joyce is 14-0-0 and Parker is 30-2-0 with losses only to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.

Bout is set to begin in minutes.

Round-by-round scoring:

1. Jabs and dipping for body shots from both right away. Joyce as usual is working the jab, getting some in, gentle jabs. More jabs from Joyce and Parker hooking to the body in return. Parker leaps forward and scores to the head. Parker moves forward again but Joyce returns with a big 1-2. Big right by Parker is blocked. Close but maybe a little bit more by Joyce. Joyce 10-9
2. Joyce walking Parker down but Parker lunges out of it punching himself. Joyce chases Parker down and scores. Good comeback from Parker. Big shots from both, interesting back and forth, decent punches but neither is hurt. Parker gets against the ropes and circles out. Both had their moments. 10-10; Joyce 20-19
3. Joyce remains busy, coming forward, Parker waiting more on his strikes. Good left by Joyce backs Parker up. Joyce eats everything Parker has and returns fire and he has Parker leaning over and scrambling. Still 1:30 left in the round. Good uppercut by Parker, Joyce doesn't flinch. Parker catches Joyce coming in, has a much better last 30 seconds but it's still Joyce's round. 10-9; Joyce 30-28
4. Joyce looks a bit more tentative now, not walking down as much. Parker with lunging big punch to get out of the corner again, Joyce with dozens of smaller punches. Good stiff right from Parker. Joyce staying farther away this round, trying to time Parker's counters, gets hit by another one. Two big rights by Parker, one misses completely, the other slightly connects. Parker connected with the harder shots Parker 10-9; Joyce 39-38
5. Joyce peppering away flustering Parker over the first minute. Parker hasn't had his power shots this round, isn't trying as many or connecting, except for one low blow. Parker lunges out and they trade in the center of the ring. Joyce's volume wins this one. Joyce 10-9; Joyce 49-47
6. Joyce really coming after Parker this round right off the bell. Unloading the big shots for a full minute, lots of damage. Parker looked bad for a bit but looks like he's holding up well, Joyce slowing down a bit. Parker gets in a few counters as Joyce slows down.  But Joyce doesn't stop. Joyce 10-9; Joyce 59-56
7. Parker connects early with burst of energy, Joyce is undaunted. Parker whiffs with big uppercut. Joyce peppering him with volume of small punches. Joyce clinches him against ropes for a small rest, but he's right back to the volume, has Parker against the ropes again. Parker hanging on. Parker is cut bad, now both are winging punches. Joyce 10-9; 69-65
8. Joyce pressing the action, Parker fighting back with desperation. Trading big shots. Joyce very systematic with his approach, Parker more unpredictable. Both slow down after the minute mark. Good shots from Parker but Joyce comes back strong. Parker comes back too. Parker fighting to survive with the cut, Joyce pushing for the stoppage but neither fighter has been wobbled all fight. Parker clearly falling farther behind. Joyce 10-9; 79-74.
9. Parker's occasional counters just aren't fazing Joyce, who keeps moving forward. Huge uppercut from Parker is completely ignored by Joyce who goes on the attack immediately. Both load up for huge shots and both miss. Parker walking in circles to get away from Joyce. Better round from Parker but did he really win it? not really. 10-10; Joyce 89-84
10. Fighting in the pocket a minute in, head to head trading uppercut attempts. Joyce keeping up the volume once they separate. Big lunging shot from Parker is blocked. Parker times Joyce's entry well and gets some good work in. Funny end with both clowning. Another close one, if Parker gets these with the judges he has a chance 10-10; Joyce 99-94
11. Joyce going for it big like he did in round six. He slows down after a minute. Then a HUGE left from Joyce puts Parker down, and he's not getting up, even if he had he was totally out. JOYCE BY KO

Incredible last round by Joyce, the first 30 seconds of round 11 tired Parker out, setting him up for the huge KO punch. He hadn't been hurt by Parker all day, and his corner decided it was time to just go for broke, knowing he would hurt Parker much more than he would get hurt.

Through 10 round we had Joyce up 5 rounds, but with 3 10-10 rounds it could have been close, and with 2 rounds left it could have been a very close affair. But Joyce decided to go for the sprint finish.

Joyce was ahead by 2, 3, and 5 rounds, pretty close to mine, which would be 2, 5, and 8 giving the 10-10 rounds to either fighter.

This is the finish I expected—a Joyce win, not necessarily by KO—because the winner was set to jump ahead of Anthony Joshua in our ratings, and it wouldn't make good sense to have Parker ahead of Joshua. Joyce, on the other hand, is undefeated and this win—the first stoppage of Joseph Parker—shows he deserves a high ranking. He'll move up to #4, his highest ranking yet.

Andy Ruiz Jr vs. Luis Ortiz

Round by round scoring:

• Round One: Southpaw Ortiz vs. Ruiz leads to usual pawing. Jabs from Ortiz. Combo from Ruiz. Body shot from Ruiz. Big combo from Kong near the end, probably wins the round for Ortiz. 10-9.
• Round Two: Less feeling out in round two, rumbling right away with shots from Ruiz. Jab from Ruiz, jabs back from Ortiz. Body shots from Ortiz. Ruiz knocks Ortiz down with a quick combo, Ortiz takes the 9 count. Ruiz puts him down again quickly. This might be over. Ortiz is grappling him to stay alive. Ortiz fires back. Crazy last minute as Ruiz tries to finish him but Ortiz is fighting back. Big shots from both at the end, and Ortiz survives. 10-7 Ruiz. 19-17 Ruiz
• Round Three: Ruiz is a bit tired after last round and Ortiz a bit recovered. Ortiz is trying to dance now and jab. Body shot from Ruiz. Big body shot from Ruiz again. Jab from Ortiz. Big whiffs from Ruiz. Not much connected but probably still from Ruiz. 10-9; Ruiz 29-26
• Round Four: Ortis is playing matador with Ruiz, lunging in for jabs. Ruiz waiting to unload a big shot. Head shot from Ruiz connects. Ruiz is looking surprisingly defensive. Ortiz did little but Ruiz less. 10-9 Ortiz; 38-36 Ruiz
• Round Five: Snapping jab from Ortiz. Not much action until mid-round. Jabs from Ortiz, return from Ruiz later in the round. Lots of stalking by both guys and feigns. Not enough to go on there. 10-10; 48-46 Ruiz
• Round Six: Neither fighter scores in the first minute; finally some clashing in middle of round, Ruiz gets a good shot in. Almost clash of heads again. Very little action. Jabs from Ortiz but most don't land. Solid shot at the end by Ortiz. Makes the round another 10-10; 58-56 Ruiz
• Round Seven: 1-2 from Ortiz to start, Ruiz fires back, blocked. Ruiz looks like he's more serious this round. Firing more shots but Ortiz's defense is good. Good exchange mid-round from both. Ruiz gets a good left in. Ruiz ducks way under a jab and spins out of the corner. Big body shot from Ruiz backs Ortiz up, flurry of punches on top of head puts Ortiz down again. Ruiz 10-8; 68-64 
• Round Eight: Ortiz is looking a big gunshy obviously but looks ok. Jabs from Ortiz leads to flurry where Ortiz does some good damage. Ortiz puts Ruiz in the corner but lets him out, still jabbing. Hard body shot by Ruiz, Ortiz ducks away from more, still jabbing late in the round. Ruiz misses with left. Ortiz much more active this round. Ortiz 10-9; Ruiz 77-74
• Round Nine: Big Exchange to start, Ruiz goes down but ruled a slip. Both fighters got hit hard. Another wild exchange, like fighting cats, then back to distance stalking. Lunging jab by Ortiz connects. Ortiz 10-9; Ruiz 86-84
• Round Ten: Ruiz comes inside and gets hit with a hook, in addition to dozens of jabs from Ortiz in the first half of the round. Ortiz opening up a bit more, connecting with the jab down the middle consistently. Ruiz's only 2nd attempt of the round is blocked. Ortiz 10-9; Ruiz 95-94
• Round Eleven: Ruiz sneaks in right hand, now a jab. Rest of first half of round is quiet. Huge shot from Ruiz who jumps on Ortiz. More shots from Ruiz. Ortiz trying to go back to jabs but he's weak. Ruiz has slowed down again, maybe looking for KO moment. Ruiz 10-9; 105-103
• Round Twelve: Ortiz moving in, going for it, KO or get KOed. He's mixing it pretty well with Ruiz too. Can he avoid the KO is the question. Good first minute, good uppercut from Ortiz. Ruiz backing up now, Ortiz slows down. Three lefts in a row from Ortiz. Ruiz fires back now in last minute. Ortiz is outboxing Ruiz, huge shot against the ropes. Ruiz fires back. Ortiz 10-9; Ruiz 114-113

