krackdagawd
Inspire.
Where are all the nikkas crying about boxers making too much money again?
bet my screen name he didn't even make enough money to cover his funeral costs
Essential The Official Boxing Random Thoughts Thread...All boxing heads ENTER.
- Thread starter Jesus Is Lord
- Start date
Where are all the nikkas crying about boxers making too much money again?
bet my screen name he didn't even make enough money to cover his funeral costs
HARLEM AL
Your broad loves me.....
Like anybody else who tweets. Just like Steve Kim.
Also what he said been proven time and time again. His team does that shyt all the time. They will make it seem like they want to fight a particular fighter when in reality they have their mind set on someone else. I have no doubt in my mind that Broner or Kahn would fight Pacq. That's a fight where they would get paid. Problem is Al doesn't do business with Bob and vice versa. Only reason the Floyd fight happen because manny demanded they make it or he wouldn't fight.
You know what I notice though. I know people have an opinion on things in the ring and it's cool. But your post history has proven me you're a shytty ass poster. You spew random shyt and then when nikkas check you on it you don't reply. You act like it didn't happen
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Junior Welterweights
By Scott Christ @scottchristBLH on Dec 24, 2015, 9:00a +
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol staked their claims as the top guys in another division that experienced some significant changes in 2015.
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Year-End Top 10
Postol beat Lucas Matthysse by knockout on October 3 to win the WBC belt that Garcia vacated. Garcia also gave up the WBA belt, which was won by Adrien Broner on a different October 3 card.
Despite the fact that Crawford and Postol are both with Top Rank, a fight between the two does not appear imminent. It could happen -- if Crawford is not chosen to face Manny Pacquiao, it would raise the probability. But even if that happens, it won't happen next. A unification fight takes a few more hoops, and getting the fight "marinated" properly could take time.
Matthysse, 33, is tough to rank, but we'll keep him at No. 3 for the time being at year's end. He looked like he gave up against Postol, unable to get inside the longer man's reach to do any damage, and it exposed how one-dimensional the Argentine slugger can be. Still, he'd be 50-50 at worst against anyone else here besides the top two.
Herrera, 35, is a fighter who's never going to get his due, but he's very good. He was the first to beat Ruslan Provodnikov in 2011, and his two recent losses to Danny Garcia and Jose Benavidez were both highly questionable. This year, he fought once, edging Hank Lundy by technical decision after five rounds.
Broner, 26, still has a lot of upside, and now has another belt, adding to his titles at 130, 135, and 147. The win over Allakhverdiev on October 3 was solid, and followed a welterweight loss to Shawn Porter in June, where Broner didn't look good at all. Broner has fought three times as a welterweight and really hasn't been impressive in any of those fights. He belongs at 140 for now, and this may really be his ceiling division.
Provodnikov, 31, is a rugged fighter but probably one of the more overrated in the sport in some ways. He's a contender at 140, but this is currently a fairly weak division past the top few guys, and Provodnikov's last two wins have come over an ancient Jose Luis Castillo and a woefully overmatched Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez, both in Russia. Between those fights, he was outboxed by Matthysse, whose limitations were exposed later by Postol. Provodnikov has one speed. It's an exciting speed to watch, but he's predictable and very beatable against good fighters.
Orozco, 28, and Soto, 35, met in a crossroads fight on October 3 where both came out looking pretty good, Orozco winning a decision that was wider than earned. Orozco showed he can dig deep and pull out a win, while Soto showed there's still a good bit left in the tank. For a pessimistic view, one might say that Orozco struggled against a past-prime fighter. Either way, in this division it looks good for now.
Dulorme, 25, is a good fighter, but seemingly below elite level. That said, a loss to Crawford isn't anything to be ashamed of, and he boxed well before Crawford flipped the switch and knocked him out. There aren't a lot of guys who can do what Crawford does.
Troyanovsky, 35, has flown under the radar for most of his six-year pro career, but knocked out previously-unbeaten Cesar Cuenca in November to lift the IBF belt in Russia. Cuenca was only notable at all for being outrageously feather fisted, and his title win came over Ik Yang, not exactly a serious contender. Troyanovsky is a good fighter with power, but his record is still fairly empty, unless you take beating Cuenca more very seriously than just seriously. If anyone wants to understand how someone can get to a record like 48-0 by really not taking any risks or fighting anyone good, don't look at Floyd Mayweather, look at Cuenca.
On the Cusp
Adrian Granados (17-4-2, 12 KO) is a legitimate threat right now. He doesn't have the prettiest record, but he's 26 years old and has learned on the job and gotten better, culminating in an upset stoppage of top prospect Amir Imam in November. He went 3-1 otherwise this year, with three wins over club guys at 147 and a tight loss to Brad Solomon, also at welterweight. Granados looked strong and iron-willed at 140 in the win over Imam.
Jose Benavidez (24-0, 16 KO) might be going to welterweight, but for now we'll mention him here. He scored a very questionable win over Herrera in late 2014, and this year went 2-0, beating Jorge Paez Jr in May and then Sidney Siqueira in December. The latter fight was a welterweight bout, and Benavidez missed weight by over five pounds. He was a blue chip prospect not long ago, but the shine is fading. Still, he's only 23.
Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-2, 9 KO) fought just once this year, losing to Broner in October. He looked outclassed in that fight, as the good version of AB showed up. Allakhverdiev is a B/B-/C+ type of fighter, good enough to hang but probably not beat top guys. He's lost two straight against that sort of opposition.
Cesar Cuenca (48-1, 2 KO) can box some and did win a world title this year, beating Ik Yang in July, but he was smashed by Troyanovsky in November. He has absolutely zero power and that completely limits him against better opponents.
Keita Obara (15-1-1, 14 KO) and Walter Castillo (26-3-1, 19 KO) fought to a draw in November in an IBF eliminator, so both are on the radar for a shot at Troyanovsky. Japan's Obara had two wins on the year before that, and Nicaragua's Castillo had lost to Amir Imam in April, and beaten veteran Ammeth Diaz in July. Castillo shouldn't have been in an eliminator, really, but that's life.
Filipino fighter Jason Pagara (37-2, 23 KO) hasn't lost a fight since 2011, going 10-0 (7 KO) over that stretch, and he was 3-0 this year, including his first two fights outside of his home country, winning in Dubai in August and the United States in October.
Emmanuel Taylor (18-4, 12 KO) has lost three of his last four, dropping fights to Chris Algieri, Adrien Broner, and Antonio Orozco, with a win over Karim Mayfield in 2014 his only win since 2013. But he's a solid fighter and on the right night could pull an upset. He gave Broner hell last year, and was competitive with Orozco in his only fight this year.
Hank Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KO) floats between 135 and 140, we'll mention him here. He's another guy like Taylor who, though he has a habit of coming up short against his better opponents, is a handful. He went 1-1 this year, including a technical decision loss in July to Mauricio Herrera, a majority decision after five rounds.
The Titleholders
WBC: Viktor Postol
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<img alt="Boxing: Ramirez vs Arellano" src="https://cdn1.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gG...orus_asset/file/5679519/usa-today-8269391.jpg"> Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Ramirez, 23, was a 2012 U.S. Olympian, one of the few who did not sign with Al Haymon out of the Olympics. Instead, he went with Top Rank. This has resulted in less notable TV exposure, but no less legitimate development. This year he went 3-0 and battled a thumb injury that kept him inactive from July until December.
Prograis, 26, went 4-0 this year, with two fights on ShoBox to close the year. The southpaw from New Orleans, now fighting out of Houston, beat fellow prospects Amos Cowart (UD-8) and Abel Ramos (RTD-8) in those fights, showing a nice blend of skill and power.
Baranchyk, 22, is a wicked puncher out of Amursk, Russia, now living in and fighting out of Brooklyn, where he's been running over opposition since turning pro in June 2014. This year, Baranchyk went 6-0, fighting in January, February, March, June, July, and December.
Lipinets, 26, was 3-0 on the year and showed some upside in his win over Lydell Rhodes on the October 30 PBC on Bounce card, where he won a 10-round decision. He beat Cosme Rivera and Kendal Mena earlier in 2015.
Imam, 25, may still have the highest ceiling of any of these guys, but I can't rank him higher than fifth thanks to his loss to Adrian Granados in November, a real upset. That was a fight against a guy who had proven plenty tough in the past that Imam really didn't have to face, but he did it. He also dropped Granados in round one, showing off his power, but things unraveled from there, and he was stopped in the eighth round. But Imam is young, has a load of talent, and can certainly bounce back from that loss. He may not, of course; sometimes good fighters don't handle defeat well, especially defeat like that one. But if he can deal with it, the future is still plenty bright, and he deserves mention even with the loss.
Gomez, 23, is a terrific prospect when he's in the ring, when he's focused and in shape, but the latter part of that is a real issue. He fought one time in 2015, beating Jorge Silva in a north of welterweight catchweight bout in October, and had to cancel a fight with Humberto Soto earlier in the year when he badly missed weight. If Gomez could be considered reliable, he'd possibly be the No. 1 prospect in the division.
Other prospects, in alphabetical order: Pedro Campa, Jack Catterall, Jose Felix Jr, Maurice Hooker, Zachary Ochoa, Hiroki Okada, Mike Reed, Julian Rodriguez, Giovanni Santillan, Cletus Seldin, Anthony Yigit.
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Junior Welterweights
By Scott Christ @scottchristBLH on Dec 24, 2015, 9:00a +
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol staked their claims as the top guys in another division that experienced some significant changes in 2015.
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Year-End Top 10
- Terence Crawford (27-0, 19 KO)
- Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KO)
- Lucas Matthysse (37-4, 34 KO)
- Mauricio Herrera (22-5, 7 KO)
- Adrien Broner (31-2, 23 KO)
- Ruslan Provodnikov (25-4, 18 KO)
- Antonio Orozco (23-0, 15 KO)
- Humberto Soto (65-9-2, 35 KO)
- Thomas Dulorme (22-2, 14 KO)
- Eduard Troyanovsky (23-0, 20 KO)
Postol beat Lucas Matthysse by knockout on October 3 to win the WBC belt that Garcia vacated. Garcia also gave up the WBA belt, which was won by Adrien Broner on a different October 3 card.
