SportsRatings: Boxing/MMA

After Junior Dos Santos' win, who are the top 10 MMA Heavyweights?

Junior Dos Santos' stunning 1-minute upset TKO of Cain Velasquez threw another curve into the MMA heavyweight rankings. Dos Santos takes over as UFC champion, denying Velasquez the chance to be SportsRatings' #1 ranked heavyweight. Instead, the two switch places for the most part, with Dos Santos rising to #2 and Velasquez falling to #6.

At #1 is Alistair Overeem, the former Strikeforce fighter now signed with the UFC. His transfer to the larger operation makes the top 10 even at 5 UFC fighters and 5 Strikeforce fighters, easily the weight class that is least dominated by the UFC (until you get into the very low weight classes where the Japanese have many more competitors). Fabricio Werdum might fight next for the UFC next, too, making it 6-4.

Overeem is #1 as a result of the Fall of Fedor, as Overeem beat Werdum who was the first to beat Emelianenko. Fedor's fall also pumped up the scores of Antonio Silva and eventually Daniel Cormier, and all four are in the top five currently. The mad shuffling going on in the heavyweight division will continue until a true #1 settles in. It looked like that would be Velasquez, but Dos Santos put an end to that for now. Instead, Overeem will have a chance to prove his #1 rating isn't just a fluke.

SportsRatings MMA Heavyweight rankings post-Dos Santos/Velasquez

Nov. 5 Rank	Nov. 12 Rank	Fighter	WC	Rating	Rated Record	UFC on Fox results:
1	1	Alistair Overeem	HW	62.80	28-11-0
5	2	Junior dos Santos	HW	56.81	8-0-0	Def #2 Cain Velasquez
3	3	Fabricio Werdum	HW	54.77	13-5-1	last win -17 months.
4	4	Daniel Cormier	HW	42.98	6-0-0
6	5	Antonio Silva	HW	40.05	13-3-0
2	6	Cain Velasquez	HW	39.15	6-1-0	Lost to #5 Junior dos Santos
7	7	Brock Lesnar	HW	37.75	4-1-0	last win -16 months.
8	8	Josh Barnett	HW	35.74	30-5-0
9	9	Fedor Emelianenko	HW	33.55	24-4-0	last win -24 months.
10	10	Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira	HW	29.43	31-6-1

Here's a rundown of the top ten, how they got there, and where they're going:

1. Alistair Overeem (35-11-0) - The former Strikeforce champ pulled out of the tournament where he would have faced Antonio Silva and turned up in the UFC, where he'll face Brock Lesnar. That will be an interesting bout, and the toughest opponent Overeem has faced in years. With 11 losses, a suspicious all-muscle weight gain, and questionable opposition as a heavyweight, Overeem hasn't been considered among the division's elite even when he held the Strikeforce belt. His win over Werdum was unconvincing but it gave him a lot of Fedor's former rating points. Known as a striker, he'll likely have trouble against Lesnar, as even Werdum outboxed him at times. We doubt Overeem will last long at #1; even if he beats Lesnar, Dos Santos will finish him off.
   Next fight: December 30 vs. #7 Brock Lesnar.
   
   
2. Junior Dos Santos (14-1-0) - We admit, we were never quite impressed with Dos Santos despite his many UFC wins; it always seemed he was only just good enough to beat the guy in front of him. But as the guys put in front of him got better, so did Junior, culminating in his quick dispatch of Velasquez. A humble UFC champ, he's a welcome relief from Lesnar's bluster. One way or another it looks like he'll ascend to our #1 spot, as he should beat the winner of Lesnar-Overeem. He just beat the man most likely to defeat him, too, so until Velasquez gets a rematch we expect Dos Santos to keep winning. Next fight: 2012 vs. winner of #1 Overeem vs. #7 Lesnar.
   
