By Cliff Rold
Super Middleweight may not be the best class in boxing. The steady stream of fights it is presenting in the “Super Six,” combined with the increasingly dominant IBF title run of tournament outsider Lucian Bute, give it a hell of a case though. Fight fans want to see the best fight the best on a regular basis. They’re getting it at 168 lbs.
And there is a serious debate to be had about just who the best at 168 is right now. Bute looked good enough in wrecking Librado Andrade and Edison Miranda in his last two fights to make a tentative case for the top spot. Andre Ward made a huge leap in quality of competition with Mikkel Kessler last year but it was just one night. After proving Allan Green out of his league, is it time to reevaluate the field?
Find out in the BoxingScene Ratings and Results Update along with developments among the smallest of fighting men.
Super Middleweight (161-168 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
05/28: #8 Librado Andrade (29-3, 22 KO) RTD8 Eric Lucas (39-8-3, 15 KO)
06/19: #2 Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO, WBA ) UD12 #10 Allan Green (29-2, 20 KO)
World Super Middleweight Champion: Vacant
Vacant Since: Joe Calzaghe Vacated September 28, 2008
Top Ten Contenders
1. Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KO, WBA , 1 Defense)
2. Lucian Bute (26-0, 21 KO, IBF , 5 Defenses)
3. Mikkel Kessler (43-2, 32 KO, WBC , 0 Defenses)
4. Carl Froch (26-1, 20 KO) 5. Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KO)
6. Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KO)
7. Sakio Bika (28-3-2, 19 KO)
8. Librado Andrade (29-3, 22 KO) 9. Robert Stieglitz (38-2, 23 KO, WBO , 2 Defenses)
10. Allan Green (29-2, 20 KO)
Ratings Notes… With two rounds complete, Andre Ward is the only fighter in the Super Six without a loss. He also may not have lost a round in defeating Mikkel Kessler or Allan Green. There was hesitancy to boost him to the top slot off the singular performance against Kessler, even if Kessler was a better win than anything on Lucian Bute’s resume. The Green win was impressive in its completeness and ward takes the top slot…For now…There’s plenty more tournament to go for everyone…Bute will be hard pressed to keep up. Former Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik can give him a credible and tough opponent. He’ll also have the two fighter who do not advance in the “Super Six” as potential challengers while the tournament elimination rounds take place. Keep winning and Bute versus the ‘Super Six” winner is money in every sense of the word…No dates are announced for the tournament third round bouts yet, but Froch-Abraham should be a circle on every blood and guts fight fan calendar.
Previous Champion: Joe Calzaghe (2006-08, Vacated)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal: Chong Pal Park - 10
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Other: Tie – Joe Calzaghe (WBO)/Sven Ottke (IBF) - 21
Key Upcoming Super Middleweight Contests
TBA: #1 Andre Ward vs. #5 Andre Dirrell
TBA: #3 Mikkel Kessler vs. #10 Allan Green
TBA: #4 Carl Froch vs. #6 Arthur Abraham
Flyweight (109-112 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
05/09: #3 Daisuke Naito (36-3-3, 23 KO) KO5 Liempetch Sor Veerapol (17-7, 10 KO)
06/12: #6 Julio Cesar Miranda (32-5-1, 25 KO) TKO5 Richie Mepranum (22-2-1, 5 KO); vacant WBO title
06/15: #4 Denkaosan Kaovichit (50-2-1, 20 KO) UD12 Anis Ceunfin (13-9-5, 5 KO)
06/19: #9 at Jr. Flyweight Edren Dapudong (18-2, 10 KO) KO1 #9 Jesus Jimenez (28-6, 20 KO)
World Flyweight Champion: Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (75-3-1, 39 KO, Lineal/Ring/WBC )
Lineage Descends From: Canto MD15 Oguma, 01/08/1975*
Top Ten Contenders
1. Koki Kameda (22-1, 14 KO)
2. Daisuke Naito (36-3-3, 23 KO)
3. Daiki Kameda (16-2, 11 KO¸ WBA¸0 Defenses )
4. Denkaosan Kaovichit (50-2-1, 20 KO)
5. Moruti Mthalane (25-2, 16 KO, IBF , 0 Defenses)
6. Julio Cesar Miranda (32-5-1, 25 KO, WBO , 0 Defenses)
7. Luis Concepcion (20-1, 15 KO, WBA interim )
8. Edgar Sosa (38-6, 22 KO)
9. Takefumi Sakata (36-5-2, 17 KO)