Despite the fact that Crawford and Postol are both with Top Rank, a fight between the two does not appear imminent. It could happen -- if Crawford is not chosen to face Manny Pacquiao, it would raise the probability. But even if that happens, it won't happen next. A unification fight takes a few more hoops, and getting the fight "marinated" properly could take time.
Matthysse, 33, is tough to rank, but we'll keep him at No. 3 for the time being at year's end. He looked like he gave up against Postol, unable to get inside the longer man's reach to do any damage, and it exposed how one-dimensional the Argentine slugger can be. Still, he'd be 50-50 at worst against anyone else here besides the top two.
Herrera, 35, is a fighter who's never going to get his due, but he's very good. He was the first to beat Ruslan Provodnikov in 2011, and his two recent losses to Danny Garcia and Jose Benavidez were both highly questionable. This year, he fought once, edging Hank Lundy by technical decision after five rounds.
Broner, 26, still has a lot of upside, and now has another belt, adding to his titles at 130, 135, and 147. The win over Allakhverdiev on October 3 was solid, and followed a welterweight loss to Shawn Porter in June, where Broner didn't look good at all. Broner has fought three times as a welterweight and really hasn't been impressive in any of those fights. He belongs at 140 for now, and this may really be his ceiling division.
Provodnikov, 31, is a rugged fighter but probably one of the more overrated in the sport in some ways. He's a contender at 140, but this is currently a fairly weak division past the top few guys, and Provodnikov's last two wins have come over an ancient Jose Luis Castillo and a woefully overmatched Jesus Alvarez Rodriguez, both in Russia. Between those fights, he was outboxed by Matthysse, whose limitations were exposed later by Postol. Provodnikov has one speed. It's an exciting speed to watch, but he's predictable and very beatable against good fighters.
Orozco, 28, and Soto, 35, met in a crossroads fight on October 3 where both came out looking pretty good, Orozco winning a decision that was wider than earned. Orozco showed he can dig deep and pull out a win, while Soto showed there's still a good bit left in the tank. For a pessimistic view, one might say that Orozco struggled against a past-prime fighter. Either way, in this division it looks good for now.
Dulorme, 25, is a good fighter, but seemingly below elite level. That said, a loss to Crawford isn't anything to be ashamed of, and he boxed well before Crawford flipped the switch and knocked him out. There aren't a lot of guys who can do what Crawford does.
Troyanovsky, 35, has flown under the radar for most of his six-year pro career, but knocked out previously-unbeaten Cesar Cuenca in November to lift the IBF belt in Russia. Cuenca was only notable at all for being outrageously feather fisted, and his title win came over Ik Yang, not exactly a serious contender. Troyanovsky is a good fighter with power, but his record is still fairly empty, unless you take beating Cuenca more very seriously than just seriously. If anyone wants to understand how someone can get to a record like 48-0 by really not taking any risks or fighting anyone good, don't look at Floyd Mayweather, look at Cuenca.
On the Cusp
Adrian Granados (17-4-2, 12 KO) is a legitimate threat right now. He doesn't have the prettiest record, but he's 26 years old and has learned on the job and gotten better, culminating in an upset stoppage of top prospect Amir Imam in November. He went 3-1 otherwise this year, with three wins over club guys at 147 and a tight loss to Brad Solomon, also at welterweight. Granados looked strong and iron-willed at 140 in the win over Imam.
Jose Benavidez (24-0, 16 KO) might be going to welterweight, but for now we'll mention him here. He scored a very questionable win over Herrera in late 2014, and this year went 2-0, beating Jorge Paez Jr in May and then Sidney Siqueira in December. The latter fight was a welterweight bout, and Benavidez missed weight by over five pounds. He was a blue chip prospect not long ago, but the shine is fading. Still, he's only 23.
Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-2, 9 KO) fought just once this year, losing to Broner in October. He looked outclassed in that fight, as the good version of AB showed up. Allakhverdiev is a B/B-/C+ type of fighter, good enough to hang but probably not beat top guys. He's lost two straight against that sort of opposition.
Cesar Cuenca (48-1, 2 KO) can box some and did win a world title this year, beating Ik Yang in July, but he was smashed by Troyanovsky in November. He has absolutely zero power and that completely limits him against better opponents.
Keita Obara (15-1-1, 14 KO) and Walter Castillo (26-3-1, 19 KO) fought to a draw in November in an IBF eliminator, so both are on the radar for a shot at Troyanovsky. Japan's Obara had two wins on the year before that, and Nicaragua's Castillo had lost to Amir Imam in April, and beaten veteran Ammeth Diaz in July. Castillo shouldn't have been in an eliminator, really, but that's life.
Filipino fighter Jason Pagara (37-2, 23 KO) hasn't lost a fight since 2011, going 10-0 (7 KO) over that stretch, and he was 3-0 this year, including his first two fights outside of his home country, winning in Dubai in August and the United States in October.
Emmanuel Taylor (18-4, 12 KO) has lost three of his last four, dropping fights to Chris Algieri, Adrien Broner, and Antonio Orozco, with a win over Karim Mayfield in 2014 his only win since 2013. But he's a solid fighter and on the right night could pull an upset. He gave Broner hell last year, and was competitive with Orozco in his only fight this year.
Hank Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KO) floats between 135 and 140, we'll mention him here. He's another guy like Taylor who, though he has a habit of coming up short against his better opponents, is a handful. He went 1-1 this year, including a technical decision loss in July to Mauricio Herrera, a majority decision after five rounds.
The Titleholders
WBC: Viktor Postol
- def. Lucas Matthysse (KO-10, 10/3 - WON VACANT TITLE)
- def. Khabib Allakhverdiev (TKO-12, 10/3 - WON VACANT TITLE)
- Cesar Cuenca def. Ik Yang (UD-12, 7/18 - WON VACANT TITLE)
- def. Cesar Cuenca (TKO-6, 11/4 - TITLE CHANGE)
- def. Thomas Dulorme (TKO-6, 4/18 - WON VACANT TITLE)
- def. Dierry Jean (TKO-10, 10/24)
- Jose Ramirez (16-0, 12 KO)
- Regis Prograis (16-0, 13 KO)
- Ivan Baranchyk (9-0, 8 KO)
- Sergey Lipinets (8-0, 6 KO)
- Amir Imam (18-1, 15 KO)
Ramirez, 23, was a 2012 U.S. Olympian, one of the few who did not sign with Al Haymon out of the Olympics. Instead, he went with Top Rank. This has resulted in less notable TV exposure, but no less legitimate development. This year he went 3-0 and battled a thumb injury that kept him inactive from July until December.
Prograis, 26, went 4-0 this year, with two fights on ShoBox to close the year. The southpaw from New Orleans, now fighting out of Houston, beat fellow prospects Amos Cowart (UD-8) and Abel Ramos (RTD-8) in those fights, showing a nice blend of skill and power.
Baranchyk, 22, is a wicked puncher out of Amursk, Russia, now living in and fighting out of Brooklyn, where he's been running over opposition since turning pro in June 2014. This year, Baranchyk went 6-0, fighting in January, February, March, June, July, and December.
Lipinets, 26, was 3-0 on the year and showed some upside in his win over Lydell Rhodes on the October 30 PBC on Bounce card, where he won a 10-round decision. He beat Cosme Rivera and Kendal Mena earlier in 2015.
Imam, 25, may still have the highest ceiling of any of these guys, but I can't rank him higher than fifth thanks to his loss to Adrian Granados in November, a real upset. That was a fight against a guy who had proven plenty tough in the past that Imam really didn't have to face, but he did it. He also dropped Granados in round one, showing off his power, but things unraveled from there, and he was stopped in the eighth round. But Imam is young, has a load of talent, and can certainly bounce back from that loss. He may not, of course; sometimes good fighters don't handle defeat well, especially defeat like that one. But if he can deal with it, the future is still plenty bright, and he deserves mention even with the loss.
Gomez, 23, is a terrific prospect when he's in the ring, when he's focused and in shape, but the latter part of that is a real issue. He fought one time in 2015, beating Jorge Silva in a north of welterweight catchweight bout in October, and had to cancel a fight with Humberto Soto earlier in the year when he badly missed weight. If Gomez could be considered reliable, he'd possibly be the No. 1 prospect in the division.
Other prospects, in alphabetical order: Pedro Campa, Jack Catterall, Jose Felix Jr, Maurice Hooker, Zachary Ochoa, Hiroki Okada, Mike Reed, Julian Rodriguez, Giovanni Santillan, Cletus Seldin, Anthony Yigit.
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Junior Welterweights
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Welterweights
By Scott Christ @scottchristBLH on Dec 23, 2015, 11:24a 92
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
We finally got what we wanted in the welterweight division this year, and now major turnover has begun with the top two stars of the era either retired or close to doing so.
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Year-End Top 10
#1 Emeritus: Floyd Mayweather (49-0, 26 KO)
#2 Emeritus: Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO)
Bradley, 32, and Brook, 27, are a toss-up for the "top" spot. Bradley's had a weird run since 2012, when he got an undeserved win over Manny Pacquiao. He followed that with a Fight of the Year victory over Ruslan Provodnikov, then beat Juan Manuel Marquez, then lost to Pacquiao, then drew against Diego Chaves in a fight most felt he won. This year, he beat Jessie Vargas but with a slight scare at the end, and looked excellent in taking apart and stopping Brandon Rios, who may just be finished as a main event fighter.
Brook is younger and has the best win between them in 2014-15, last year over Shawn Porter, but this was an underwhelming year for him, too. He beat mandatory challenger Jo Jo Dan in March, then came back to beat domestic-level opponent Frankie Gavin in May before sitting out the rest of the year. I have a slight edge to Bradley, but Brook would be a fair pick.
