Wladimir Klitschko?s current heavyweight title reign has reached seventeen defenses. Over the last ten years, Klitschko has remained unbeaten and largely unchallenged. In spite of decimating the top heavyweight talent the WBA, WBO, and IBF could throw at him, Klitschko still has not received the full embrace of the world boxing public; yet, he is universally recognized as the number one heavyweight in the world.
Klitschko?s treatment from the boxing public, particularly in America, is due to a misdirected displacement of anger. An anger over the heavyweight state of the game since the 1990s when the top ten included such names as Holyfield, Lewis, Tyson, Bowe, Foreman, Moorer, Holmes, Mercer, Morrison, and Ruddock in varying order. That period, certainly an exception in boxing history, will always be recalled fondly, but let?s not overlook the fact that many eras of heavyweight bout were often highlighted by a single great name with a smattering of less than great contenders, who tried for the title.
Klitschko?s title reign is really not much less if less at all. He has effectively cleaned out the heavyweight division and avoided no one. He has met all of his greatest threats and walked away unscathed. The names Samuel Peter, Chris Byrd, Tony Thompson, Ruslan Chagaev, Eddie Chambers, and David Haye have meant a great deal to the heavyweight picture in the last decade. So too may the names Alexander Povetkin and Kubrat Pulev, who likely will continue to perform well in years to come. Povetkin has already scored not one, but two KO of the Year candidates since losing to Klitschko. Most recently he dispatched well-regarded Carlos Takam in a bout that also may contend for Fight of the Year honors. Pulev may not have performed well in his big title shot, but that does not erase his previous body of work, which measures well against today?s heavyweight muddle. A Pulev-Povetkin match-up just might be the best match-up the division can boast right now from a pure entertainment standpoint.
Many long-standing champions have reigns containing a substantial amount of filler; that?s just part of the game. So, let it be for Wladimir Klitschko as it was for Bernard Hopkins, Ricardo Lopez, and even Joe Louis. The positive here is that these champions all dominated their lesser foes and did not show vulnerability nor suffer embarrassing defeat.
SecondsOut rated fighters On the Move:
On Thursday, November 13, at Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C., USA, Carlos Cuadras scored a sixth round TKO of Marvin Mabait in a WBC super flyweight title bout. The end came at the :36 mark of round six. Cuadras registered his second title defense and raised his ledger to 31-0-1 (25). Mabait fell to 19-3-2 (13).
Cuadras remained SecondsOut?s number two ranked super flyweight in the world today.
On Friday, November 14, at Coliseo Pedrin Zorilla, Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, Michael Farenas was defeated Jose Pedraza via unanimous decision in a twelve round IBF super featherweight title eliminator bout. The scores favored Pedraza 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112. Pedraza remained unbeaten at 19-0 (12). Farenas dipped to 39-5-4 (31).
Pedraza crashed the SecondsOut super featherweight rankings at number six. Farenas fell from seventh to tenth. Sergio Thompson and Miguel Roman each advanced one rating.
On Saturday, November 15, at O2 World Arena, Altona, Hamburg, Germany, Wladimir Klitschko battered Kubrat Pulev into a fifth round stoppage in an IBF heavyweight title bout. The KO was registered at 2:11. Pulev was dropped twice in the first and once in the third and fifth rounds. Klitschko notched his seventeenth title defense and ran his record to 63-3 (53). Pulev crashed to 20-1 (11).
Klitschko long ago affirmed his number one ranking in SecondsOut?s heavyweight ladder. This victory placed yet another exclamation point on that claim. Pulev fell from second to seventh. The previously rated third through seventh contenders each climbed one ranking.
At Hershey Center, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Youri Kayembre Kalenga scored a twelfth round TKO of Denton Daley in an interim WBA cruiserweight title bout. The end came at the 1:52 mark. Kalenga lifted his dossier to 21-1 (14). Daley fell to 12-1 (6).
