Welcome to the third and final installment of my annual preview review, featuring boxing?s traditional glory divisions from middleweight to heavyweight. In the 2010 preview review, I revisit predictions in every weight class for a champion who will stay, a champion who will go, and a boxer to watch out for. I do not make any changes to the predictions from last year, thus removing any temptation to make myself look better through the exclusion of erroneous or irrelevant content. That forced me to separate this feature into three parts, coming to a merciful end today. After each prediction, I apply a simple grade, from A to F, along with an opinion on how the prognostication turned out.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion who will stay: Felix Sturm
What I said: An overriding factor in picking Sturm is that he might only fight once this year because of a possible legal battle stemming from a move to a new promoter. When Sturm steps between the ropes, the IBF?s top two contenders are good but beatable Anthony Mundine and Gennady Golovkin. Neither man has the public or monetary appeal to entice Sturm out of his hometown either. Sturm showed an ability to deal with the big stage in the De La Hoya fight, so even if Kelly Pavlik enticed him to America, Sturm would be a live dog in that bout. The middleweight division is going the way of the heavyweights, with money and many contenders centered in and around Germany. In America, Sturm is best known for a loss (many, on both sides of the Atlantic, still believe he won) to Oscar De La Hoya. It was a solid performance, where Sturm unveiled a jab that ensures he will be a part of the middleweight landscape for as long as he can push that weapon in front of himself. Since that ?loss,? Sturm has gone 13-1-1, the lone shock loss was against Javier Castillejo, where Sturm abandoned his jab and slugged it out. Has defeated a solid but unspectacular list of challengers, while seeking a fight with Kelly Pavlik and ignoring the challenge of Arthur Abraham. At 30, and 5? 11 inches tall, Sturm is falling back more on his jab and movement but, when forced to, opens up and exchanges with opponents. Has the ring savvy to get out of trouble without resorting to punching his way of the ropes. Retains enough speed and muscle to give Pavlik or Paul Williams a solid fight.
Grade- A: I did not get the opponent right but Sturm did only fight once in 2010, handing German fans his usual brand of competent and workmanlike victory. Because of legal issues, waited until September to stage his own promotion and take out number one challenger Giovanni Lorenzo, emerging with a solid 12-round win behind his dominant jab. Sturm is delivering on his promise to be more active in 2011, stepping back into the ring this February. Since a fight with Sergio Martinez is improbable in 2011, there is a good chance Sturm will be a repeat selection next year.
Champion who will go: Sebastian Sylvester
What I said: I pick the German despite the potential of Kelly Pavlik fighting Paul Williams and because his skill set is just not as expansive as the other champions. That is not to say Sylvester is without talent or merit. Was a very good amateur, two-time German champion who fought on the national team, winning despite his relatively small 5?8? stature. Is a physically strong fighter who fights well on the inside but the left jab is what leads the toughman to victory. That jab is very underrated and it?s timing and accuracy is lethal, considering the reach disadvantage Sylvester usually suffers from. Opponents know what they are going to get with Sylvester, a really consistent performer who has been rated by The Ring magazine for 229 consecutive weeks now but more often than not, they can?t stop his aggressive, forward-moving game plan. Sylvester can be outboxed, as Felix Sturm and Amin Asikainen did, but will always get his share of punches in. In his last fight, struggled with prospect Giovanni Lorenzo, winning a split decision, but looked impressive in the championship rounds to earn the win. A more experienced boxer might have beaten Sylvester on that night and physical guys like Sylvester can get old overnight. I am playing the odds and picking this active champ, three fights a year for the last three years, to slip and lose one of those bouts.
Grade- C-: In the face of Sylvester still holding his world title, I give myself a slightly passing grade, since he was held to a controversial draw with Roman Karmazin this year. In all, Sylvester made three title defenses and I admit he impressed me more than I had anticipated he could at the beginning of the year. At age 30, and at 5? 7 ??, I am not sure how long Sylvester can continue to reign in an improving division. I will be rooting for him, unless circumstances force me to pick against him again in this slot for 2011.