Some may also argue for Thurman, 27, but when you examine Thurman's record, he's still missing that signature win, unless you see his March rout of Robert Guerrero as worthy of that title. Guerrero's a good fighter -- still top 10 here, though barely -- but a step below Porter, which is Brook's best win. Thurman may finally be ready to really break through in 2016 -- it may be that Al Haymon was waiting to truly unleash him until he needed a new top guy at 147 pounds.
Porter, 28, is another of the division's talented and sometimes inconsistent fighters. He had a good 2015, beating Erick Boné in March, which was a short notice opponent switch, and then Ohio rival Adrien Broner in June. The Porter-Thurman fight has been a working idea for months now, but has yet to come together.
Khan, 29, spent the majority of his year talking about big fights, taking to the ring only once. He was disappointed to not get the date with Floyd Mayweather in May or September, and has since talked up a fight with Pacquiao for 2016, which is possible. His lone appearance came in May, when he beat Chris Algieri in a competitive bout.
Garcia, 27, has lost a lot of momentum considering he's still unbeaten and left the 140-pound division without dropping any of the belts he won there. That's because two of his last four wins (Mauricio Herrera in 2014, Lamont Peterson in 2015) were controversial decisions, and the other two (Rod Salka in 2014, Paulie Malignaggi in 2015) didn't exactly surprise anyone. He faces Robert Guerrero in January.
Vargas, 26, and Ali, 27, were both one-and-done fighters in 2015, whose paths nearly crossed for a December 19 HBO main event, a deal that fell apart. Ali is the mandatory challenger for Bradley's WBO belt. He beat Francisco Santana in a stay-busy bout in April.
Peterson, 31, could still go back down to 140, but for now we'll put him here. He had a pair of different performances this year, controversially losing to Danny Garcia, then controversially beating Felix Diaz, both catchweight bouts between 140 and 147.
Guerrero, 32, barely hangs on to a top 10 spot after a rocky 2015. He tried to rally late against Keith Thurman, but it was way too little, too late, and he was blown out in that fight for the most part. He then scraped past Aron Martinez three months later before taking the second half of 2015 off.
On the Cusp
Errol Spence Jr (19-0, 16 KO) is the division's best prospect and close to a final step up the ladder before he starts taking on contenders. More on him in the prospects section.
Chris Algieri (21-2, 8 KO) has, I think, proven he's not just a guy who got lucky against Ruslan Provodnikov, but he's probably a fringe contender at best. He's 31 and however much John David Jackson can aid him, his development stages are mostly behind him. He arguably looked better in defeat against Amir Khan than he did in victory against Erick Boné.
Brandon Rios (33-3-1, 24 KO) started the year with a shellacking of old rival Mike Alvarado in January, then got the crap beaten out of him by Bradley in November. He might have retired Alvarado, or at the least sent him packing from the land of relevance. He also announced his own retirement after the loss to Bradley, but quickly went back on that. That said, Rios making a serious run again as a welterweight seems unlikely. He's got a lot of miles on his body for someone who's only 29.
Victor Ortiz (31-5-2, 24 KO) made a return in December, and the former titleholder has a level of notoriety that could get him a big fight as soon as he wants one. Ortiz is still young (he's 28) and talent has never been a problem for him. It's about the mental side for Ortiz, and nowadays, that isn't just about lapses in defense or in judgment, but also includes how much he really wants to be a pro fighter, and everything that goes along with it.
Andre Berto (30-4, 23 KO) was trailing on two of three cards when he stopped Josesito Lopez (33-7, 19 KO) in March, and was then a surprise opponent for Floyd Mayweather in September, where he was predictably and easily outclassed.
Aron Martinez (20-4-1, 4 KO) is a 34-year-old scrapper with a lot of value right now. He took Robert Guerrero to the brink in June, and then upset Devon Alexander in October. If Martinez beats Sammy Vasquez Jr in January, he might stunningly be right in the mix for some sort of big fight in the summer for PBC, and it would be hard to say he hasn't earned it.
As for Devon Alexander (26-4, 14 KO), his most memorable moment of 2015 might have been his Twitter of comparison of vaginas and anuses. It sure wasn't the fight with Martinez.
Sammy Vasquez Jr (20-0, 14 KO) is a 29-year-old fighter from Pennsylvania, popular in the Pittsburgh area, who will get a chance to move up the ranks in 2016. Another PBC fighter, Vasquez went 3-0 this year. He's never stood out as a top prospect type of guy, but he's a good fighter who fights with a lot of heart.
Felix Diaz Jr (17-1, 8 KO) started looking a lot more interesting this year. The former Olympic gold medalist has competed at 140 and 147 in his pro career, and he was sort of a disappointing amateur standout turned pro for a while, but this year he beat Gabriel "Tito" Bracero in April, then had a very nice performance in a questionable loss to Lamont Peterson in October.
Top Rank's Brad Solomon (26-0, 9 KO) has sort of fallen off the radar the last few years, due to inactivity and some stagnation, but he had two decent wins in 2015, beating Adrian Granados and Raymond Serrano. The fact that Top Rank doesn't have many notable welterweights could mean that Solomon gets a bigger fight in 2016 almost by default. A crossroads bout between Solomon and Rios actually sounds like a decent idea.
Paulie Malignaggi (35-7, 7 KO) seemed ready to hang up the gloves after a loss to Danny Garcia, but instead has taken his career to the European regional scene, where nobody else can punch, either.
The Titleholders
WBC: Vacant
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<img alt="PBC on NBC: Jermall Charlo v Wilky Campfort" src="https://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/2p...loads/chorus_asset/file/5673679/499079084.jpg"> Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images
By Scott Christ @scottchristBLH on Dec 23, 2015, 11:24a 92
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
We finally got what we wanted in the welterweight division this year, and now major turnover has begun with the top two stars of the era either retired or close to doing so.
TweetShare on Twitter ShareShare on Facebook(217) PinPinterest 92 Comments
Year-End Top 10
#1 Emeritus: Floyd Mayweather (49-0, 26 KO)
#2 Emeritus: Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO)
- Timothy Bradley Jr (33-1-1, 13 KO)
- Kell Brook (35-0, 24 KO)
- Keith Thurman (26-0, 22 KO)
- Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16 KO)
- Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KO)
- Danny Garcia (31-0, 18 KO)
- Jessie Vargas (26-1, 9 KO)
- Sadam Ali (22-0, 13 KO)
- Lamont Peterson (34-3-1, 17 KO)
- Robert Guerrero (33-3-1, 18 KO)
Bradley, 32, and Brook, 27, are a toss-up for the "top" spot. Bradley's had a weird run since 2012, when he got an undeserved win over Manny Pacquiao. He followed that with a Fight of the Year victory over Ruslan Provodnikov, then beat Juan Manuel Marquez, then lost to Pacquiao, then drew against Diego Chaves in a fight most felt he won. This year, he beat Jessie Vargas but with a slight scare at the end, and looked excellent in taking apart and stopping Brandon Rios, who may just be finished as a main event fighter.
Brook is younger and has the best win between them in 2014-15, last year over Shawn Porter, but this was an underwhelming year for him, too. He beat mandatory challenger Jo Jo Dan in March, then came back to beat domestic-level opponent Frankie Gavin in May before sitting out the rest of the year. I have a slight edge to Bradley, but Brook would be a fair pick.
Some may also argue for Thurman, 27, but when you examine Thurman's record, he's still missing that signature win, unless you see his March rout of Robert Guerrero as worthy of that title. Guerrero's a good fighter -- still top 10 here, though barely -- but a step below Porter, which is Brook's best win. Thurman may finally be ready to really break through in 2016 -- it may be that Al Haymon was waiting to truly unleash him until he needed a new top guy at 147 pounds.
Porter, 28, is another of the division's talented and sometimes inconsistent fighters. He had a good 2015, beating Erick Boné in March, which was a short notice opponent switch, and then Ohio rival Adrien Broner in June. The Porter-Thurman fight has been a working idea for months now, but has yet to come together.
Khan, 29, spent the majority of his year talking about big fights, taking to the ring only once. He was disappointed to not get the date with Floyd Mayweather in May or September, and has since talked up a fight with Pacquiao for 2016, which is possible. His lone appearance came in May, when he beat Chris Algieri in a competitive bout.
Garcia, 27, has lost a lot of momentum considering he's still unbeaten and left the 140-pound division without dropping any of the belts he won there. That's because two of his last four wins (Mauricio Herrera in 2014, Lamont Peterson in 2015) were controversial decisions, and the other two (Rod Salka in 2014, Paulie Malignaggi in 2015) didn't exactly surprise anyone. He faces Robert Guerrero in January.
Vargas, 26, and Ali, 27, were both one-and-done fighters in 2015, whose paths nearly crossed for a December 19 HBO main event, a deal that fell apart. Ali is the mandatory challenger for Bradley's WBO belt. He beat Francisco Santana in a stay-busy bout in April.
Peterson, 31, could still go back down to 140, but for now we'll put him here. He had a pair of different performances this year, controversially losing to Danny Garcia, then controversially beating Felix Diaz, both catchweight bouts between 140 and 147.
Guerrero, 32, barely hangs on to a top 10 spot after a rocky 2015. He tried to rally late against Keith Thurman, but it was way too little, too late, and he was blown out in that fight for the most part. He then scraped past Aron Martinez three months later before taking the second half of 2015 off.
On the Cusp
Errol Spence Jr (19-0, 16 KO) is the division's best prospect and close to a final step up the ladder before he starts taking on contenders. More on him in the prospects section.
Chris Algieri (21-2, 8 KO) has, I think, proven he's not just a guy who got lucky against Ruslan Provodnikov, but he's probably a fringe contender at best. He's 31 and however much John David Jackson can aid him, his development stages are mostly behind him. He arguably looked better in defeat against Amir Khan than he did in victory against Erick Boné.
Brandon Rios (33-3-1, 24 KO) started the year with a shellacking of old rival Mike Alvarado in January, then got the crap beaten out of him by Bradley in November. He might have retired Alvarado, or at the least sent him packing from the land of relevance. He also announced his own retirement after the loss to Bradley, but quickly went back on that. That said, Rios making a serious run again as a welterweight seems unlikely. He's got a lot of miles on his body for someone who's only 29.