Actually turned into a very close fight that could be scored for Ortiz despite the 3 knockdowns. We have it 114-113 with two 10-10 rounds; split those and Ruiz wins a split decision, 114-111, 113-112, and 112-113.

Scored as a whole fight there's no question, but round by round it might be surprising.

But it's unanimous: 113-112, 114-111 all for Andy Ruiz.

So in the end, our cards were very, very close to the actuals, 114-111, 113-112 for Ruiz; our one Ortiz card was flipped one round for Ruiz. Giving 10-10 rounds really does give a better impression of how close a fight is going to be scored.

Ruiz will retain his #3 spot in our rankings, while Ortiz, in the top ten a few years back, will tumble into the 2nd half of the top 100, as he hasn't had many good wins the last several years, and has 3 losses now.

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua II: Live Round-by-Round Scoring

SportsRatings #2 Oleksandr Usyk vs. #3 Anthony Joshua fighting in Saudi Arabia in a rematch of their fight from last September where Usyk took Joshua's belts.

Usyk is 19-0-0 mostly at cruiserweight where he unified the belts; he's a gold medalist at heavyweight

Joshua is 24-2-0 as a pro after winning the gold in the super heavyweight division in the 2012 Olympics. He avenged his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. and now attempts to do the same against Usyk.

Neither would earn the SportsRatings belt with a win as Tyson Fury's "retirement" doesn't count; he's still considered "active" and neither is within striking distance of his rating. The winner will be ranked #2 in our system.

Round by Round scoring:

• Round One: Joshua looking so far like he's boxing "clean" rather than making it dirty, at least at the very early going. Jab from Joshua. Lots of pawing by Usyk. Kind of a stalemate right now at range. Good lunging punch by Usyk. Big clinch with pressure applied by Joshua, broken up by the ref. Like many first rounds, not enough happened to be used to decide the fight. 10-10
• Round Two: More of the chess match at range to start. Both are active, almost hyper by heavyweight standards, but not connecting with anything. Feigns all around. Joshua blocks Usyk's combo. Weak body shot by Joshua. Decent hook. Another decent hook by Joshua. Body shot by Joshua. Joshua not allowing openings so far. Jabbing as he moves forward. 1-2 by Usyk with a return by Joshua. 10-9 Joshua; 20-19
• Round Three: Joshua staying contained and careful. Usyk buzzing around him, but having some trouble with range so far. Some inside wrestling the ref allowed them to work it out. Joshua uppercut misses and Usyk connects with a straight shot. Inconclusive round, hopefully there aren't too many of these: 10-10; Joshua 30-29
• Round Four: Usyk comes out aggressively, backs off to buzzing around mode again. He's very hard to hit but Joshua's defense is solid too, not many shots of consequence getting through despite pretty high work rate. Usyk taking more chances now in the 4th, mixing it up more. AJ goes to the body. Hits Usyk's gloves hard. Constant head movement from Usyk, who connects with a good hook and good combo followup. He's throwing more actual punches this round instead of feigns and pawing. Good lunging punch to end the round. 10-9 Usyk; 39-39
• Round Five: Usyk connects, as does AJ. Good back and forth his round in the first minute. Body shot from AJ is low and the round is paused midway. Good bodyshot from AJ this time. Both are feigning a lot. Even round after 2 mins. More feigns and little action in the last minute. Another 10-10; 49-49. The scores might be all over the place.
• Round Six: AJ gets in a short shot after a lot of patience with Usyk's head movement. Lots of work for not much gain and Usyk gets it back. AJ trying to walk him down and has him against the ropes for a moment. Usyk pushes his way out to the center. AJ backing him up now but Usyk comes back swinging, mostly blocked by AJ. Another tough round to score but Joshua had the only brief moment of scoring. Joshua 10-9; 59-58
• Round Seven: AJ wrestles Usyk again then holds his head while punching, he's finally trying to make a "dirty" fight out of it as many expected. Swings a bit wild in chasing Usyk's movement. Good jab by Joshua. Both fighters missing most of the time still, or getting blocked. Lots of whiffs at the end. Once again I'm punting, to reflect how wide the scoring difference might be. 10-10; Joshua 69-68
• Round Eight: They're having trouble with the ring being wet like in the last fight. Stiff jab by Usyk. Good body shot by AJ. Three lefts in a row by Usyk connect, another body shot by AJ. Several head shots by Usyk, a big return by AJ. Volume certainly in Usyk favor, but body shots are bothering Usyk. Usyk is now getting through regularly, though nothing is hurting AJ yet. But he's slowing AJ down. They're really trading at the end in a fitful round. Usyk 10-9; 78-78
• Round Nine: Starting to think the Ukraine judge will have a wide UD for Usyk, the UK judge the same for AJ, and the other judge call it a draw. AJ is hunting Usyk now. AJ grabs back of Usyk's head again and delivers body shots. AJ gets thru with a few shots then ties him up. Close range fighting  and AJ is going nuts, uppercuts and back of head shots, but he has Usyk in some trouble late in the round. Usyk spins away and resets and evades. Joshua's best round despite some questionable downward blows 10-9; Joshua 88-87
• Round Ten: Usyk very active to start the round. not letting Joshua capitalize on last round. A minute in he's doing some good work and has AJ a bit flustered, peppering him with quick shots. Big counter from AJ has Usyk stunned, AJ wrestles him though and ref intervenes. Great uppercut from Usyk but AJ takes it well. Now Usyk is adding the volume; Joshua looks tired now. A flurry by Usyk has AJ standing still. This round looked a lot like the previous fight. Usyk 10-9; 97-97
• Round Eleven: Usyk using his speed to confuse Joshua, who has tired but still gets in the body shots. Usyk is loading up on volume, Joshua going for the big shots. Back and forth round. Good jab by Usyk. More combos by Usyk. AJ is looking flustered like last fight, being outboxed. 10-9 Usyk; 107-106 Usyk
• Round Twelve: Big effort from both fighters at the start. Usyk sticking and moving as Joshua lunges in. The speed difference is notable now. Joshua catches Usyk with a left hook and two followups. Joshua stumbles as if going for a takedown against the ropes. Joshua jumps in and clinches again, twice trying to wrestle, a completely desparate move. Usyk is winning the boxing portion of the round though. AJ's attempts on making the fight dirty started way too late. This looks desperate by AJ and won't be well-received by the judges. Usyk 10-9; Usyk 117-115