Will rise in 2010: Daniel Jacobs
What I said: I waivered with this pick and wanted to select French based Cameroonian Hassan N?Jikam. However, I changed my mind at the last moment, going with Jacobs? slightly better amateur credentials and my familiarity with him pushed me in the direction of the equally talented New Yorker. This kid is not afraid to step up to a challenge and I was impressed when Jacobs scored a second-round kayo of Jose Varela on ESPN2. Jacobs knew if he got rid of Varela early, he would fight the next week on the Pacquiao ? Hatton PPV undercard. That is what I call delivering under pressure. Is only 22 years old and in a division in need of fresh faces. A five-time amateur champion, four times a NY Golden Gloves champ, Jacobs has made the transition from amateur accuracy to pro power with little problem. A solid 6?1? frame is filling out nicely and Jacobs? weight is distributed evenly. Selects and puts his punches together well but like most youngsters, is more imaginative and concerned with offense than defense. If moved aggressively this year, Jacobs could be a viable title challenger by mid-2011.
Grade- D: Crap! I was one of the few people who picked Dmitry Pirog to beat Daniel Jacobs (after watching footage of Pirog) but did not research Pirog properly at the beginning of the 2010. That is on me and for such, I deserve an F. The reason I went with a slightly less failing grade is that Jacobs lost his grandmother days before facing Pirog, a mitigating factor but certainly not the main one for his loss. Overall Jacobs was 3-1 in 2010 but unless he scores a big win in 2011, the Pirog fight could irrevocably define him.
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT
Champion who will stay: Lucian Bute
What I said: Not being a part of Showtime?s ?Super Six? tourney helps the Canadian-based Romanian, as he can chose the opposition and will not have a murderers? row of challengers in 2010. There is much to like about Bute, an aggressive southpaw with an impressive 80% kayo ratio. The most impressive knockout punch might have been the body shot stoppage he scored against Librado Andrade in his last fight. An intelligent pressure fighter, whose affable personality and charity work aided his ticket selling prowess. But mostly, as with all fighters, fans seem to be drawn to a boxer because he scores knockouts. Canadian fans are already convinced that Bute is the goods and only Montreal Canadiens hockey playoff games receive a higher viewership on television. Will America follow suit? Like many fighters from the former Soviet Bloc, this ardent student of boxing has a solid amateur background. His pressing style, which slowly overtakes and envelops foes, is consistent and wears on them. What I like most about Bute is that he picks his shots wisely. Bute rarely lunges or overextends himself to land a looping punch on a retreating opponent, aware that his style and wit will afford more opportunities as the rounds progress. I do fear Bute might move up in weight in search of paydays against Chad Dawson or Jean Pascal but otherwise, I think he can defeat any fighter who is not a part of Showtime?s tourney.
Grade- A: Bounced between HBO, Showtime, and ESPN this year scoring sensational kayos over Librado Andrade and Edison Miranda. Added an irrelevant sanctioning body-forced stoppage victory over Jessie Brinkley two months ago. I disagree with The Ring magazine (as member of their ranking panel), who have elevated Andre Ward over Bute as their number one-rated 168-pounder. Bute is the best at the weight and he will show that once Showtime?s ?Super Six? tourney is over and he faces the eventual winner.