   
3. Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) - No one got a bigger boost from beating Fedor than Werdum, who toppled the long-time heavyweight champ at his peak. But Werdum's win was somewhat of a fluke, and his subsequent non-performance against Overeem showed that the only way he's going to beat a top name is to get them in his guard. Avoid that, and you can't lose, especially if he goes down on every punch. 15 knockdowns per round is going to give the other guy an advantage. What he should do is work the standup fighting, which he showed to good effect against Overeem but didn't take seriously as a strategy. By becoming well-rounded Werdum could stay on near the top, but as it looks now he's likely to slide down the rankings.
   Next fight: unknown, possibly #17 Brendan Schaub
   
   
4. Daniel Cormier (9-0-0) - Cormier is now the top undefeated heavyweight fighter. He beat Antonio Silva convincingly, looking like a Fedor/Velasquez clone in doing so. He has the build of Emelianenko and trains with Velasquez, so that's not surprising. His relative inexperience may be an issue but it also keeps him from getting overconfident or taking chances—note how he fought Silva completely differently from Fedor, respecting Silva's size and staying away from his giant fists, then using speed to beat him. In the Strikeforce tournament final Cormier faces Josh Barnett next, a completely different challenge.
   Next fight: vs. #8 Josh Barnett, date unknown.
   
   
5. Antonio Silva (16-3-0) - Right after beating Fedor convincingly, Silva lost to Cormier just as convincingly. Silva has huge, heavy fists, giant size, and a good ground game, but he's slow on his feet and Cormier exploited that. Silva is the kind of guy who can beat anyone or lose to anyone. If you aren't careful, his size and ground skill can kill you, but if good strategy is used then the entire top ten—or lower—can handle him.
   Next fight: ? Unknown
   
   
6. Cain Velasquez (9-1-0) - Cain looked invincible beating Brock Lesnar, and it seemed he could be the new Fedor and rule for the rest of the decade. But the win came at a price, and his subsequent rotator cuff injury kept him out of the Octagon for over a year. When he came back against Dos Santos he was tentative and uncertain, and needed some time to acclimate to being in a real fight. Dos Santos didn't give him that time. He looked like he'd lost muscle and put on some fat in the past year, too, and certainly didn't show the explosiveness—or get a chance to show it—that he did when he won the UFC crown. If he can become totally healthy he'll again be a force to reckon with; his next fight will definitely be critical to his career.
   Next fight: 2012, perhaps vs. loser of #1 Overeem vs. #7 Lesnar.
   
   
7. Brock Lesnar (5-2-0) - Lesnar will get an opportunity to redeem himself against Alistair Overeem, and with his size and wrestling skill he has a good chance to do so. Lesnar's career is only 7 fights long but seems much more significant, and his bouts with illness have extended his time between contests. Lesnar is a puzzling combination of giant size, inexperience, quick learning, wrestling talent, and simultaneous weak and strong chin. Quick to get flustered when hit in the face, Lesnar showed he can survive a tremendous beating (against Carwin) but there are limits to how effectively he can fight back. Overeem is another big striker, though he looked a lot less dominant against Werdum for whatever reason. If healthy Lesnar should beat Overeem as long as he doesn't get caught against the fence getting punched in the face 100 times again.
   Next fight: December 30 vs. #1 Alistair Overeem.
   
   
8. Josh Barnett (31-5-0) - Barnett is the wild card in the heavyweight division. He's the guy least likely to make the jump to the UFC, as he's basically been banned by Dana White. But he might win the Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight tournament, and if so he has an argument to being the best in the world. Would he get a chance to prove it? With Overeem in the UFC, Fedor in a slump, and everyone else taking a loss in the tournament, there would be no one else in Strikeforce for Barnett to face. His (relatively) old-school strategy of taking the fight to the ground, smothering and choking his opponents his served him well lately, but he hasn't exactly faced the best opponents. Daniel Cormier is a top challenger, but if he wins people will just say Cormier is inexperienced. Barnett may remain in MMA limbo even if he wins the biggest heavyweight tournament in years.
   Next fight: vs. #4 Daniel Cormier, 2012
   