Victor Ortiz (31-5-2, 24 KO) made a return in December, and the former titleholder has a level of notoriety that could get him a big fight as soon as he wants one. Ortiz is still young (he's 28) and talent has never been a problem for him. It's about the mental side for Ortiz, and nowadays, that isn't just about lapses in defense or in judgment, but also includes how much he really wants to be a pro fighter, and everything that goes along with it.
Andre Berto (30-4, 23 KO) was trailing on two of three cards when he stopped Josesito Lopez (33-7, 19 KO) in March, and was then a surprise opponent for Floyd Mayweather in September, where he was predictably and easily outclassed.
Aron Martinez (20-4-1, 4 KO) is a 34-year-old scrapper with a lot of value right now. He took Robert Guerrero to the brink in June, and then upset Devon Alexander in October. If Martinez beats Sammy Vasquez Jr in January, he might stunningly be right in the mix for some sort of big fight in the summer for PBC, and it would be hard to say he hasn't earned it.
As for Devon Alexander (26-4, 14 KO), his most memorable moment of 2015 might have been his Twitter of comparison of vaginas and anuses. It sure wasn't the fight with Martinez.
Sammy Vasquez Jr (20-0, 14 KO) is a 29-year-old fighter from Pennsylvania, popular in the Pittsburgh area, who will get a chance to move up the ranks in 2016. Another PBC fighter, Vasquez went 3-0 this year. He's never stood out as a top prospect type of guy, but he's a good fighter who fights with a lot of heart.
Felix Diaz Jr (17-1, 8 KO) started looking a lot more interesting this year. The former Olympic gold medalist has competed at 140 and 147 in his pro career, and he was sort of a disappointing amateur standout turned pro for a while, but this year he beat Gabriel "Tito" Bracero in April, then had a very nice performance in a questionable loss to Lamont Peterson in October.
Top Rank's Brad Solomon (26-0, 9 KO) has sort of fallen off the radar the last few years, due to inactivity and some stagnation, but he had two decent wins in 2015, beating Adrian Granados and Raymond Serrano. The fact that Top Rank doesn't have many notable welterweights could mean that Solomon gets a bigger fight in 2016 almost by default. A crossroads bout between Solomon and Rios actually sounds like a decent idea.
Paulie Malignaggi (35-7, 7 KO) seemed ready to hang up the gloves after a loss to Danny Garcia, but instead has taken his career to the European regional scene, where nobody else can punch, either.
The Titleholders
WBC: Vacant
- Floyd Mayweather def. Manny Pacquiao (UD-12, 5/2)
- Floyd Mayweather def. Andre Berto (UD-12, 9/12)
- Title vacated 11/2 after Floyd Mayweather's retirement
- Floyd Mayweather def. Manny Pacquiao (UD-12, 5/2)
- Floyd Mayweather def. Andre Berto (UD-12, 9/12)
- Note: WBA has not stripped Mayweather of his "super world" title despite announced retirement on 9/13; Keith Thurman holds WBA "world" title (promoted from interim champion on 1/28)
- def. Jo Jo Dan (RTD-4, 3/28)
- def. Frankie Gavin (TKO-6, 5/30)
- Floyd Mayweather def. Manny Pacquiao (UD-12, 5/2 - TITLE CHANGE)
- Title stripped 7/6, Bradley promoted from interim champion
- def. Brandon Rios (TKO-9, 11/7)
- Errol Spence Jr (19-0, 16 KO)
- Dmitry Mikhalyenko (20-0, 9 KO)
- Konstantin Ponomarev (29-0, 13 KO)
- Egidijus Kavaliauskas (11-0, 10 KO)
- Jeff Horn (13-0-1, 8 KO)
- Taras Shelestyuk (13-0, 8 KO)
- Alex Saucedo (20-0, 14 KO)
- Sammy Vasquez Jr (20-0, 14 KO)
- Teerachai Kratingdaenggym (32-0, 24 KO)
- David Avanesyan (21-1-1, 11 KO)
There are enough notable prospects in the division to do 10 instead of five again.
Spence, 25, is the obvious No. 1, part talent, part hype. As good as the young southpaw has looked, he's also done what he's done against the type of opponents he should. He's been matched semi-aggressively in some respects, but still carefully, just with more credit given his talent than we sometimes see. He went 4-0 this year and should be knocking on the door by the end of 201.
Mikhalyenko, 29, nicknamed "The Mechanic," is a finished product ready to take the next step. He went 2-0 this year, notably stopping Johan Perez on August 8 at the Fantasy Springs. He'll face Ray Robinson -- who has soldiered on nicely after losses to Brad Solomon and Shawn Porter in 2010 -- in January in Montreal.
Ponomarev, 23, went 3-0 this year, but he still fights like a young guy who makes mistakes sometimes, too. He was really impressive beating fellow prospect Mikael Zewski in May, but around those fights he didn't look quite as good, battling past Steve Claggett in January and beating Ramses Agaton in November by majority decision, although two of those cards were 79-73 and the third was a 76-76 from Robert Hoyle, who has a habit of seeing things quite differently than his fellow judges this year.
Kavaliauskas, 27, is a Lithuanian ex-Olympian promoted by Top Rank, one of the most purely enjoyable fighters to watch at London 2012, where he wound up winning a bronze medal as a lightweight. After deciding to go pro, he hooked up with Robert Garcia in Oxnard. If you saw Kavaliauskas in London, it's hard to imagine a more fitting pro trainer for him. Kavaliauskas went 2-0 in 2015.
Horn, 27, represented Australia at London 2012, losing in his third fight to eventual silver medalist Denys Berinchyk of Ukraine in the light welterweight division. His only blemish as a pro came in his fourth fight in 2013, which was stopped in the third round after his opponent was cut due to an accidental headbutts. Not enough of the fight had been completed to go to the cards, so really Horn has had no setbacks. (He beat the same fighter in 2014 via 9th round TKO, dominating him and dislocating his shoulder on the second knockdown of the fight.) He went 4-0 this year, including a solid win over Viktor Plotnykov in August.
Shelestyuk, 30, won bronze for Ukraine in the welterweight division in 2012. Like Mikhalyenko, Shelestyuk is really a finished product, probably about as good as he's going to get. He looked really sharp in November, beating a credible opponent in Aslanbek Kozaev, and went 3-0 this year.
Saucedo, 21, is the youngest of those listed, a Top Rank fighter who has gone about his business in a pretty normal fashion since turning pro in late 2011. He's kept pretty busy from 2012-present, including four wins in 2015.
Vasquez, 29, is ready to sink or swim in 2016. As said before, he's not a blue chip guy, but he's a good fighter. He went 3-0 in 2015, beating Emmanuel Lartei Lartey, Wale Omotoso, and Jose "Piston" Lopez.
Teerachai, 23, is a Thai fighter, as you probably guessed, and something of a rarity as a legitimate prospect at a weight this high. He's beaten some decent fighters already, nobody particularly outstanding or anything, but his 32-0 isn't a totally empty record, either. He's looking to get into the WBA title mix in 2016, and is on a course to face David Avanesyan for an interim belt.
Avanesyan, 27, is also next on the list. The Russian lost his second pro fight in 2009, but that was against Andrey Klimov over six rounds, and Klimov isn't some bum. His other blemish is a 2013 draw with Aslanbek Kozaev, also a decent fighter. Since then, he's gotten himself the interim WBA belt, a likely fight next with Teerachai, and he also made some headlines (kinda) by injuring Kell Brook with a body shot during sparring this year.
Other prospects, in alphabetical order: Emmanuel De Jesus, Dusty Hernandez Harrison, Jamal James, Paul Kamanaga, Carlos Ocampo, Bryant Perrella, Yves Ulysse Jr, Terrel Williams, Mikael Zewski.
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Welterweights
Spence, 25, is the obvious No. 1, part talent, part hype. As good as the young southpaw has looked, he's also done what he's done against the type of opponents he should. He's been matched semi-aggressively in some respects, but still carefully, just with more credit given his talent than we sometimes see. He went 4-0 this year and should be knocking on the door by the end of 201.
Mikhalyenko, 29, nicknamed "The Mechanic," is a finished product ready to take the next step. He went 2-0 this year, notably stopping Johan Perez on August 8 at the Fantasy Springs. He'll face Ray Robinson -- who has soldiered on nicely after losses to Brad Solomon and Shawn Porter in 2010 -- in January in Montreal.
Ponomarev, 23, went 3-0 this year, but he still fights like a young guy who makes mistakes sometimes, too. He was really impressive beating fellow prospect Mikael Zewski in May, but around those fights he didn't look quite as good, battling past Steve Claggett in January and beating Ramses Agaton in November by majority decision, although two of those cards were 79-73 and the third was a 76-76 from Robert Hoyle, who has a habit of seeing things quite differently than his fellow judges this year.
Kavaliauskas, 27, is a Lithuanian ex-Olympian promoted by Top Rank, one of the most purely enjoyable fighters to watch at London 2012, where he wound up winning a bronze medal as a lightweight. After deciding to go pro, he hooked up with Robert Garcia in Oxnard. If you saw Kavaliauskas in London, it's hard to imagine a more fitting pro trainer for him. Kavaliauskas went 2-0 in 2015.
Horn, 27, represented Australia at London 2012, losing in his third fight to eventual silver medalist Denys Berinchyk of Ukraine in the light welterweight division. His only blemish as a pro came in his fourth fight in 2013, which was stopped in the third round after his opponent was cut due to an accidental headbutts. Not enough of the fight had been completed to go to the cards, so really Horn has had no setbacks. (He beat the same fighter in 2014 via 9th round TKO, dominating him and dislocating his shoulder on the second knockdown of the fight.) He went 4-0 this year, including a solid win over Viktor Plotnykov in August.