Our score includes *four* 10-10 rounds, meaning we could have a split decision with AJ winning one card 115-113, and losing one card very wide, 117-111. The decisive card from our result would be 115-113 Usyk assuming no 10-10 rounds.

The judges say: 115-113 Joshua; 115-113 Usyk; and 116-112 Usyk, almost exactly what our scoring determined after apportioning the 10-10 rounds to each or splitting them.

Though Joshua did much better in this fight the result was largely the same, and he loses two in a row and is no longer one of the very top tier names in the heavyweight division. Now it's Fury and Usyk and everyone else.

Joshua is really leading the charge to celebrate Usyk's win, makes one wonder what his future plans are.

Filip Hrgovic vs. Zhilei Zhang Live Round-by-Round Scoring

The penultimate fight prior to Joshua-Uysk II is #14 Filip Hrgovic vs. #55 Zhilei Zhang. Both fighters are Olympic medalists and undefeated in the pros, and both stand 6' 6". Hrgovic is the younger fighter by 7 years.

Hrgovic (14-0-0) won a Bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics and has a perfect record so far. Lately he's been less than active and some think he's regressed, but he remains a feared prospect, turned down by many prospective opponents.

Zhang (24-0-1) won a Silver medal in the 2012 Olympics. He recently fought Jerry Forrest to a draw which put the only blemish on his otherwise perfect pro record. 

Round-by-round scoring:

• Round One: Good shot from Hrgovic as the fighters stand at a distance appropriate to their height. Hrgovic mostly doing more work until a minute left when Zhang lands a right hook to the ear that knocks Hrgovic down and makes the round easy to score. Hrgovic looks mostly recovered by the end of the round but already a surprise. 10-8 Zhang
• Round Two: Hrgovic back to the jab, both looking casual as they did most of the last round. Hrgovic more active but Zhang picking his spots as he pushes in for a combo. Huge right from Hrgovic but Zhang takes it well. Another combo rocks Zhang who doesn't have time to set for his slower attack, but he forces his way inside for a combo. Hrgovic's attack is starting to wear on Zhang by the end of the round. 10-9 Hrgovic; 19-18 Zhang.
• Round Three: Accidental clash of heads early as Zhang rushes inside, causing a bad cut on Hrgovic in the hairline...they're resetting. Good. Good jab by Zhang but Hrgovic returns a few of his own. Zhang's rushing attacks are bothering Hrgovic but other than that, Hrgovic is controlling the ring. Both are covering up well but throwing pretty hard shots too. Pretty even round but Hrgovic probably takes it. 10-9 Hrgovic; 28-28
• Round Four: Combo from Hrgovic. Zhang has the center though and stalks him. Good solid 1-2 from Hrgovic. Zhang is taking everything well so far, and just when it looks like he's getting a bit overwhelmed he returns fire and backs Hrgovic up. Great uppercut from Zhang. Both are looking a bit tired now, they've both taken hard shots, even if most have been blocked. Zhang has Hrgovic in corner; the ref calls break every time Zhang gets inside. Another close round with back and forth but Hrgovic is more active, even if Zhang had the best punch of the round. 10-9 Hrgovic; 38-37 Hrgovic
• Round Five: Dull first minute, then Hrgovic starts to outwork Zhang again. He's faster and is staying out of reach when not punching. Zhang starting to look tired in the last minute. Zhang needs another punch like he had in the first round but he's done nothing this round. Until the final seconds when he has a great counter that stuns Hrgovic. But it's too little too late. 10-9 Hrgovic; 48-46 Hrgovic
• Round Six: Zhang is just wandering into range and getting pummeled. The difference here is not as much skill as age and shape. But Zhang is having a moment in the middle of the round, hitting Hrgovic and chasing him around. Hrgovic clinches and both are tired. No holding at all is being allowed though, not for even a second. Zhang has Hrgovic in the corner again as the round ends. 10-9 Zhang; Hrgovic 57-56
• Round Seven: Both look tired to start the 7th. Big shots from Hrgovic early. Huge punch from Hrgovic and Zhang takes it but that was a potential knockdown against most people. Zhang has slowed down a lot after last round's activity. He's a step slow too as Hrgovic conects with a big left hook. Zhang has done nothing in the first two minutes and tries to clinch which is immediately shut down by the ref. Hrgovic is hardly energetic but he's doing all the work this round. 10-9 Hrgovic; 67-65
• Round Eight: False start to the round gives both an extra breather. Great counter by Zhang as Hrgovic comes in but it doesn't have an effect, and now Hrgovic is stepping it up. Most of his punches are blocked by Zhang's peek-a-boo guard but they're adding up, and he goes to the body too. Zhang isn't firing back either, making things easy for Filip. Zhang has nothing on his pawing punches, making Hrgovic smell blood. Another clinch for 1/2 second. Zhang isn't running though, he's standing right in front which isn't a great strategy if he's not throwing. 10-9 Hrgovic; 77-74
• Round Nine: More confusion at the start of this round. Both fighters are slow at the start but Hrgovic is trying to pick his shots better I think. Wet spots on the canvas, which delayed both the last two rounds, are causing some slipping and the action is stopped. Squeaky shoes might lead to a slip here. Now it's Hrgovic trying to hold, it seems he's using a lot of energy trying to put Zhang away and is getting a bit tired. Zhang is at least firing back this round and he has another good moment near the end of the round, not letting Hrgovic off the hook. Great late round from Zhang 10-9; Hrgovic 86-84
• Round Ten: Scoring might be interesting here now. Let's see if Zhang has anything left after his late flurry. Hrgovic keeping him at bay so far. Neither fighter is particularly spry right now but Hrgovic is lighter on his feet for sure. Combos from Hrgovic but not much is landing flush. Zhang looks spent, tries to clinch but we know that's not allowed today. Hrgovic pummeling away at Zhang who shuffles back and resets, not throwing back at all. He gets in one good punch late but clear round for Hrgovic 10-9; 96-93
• Round Eleven: Zhang's big lunge one minute in doesn't land, and that might be all he tries this round. Otherwise Hrgovic is pounding away. He's getting frustrated clearly, and he jumps in and hooks Zhang's neck before the re steps in. Now Zhang is trying to have another big moment but it's not quite as big as the other two. Hrgovic is staying away for a bit but moves back in to unload. Zhang has gone down from an apparent slip at the end of the round. 10-10; Hrgovic 106-103
• Round Twelve: Hrgovic wants the stoppage this round and is putting everything into it. Zhang's face is looking puffy but he's staying upright. Now Hrgovic is slowing down to try to pick his shots and he has Zhang in the corner who clinches. Zhang's lack of firing back has hurt him the whole fight. He almost repeats the ear-hook from round one but it misses. Huge body shot by Hrgovic. Zhang clinches again. 30 seconds left and Hrgovic wants to unload. Zhang runs away at the end to avoid any possibility of KO. Hrgovic 10-9; Hrgovic 116-112