Kalenga reinforced his standing as SecondsOut?s number tenth rated cruiserweight in the world.
At Plaza de Toros, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, Yuriorkis Gamboa stopped Joel Montes de Oca in six rounds of a lightweight bout. Gamboa scored two knockdowns before the bout was waved off at the 1:13 mark. Gamboa, who fought twice in one year for the first time since 2011, raised his record to 24-1 (17). Montes de Oca fell to 18-4 (10).
Gamboa was removed from the SecondsOut super featherweight rankings due to his failure to make that weight since 2012.
At Cebu City Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines, Donnie Nietes forced Carlos Velarde into a seventh round corner retirement in a WBO light flyweight title bout. The end was ruled at the 3:00 mark. Nietes defended his title for the fifth time and lifted his ledger to 34-1-4 (20). Velarde, recently ranked at minimumweight by SecondsOut, fell to 26-4-1 (14).
Nietes remained SecondsOut?s top-rated light flyweight in the world.
Also on the card, Milan Melindo defeated Saul Juarez in a twelve round IBF light flyweight title eliminator bout. The scores favored Melindo 118-110, 116-112, and 115-113. Melindo made the light flyweight limit for the first time since 2009. Melindo moved his numbers to 32-1 (12). Juarez dipped down to 20-4 (11).
Melindo held onto his number six light flyweight ranking at SecondsOut.
Also on the card, Francisco Rodriguez Jr. fought to a draw with Jomar Fajardo in a ten round flyweight bout. The scores read 98-92 for Rodriguez, 96-94 Fajardo, and 95-95. Rodriguez? record stalled at 16-2-1 (11). Fajardo?s record now stands at 14-5-2 (7).
Rodriguez, possibly making a full rise up in weight, fell from second to third in the SecondsOut minimumweight rankings. Wanheng Menayothin advanced to second.
Also on the card, in an upset, Merlito Sabillo lost by fourth round TKO to Faris Nenggo in a minimumweight bout. The bout ended due to a cut on the eyelid of Sabillo. Sabillo, winless over his last three, fell to 23-2-1 (12). Nenggo jumped to 9-6-3 (3).
Sabillo plummeted out of the SecondsOut minimumweight top ten. Xiong Zhou Zhong and Kosei Tanaka each climbed one ranking to eighth and ninth respectively. Ryuji Hara climbed in to the ten spot.
At 3 Arena, Dublin, Ireland, Anthony Crolla won a six round unanimous decision over Gyorgy Mizsei Jr. in a light welterweight bout. Crolla won by a single score of 60-54. He raised his record 29-4-2 (11). Mizsei fell to 20-12 (12). Crolla earned a January title shot at WBA lightweight champion Richar Abril.
Crolla remained SecondsOut?s ninth rated lightweight in the world today.
SecondsOut ranked fighters in action through Sunday, November 23, 2014:
Saturday, November 22:
Yokohama International Swimming Pool, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan, Roman Gonzalez versus Rocky Fuentes in a twelve round WBC flyweight title bout; Takashi Miura versus Edgar Puente in a twelve round WBC super featherweight title bout.
At Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao, S.A.R., China, Manny Pacquiao versus Chris Algieri in a twelve round WBO welterweight title bout; Vasyl Lomachenko versus Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo in a twelve round WBO featherweight title bout; Jessie Vargas versus Antonio Demarco in a twelve round WBA world light welterweight title bout.
At Echo Arena, Liverpool, Merseyside, United Kingdom, James Degale versus Marco Antonio Periban in a twelve round super middleweight bout; George Groves versus Denis Douglin in a twelve round super middleweight bout; Scott Quigg versus Hidenori Otake in a twelve round WBA world super bantamweight title bout; Jamie McDonnell versus Walberto Ramos in a twelve round WBA world bantamweight title bout;
To check out Derek?s SecondsOut rankings click on the link below www.digenie.net/sorankings/p_so_world.asp
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