   
9. Fedor Emelianenko (31-4-0) - Fedor was last seen losing to light heavyweight Dan Henderson, his third straight loss after nearly a decade of invincibility. His past track record shows that he can beat anyone, while his recent performance suggests nearly anyone can beat him now. The difference is the strategy he uses. Always somewhat sloppy, Fedor mitigated this trait by being generally careful to avoid getting hit (see Arlovski fight, or Cro Crop for good examples), while showing uncanny ability (or luck) in getting out of bad ground positions (most of his fights). Lately he abandoned the "don't-get-hit" philosophy in favor of a head-hunting style that worked against Bret Rogers but failed against Werdum (fell into his trap), Silva (got hit a lot, then grounded and pounded), and Henderson (got hit even more, was careless on the ground, and finally got ko'd). Fedor will try to regroup in Russia, essentially taking him out of the mix of top fighters for the time being. If he regains his patience he could make a comeback, but he showed even less of that against Hendo than ever before. When a fighter keep mulling retirement after each fight—which Fedor did even before he started losing—it's pretty clear your heart's not in it.
   Next fight: vs. Jeff Monson on November 20.
   
   
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1) - Another seasoned veteran in the top 10, Nogueira got a new lease on his MMA life with his hometown win over Brendan Schaub in UFC 134. How long that lease on life will last, however, is anybody's guess. The Brazilian fighters in that promotion did amazingly well, and "home Octagon advantage" was a big part of that (note a similar effect in the Olympics). Was that win Nogueira's last gasp? We'll find out when he takes on Frank Mir in a rematch. Last time against Mir, Nogueira was tentative like many older fighters seem to become, without the explosiveness that they had when younger. It's likely that Nog's comeback ends soon, but he's one of the all-time greats.
    Next fight: December 10 vs. #11 Frank Mir

Others: #11 Frank Mir; #12 Cheick Kongo; #13 Cole Konrad; #14 Peter Graham; #15 Shane Carwin

The top eight or ten is very strong, but after that there's a big drop-off once you get past Mir and Kongo. Konrad is undefeated but unproven, having fought only in Bellator. Graham has one big win, over Fedor's brother, and a 4-5 overall record. Carwin is underrated at #15 but he really didn't beat many fighters of note before losing two straight to Lesnar and Dos Santos.

No Surprises: Cormier beats Silva, Barnett snuffs Kharitonov in Strikeforce Semi-finals

It was treated as a big upset but shouldn't have been. Daniel Cormier, subbing for the "injured" Alestair Overeem, knocked out Antonio Silva in the first round in the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament semifinals. As expected, Josh Barnett advanced after smothering Sergei Kharitonov in the other semi-final.

Cormier was only 8-0 but in all likelihood was the 2nd best heavyweight in the world coming into the bout. He trains with the probable #1, UFC champion Cain Velasquez. And just as Velasquez beat Brock Lesnar the way a prime Fedor Emelianenko would have, so did Cormier handle Silva. Of course, Fedor lost to Silva by fighting stupid—ignoring the man's fists and size.

Cormier, however, had respect for Silva's punching power and, when the fight went to the ground, he didn't try a lot from inside Silva's guard, instead deciding to let Silva up for more standup fighting. Cormier avoided Silva's rushes and punches early, unlike Fedor who basically tried to ignore them.

Now Cormier, an olympic caliber wrestler, is nearly as good at standup fighting. In other words he's a lot like Velasquez, another superb wrestler who has great standup skills. Both men have incredible speed, and that speed was the difference against Silva. Silva's punches are big but slow and telegraphed, while Cormier has the speed of the old Fedor. He's also built a lot like Fedor, with a big of extra padding around the waist, but that doesn't mean he's not explosive.

Barnett, after several positive steroid tests over his career, looks like he's finally kicked the habit judging by his new, less bulky physique. Either that or he's cycling down a lot sooner before the tests as he fights in America rather than Japan where they like their fighters juiced up. But he looks so much smaller I'd wager he's off the stuff for good.

He still has his skill, and he's one of the last true ground-and-pounders. This is mainly because of his skill at takedowns. As takedown defense becomes better and better, many of the ground-and-pounders fell to the wayside. But Barnett doesn't give up upon first resistance, as he showed with Kharitonov. After taking a few too many punches for comfort, he latched on to Kharitonov and held him there until he could execute a fantastic takedown directly into mount. It wasn't pretty, but it was very effective as he used his bodyweight alone to do the work.

Once in mount, Barnett also displayed on old-school ability to stay in mount and not let the opponent escape. Instead of unleashing punches, he takes only those that he can get without jeopardizing his stability, switching between a smothering stance and a post-up-for-punches stance. He only abandoned the mount at the end as he applied an arm-triangle choke and moved his body to the side for added torque.