From my perspective it's a pretty clear Hrgovic win, but other "scorecards" I've seen around the web suggest a closer result, so who knows. The early rounds for Hrgovic might have gone to Zhang which would make it close, but from the middle on he really only clearly won two rounds. 

The judges say: 115-112, 115-112, 114-113 for Hrgovic

A bit closer than my score but all the same, a close but clear win for Hrgovic. But something tells me that no one will be shaking in their boots in fear of Hrgovic after this fight; he's far too easy to hit and got himself in trouble on three separate occasions. Many top fighters might have ducked him, but I doubt that will be such a big problem in the future. And neither Joshua or Usyk looks to have that much to worry about if he's their next foe.

As for Zhang? He loses his perfect record and really, his career management is to blame. He waited until age 37 for a true step-up fight, wasting several years fighting nobodies even before the pandemic. He could have had a much better career and probably deserved it; now he looks too old and slow to make an impact, even if he was impressive at times against Hrgovic and certainly durable.

Tyson Fury - Deontay Wilder III Round-by-round scoring

#1 Tyson Fury vs. #5 Deontay Wilder for the undisputed SportsRatings Heavyweight championship. 

Round-by-round scoring will follow the prelims. For coverage of Ajagba-Sanchez and Helenius-Kownacki see this post.

Entrances are done, fight is starting within minutes.

• Round One: Quick body jabs from Wilder. 3rd body jab. 4th. 1-2 to the body, he's really focusing on the body, now he goes upstairs and connects. Very active, Fury not throwing yet. More body jabs, unexpected by Fury. More body shots. Fury tries 1-2 then clinches. Jab to the head from Wilder. Big shot from Wilder misses. Right to the body, and again. Fury returns fire, clinch headlock. Fury connects with 1-2 late but round to Wilder 10-9.
• Round Two: Wilder jabbing again but not as forcefully. Fury attacks, Wilder launches counterattack, then clinch. Fury body hook, now clinches. Big shot from Wilder misses narrowly as Fury jumps back. Ref allowing clinch work from Fury. Right hand by Wilder, Fury comes back and clinches. More wrestling near the end of the round. Closer round 10-10; Wilder 20-19.
• Round Three: Fury body shot of his own. Wilder's jabs not as forceful. Fury on the attack more, he comes in an clinches, tries to in-fight. Wilder a few jabs but he's backing up more now. Fury headlock is stopped by the ref quickly, warns against headlock. Wild swinging by both fighters, Wilder connects with a strong right. Fury returns strong jab. More big swings by both fighters look tired. Fury short shot puts Wilder down for an 8-count, he's hurt. Wilder holding on and survives. 10-8 Fury; 29-28.
• Round Four: Wilder looks shaky, Fury has him against ropes. Wilder holds on. Fury is tired too but Wilder just looking for one shot. Fury has Wilder against ropes. Big shot from Wilder puts Fury on the canvas, he barely gets up! Fury gets big shot in, but Fury goes down yet again! Round ends! Wilder 10-7; Wilder 38-36
• Round Five: Jabs from Wilder, big punch from Fury misses. Ref struggles to separate them. Fury is looking better, Wilder still swinging for the fences. Fury 1-2 rocks Wilder. They wrestle-fight which helps Fury. Wilder connects with 2 big rights! Wilder measuring him, Fury swings big too. They clinch, both are spent. Another clinch. Crazy round, 10-10; Wilder 48-46.
• Round Six: Fury trying to box more, looks recovered pretty well. Fury right hook then clinches. Wilder swinging a lot. Fury wrestling a lot, almost makes Wilder take a knee. Big punch from both fighters. Fury suddenly comes alive, Wilder responds, Fury charges in again. Fury pressuring Wilder. Fury got the best of the action one way or another 10-9; Wilder 57-56.
• Round Seven: Fury big 1-2, tries to clinch and pressure but ref doesn't let him. Fury now pushing against the ropes, trying to brawl his way to a win. Ducks Wilder's big right; this is starting to look like the 2nd fight. Big right from Fury. Uppercuts from Fury in clinch. Big right from Wilder, Fury wears it well; another 1-2 form Wilder. Fury responds, Wilder is in trouble, barely staying up. Fury 10-9; 66-66.
• Round Eight: Fury looks confident, Wilder unsteady. Fury pressuring against the ropes. Big right from Wilder, doesn't affect Fury right now. Fury responds with big shots, Wilder survives somehow. Fury wobbles Wilder. Wilder clinches for last 10 seconds. Fury 10-9; 76-75.
• Round Nine: Concerns about Wilder's right hand, but he says its okay. Fury looks fresh, Wilder looks wobbly still. Wilder comes alive with punches but Fury weathers the storm. Big flurry from Fury, WIlder stays up. Big clinch, wrestling from Fury. Wilder's energy is low but he keeps trying to land right. Fury getting the better of it, Wilder lands big uppercut near the end. Fury 10-9; 86-84. 
• Round Ten: Fury combination puts Wilder against the ropes again, Wilder getting beat up again. Wilder sleepwalking around the ring, huge shot by Fury puts Wilder down, but he somehow gets up! Wilder trying to survive. Big uppercut from Fury, Wilder has crazy flurry at end! But still 10-8 Fury with the knockdown, Fury 96-92.
• Round Eleven: Clinching from Fury, Wilder pinned against rings after hard shot. Big uppercut from Wilder and another one. Wilder is down and fight is waved off. Tyson Fury KO 11 Deontay Wilder

Tyson Fury regains the SportsRatings Heavyweight Belt with the 11th round KO in an incredible fight from both fighters. Wilder will get a lot of respect in the boxing world for his effort.

Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk live round-by-round scoring

#2 Anthony Joshua takes on #23 Oleksandr Usyk in London, England. Both fighters have beaten every man they've faced.

Joshua, 31, is 24-1 with an avenged loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. He is the SportsRatings interim heavyweight belt holder as #1 ranked Tyson Fury is currently considered inactive.

Usyk, 34, is undefeated at 18-0 with all but a few of those wins coming at Cruiserweight where he was the undisputed champion, unifying all the belts—a rarity today. He is only #23 as he has won only two fights at Heavyweight. He has wins over Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora.

With Usyk's movement and unorthodox style (including his southpaw stance), we see a fight that will be difficult to score and might cause controversy if it goes to a decision. It might most closely resemble Joshua's decision win over Joseph Parker. But predictions from the experts are all over the place; no one has solved Usyk yet, but he has a big size disadvantage and bears no resemblance to the one person able to beat Joshua so far.

The fight should begin on DAZN just after 5:00pm eastern time (USA). ETA is 5:15 as announcements are being made at 5:00pm.

Note: Having some trouble updating on Typepad, so round-by-round results might be slightly behind.

• Round One: Joshua comes to the middle fast, good left to the face from Usyk! Lots of jab-hand pawing as expected given the orthodox vs. southpaw matchup. Good right from Joshua at the midpoint. Good left from Usyk again, and 1-2 followup. Big whiff from Joshua misses by a hair. Usyk dancing all around Joshua who pivots in the center. Usyk jumps in with a left late in the round and probably wins the first round. Usyk 10-9.
• Round Two: Joshua trying to establish the jab now. Hectic pace but little contact overall. Usyk jabs with the right hand. Joshua putting jab out but Usyk's movement making it hard to connect. Usyk staying outside, lunging in, mostly not connecting though. Gets a left in. Good shot to the body by Joshua. Another left from Usyk. Close round, 10-10; Usyk 20-19.
• Round Three: Body shot from Usyk maybe connects. Decent right from Joshua, Usyk undeterred. This is going to be hard to score. Usyk connects with a couple of strong shots! Doesn't hurt joshua but scores. Frenetic pace continues. Body shot by Usyk, he dodges return shots. Joshua having trouble finding him. Joshua is leaving jabs short and haning, another good shot from Usyk, and another that hurts him! Joshua has good shot near the end but round definitely to Usyk 10-9; Usyk 30-28.
• Round Four: Joshua slips after punch connects early. Joshua having trouble getting used to Usyk's movement, another jab hits him. Usyk attacking from various angles, mostly missing but confusing Joshua. Jab/hook connects for Usyk. Joshua connects with perhaps his best punch, and first clinch of the fight initiated by Joshua. Body shot from Usyk. Joshua jab gets 2 from Usyk in return. Close round, AJ did better but didn't really win it. 10-10; Usyk 40-38.
• Round Five: Uppercut from Usyk. Fighters slowing movement a bit, and more shots are connecting though with little effect. Big swing an miss from Joshua. AJ's jabs are looking better, but Usyk connects with a left. Left cross misses though. Good body shot from Joshua. Usyk connects right on the chin, AJ returns fire. Fighters trading glancing jabs, now swinging wildly from both men to end the round! Both fought well and we punt again. 10-10. Usyk 50-48.
• Round Six: The cards are going to be all over, we predict. Usyk defending more early in the round as Joshua jabs. Is he slowing down? Delivers a jab with less activity. Joshua making him miss a bit more. Both fighters missing a lot but then on cue both of them connect. Joshua connects with extended jab. Joshua probably wins that one, his first clear round. Joshua 10-9; Usyk 59-58
• Round Seven: Usyk jab the first big moment in round 7. Good right too. Another jab from Usyk, it seems he took the last round off to rest and is re-energized. Jab and left cross from Usyk. Another jab and two swings, one connects with the left. BIG left knocks AJ back several steps as he almost trips. Usyk unloading with several connections. Big round for Usyk, clearest round yet 10-9. Usyk 10-9, 69-67.
• Round Eight: Not much happens in first minute. Big body punch from AJ. Jab from Usyk. Joshua trying to establish ring dominance now with body shots. Usyk swings wild and misses in combination. Another body shot from AJ, and another. Joshua narrowly takes that one. Joshua 10-9; Usyk 78-77.
• Round Nine: First referee warning for...something. Fighters jabbing at range, AJ whiffs on big shot. Usyk rushes in for body shot, Joshua ties up for only 2nd time in fight. No one is connecting much at all as they're both at range. Joshua holds back of Usyk's neck, they break. Usyk lookng a bit tired but delivers a good left. Another too-close round that many will score either way. 10-10; Usyk 88-87.
• Round Ten: Did Usyk rest up last round? He's pretty active coming into the 10th. Joshua looks pretty fresh too. Usyk with big left, both look strong right now. Both jabbing with confidence in home stretch rounds. Left hand from Usyk scores. Jab from Usyk, right hand from Joshua. Close round halfway through. Big cut under Usyk's eye, fighters clinch and rest a bit. RIght hand from AJ, he sees blood, literally. Ref separeates them. Three strong shots from Usyk though. Both fighters eyes are hurt, another close round, we punt yet again. 10-10; Usyk 98-97.
• Round Eleven: These last two rounds will decide it. Usyk full of energy early, big shot from Usyk, Joshua undeterred, he's got energy too and returns fire. Both have slowed down by the end of the first minute. AJ coming on now as Usyk dodges. AJ is jabbing well now. Lots of movement and little connection until Usyk gets in a right with a minute left. Misses on several swinging lefts and rights. Joshua standing still a bit too much now. Joshua started well but Usyk finished a lot better. Usyk 10-9, 108-106.
• Round Twelve: Usyk going crazy coming at AJ. Fight could go either way as we have five 10-10 rounds but on our card AJ needs a knockdown to get a draw even. Both are connecting, first Usyk and now Joshua a bit more. Usyk backing Joshua up halfway thru round. And again. AJ needs a big shot, needs to take some chances which he's not doing. Gets in a a good right though, and another one. Great jab by Usyk. Usyk slowing down a bit but turns it back on. Swinging like mad at the end, has AJ on the ropes at the finish! Usyk clearly wins the round, and probably the fight. 10-9, Usyk 118-115.