Shelestyuk, 30, won bronze for Ukraine in the welterweight division in 2012. Like Mikhalyenko, Shelestyuk is really a finished product, probably about as good as he's going to get. He looked really sharp in November, beating a credible opponent in Aslanbek Kozaev, and went 3-0 this year.
Saucedo, 21, is the youngest of those listed, a Top Rank fighter who has gone about his business in a pretty normal fashion since turning pro in late 2011. He's kept pretty busy from 2012-present, including four wins in 2015.
Vasquez, 29, is ready to sink or swim in 2016. As said before, he's not a blue chip guy, but he's a good fighter. He went 3-0 in 2015, beating Emmanuel Lartei Lartey, Wale Omotoso, and Jose "Piston" Lopez.
Teerachai, 23, is a Thai fighter, as you probably guessed, and something of a rarity as a legitimate prospect at a weight this high. He's beaten some decent fighters already, nobody particularly outstanding or anything, but his 32-0 isn't a totally empty record, either. He's looking to get into the WBA title mix in 2016, and is on a course to face David Avanesyan for an interim belt.
Avanesyan, 27, is also next on the list. The Russian lost his second pro fight in 2009, but that was against Andrey Klimov over six rounds, and Klimov isn't some bum. His other blemish is a 2013 draw with Aslanbek Kozaev, also a decent fighter. Since then, he's gotten himself the interim WBA belt, a likely fight next with Teerachai, and he also made some headlines (kinda) by injuring Kell Brook with a body shot during sparring this year.
Other prospects, in alphabetical order: Emmanuel De Jesus, Dusty Hernandez Harrison, Jamal James, Paul Kamanaga, Carlos Ocampo, Bryant Perrella, Yves Ulysse Jr, Terrel Williams, Mikael Zewski.
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Welterweights
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Junior Middleweights
By Scott Christ @scottchristBLH on Dec 22, 2015, 5:41p 46
Rob Foldy/Getty Images
There's no true top star in the 154-pound ranks now that Canelo Alvarez is gone, but there's still talent here, and plenty potentially on the way.
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Year-End Top 10
Lara, 32, is the easier choice, a Cuban veteran whose two losses were both debated -- one a flat-out robbery against Paul Williams in 2011, the other a razor thin decision against Canelo in 2014. What really pushes Lara over the top here is not so much what he did in 2015, beating Delvin Rodriguez and Jan Zaveck, but his 2013 win over Austin Trout, which was one-sided and against a guy who's still a top contender in the division.
Jermall Charlo, 25, may be coming for the top spot, though. He started his year with a March win over Michael Finney, then annihilated K9 Bundrage in three rounds to win the IBF belt on September 12. In November, he defended easily against Wilky Campfort. Jermall is the puncher of the Charlo twins, and a good young talent, but we still haven't seen him do something like Lara did against Trout. (Or Paul Williams, for that matter.)
Andrade, 27, is another fighter who could become the top player in this division sometime soon. "Boo Boo" missed almost all of this year before returning in October for an easy win on a non-televised card. The former WBO titleholder has a couple of good wins, but they came in 2013-2014. He needs to get himself going again, but the talent is there.
Trout, 30, went 2-0 this year, beating Luis Galarza and Joey Hernandez, not exactly high-profile fights, and while there's no reason to think he's not still a top contender, it's very easy to understand how he's become sort of an afterthought in the division, and it's not really hard to understand having him lower, either.
Jermell Charlo, also 25, obviously, as the two are twins, had nearly as good a year as his brother, though he didn't win a recognized paper title. Jermell beat Vanes Martirosyan in March, and followed that up with a wipeout win over faded veteran Joachim Alcine. The win over Martirosyan was a good one.
As for Martirosyan, 29, he has had a frustrating career. When with Top Rank, he seemed held back, beating up on guys that weren't in his league, until 2012, when he faced Lara. The two went to a technical draw in nine rounds. He lost a split decision to Andrade in 2013. This year he lost a close decision to Charlo, then beat Ishe Smith in September. He's a good fighter, but so far hasn't quite been able to get over the hump, falling just short of victory against his three best opponents.
Smith, 27, went 4-0 on the year, most notably beating John Thompson for the vacant WBO belt in October. He defended successfully against non-contender Jimmy Kelly to close the year in December. He's a good fighter and with the belt, has an argument for top five.
Nelson, 28, is a somewhat inconsistent fighter, but he's dangerous, too. He fought just once in 2015, stopping Tony Harrison in the ninth round on July 11. He's at the age where he could be starting to really put it together, and with his physical gifts, that could be dangerous for his opposition.
Bundrage, 42, and Smith, 37, are placeholders in the division right now. K9 finally looked old when Jermall Charlo smashed him to bits, and Smith is still a solid fighter but one clearly on a slow downslide. His skill set and style make it so that he should be about this good for a few more years still, but that's a level below being a threat to anyone in the upper tier of the division.
On the Cusp
Carlos Molina (23-6-2, 7 KO) is another veteran still around. The 32-year-old Mexican looked awful in a 2014 loss to Bundrage, but did pick up a win over a club fighter in September of this year. At his best, Molina was a talented nuisance of a fighter, the type of guy just plain hard to beat.
Michel Soro (27-1-1, 17 KO) could have been mentioned at middleweight, but there was a lot more going on in that post than this one, so I'm throwing him in here. He scored a win over Glen Tapia at 154 pounds in May, but his other three fights this year were at 160, including his last bout, where he won the European title by defeating Emanuele Blandamura. Soro seems capable of moving between the two divisions and fighting effectively at either.
Charles Hatley (26-1-1, 18 KO) was another unheralded American who was called up to go to Australia and face Anthony Mundine, and he may have put an end to "The Man's" run with a dominant 11th round TKO win on November 11. 11-11, 11th round. Fancy that. The 29-year-old Texan was stopped in one by Lanardo Tyner back in 2012, but has won nine straight and may be a sleeper contender.
James Kirkland (32-2, 28 KO) was trucked in three rounds by Canelo Alvarez in May, and who knows when or if we'll see him fight again? And if we do, is there really anything left? This is a man whose career has been very stop-and-start, and his inactivity and personal issues long ago stunted his development. Against Alvarez, he frankly looked hopeless. Still brave, still a warrior, but hopeless.
Matthew Macklin (34-6, 22 KO) hopes to make a run at 154, but that idea didn't get off to a great start when he moved down to face Jason Welborn on October 17. Macklin won, but it was a competitive fight, and he didn't look like he was going to become a contender at the new weight, now 33 years of age with plenty of miles.
Shane Mosley (49-9-1, 41 KO) returned to action this year and went 2-0, beating up on a bloated zombie version of Ricardo Mayorga in August, then taking his talents to Panama for a win in December over Patrick Lopez. Mosley can still make 147, but there may be better opportunities for him at 154, and he's probably more likely to secure another world title shot, even if he doesn't really deserve one at age 44. Mosley was also a breakthrough superstar on Twitter this year, as he began to "be himself," which led to lots of fun stuff, and for once wasn't even just a guy suddenly being really offensive. Mosley's funny.
The Titleholders
WBC: Vacant
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<img alt="PBC on NBC: Jermall Charlo v Wilky Campfort" src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DK...loads/chorus_asset/file/5670355/499069516.jpg"> Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images
Lubin, 20, is not going to be in big fights any time soon, but as far as pure talent goes, I think he's a notch above the rest of the prospects at 154 pounds. He's got good size (5'11", 76-inch reach), speed, big power, and a lot of confidence. He has at times let that confidence make him look sloppy, but he's still a developing fighter. If he winds up able to harness his ability, he could be special. Lubin went 5-0 this year with good wins for his level.
Williams, 25, is a Philadelphia prospect who has gotten a lot of prospect attention, and for good reason. Thus far as a pro, he's done exactly what's been asked of him, and this year went 3-0, beating Joey Hernandez by 10-round shutout, followed by stoppage wins over Arman Ovsepyan and Luciano Cuello. He's the closest to world level-ready of this group.
Hurd, 25, went 3-0 this year, beating veteran Eric Mitchell, club fighter Jeff Lentz, and fellow prospect Frank Galarza, who may be dating Susan Sarandon. Hurd doesn't exactly leap off the screen when he fights, but he's good.
Harrison, 25, is still a good prospect, but no doubt his stock took a hit this year when he was stopped by Willie Nelson in a step-up bout. He had stopped Antwone Smith and Pablo Munguia before that, and beat Cecil McCalla by decision in October, too. He's got a big punch and the ability is there, but he has some defensive lapses and too often seems to rely on his power. Still, there's reason to believe he can adapt and come back very strong.
Castaño, 26, edges out the fighters listed below for the fifth spot. I probably could've done another top 10 instead of a top five, but even with a lot of depth in the prospect ranks, I don't see a lot of true top prospect type quality in this division, so I stuck with five. Once you get past the top three, I think you could choose any two of a number of guys, and Harrison is a wild card I kept in the mix because I do think there's still significant upside for him. Castaño is an Argentine fighter now with Mayweather Promotions, one of their two notable young fighters in the division, the other being Chris Pearson.
Other prospects of note, in alphabetical order: Domonique Dolton, Terrell Gausha, Oscar Molina, Ahmet Patterson, Chris Pearson, Oleksandr Spyrko, Patrick Teixeira, Danny Valdivia, Liam Williams.
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Junior Middleweights
By Scott Christ @scottchristBLH on Dec 22, 2015, 5:41p 46
Rob Foldy/Getty Images
There's no true top star in the 154-pound ranks now that Canelo Alvarez is gone, but there's still talent here, and plenty potentially on the way.
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Year-End Top 10
- Erislandy Lara (22-2-2, 13 KO)
- Jermall Charlo (23-0, 18 KO)
- Demetrius Andrade (22-0, 15 KO)
- Austin Trout (30-2, 17 KO)
- Jermell Charlo (27-0, 12 KO)
- Vanes Martirosyan (36-2-1, 21 KO)
- Liam Smith (21-0-1, 11 KO)
- Willie Nelson (24-2-1, 14 KO)
- Cornelius Bundrage (34-6, 19 KO)
- Ishe Smith (28-8, 12 KO)
Lara, 32, is the easier choice, a Cuban veteran whose two losses were both debated -- one a flat-out robbery against Paul Williams in 2011, the other a razor thin decision against Canelo in 2014. What really pushes Lara over the top here is not so much what he did in 2015, beating Delvin Rodriguez and Jan Zaveck, but his 2013 win over Austin Trout, which was one-sided and against a guy who's still a top contender in the division.