10. Edren Dapudong (18-2, 9 KO)
* Canto, a WBC champion, was regarded by some, including Ring Magazine, as lineal champ as early as 1975 for defeating Shoji Oguma; became clear champion when twice defended against foe Betulio Gonzalez became WBA champ on 08/13/1978
Ratings Notes… Wonjongkam may be looking at a fifth fight with Naito if Koki Kameda is serious about moving up in weight rather than trying to chase a rematch. A mandatory with former Jr. Flyweight titlist Edgar Sosa may come before anything else. That could be a good fight…Wonjongkam could also conceivably do business with brother Daiki and give Flyweight its first unification contest in decades. A mandatory with former Jr. Flyweight titlist Edgar Sosa could also happen…Daiki is likely to have to face Sakata, a former WBA titlist, in the fall before anything like that can happen and then Luis Concepcion will get his say as well…Sosa enters the ratings following a fight which technically happened at Bantamweight. Leyva, who has been knocked out in four of seven, needs someone to care enough to save him from more punches…Miranda wins a belt after falling short in key eliminators and title tries previously (including losses to Wonjongkam and Mthalane in 2009). He fills the slot left behind by the vacating Omar Narvaez; the Argentine left 112 one short of tying the general consecutive title defense record at Flyweight…Dapudong crashes the top ten with a striking knockout of Jimenez. Jimenez had won fifteen straight coming in. Dapudong won a WBC “Silver” belt which is a glossier name for interim beltholder. Whatever.
Previous Champion: Koki Kameda (2009-10)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal or Other: Pongsaklek Wonjongkam – 17
Current Champion – Defenses: 0 - Lineal/Ring/WBC
Key Upcoming Flyweight Contests
09/25: #3 Daiki Kameda vs. #9 Takefumi Sakata
Jr. Flyweight (106-108 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
05/29: Luis Lazarte (47-9-1, 18 KO) SD12 #2 Carlos Tamara (21-5, 15 KO, IBF )
06/05: #3 Edgar Sosa (38-6, 22 KO) KO2 Roberto Leyva (27-12-1, 21 KO)
06/12: World Champion Ivan Calderon (34-0-1, 6 KO) UD12 Jesus Iribe (16-7-5, 10 KO)
06/19: #9 Omar Nino (29-3-2, 11 KO) UD12 #2 Rodel Mayol (26-5-2, 20 KO, WBC ) 06/19: #7 Juan Carlos Reveco (24-1, 13 KO, interim WBA ) TKO6 Luis Doria (22-19-3, 14 KO)
World Jr. Flyweight Champion: Ivan Calderon (34-0-1, 6 KO, Lineal/ Ring/WBO )
Lineage Descends From: Cazares TKO10 Dieppa, 09/30/2006
Top Ten Contenders
1. Giovanni Segura (24-1-1, 20 KO, WBA , 3 Defenses)
2. Omar Nino (29-3-2, 11 KO, WBC , 0 Defenses)
3. Luis Lazarte (47-9-1, 18 KO, IBF , 0 Defenses)
4. Carlos Tamara (21-5, 15 KO)
5. Brian Viloria (26-3, 15 KO)
6. Ulises Solis (30-2-2, 21 KO)
7. Juan Carlos Reveco (24-1, 13 KO, interim WBA )
8. Rodel Mayol (26-5-2, 20 KO)
9. Johnriel Casimero (14-0, 8 KO)
10. Ryo Miyazaki (11-0-3, 6 KO)
Ratings Notes… Omar Nino picked up his second WBC belt with a rugged win over a Mayol whose fights had recently all been marked by odd endings. There were no cut shortages this time, no errant knockout blows, and Mayol will have to hope there might be a third Nino fight…Nino, who has been one of the consistent forces at 108 in the last six years, joins fellow Mexican titlist Giovanni Segura as the sort of legitimate challenge champion Ivan Calderon really needs late in his career. Whether Puerto Rico’s Calderon will face either remains to be seen…Casimero should be able to lock up a WBO mandatory shot at Calderon shortly. He moves up a slot off the Dapudong rise to Flyweight. Japan’s undefeated Ryo Miyazaki enters at ten.
Previous Champion: Hugo Cazares (2006-07)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal: Saman Sorjaturong - 10
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Other: Myung-Woo Yuh (WBA) – 17
Current Champion: 6 – Lineal/Ring/WBO
Key Upcoming Jr. Flyweight Contests
07/03: #10 Johnriel Casimero vs. Ramon Hirales (12-1-1, 8 KO)
07/10: #5 Brian Viloria vs. Omar Soto (19-6-2, 13 KO)
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Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