If we split our 10-10 rounds that translates to 116-112 or 115-113 for Usyk. Making three "extreme" cards we have Usyk 118-110, Usyk 115.5-112.5, and Joshua 115-113 on a split decision.

Waiting for the decision.

Decision: 117-112, 116-112, 115-113 all for Usyk. Oleksandr Usyk remains undefeated and takes Joshua's belts. He will jump to #2 on our rankings, and becomes our interim Heavyweight Champion—pending results of Fury-Wilder III. Amazing.

Our 3-round margin was close to the 3.7 average margin of the judges. The 117-112 score probably included a 10-10 round adding an extra point. It went about as we expected in terms of being difficult to judge, but the result went to Usyk and unlike we thought, it seems unlikely to be a controversial result as Usyk came on strong in the final rounds to secure the win.

It looks like we have a 3rd man in the mix for best heavyweight in the world, and for the moment, it's between Usyk and Fury.

The Rematch: Fury vs. Wilder 2 Round-by-Round Scoring

It's SportsRatings #2 Tyson Fury vs. SportsRatings #3 Deontay Wilder in a rematch, with the winner—assuming there is one this time—taking over the #1 spot from Anthony Joshua.

The first fight was as close as it could be, with Fury generally outboxing Wilder with his odd, slippery style, but Wilder scoring two knockdowns—one in the final round that took Fury to the 9-count to recover. He did, however, and survived the 12th round. To the judges, everything evened out to a draw. Both fighters lost their perfect records, but both remain undefeated.

At the time it ruined the unofficial 4-man "Heavyweight Playoff" in effect; with no winner, there was no one to go on to fight Joshua for undisputed status. Things got more complicated when Joshua lost to Andy Ruiz, Jr, but Joshua won that rematch and hopefully will be next on the agenda for tonight's winner.

Fury is 29-0-1 with 20 KOs while Wilder is 42-0-1 with 41 KOs. Somebody's O has got to go. We can't have another draw...let's hope. In our system, Fury has 17 significant wins, Wilder 16, and they are in a near-tie for the #2 spot in our rankings.

In in the undercard's heavyweight feature, Charles Martin and Gerald Washington waltzed for 5 rounds before Martin scored a 1-punch TKO in the 6th.

The fight is ready to start at around 12:15 EST.

Live round-by-round scoring follows:

• Round 1: Quick jabs from Wilder, Fury trying to command the ring with his awkward style, swinging wide for Wilder. BIG punch from Wilder, Fury takes it well though. Fury with a big punch that misses but shows he's going to be on the attack. Another bum rush from Fury keeps Wilder on his back foot. Fury clearly trying to be different in this fight so Wilder can't use last fight's timing. BIG jab by Fury. Wilder had the best punch but Fury had more, and that last jab clinched it. Fury 10-9.
• Round 2: Wilder's style looks awkward due to Fury's posturing. Good hook from Fury, GOOD stiff right from Wilder. Jab from Fury. Lots of punches are connecting, none are hurting so far. Lots of distance between the fighters but both have a huge reach, so it evens out. Fury connects again. Wilder connects again! This is good action, much better than I expected actually. Fury with a great punch overhand against the ropes. Good round for both of them, Wilder ends the round with a solid punch, but Fury returns fire at the bell (maybe after!) 10-10; Fury 20-19.
• Round 3: Fury is dancing a bit, Wilder keeping distance. Fury gets good shots in and ties up Wilder awkwardly. Big punch again from Fury. Good start for the Gypsy King. Gets Wilder in another headlock, punches in that clinch too. Looks like Wilder is in Fury's range, but not the other way around. Wilder unsure of what to do. Fury punching a lot when the ref says to stop, has to pull them apart. Knockdown of Wilder by Fury! With 30 seconds left. Wilder  in trouble. Wilder tries to clinch and falls down again-- he is unsteady on his feet as the round ends. Fury 10-8; 30-27.
• Round 4: Fury punches again in the clinch when told not to; ref warns him. The two whiff on huge punches and Wilder slips to the ground again. Wilder is going for the big punch, he seems desperate. Fury's jabs keep getting in. More clinching, with Fury putting his weight on Wilder. Fury is bullying Wilder, but mostly clinching and wrestling this round. 10-9 Fury; 40-36.
• Round 5: Big one-two from Fury at the start has Wilder in trouble, sloppy fighting ensues. Fury landing big punches from the clinch. Fury really leaning on Wilder; body shot puts Wilder down! He's in real trouble, looking very tired. Fury should be stopped from doing the headlock. Wilder ready to drop, Fury wrestling and bullying him more. Is the headlock legal now? Fury gets a point deducted, and it's fair. With the deduction and knockdown, 9-8 round; Fury 49-44.
• Round 6: Fury bullrushes in again, has Wilder in trouble again. Fury is trying to bury him against the ropes. Fury unloading again, Wilder firing back occasionally. Both are swinging, Fury getting the best of the infighting. Good action, Wilder holding up impressively against the onslaught really. Wilder steps aside from the ropes, but gets hit again. Fury actually licked blood off Wilder's shoulder... Fury 10-9; 59-53.
• Round 7: Big punch from Fury again. Wilder still holding on for now. Slower action for the first minute with Fury walking Wilder down. Wilder's big shot misses as Fury ducks it. Two more miss. Holy shit, the ref waved it off after a few punches from Fury. Wilder looked dazed but that was a really unusual stoppage!
  
  Ok, Wilder's corner threw in the towel. That makes a lot more sense than the ref stoppage. They must have decided before the round that if he got cornered against the ropes to throw the towel.

Fury defeats Wilder by a round 7 TKO. Tyson Fury is our new heavyweight champion after dominating this fight.

 

 

 

 

Anthony Joshua - Andy Ruiz Jr II live round-by-round scoring

Anthony Joshua seeks to avenge his only loss to Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia in a fight roughly scheduled to start at 4pm eastern time in the U.S. 

Joshua (22-1) was beaten soundly by Ruiz (33-1) in June in a 7th round TKO. Joshua had floored Ruiz Jr in the 3rd round but wore himself out going for the kill, and Ruiz battled back, took the advantage, and got the stoppage.

Ruiz Jr is ranked #3 in our Heavyweight Boxing Top 100, with only a very close majority decision loss to Joseph Parker staining his record. Joshua is ranked #4 after having held our #1 spot for many months prior to the loss.

The winner of this bout will claim—or reclaim—the SportsRatings belt, currently held by Tyson Fury. Along with Deontay Wilder, there are 4 fighters within striking distance of the top, and it comes down to who fights who and who beats who before a definitive champion can be crowned. This fight is one more step toward that goal.