Jermall Charlo, 25, may be coming for the top spot, though. He started his year with a March win over Michael Finney, then annihilated K9 Bundrage in three rounds to win the IBF belt on September 12. In November, he defended easily against Wilky Campfort. Jermall is the puncher of the Charlo twins, and a good young talent, but we still haven't seen him do something like Lara did against Trout. (Or Paul Williams, for that matter.)
Andrade, 27, is another fighter who could become the top player in this division sometime soon. "Boo Boo" missed almost all of this year before returning in October for an easy win on a non-televised card. The former WBO titleholder has a couple of good wins, but they came in 2013-2014. He needs to get himself going again, but the talent is there.
Trout, 30, went 2-0 this year, beating Luis Galarza and Joey Hernandez, not exactly high-profile fights, and while there's no reason to think he's not still a top contender, it's very easy to understand how he's become sort of an afterthought in the division, and it's not really hard to understand having him lower, either.
Jermell Charlo, also 25, obviously, as the two are twins, had nearly as good a year as his brother, though he didn't win a recognized paper title. Jermell beat Vanes Martirosyan in March, and followed that up with a wipeout win over faded veteran Joachim Alcine. The win over Martirosyan was a good one.
As for Martirosyan, 29, he has had a frustrating career. When with Top Rank, he seemed held back, beating up on guys that weren't in his league, until 2012, when he faced Lara. The two went to a technical draw in nine rounds. He lost a split decision to Andrade in 2013. This year he lost a close decision to Charlo, then beat Ishe Smith in September. He's a good fighter, but so far hasn't quite been able to get over the hump, falling just short of victory against his three best opponents.
Smith, 27, went 4-0 on the year, most notably beating John Thompson for the vacant WBO belt in October. He defended successfully against non-contender Jimmy Kelly to close the year in December. He's a good fighter and with the belt, has an argument for top five.
Nelson, 28, is a somewhat inconsistent fighter, but he's dangerous, too. He fought just once in 2015, stopping Tony Harrison in the ninth round on July 11. He's at the age where he could be starting to really put it together, and with his physical gifts, that could be dangerous for his opposition.
Bundrage, 42, and Smith, 37, are placeholders in the division right now. K9 finally looked old when Jermall Charlo smashed him to bits, and Smith is still a solid fighter but one clearly on a slow downslide. His skill set and style make it so that he should be about this good for a few more years still, but that's a level below being a threat to anyone in the upper tier of the division.
On the Cusp
Carlos Molina (23-6-2, 7 KO) is another veteran still around. The 32-year-old Mexican looked awful in a 2014 loss to Bundrage, but did pick up a win over a club fighter in September of this year. At his best, Molina was a talented nuisance of a fighter, the type of guy just plain hard to beat.
Michel Soro (27-1-1, 17 KO) could have been mentioned at middleweight, but there was a lot more going on in that post than this one, so I'm throwing him in here. He scored a win over Glen Tapia at 154 pounds in May, but his other three fights this year were at 160, including his last bout, where he won the European title by defeating Emanuele Blandamura. Soro seems capable of moving between the two divisions and fighting effectively at either.
Charles Hatley (26-1-1, 18 KO) was another unheralded American who was called up to go to Australia and face Anthony Mundine, and he may have put an end to "The Man's" run with a dominant 11th round TKO win on November 11. 11-11, 11th round. Fancy that. The 29-year-old Texan was stopped in one by Lanardo Tyner back in 2012, but has won nine straight and may be a sleeper contender.
James Kirkland (32-2, 28 KO) was trucked in three rounds by Canelo Alvarez in May, and who knows when or if we'll see him fight again? And if we do, is there really anything left? This is a man whose career has been very stop-and-start, and his inactivity and personal issues long ago stunted his development. Against Alvarez, he frankly looked hopeless. Still brave, still a warrior, but hopeless.
Matthew Macklin (34-6, 22 KO) hopes to make a run at 154, but that idea didn't get off to a great start when he moved down to face Jason Welborn on October 17. Macklin won, but it was a competitive fight, and he didn't look like he was going to become a contender at the new weight, now 33 years of age with plenty of miles.
Shane Mosley (49-9-1, 41 KO) returned to action this year and went 2-0, beating up on a bloated zombie version of Ricardo Mayorga in August, then taking his talents to Panama for a win in December over Patrick Lopez. Mosley can still make 147, but there may be better opportunities for him at 154, and he's probably more likely to secure another world title shot, even if he doesn't really deserve one at age 44. Mosley was also a breakthrough superstar on Twitter this year, as he began to "be himself," which led to lots of fun stuff, and for once wasn't even just a guy suddenly being really offensive. Mosley's funny.
The Titleholders
WBC: Vacant
- Title vacated 11/2 after Floyd Mayweather's retirement
- def. Delvin Rodriguez (UD-12, 6/12)
- def. Jan Zaveck (TKO-3, 11/25)
- def. Cornelius Bundrage (TKO-3, 9/12 - TITLE CHANGE)
- def. Wilky Campfort (TKO-4, 11/28)
- Title stripped from Demetrius Andrade (7/31)
- def. John Thompson (TKO-7, 10/10)
- vs Jimmy Kilrain Kelly (12/19)
- Erickson Lubin (13-0, 10 KO)
- Julian Williams (21-0-1, 13 KO)
- Jarrett Hurd (17-0, 11 KO)
- Tony Harrison (22-1, 15 KO)
- Brian Castaño (11-0, 8 KO)
Lubin, 20, is not going to be in big fights any time soon, but as far as pure talent goes, I think he's a notch above the rest of the prospects at 154 pounds. He's got good size (5'11", 76-inch reach), speed, big power, and a lot of confidence. He has at times let that confidence make him look sloppy, but he's still a developing fighter. If he winds up able to harness his ability, he could be special. Lubin went 5-0 this year with good wins for his level.
Williams, 25, is a Philadelphia prospect who has gotten a lot of prospect attention, and for good reason. Thus far as a pro, he's done exactly what's been asked of him, and this year went 3-0, beating Joey Hernandez by 10-round shutout, followed by stoppage wins over Arman Ovsepyan and Luciano Cuello. He's the closest to world level-ready of this group.
Hurd, 25, went 3-0 this year, beating veteran Eric Mitchell, club fighter Jeff Lentz, and fellow prospect Frank Galarza, who may be dating Susan Sarandon. Hurd doesn't exactly leap off the screen when he fights, but he's good.
Harrison, 25, is still a good prospect, but no doubt his stock took a hit this year when he was stopped by Willie Nelson in a step-up bout. He had stopped Antwone Smith and Pablo Munguia before that, and beat Cecil McCalla by decision in October, too. He's got a big punch and the ability is there, but he has some defensive lapses and too often seems to rely on his power. Still, there's reason to believe he can adapt and come back very strong.
Castaño, 26, edges out the fighters listed below for the fifth spot. I probably could've done another top 10 instead of a top five, but even with a lot of depth in the prospect ranks, I don't see a lot of true top prospect type quality in this division, so I stuck with five. Once you get past the top three, I think you could choose any two of a number of guys, and Harrison is a wild card I kept in the mix because I do think there's still significant upside for him. Castaño is an Argentine fighter now with Mayweather Promotions, one of their two notable young fighters in the division, the other being Chris Pearson.
Other prospects of note, in alphabetical order: Domonique Dolton, Terrell Gausha, Oscar Molina, Ahmet Patterson, Chris Pearson, Oleksandr Spyrko, Patrick Teixeira, Danny Valdivia, Liam Williams.
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Junior Middleweights
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Middleweights
By Scott Christ @scottchristBLH on Dec 21, 2015, 9:26p 116
Al Bello/Getty Images
New stars, new titleholders, big fights, and a big crop of prospects highlighted 2015 in the middleweight division.
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Year-End Top 10
Canelo is a solid No. 2, but it's still worth questioning if he's really proven anything in this division. Sure, 155 pound catchweights are technically in the middleweight division, and it's not that I have a serious issue with catchweight fights. Contract limits are contract limits, both guys agreed, both guys looked good, the playing field was level. But beating a non-middleweight with a 155-pound limit leaves the question open, and that goes for his 155-pound wins over Alfredo Angulo and Erislandy Lara in 2014, and his May knockout of James Kirkland. Canelo is a hell of a good young fighter, no question, and in line to be the sport's new top star, but is he really a middleweight yet? That remains to be seen.
Jacobs, 28, may be the division's real greatest threat to Golovkin, in that he has the sort of power to stop anyone here. (Golovkin does, too, of course, and the fact that Jacobs is with Haymon and Golovkin is with HBO means that this is a fantasy discussion right now, anyway.) His 85-second wipeout of Peter Quillin in December was impressive, and he also beat Caleb Truax in April, and Sergio Mora in August, though the latter win came via injury stoppage, and Jacobs did go down in the opening round against a light puncher.
Cotto, 35, thrashed Daniel Geale in a 157-pound catchweight fight in June, then lost to Alvarez in November in a competitive fight that has garnered a lot of post-fight controversy regarding the scoring, largely manufactured by Cotto and Freddie Roach pushing their displeasure, and pushing toward a money rematch. He looked good in that fight, but the difference in power was pretty evident, too, and if one were betting who could do better in a rematch, it'd probably be the guy who's 10 years younger and just entering what should be his peak years physically, rather than the undersized veteran who may be fighting mostly for money at this stage.