Champion who will go: Carl Froch
What I said: This is a choice I did not want to make, since I really like and appreciate Froch?s attitude in and out of the ring. In fact, I will be rooting against this selection when he fights Mikkel Kessler in his next fight. However, I believe Kessler has the style and offensive repertoire to engage a glory hound like Froch who lives to impress audiences. Initially, I thought Froch was overhyped by the British press and that he most certainly thought too much of his own skills. I am right on the second part; no one can be as good as Froch thinks he is. I also thought Jean Pascal would defeat Carl Froch when the pair met 13 months ago and have to say Froch won me over in the way he battled and out-willed a more physically gifted opponent. Since then, I reconsidered Froch and correctly picked him to defeat Jermain Taylor and Andre Dirrell. The Pascal bout was a give-and-take fight, the pair absorbing punches that should have dropped them and both men relied on adrenaline to get through rough patches. I underestimated Froch in that fight and I might have overestimated him because of it since he struggled against Taylor. But Taylor is a talented fighter in his own right and Froch exhibited a never-say-die attitude which will serve him well. I am most impressed by how Froch did not hesitate to launch punches simultaneously with Pascal and Dirrell, though obviously slower, and was willing to accept whatever came his way in order to land his own punches. Watching that, you gain a lot of respect for a fighter and look forward to seeing him again. In the end, I just believe Froch?s style is not suited for some of the opponents he will face in the Showtime tourney.
Grade- B+: So, you probably ask yourself how I can give myself a passing grade when Froch is an alphabet champion right now. Well, he lost that title to Mikkel Kessler in April before winning the same title back in a fight against Arthur Abraham last month. Thus my prediction was right, initially, and it is Froch?s tenacity that is to be credited for my dropping the grade to B instead of A. In regaining his title, Froch earned respect from nearly everyone and I must admit underestimating Froch?s boxing ability but never his will. Win or lose, Froch is must-see TV and thanks to Showtime, that fact has been revealed to American audiences.
Will rise in 2010: Eduard Gutknecht
What I said: Outside of cruiserweight, the 168-pound division might be the toughest division to break into. There are a ton of experienced and talent landmines standing in the way of new faces at super middleweight. Gutknecht presents an angular figure and really uses that length and impressive reach to his advantage. He is another excellent Eastern European amateur (starting age 13 and engaging in nearly 160 bouts but never won a big tourney) from Kazakhstan, who has made his home and bones in Germany. In February 2009, showed no mercy, raining down right hands on Rubin Williams, taking out the faded, one-time prospect with precision. In Gutknecht?s last fight, he took the biggest step of his career, winning a split decision against former WBO champion Karoly Balzsay, employing a stabbing jab and movement. He does have to work on keeping his concentration, suffering a knockdown against Philippe Mend, and seems the type who fights up or down to his level of competition. Also has very little power, seven stoppages in 18 fights, but does not get out of his high stand-up style to seek a kayo either. Despite beating Balzsay, will likely go into a holding pattern in 2010 to refine his skills since all the titles are virtually frozen by Showtime?s ?Super Six? tourney.
Grade- F: Lost lopsidedly in a challenge to dethrone Robert Stieglitz and, in a comeback win, did not look motivated scaling 174 pounds. My hope that Gutknecht went into a holding pattern in 2010 to refine his skills would have been ideal for him. I just hope the loss does not permanently affect Gutknecht and that he finds himself to get back onto the right path that leads to a second title shot.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion who will stay: Tavoris Cloud
What I said: A 27-year-old upstart with a 90% kayo percentage is hard to ignore, unless your name is Chad Dawson and Cloud is the mandatory contender. Cloud is the kind of youthful injection of excitement the elderly light heavyweight division was in desperate need of. In 2008, Cloud delivered on his first step up in class, knocking out Julio Cesar Gonzalez in ten one-sided rounds. An impressive beat down of a top-notch gatekeeper, which marked Cloud as a borderline contender. Until that point, Cloud had been stopping Midwest journeymen; none went more than five rounds and only 300-fight veteran Reggie Strickland lasted the distance. Power is obviously Cloud?s main asset but he sets up punches well and delivers them with speed and accuracy. Has a tendency to headhunt but has not been forced to wear down an opponent since he has controlled every fight. Cloud?s defense is underrated, slipping a lot of punches from Gonzalez, since his offense overshadows everything else. The only negative I can point to is a lack of activity, as Cloud entered his title winning fight against Clinton Woods off of a 12-month layoff. At 5?10?, Cloud is on the short side for a light heavyweight but it works for him because of that constant aggression. It is ironic that the best boxer in the division, Chad Dawson, does not even own a belt. Picking Cloud was simple, since few want to face a talented young gun who has not merited enough hype to give challengers a large payday yet. Thus veterans and talented prospects will avoid Cloud, allowing him to feast on beatable opposition in 2010 and establish himself as a force for 2011. Nathan Cleverly and Antonio Tarver are the two highest-rated challengers by the IBF and neither has the combinations of skills to defeat Cloud.