Ruiz Jr caused a stir by weighing in 15 pounds heavier than in the first bout, this despite looking like he was losing a lot of weight at times in recent months. He wore a sombrero and sweats to the weigh-in, so it's hard to really know how much of the 283 pounds was him, but it's clear he added weight while Joshua came in 10 pounds lighter than in June at 237.

Both fighters entered the ring through a foggy laser-light show in Diriyah.

The fight is ready to start.

• Round 1: Joshua being cautious, Ruiz a bit tentative too early. Ruiz not quite pressing forward as much as he did last fight. Joshua being very cautious, keeping his distance. Body shot from Ruiz. 1-2 by Joshua. Jab from Joshua. They mix it up a bit near the end of the round, cut over Ruiz's eye. Not much happened to the end but Joshua won the 2nd half of the round for sure. Joshua 10-9.
• Round 2: Ruiz looks more determined at the start, Joshua looks more confident. Ruiz tags Joshua with a still jab. Joshua targetting the eye with the right. Another jab from Joshua. Great left from Joshua. Joshua keeping Ruiz away so far as Ruiz stalks. Flurry from Joshua out of the clinch. Joshua's left eye is also cut above. Good round for Joshua 10-9; 20-18.
• Round 3: Ruiz moving in fast, targeting the body. Body shots again from Ruiz. Jab keeping him away mostly. Ruiz misses several hooks as Joshua moves away. Not much contact in first half of round. Joshua defending well but no offense in first 2 minutes. Finally a good jab and body shot from Joshua, but not enough to earn the round. 10-10; 30-28 Joshua.
• Round 4: Joshua pawing at Ruiz's hands, keeping him from getting set. Jab from Joshua. Ruiz ducks big hook from Joshua, misses on return shots though. Joshua blocks Ruiz punches, gets in a jab and good straight right. Good action late between both, Ruiz lands a few big punches at the end. Makes the round a draw again. 10-10; 40-38 Joshua. 
• Round 5: Joshua none the worse for wear early in the 5th so far. Joshua jabs, tries to clinch and Ruiz fights through it. Ruiz continues to stalk. Good jabs from Joshua serving him well, keeping Ruiz at bay. Ruiz telegraphs a punch, good counter from Joshua. Joshua 10-9; 50-47.
• Round 6: Whiff from Ruiz, counter from Joshua connects. Ruiz lunging in but missing. Jabs from Joshua, to the head and the body. Ruiz being held at bay as Joshua dances around the perimeter of the ring. Good stiff right from Joshua. 10-9; 60-56.
• Round 7: Ruiz still stalking but Joshua has nullified him in the last few rounds, now letting his hands go a bit. Ruiz is swinging in the clinch and referee warns about hitting the back of the head. Joshua whiffs and almost leaves himself open, but recovers. Some in-fighting and Joshua scoring more. But that's what Ruiz needs. Joshua jumps into clinch. Ruiz swings wildly trying to change the rhythm of the fight. Ruiz connects with a good left, but Joshua wins the round. 10-9; 70-65.
• Round 8: First minute of round 8 is more of the same, then Ruiz finally gets in decent shot. Ref cautions both fighters about clinch work and Ruiz hitting back of head. Big shots from Ruiz, a clinch, and ref tries to get in the middle of it, separating them. Joshua jabs and clinches, and Ruiz fights through it and scores with more big shots. Ruiz's best round so far. Ruiz 10-9; Joshua 79-75.
• Round 9: Ruiz stalking again, Joshua connects with jab and immediately clinches in the corner. Left arm out, he fends off Ruiz's stalking. Whenever Joshua clinches now, Ruiz flails his arms hoping to catch Joshua with a kill shot. Jabs exchanged, Joshua whiffs with a wild shot. Ruiz moves in with jabs, flurry from Joshua, but Ruiz responds in kind. 10-10; Joshua 89-85.
• Round 10: Ruiz good shot early, but Joshua keeps him at bay for next minute. Very few shots from Ruiz getting inside, Joshua content to use jab, avoid mixing it up. Ruiz still looking for big shot or opportunity in clinch, Joshua not giving it to him. Joshua doing all the (very little) scoring here. Joshua 10-9; 99-94.
• Round 11: Joshua moves in, jabbing at will early on. Ruiz keeps coming. Needs something big with 2 rounds left. Joshua still moving around the ring well, which might be the idea of his 10 pound weight cut. Ruiz can't get in close enough to unfurl his power punches, except in brief moments in the clinch. More jabs from Joshua, who is doing all the scoring. 10-9 Joshua; 109-103. 
• Round 12: Ruiz more concerned now in the last round but Joshua fending him off, again with jabs, and tying him up effectively. Ruiz frustrated by inability to let his hands go. Ruiz demands Joshua fight him toe to toe but Joshua doesn't fall for it. A clear decision win for Anthony Joshua. 10-9; 119-112.

The judges agree: 118-110, 119-109, 118-110. Anthony Joshua regains his titles, as well as the SportsRatings Heavyweight belt.

Not the most exciting fight to be sure, especially in the anticlimactic  later rounds, but that's how Joshua needed it. An exciting fight would have seen the same result as last June. Joshua did what he should have done the first time around—produce a boring fight. It was expected to be boring last time, and it was nothing but boring. This time, people wanted fireworks and got a fire extinguisher. That's how Joshua fought—like he was fending Ruiz off with a fire extinguisher.

Joshua-Ruiz undercard: Alexander Povetkin vs. Michael Hunter scoring; Dillian Whyte vs. Wach, Hrgovic vs. Molina, Majidov vs. Little

As we've noted, the Joshua-Ruiz undercard rounds out one of the best heavyweight cards of the last 20 years. Here is a live recap of the heavyweight fights on the card and round-by-round scoring of the Alex Povetkin-Michael Hunter bout. The top 3 bouts on the card are available in the U.S. on DAZN; the earlier bouts are available on YouTube on Sky Sports (but not in the United States).

Mahammadrasul Majidov TKO 2 #174 Tom Little

Two-time amateur world champ Majidov beat Tom Little (10-8) in only his 2nd official pro bout. Little was #174 in our rankings and just 5-7 in rated bouts, so it wasn't any surprise. Majidov will enter our top 100 in January, and we grade his potential an A- meaning he should be a top 5 prospect. Majidov won the amateur world championship in 2011 and 2013, beating Anthony Joshua to win gold the first time. But at 33 he's starting his pro career pretty late, and he could be past his peak. We see a career trajectory like Kubrat Pulev's: a quick dash to the top 10, perhaps pushing into the top 5, but failing to beat the top 3 fighters.

#12 Filip Hrgovic KO 3 #123 Eric Molina

Rising prospect Hrgovic, 27, dominated journeyman Eric Molina, who was counted out in the third round despite complaining about punches to the back of the head. Hrgovic avoided Molina's attempts to hit him with a game-changing haymaker and overwhelmed him with his own power punches. Hrgovic is just outside our top 10 and with all the other action today it's unlikely this win will put him there just yet. But it was a strong performance and shows he is a danger to anyone.