Saunders, 26, just keeps winning. He's a talented fighter, a good boxer who transitioned well from the amateur ranks, where he fought in the 2008 Olympics at age 18. Saunders won a tune-up over a club fighter in July, then finally got his world title shot against Andy Lee in December after a pair of postponements, narrowly outpointing the Irishman in a fight where Saunders started very well, but did fade down the stretch. Saunders feels like a vulnerable titleholder, but he's a titleholder and earned it.
Lee, 31, and Quillin, 32, are both kind of in the same boat. They're former titleholders, drew against one another in April, and then lost to close the year. Between their fight and their losses, Lee didn't return to action, while Quillin beat a shamefully overmatched Michael Zerafa on a PBC card in September. Neither of them are old, but they also aren't young fighters anymore, and there's a good chance we've already seen their peaks.
Lemieux, 26, is a guy who in theory should have a bunch of good years left in the sport. He's a powerful puncher, but Golovkin pretty badly exposed how one-dimensional his game can be, and in many ways, so did N'dam, 31, when the two of them met in June, which was N'dam's only fight of 2015. Lemieux could and really should rebound nicely from here, but you also never know what sort of toll a beating like the one he suffered against GGG may take on a fighter.
Eubank, 26, is right between prospect and contender. After his narrow loss to Saunders in November 2014, he beat Dmitry Chudinov in February, then bounced from Frank Warren over to Matchroom, going 2-0 for them with easy wins against Tony Jeter and Gary O'Sullivan. He's now back on the market, leaving Matchroom after they failed to win a purse bid for a fight with Nick Blackwell. Eubank's talent is very real, and it's arguable that he has more upside than anyone in this top ten other than Canelo.
On the Cusp
Tureano Johnson (19-1, 13 KO) could face Golovkin early in 2016, after having a fight with Eamonn O'Kane featured on the GGG-Lemieux PPV card in October. It was Johnson's second win of the year, following a January victory over Alex Theran.
Willie Monroe Jr (19-2, 6 KO) beat Bryan Vera handily in January, then took a fight with Golovkin in May at The Forum. It did not go well, but he showed some real grit and heart in the loss, too, and he's got talent.
Gabriel Rosado (22-9, 13 KO) got back in the winner's circle with a December defeat of Joshua Clottey (39-5, 22 KO) in a 158-pound catchweight fight. Rosado had a lot of physical advantages in that fight, and it was also his first win since 2012, but his losses over that time came against Golovkin, Quillin, Jermell Charlo at 154, and Lemieux. He wants to fight Canelo Alvarez, but would seem unlikely to get that call without a couple more notable wins.
Former titleholders Daniel Geale (31-4, 16 KO) and Sam Soliman (44-13, 18 KO) are still active, at least technically in Geale's case. Geale, 34, hasn't fought since losing to Cotto, and really hasn't scored a notable win since he beat Anthony Mundine in January 2013. Soliman, 42, has lost two in a row, and fought just once this year, dropping a close decision to prospect Dominic Wade in June.
This is a division with depth that lies largely in its prospect ranks rather than established contenders or noteworthy fringe contenders. We'll get more into the prospects below.
The Titleholders
WBC: Canelo Alvarez
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<img alt=" " src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QQ.../3951658/01_Derevyanchenko_Weigh-in-8-7.0.jpg"> Rosie Cohe/SHOWTIME
Derevyanchenko, 30, is a polished prospect, nicknamed "The Technician," with power and boxing skills. The Ukrainian won bronze at the 2007 World Amateur Championships, and competed at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He turned pro last year, fighting out of Brooklyn, and has looked very impressive. This year, he went 4-0, beating Vladine Biosse, Alan Campa, Elvin Ayala, and Jessie Nicklow. He stopped everyone but Ayala, and he shut out Ayala over eight rounds. Really, Derevyanchenko is more than a prospect, and he's ready to graduate to legitimate contendership.
Khytrov, 27, is another Ukrainian now operating out of Brooklyn, and a very good prospect, but his status took a mild hit with a rough performance in August against Nick Brinson. Brinson was ahead on the cards going into the eighth and final round, when Khytrov finally turned up the heat and stopped his opponent. Brinson is a decent fighter, but it was a rough night for Khytrov. But he also won four other fights on the year, beating Maurice Louishomme, Jorge Melendez, Aaron Coley, and Josh Luteran, and he's got wicked power. The fight with Brinson was valuable.
Magomedov, 23, is younger than our top two, if you hadn't gathered that by the listings of their ages. He also went 4-0 in 2015, beating veterans Derrick Findley and Darnell Boone in April and May. The win over Boone isn't as impressive as beating Boone was a few years ago, as the 35-year-old has now entered the stage in his career where he can be stopped, but Magomedov finishing him in 2:37 is pretty nice nonetheless. In July, he beat another unbeaten prospect, Derrick Webster, and ended his year with a beatdown of Jonathan Tavira in December.
Douglas, 23, from Burke, Virginia, looks like a new rising star for the ShoBox series, going 3-0 on the program this year. He stopped Thomas Lamanna in six on March 13; stopped Istvan Szili in three on July 17; and stopped Les Sherrington in four on November 6. "Action" has emerged as the clear best American prospect of the division, in my view.
Murata, 29, was the surprise gold medalist in the middleweight division at London 2012, after winning silver at the 2011 Worlds in Baku, winning Japan's first gold medal in boxing since 1964. He turned pro in August 2013, and immediately beat Akio Shibata, a seasoned veteran who is still the top middleweight on the domestic scene in Japan. He's beaten some other decent, veteran fighters since then. In 2015, he made his U.S. debut under the Top Rank banner, beating Gunnar Jackson on November 7 in Las Vegas, a wide 10-round decision victory. Murata's upside might be a bit limited, but he's a good fighter worth keeping an eye on for sure.
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<img alt="James De La Rosa v Hugo Centeno Jr." src="https://cdn2.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7H...loads/chorus_asset/file/5845313/460084514.jpg"> Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
Centeno, 24, is a Haymon fighter who fought just twice in 2015, in September and December, and just twice in 2014, too. He'll hope to be more active in 2016, probably, or at least have bigger fights. He's a tall middleweight at just under 6'2" and has some decent wins so far, moving from 154 to 160 in the last two years.
Falcão, 26, lost to Murata in the gold medal match at London 2012, and has more pro fights, and may have more potential given he's a bit younger and less of a finished product. But he's also not faced the level of competition Murata has to date. He's stayed very busy, though, sort of harnessing his skills as a pro thus far. He went 6-0 this year on Top Rank cards.
Sulęcki, 26, moved his career to the United States this year, and fought on a couple of PBC on Spike undercards in Chicago and Newark, two cities that have large Polish communities that support their fighters. He beat Darryl Cunningham in April and Jose Miguel Rodriguez in August, both by stoppage, and has actually won his last three fights by stoppage, his first since 2012.
Wade, 25, fought just once in 2015, edging past Sam Soliman in June on ShoBox, winning a split decision. It wasn't quite the result he was looking for, but he got the win. He has wins over some familiar prospect checker names, like Troy Lowry, Dashon Johnson, and Marcus Upshaw, as well as Nick Brinson.
Selivanov, 21, is a young Russian who went 7-0 this year, after turning pro in August 2014. All but two of his fights have been at home in Russia, and he most recently beat Kassim Ouma by eight-round decision in Saint Petersburg on November 29. He's still more of a question mark than the other guys here, and there's not a lot of footage available on him, but (1) what there is shows a young fighter with promise, and (2) we needed 10. "Top 9" is nonsense. Other prospects possibly worth considering for this spot: Rob Brant, Luis Arias, Tommy Langford, Alantez Fox, Artur Akavov, Kamil Szeremeta, Yamaguchi Falcão, Paul Mendez.
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Middleweights
By Scott Christ @scottchristBLH on Dec 21, 2015, 9:26p 116
Al Bello/Getty Images
New stars, new titleholders, big fights, and a big crop of prospects highlighted 2015 in the middleweight division.
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Year-End Top 10
- Gennady Golovkin (34-0, 31 KO)
- Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KO)
- Daniel Jacobs (31-1, 28 KO)
- Miguel Cotto (40-5, 33 KO)
- Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12 KO)
- Andy Lee (34-3-1, 24 KO)
- Peter Quillin (32-1-1, 23 KO)
- David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KO)
- Hassan N'dam (31-2, 18 KO)
- Chris Eubank Jr (21-1, 16 KO)
Canelo is a solid No. 2, but it's still worth questioning if he's really proven anything in this division. Sure, 155 pound catchweights are technically in the middleweight division, and it's not that I have a serious issue with catchweight fights. Contract limits are contract limits, both guys agreed, both guys looked good, the playing field was level. But beating a non-middleweight with a 155-pound limit leaves the question open, and that goes for his 155-pound wins over Alfredo Angulo and Erislandy Lara in 2014, and his May knockout of James Kirkland. Canelo is a hell of a good young fighter, no question, and in line to be the sport's new top star, but is he really a middleweight yet? That remains to be seen.
Jacobs, 28, may be the division's real greatest threat to Golovkin, in that he has the sort of power to stop anyone here. (Golovkin does, too, of course, and the fact that Jacobs is with Haymon and Golovkin is with HBO means that this is a fantasy discussion right now, anyway.) His 85-second wipeout of Peter Quillin in December was impressive, and he also beat Caleb Truax in April, and Sergio Mora in August, though the latter win came via injury stoppage, and Jacobs did go down in the opening round against a light puncher.
Cotto, 35, thrashed Daniel Geale in a 157-pound catchweight fight in June, then lost to Alvarez in November in a competitive fight that has garnered a lot of post-fight controversy regarding the scoring, largely manufactured by Cotto and Freddie Roach pushing their displeasure, and pushing toward a money rematch. He looked good in that fight, but the difference in power was pretty evident, too, and if one were betting who could do better in a rematch, it'd probably be the guy who's 10 years younger and just entering what should be his peak years physically, rather than the undersized veteran who may be fighting mostly for money at this stage.