Grade- A: Scored an impressive and illuminating win over Glen Johnson on HBO and, miracle of all miracles for a Don King fighter, managed to fight twice in 2010. In his second fight, Cloud scored a blue-collar beat down of Fulgencio Zuniga, displaying a patience not seen previously. The light heavyweight division has suddenly become exciting, with Cloud, Pascal, Dawson and even Hopkins providing unexpected life to a formerly stagnant division. I rate Cloud the best of the bunch right now. Period.
Champion who will go: Jean Pascal
What I said: Another selection I do not want to make, having come to appreciate the fighting spirit Pascal showed in fights against Carl Froch and Adrian Diaconu. Not only is Pascal likely to face Chad Dawson this year but he will be coming off shoulder surgery as well. Not a good combination. The 27-year-old showed flashes of brilliance, continuing to model his style and technique along the lines of Roy Jones. Pascal does so despite a close loss to Carl Froch, in a real back-and-forth brawl, where he showed a good chin and willingness to put himself in harm?s way to let his punches go. Since that lone loss, Pascal has reestablished himself (showing a loss can be good for a boxer) by twice besting rugged champ Adrian Diaconu. The Haitian-born Pascal, a seven-time Canadian amateur champion who fought for Canada in the 2004 Olympics, surprised me by moving up in weight to defeat Diaconu. In terms of style, Pascal is a Roy Jones Jr. wannabe, similarly gifted physically but lacking Jones? innate boxing instincts. Had trouble making the super middleweight limit for some time and attributed his lone loss to the strain of making the 168-pound limit. There might be something to that, since Pascal weighed in at 183 pounds for the seven-day, pre-fight weigh-in for the first Diaconu fight. Has the reflexes and musculature to mix with the world?s elite but can he find something to fall back upon when his speed and reflexes begin to falter in the later rounds?
Grade- C-: Did I get this pick right and the judges are the ones who got it all wrong? I won?t lie and tell you I thought Hopkins soundly defeated Pascal; I scored the fight in favor of Pascal by two points and will not fabricate to make myself look better in retrospect. I began the pick by stating I did not want to select Pascal and it was injuries and a tough schedule that merit the choice of Pascal. In my opinion, Pascal fought through both valiantly.
Will rise in 2010: Vyacheslav Uzelkov
What I said: I like to pick younger guys for this category but others at light heavyweight are either equally old or have not established themselves against worthy foes. This former amateur star is part of the Klitschko brothers? K2 promotional body but is still developing in the Ukraine and has yet to show his wares in Germany. Is really comfortable between the ropes, boxing from age seven, thanks to hundreds of amateur competitions. Unlike other prospects, seem to take defense seriously. In 2008, knocked out fellow undefeated prospect Denis Simcic and added a solid win over solid European gatekeeper Alejandro Lakatos. Uzelkov?s best win is over current WBA champion Gabriel Campillo (who was undefeated at the time) and he remains the only man to stop the tough Spaniard. A 64% kayo ratio is a result of accuracy and the way Uzelkov sets up punches more than pure power and Uzelkov is an excellent finisher. Everything works of a snappy jab, which allows Uzelkov to start fast and establish himself before opponents have a chance to get into the fight. I hope they take Uzelkov out of the Ukraine in 2010 and allow him to experience crowds who have no rooting interest in him. With Uzelkov?s age and experience, I have little doubt he will maneuver himself into some kind of mandatory fight by early 2011.