Upcoming: #5 Dillian Whyte vs. #201 Mariusz Wach

Whyte (26-1) continues his quest for another title shot, taking on former contender Wach (35-5) in a scheduled 10-rounder.

First round had a lot of action, both fighters looking (too) big and hitting hard. Great shot from Whyte near the end. 10-9. Round two more of the same, but Whyte outlanding Wach 2-1 or 3-1, but Wach got a few really big shots in. Whyte returned fire, great action. No one was rocked despite the bombs. 20-18. Both fighters slowed down in the 3rd round. But still throwing heavy hands, both chins holding up very well. Closer round but still Whyte. 30-27. Round 4 Wach moving forward with effective jabs. Blocking most of Whyte's big shots, but Whyte gets a few in later in the round. 39-37. Round 5 Whyte came out with more urgency, disrupting Wach's jabs with strong shots, using Philly Shell defense. Wach is holding up but he's being hit regularly. Great action at end as both fighters let it go. 49-46. Round 6: Whyte throwing combos to Wach's single punches. Wach is looking tired but is unhurt and still throwing hard. Whyte throwing hard too, and looks stronger. Wach flurry at end shows he's still in it, but falling behind. 59-55. Seventh round, more of the same: hard shots from both fighters, very clean, scoring shots all around, and no sign of either fighter being rocked. Good body shot variations from Whyte, then he goes to the head. Wach generally headhunting. Both chins are holding up! 69-65. 8th Round, Wach eager to come out, but Whyte peppering him with body and head shots, still looking strong. Wach's work rate is well down, jabs looking weaker. Whyte takes round but Wach finishes round strong. 79-74. Round 9: Wach and Whyte trading toe to toe in the 9th! Both letting their hands go, both having their moments. Whyte getting hit hard but then coming back with his own. Wach ends with flurry. Incredible round. 88-84. Round ten: Wach needs a knockout and he knows it. Whyte not taking any chances though. Wach will just not drop! Or even be rocked by Whyte's punches. Whyte on the defense on the ropes, fighting back. Whyte's punching variety is amazing, body shots, uppercut, windmills. Last half minute Whyte rocks Wach with big combo. Wach dodges 3 huge windmills and will survive. Our final score: Whyte 98-93. Judges say: 98-93, 97-93, 97-93 for Whyte.

Upcoming: #6 Alex Povetkin vs. #14 Michael Hunter - round by round scoring

Povetkin looks for one last drive toward a title as Hunter seeks to break into the top ten.

• Round 1: Hunter's unorthodox moving is wreacking havoc for Povetkin early on, hitting Povetkin will angles all over, esp. right hands. Povetkin gets his composure but generally unable to figure Hunter out in this round. Hunter's work early wins this one. Hunter 10-9.
• Round 2: Hunter's speed still bothering Povetkin, who is missing with lots of punches. Hunter almost wobbles him with a right. Good counter by Povetkin late, otherwise round was pretty even. 10-10; Hunter 20-19.
• Round 3: Povetkin finally adjusting to the speed of the fight, some good work early. Hunter clinching when Povetkin gets close. Fight speed slowing down a bit late in the 3rd. Another close hard-to-score round. 10-10; 30-29 Hunter.
• Round 4: Mixing it up again, both mostly whiffing and dodging each others hooks. Some good power from Povetkin but didn't land flush. Ducking low at times to avoid Hunter's swinging; Hunter clinching in close. Hunter misses twice late, pace is showing for both of them. Povetkin's best round 10-9; 39-39. This is going to be a close one, every round counts.
• Round 5: Good 1-2 from Hunter; rest of round is very close again until mid-round Povetkin rocks Hunter with near-knockdown against the ropes. Hunter looks recovered but Povetkin catches him again and has to clinch. Good jabs from Hunter but Povetkin has the clear power advantage. A few late (past-bell) punches from Hunter but Povetkin wins that one. 10-9; Povetkin 49-48. 
• Round 6: Hunter still looking fast as he jumps in with jabs; if he can win rounds and avoid big punches he can still win this fight. Jab lands again. Povetkin looking a bit tired, lower work rate this round. Hunter clips him with hook and Povetkin clinches. Hunter's round 10-9; 58-58.
• Round 7: Who has more left i this close fight? Ring is looking foggy from humidity. Povetkin swinging but not connecting cleanly, neither fighter gaining advantage in first half of round. Hunter lands well and Povetkin clinches again, unhurt but stunned a bit. Pretty even round but slight edge to Hunter 10-9; 68-67
• Round 8: More very even sparring; Povetkin has a moment mid-round. Not much there but Povetkin had the only real moment; very close yet again, this one to Povetkin 10-9; 77-77
• Round 9:  Hunter full of energy at start but nothing much comes of it. Lots more missing in the first minute. One clean punch from Povetkin; return from Hunter seconds later. Both getting tired late, lots of clinches, initiated by both men. 10-10; 87-87.
• Round 10: Are we headed for a draw? Either that or a very, very close decision it seems. Inside work from both men. More clinching too. Hooks from Hunter miss in the clinch. Povetkin looking weary, he clinches, and Hunter doesn't argue. Mostly clinching, another draw round. 10-10; 97-97.
• Round 11: Head-snapping jabs connect for both fighters. Now they're diving in at the same time, meeting in clinch. Big shots from Hunter and Povetkin looks wobbly. He's staying up and fighting back; he rushes in and heads clashed. Hunter connects with 2 more big shots, clearly winning this round in a very tight fight. Povetkin weary and gets hit again. Clear round for Hunter 10-9; Hunter 107-106. 
• Round 12: Povetkin needs this round or Hunter probably wins, though any decision will probably be split/majority. Povetkin still looks a bit dazed, looking for big punches to turn the tide. Povetkin rushes in, fighters collide and they sprawl to the ground. Fight resumes, more clinching from Povetkin, but Hunter isn't connecting like he did last round. One minute to go, round is even so far. Good left from Hunter. Povetkin needs something but still clinches. Another tight round 10-10; Hunter 117-116.

Looks like a split decision coming, in favor of either fighter. We favor Hunter, and splitting the five 10-10 rounds could make it 117-111 Hunter or 116-112 Povetkin. We think a very close result goes to Hunter, but the cards overall ought to be very tight.

The verdict: 115-113 Povetkin; 115-113 Hunter; and 114-114 split draw. 

You know what? That's actually fair, as disappointing as it is. All the verdicts were very close, so no judge was far off from another. It will be interesting to see the round-by-round cards, and check against the five rounds we gave a 10-10.

The draw might put Hunter in our top 10 after all, while Povetkin will lose points but remain at #6.