Saunders, 26, just keeps winning. He's a talented fighter, a good boxer who transitioned well from the amateur ranks, where he fought in the 2008 Olympics at age 18. Saunders won a tune-up over a club fighter in July, then finally got his world title shot against Andy Lee in December after a pair of postponements, narrowly outpointing the Irishman in a fight where Saunders started very well, but did fade down the stretch. Saunders feels like a vulnerable titleholder, but he's a titleholder and earned it.
Lee, 31, and Quillin, 32, are both kind of in the same boat. They're former titleholders, drew against one another in April, and then lost to close the year. Between their fight and their losses, Lee didn't return to action, while Quillin beat a shamefully overmatched Michael Zerafa on a PBC card in September. Neither of them are old, but they also aren't young fighters anymore, and there's a good chance we've already seen their peaks.
Lemieux, 26, is a guy who in theory should have a bunch of good years left in the sport. He's a powerful puncher, but Golovkin pretty badly exposed how one-dimensional his game can be, and in many ways, so did N'dam, 31, when the two of them met in June, which was N'dam's only fight of 2015. Lemieux could and really should rebound nicely from here, but you also never know what sort of toll a beating like the one he suffered against GGG may take on a fighter.
Eubank, 26, is right between prospect and contender. After his narrow loss to Saunders in November 2014, he beat Dmitry Chudinov in February, then bounced from Frank Warren over to Matchroom, going 2-0 for them with easy wins against Tony Jeter and Gary O'Sullivan. He's now back on the market, leaving Matchroom after they failed to win a purse bid for a fight with Nick Blackwell. Eubank's talent is very real, and it's arguable that he has more upside than anyone in this top ten other than Canelo.
On the Cusp
Tureano Johnson (19-1, 13 KO) could face Golovkin early in 2016, after having a fight with Eamonn O'Kane featured on the GGG-Lemieux PPV card in October. It was Johnson's second win of the year, following a January victory over Alex Theran.
Willie Monroe Jr (19-2, 6 KO) beat Bryan Vera handily in January, then took a fight with Golovkin in May at The Forum. It did not go well, but he showed some real grit and heart in the loss, too, and he's got talent.
Gabriel Rosado (22-9, 13 KO) got back in the winner's circle with a December defeat of Joshua Clottey (39-5, 22 KO) in a 158-pound catchweight fight. Rosado had a lot of physical advantages in that fight, and it was also his first win since 2012, but his losses over that time came against Golovkin, Quillin, Jermell Charlo at 154, and Lemieux. He wants to fight Canelo Alvarez, but would seem unlikely to get that call without a couple more notable wins.
Former titleholders Daniel Geale (31-4, 16 KO) and Sam Soliman (44-13, 18 KO) are still active, at least technically in Geale's case. Geale, 34, hasn't fought since losing to Cotto, and really hasn't scored a notable win since he beat Anthony Mundine in January 2013. Soliman, 42, has lost two in a row, and fought just once this year, dropping a close decision to prospect Dominic Wade in June.
This is a division with depth that lies largely in its prospect ranks rather than established contenders or noteworthy fringe contenders. We'll get more into the prospects below.
The Titleholders
WBC: Canelo Alvarez
- Miguel Cotto def. Daniel Geale (TKO-4, 6/6)
- def. Miguel Cotto (UD-12, 11/21 - WON VACANT TITLE)
- def. Martin Murray (TKO-11, 2/21)
- def. Willie Monroe Jr (TKO-6, 5/16)
- def. David Lemieux (TKO-8, 10/17)
- David Lemieux def. Hassan N'dam (UD-12, 6/20 - WON VACANT TITLE)
- def. David Lemieux (TKO-8, 10/17)
- vs Peter Quillin (D-12, 4/11)
- def. Andy Lee (MD-12, 12/19 - TITLE CHANGE)
- Sergiy Derevyanchenko (7-0, 5 KO)
- Ievgen Khytrov (12-0, 11 KO)
- Arif Magomedov (17-0, 10 KO)
- Antoine Douglas (19-0-1, 13 KO)
- Ryōta Murata (8-0, 5 KO)
- Hugo Centeno Jr (24-0, 12 KO)
- Esquiva Falcão (12-0, 9 KO)
- Maciej Sulęcki (21-0, 6 KO)
- Dominic Wade (18-0, 12 KO)
- Igor Selivanov (11-0, 8 KO)
Derevyanchenko, 30, is a polished prospect, nicknamed "The Technician," with power and boxing skills. The Ukrainian won bronze at the 2007 World Amateur Championships, and competed at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He turned pro last year, fighting out of Brooklyn, and has looked very impressive. This year, he went 4-0, beating Vladine Biosse, Alan Campa, Elvin Ayala, and Jessie Nicklow. He stopped everyone but Ayala, and he shut out Ayala over eight rounds. Really, Derevyanchenko is more than a prospect, and he's ready to graduate to legitimate contendership.
Khytrov, 27, is another Ukrainian now operating out of Brooklyn, and a very good prospect, but his status took a mild hit with a rough performance in August against Nick Brinson. Brinson was ahead on the cards going into the eighth and final round, when Khytrov finally turned up the heat and stopped his opponent. Brinson is a decent fighter, but it was a rough night for Khytrov. But he also won four other fights on the year, beating Maurice Louishomme, Jorge Melendez, Aaron Coley, and Josh Luteran, and he's got wicked power. The fight with Brinson was valuable.
Magomedov, 23, is younger than our top two, if you hadn't gathered that by the listings of their ages. He also went 4-0 in 2015, beating veterans Derrick Findley and Darnell Boone in April and May. The win over Boone isn't as impressive as beating Boone was a few years ago, as the 35-year-old has now entered the stage in his career where he can be stopped, but Magomedov finishing him in 2:37 is pretty nice nonetheless. In July, he beat another unbeaten prospect, Derrick Webster, and ended his year with a beatdown of Jonathan Tavira in December.
Douglas, 23, from Burke, Virginia, looks like a new rising star for the ShoBox series, going 3-0 on the program this year. He stopped Thomas Lamanna in six on March 13; stopped Istvan Szili in three on July 17; and stopped Les Sherrington in four on November 6. "Action" has emerged as the clear best American prospect of the division, in my view.
Murata, 29, was the surprise gold medalist in the middleweight division at London 2012, after winning silver at the 2011 Worlds in Baku, winning Japan's first gold medal in boxing since 1964. He turned pro in August 2013, and immediately beat Akio Shibata, a seasoned veteran who is still the top middleweight on the domestic scene in Japan. He's beaten some other decent, veteran fighters since then. In 2015, he made his U.S. debut under the Top Rank banner, beating Gunnar Jackson on November 7 in Las Vegas, a wide 10-round decision victory. Murata's upside might be a bit limited, but he's a good fighter worth keeping an eye on for sure.
Centeno, 24, is a Haymon fighter who fought just twice in 2015, in September and December, and just twice in 2014, too. He'll hope to be more active in 2016, probably, or at least have bigger fights. He's a tall middleweight at just under 6'2" and has some decent wins so far, moving from 154 to 160 in the last two years.
Falcão, 26, lost to Murata in the gold medal match at London 2012, and has more pro fights, and may have more potential given he's a bit younger and less of a finished product. But he's also not faced the level of competition Murata has to date. He's stayed very busy, though, sort of harnessing his skills as a pro thus far. He went 6-0 this year on Top Rank cards.
Sulęcki, 26, moved his career to the United States this year, and fought on a couple of PBC on Spike undercards in Chicago and Newark, two cities that have large Polish communities that support their fighters. He beat Darryl Cunningham in April and Jose Miguel Rodriguez in August, both by stoppage, and has actually won his last three fights by stoppage, his first since 2012.
Wade, 25, fought just once in 2015, edging past Sam Soliman in June on ShoBox, winning a split decision. It wasn't quite the result he was looking for, but he got the win. He has wins over some familiar prospect checker names, like Troy Lowry, Dashon Johnson, and Marcus Upshaw, as well as Nick Brinson.
Selivanov, 21, is a young Russian who went 7-0 this year, after turning pro in August 2014. All but two of his fights have been at home in Russia, and he most recently beat Kassim Ouma by eight-round decision in Saint Petersburg on November 29. He's still more of a question mark than the other guys here, and there's not a lot of footage available on him, but (1) what there is shows a young fighter with promise, and (2) we needed 10. "Top 9" is nonsense. Other prospects possibly worth considering for this spot: Rob Brant, Luis Arias, Tommy Langford, Alantez Fox, Artur Akavov, Kamil Szeremeta, Yamaguchi Falcão, Paul Mendez.
Boxing Year in Review 2015: The Middleweights
Whats the point breh, when some posters have more smileys than words in their posts, use the same arguments and keywords 24/7 and the same exact people dap and back the same exact people up. Its pointlessYou know what I notice though. I know people have an opinion on things in the ring and it's cool. But your post history has proven me you're a shytty ass poster. You spew random shyt and then when nikkas check you on it you don't reply. You act like it didn't happen
Uncle Al running out of money soon at least
HARLEM AL
Your broad loves me.....
As oppose to the Promoters using HBO as hedge funds instead of actually promoting a fight or fighter? Or is it OK because it's not coming out their pocket?
Golden boy, Main Events and Top Rank fighters should say "I like to thank HBO and God"....
My thing get out of here with the fake outrage shyt. Let's call shyt across the board for what it is. Matter of fact where was the outcry when Cathy Duval pulled her fighter from a fight and bamboozled her way of getting title shot with the IBF belt. Which stripped the newly title holder.
@hyperman25 Bullet Head beat him so bad, that Jean went spiraling back out of control and now he's in rehab
Sad #HaitianCoalition @LeVraiPapi & @LinusCaldwell
LinusCaldwell
From The Eastside with Love
@hyperman25 Bullet Head beat him so bad, that Jean went spiraling back out of control and now he's in rehab
Sad #HaitianCoalition @LeVraiPapi & @LinusCaldwell
Easy breh easy 
@hyperman25 Bullet Head beat him so bad, that Jean went spiraling back out of control and now he's in rehab
Sad #HaitianCoalition @LeVraiPapi & @LinusCaldwell
damn jean relapsed like that? shyt lol