Grade- F-: In previous divisional picks, I chose against my 2010 preview selection (Pirog vs. Jacobs and Martirosyan vs. Greene) when faced with facts and stylistic match-ups that changed my opinion. Not so with Uzelkov, who I picked to unseat Beibut Shumenov in his title challenge. Thus, the Ukrainian made me a double loser. For me, Uzelkov put forth the most disappointing performance of any fighter on this list, beating out Daud Yordan, since he had Shumenov down early and let the fight slip from his experienced fists. Uzelkov lost the plot in his title challenge and did himself no favors entering the fight off a nine-month layoff. My Irish heritage forces me to hold this grudge against Uzelkov but I doubt I will see him on American TV after the woeful Shumenov performance.
CRUISERWEIGHT
Champion who will stay: Marco Huck
What I said: Only beats out Tomasz Adamek because I think Adamek will make the move to heavyweight this year for some larger paydays. Huck is an interesting boxing study, who successfully made the conversion from a Tae Kwon Do champion to boxer much easier than expected. However, he did so at the young age of 24 and proved his worth as a world-class boxer in a brutal fight with IBF champ Steve Cunningham. Huck lost that fight in the final round but the experience has obviously served him well in knocking out his next seven opponents (combined record 99-4) before winning the WBO title by outworking Victor Ramirez. The Yugoslavian transplant, now fighting in Germany, really showed me a lot against Cunningham. Obviously behind on points, Huck went all-out in the 11th to try and score a kayo, gassing himself to the point where his corner had to rescue him. The effort had to be applauded by all who saw it. Huck is not going to leave anything in the tank and is an aggressive slugger who has better than average movement to compliment that strength. Has heavy hands too and really breaks down opponents with consistency of his punching. I am surprised by his good sense of distance, since kickboxing employs a lot more space, where he either gets full extension on punches or quickly slides inside to rough up opponents. The learning portion of his career is done now and I think he is ready to defend his title in a stacked weight class for at least all of 2010.
Grade- A: Last week had a close call against legitimate top-five cruiserweight Dennis Lebedev, pulling out a debatable split decision despite suffering a cracked rib in the early part of that showdown. Unlike most world champions, Huck fought often last year, toeing the line four times, defeating sound challengers in Lebedev and Matt Godfrey. Another reason to give him an A despite the closeness of his win over Lebedev, where he fought surprisingly well in spots backing up. Plus, I maintain Huck is the most exciting fighter above middleweight.
Champion who will go: Guillermo Jones
What I said: There is a decent chance the Panamanian could lose his title due to inactivity and if not, the inactive and 38-year old Jones has to face off against the likes of Valery Brudov and Grigory Drozd. This weight class is not for the faint of heart either! Jones first came to our attention as a junior middleweight challenger and has since expanded in girth to become one of the most unlikely champions of recent vintage. Opponents just keep underestimating the portly and slow-looking counterpuncher and they will do even more after his current 15 months of inactivity. Jones walks through punches to deliver his awkward retaliatory blows and he finds ways to keep opponents frustrated and within punching distance. Has done this effectively, to the point of TKO?ing (on cuts) a capable Firat Arslan to win the WBA title. If- and this is a big if- Jones has more than two fights this year, I expect him to lose one on foreign turf. Russian Valery Brudov is still his number one challenger (after a full calendar year) and that will not be an easy match-up in terms of style.
Grade- F: As with Sergiy Dzinziruk, Jones should have been stripped of his title for choosing to stay inactive for 25 months! Having said that, Jones is an amazing story as a portly 38-year-old, whose first title shot was at junior middleweight. He continues to find ways to keep his title and not via bad decisions either. This time out, he defeated mandatory challenger Valery Brudov, cutting both of his eyes and outworking the physically superior challenger. Jones is like a horror flick slasher, popping up every couple years to kill an unsuspecting cocky contender. I just wish I could comprehend how he does it, so I would stop picking against him!
Will rise in 2010: Yoan Pablo Hernandez
What I said: This selection came down to Hernandez and Russian Alexander Alexeev, both of whom were amateur stars. The duo also lost a fight last year but I do not hold that against boxers who test themselves against quality opponents. I chose Hernandez over Alexeev because of his southpaw stance, larger size, and he is slightly more youthful. Grigory Drozd was a competitive third, and then there is Poland?s outstanding Pawel Kolodziej. Overall, this might continue to be the most competitive weight in all boxing for the next five years! Hernandez did not do as well as other Cubans in international competition, losing in his one Olympic appearance (2004) in the second round. Unlike his peers, Hernandez has not been able to avoid a loss in the face of tough matchmaking. Is currently 20-1, with 11 kayos, and outpointed respected American cruiserweight Aaron Williams and European toughman Enad Licina. I don?t think Hernandez fared well in the amateurs because he was shrinking down to an unnatural weight, 175 pounds, and moving down from heavyweight in a less than a year hurt his body. The 6?4? southpaw has world class trainer Ulli Wegner, who trained Sven Ottke and Arthur Abraham (and is Sauerland Event Promotions? main trainer), working with him and, at 25, should be coming into his own physically. He is a busy puncher but not overly powerful despite good physical proportions. His loss came against former champion Wayne Braithwaite, where Hernandez got too comfortable after knocking Braithwaite down in the first round. Braithwaite went on to catch Hernandez flush with a hook and then defeated him on the three knockdown rule. Hernandez was also knocked out in the amateurs by countryman and current stablemate Odlanier Solis, so his chin has questions. Seems to have rebounded from the loss and if Hernandez has learned from it, there is no reason he cannot win a title like the reputedly weak-chinned David Haye did in recent division history.
Grade- A-: Whew, I was right to go with Hernandez over Alexeev since Alexeev was knocked out again in 2010. Hernandez won three times in 2010 and has a good shot at facing Guillermo Jones for the WBA title in 2011. This proves, once again, that an unexpected loss is not a death sentence for a talented prospect and is more understood by European boxing fans. The cruiserweights are a very talented and hard hitting bunch, so Hernandez will need to continue improving and not get complacent. Should get into the ring at least three times in 2011, allowing Hernandez to mature and gain experience that will be sorely needed against the talented cruiserweight champions.
HEAVYWEIGHT
Champion who will stay: Vitali Klitschko
What I said: The reason is quite simple…,size! Not only that, Vitali?s underrated skills on offense and defense are overshadowed by those physical dimensions. Who out there even remotely looks like a threat to Vitali? I think you have to take the best assets of the top ten heavyweight and combine them to have a chance to unseat Vitali at this stage. Could possibly square off against former cruiserweight king David Haye, who does have the speed to bother any heavyweight. Given Vitali?s overall r?sum? and recent bouts, I rate him ahead of brother Wladimir as the best heavyweight in the world today. The Ukrainian giant arrives at fights in optimum mental and physical condition. In his comeback fight against Samuel Peter, after nearly four years away from the ring, Vitali weighed three pounds less than he did for a clash with Lennox Lewis in 2003. Has better hand speed than given credit for and Vitali combines great footwork with punching accuracy to frustrate and wear down opposition. Because of Klitschko?s size (6?7? and 250 pounds), he is very hard to hit cleanly, taking one big step backward to be out of punching range, and opponents find themselves off balance attempting to land more than one punch at a time. Despite a 90% kayo ratio, is not a one-punch kayo artist and I can?t point to one highlight reel knockout. At 38, is in the stretch run of his career and his age is the only negative I can point to at this moment.
Grade- A+: Could not have gone wrong with either Klitschko but give myself extra credit for picking Vitali over his more respected and hyped brother. Scored two resounding- though not historically significant- wins over Shannon Briggs and Albert Sosnowski this year to stay active. Should fight one more time before turning 40, in July, but given his dominant performances, I can?t see anyone beating Vitali after reaching that milestone either. The general consensus is that Wladimir is the better boxer of the brothers. Though, I believe, Vitali is and should be judged the superior of the duo historically.
Champion who will go: David Haye
What I said: Picking a fight with any of the Klitschko brothers seems a good way to lose a title and Haye is doing it in the most loudmouth and disrespectful way. Usually, I enjoy Haye?s ring style and verbal bombast but his rhetoric has gotten somewhat spiteful losing a witty prodding of opponents in the process. Recently showed he can beat a big heavyweight, 7?1? 300-pound Nicolay Valuev but the fight was horrible and both Klitschkos enter with a lot more natural talent and innate ring sense than Valuev. Haye?s lone loss came when he challenged ultra-?tough former WBO champion Carl Thompson, running out of gas and being stopped when Haye could not finish a hurt Thompson. Learned from the setback and became The Ring magazine cruiserweight champion and now holds a heavyweight belt. Haye has tons of amateur experience too and, in time, could become the kind of good small heavyweight that many expected former Cuban standout Juan Carlos Gomez to be. I like a guy that believes in himself and pushes himself accordingly in the ring. Haye is a bit like Kostya Tszyu, overcoming an early setback to set the cruiserweight division afire and unify the titles. But I think in trying to become the next Evander Holyfield, he will run into too large a barrier in the Klitschkos.
Grade- C-: I did not have much choice here; the Klitschkos have the other titles and if Haye had not pulled out of the proposed fight with Wladimir Klitschko, I could have given myself an A. Haye looked good knocking out John Ruiz but undid all that and should be held accountable for the farce fight against Audley Harrison, which he helped promote. Haye now promises to fight one of the Klitschkos in 2011, which ensures he will occupy this same slot for my 2011 preview next week.
Will rise in 2010: Denis Boystov
What I said: Is it me or are the former Eastern Bloc countries producing powerful heavyweight boxers the way they used to crank out AK-47 rifles? Boystov is a 23-year-old firebrand who could be the infusion of excitement the heavyweight division sorely needs. That is something American boxing fans root for; decades of Cold War prejudices be damned! At 6?1? and 220 pounds, Boystov does not fall into the gargantuan blueprint of the Klitschkos or Nicolay Valuev. However, his aggressive ring demeanor and fast hands have, so far, made up for those relative shortcomings. Because of his size, or perceived lack thereof, and given the current roster of alphabet titlists, comparisons between Boystov and Mike Tyson have been made on both sides of the Atlantic. Such predeterminations or pronouncements are, of course, way too premature. Boystov is no rookie to the ring, starting to box at the age of five, looking at ease and unflustered in the ring. Took to boxing immediately and it led to a great education in the Russian amateur system. Boystov left their amateur program with a 115-15 record with 70 of those wins by stoppage and he posted three gold medal finishes at international competitions between 2001 and 2004. Since turning pro, Boystov has not been threatened and his six-round kayo of Taras Bydenko gave him a deserved top ten Ring magazine ranking. Not a finished product, by any means, but certainly an exciting fighter to keep an eye on.
Grade- B: 24-year-old had an injury-plagued year, bookending it with knockout victories over below-average foes in January and November. When Boystov is in the ring, he impresses and even the level of opposition was forgivable since they wanted to test his hands (which Boystov claims to be an ongoing problem since age 17 when he was an amateur in Russia). Brittle fists have dogged many a talented power puncher; I just hope with the bad state of the heavyweight divisions that Boystov is not the latest for it to happen to. Boystov was disappointed in his 2010 but is optimistic about the future. ?2011 will be my year and I want to be at 100% of fitness. It?s difficult for me to be patient but my body is my capital and I don?t want to waste this with excessive ambition. I will still bring a lot of enjoyment for the boxing fans.? Let?s hope so for the sake of boxing, as well as the fans.
The final tally for 2010;
A?s = 20 B?s = 4 C?s = 7 D?s = 11 F?s = 9
2009 final:
A?s = 23 B?s = 6 C?s = 8 D?s = 6 F?s = 7
2008 final (only predicted a champion who would retain or lose title):
A?s = 17 B?s = 6 C?s = 4 D?s = 5 F?s = 4