It sets up a very interesting final. Barnett will have his hands full on the ground with Cormier, and Cormier is certainly the better standup fighter. Is Barnett going to be able to execute a takedown against a world class wrestler like Cormier? Beating Bret Rogers and Kharitonov is one thing, but Cormier will present a unique challenge. Barnett's main advantage will be experience, as Cormier still has fewer than 10 fights under his belt.

#2 Vitali Klitschko vs. #4 Tomasz Adamek Live Round-by-Round Scoring

Does Tomasz Adamek (44-1; 6-0 against heavyweights) have any hope against Vitali Klitschko (42-2)?

Adamek had trouble with some of the heavyweights he defeated since moving up from cruiserweight. Klitschko is taller than Michael Grant and hits harder than Chris Arreola and technically runs rings around anyone Adamek has faced.

Klitschko had a bit of trouble early against another Polish fighter, Albert Sosnowski, before finding his rhythm in the 7th round and dominating late and scoring a 10th round TKO. Will Adamek's movement, quickness, and heart make a difference? 

The odds are long against. Klitschko outweights Adamek by 25 pounds, is 6 inches taller and has a 5 inch reach advantage. He's barely lost a round in his career. The only things Adamek has going for him are the ever-repeated hope that Klitschko's age will suddenly catch up with him, and the home ring advantage of fighting in Wroclaw, Poland.

It would be a big upset if Adamek can wrest the WBC belt from Vitali, and in our eyes most likely the fight will resemble the Klitschko-Sosnowski bout, or last month's Helenius-Lyakhovich fight, depending on Adamek's workrate. But we shall see.

Our round-by-round scoring:

• Round One: Adamek a bit tentative. Klitschko stalking him. Adamek gets a jab in that Vitali doesn't notice. Klitschko lands a right. The two clinch when Adamek gets inside. Vitali's jabs getting in. Right hand from Klitschko fazes Adamek. He can't find the range to counter; Vitali pushes Adamek's head down whenever he gets inside. Klitschko 10-9.
• Round Two: Adamek not fighting like Lyakhovich at all, nor is he giving Vitali any trouble like Sosnowski. He does get in a tepid combo that backs Vitali up. Vitali gets in a few uppercuts. Adamek lunging in trying to make something happen, and one time he does connect and the crowd roars; Vitali counters with jabs. A lot more scrapping this round. Big right by Klitschko with under a minute to go. Another right and a left by Klitschko, and another one bounces Adamek off the ropes but he stays up. Klitschko 10-9; 20-18.
• Round Three: Let's see if Vitali smells blood. Klitschko's straight arm wards off Adamek's entry attempts. Peppering Adamek with jabs and straight rights, and uppercuts when Adamek ducks. The reach advantage is killing Adamek as it does with nearly everyone the Klitschkos face. Adamek having almost no success this round. Klitschko 10-9; 30-27.
• Round Four: Current odds on Klitschko have gone up to 500-1. That's worth a $5 bet on Adamek right? More of the same midway through the first round. Adamek gets in a looping right hook, starting to harass Klitschko a bit. He gets inside for a bit and didn't stay there, but he's doing a lot better knowing how to time Klitschko's approaches. He gets in a wide right hook to the side of Klitschko's head near the end. Can't really give him the round though, but it could be a draw. 10-10; Klitschko 40-37. Note: Official scorecards have it 40-36 across the board.
• Round Five: Adamek is looking a lot better, and Klitschko is breathing a bit hard. But the dynamic hasn't reversed. Klitschko hits Adamek with good rights and lefts to re-establish his dominance, as Adamek stays in perfect range for Vitali. Good uppercuts from Vitali near the end. Klitschko 10-9; 50-46.
• Round Six: Klitschko is picking his spots with rights and jabs, and after a minute he knocks Adamek against the post for a knockdown, though he doesn't leave his feet. It's just a matter of time as Adamek stumbles around the ring. More punishment from Vitali, but Adamek stays on his feet. Klitschko 10-8; 60-54
• Round Seven: Vitali stalking him as Adamek is doing nothing but head movement and bobbing a bit. Now he tries a few entries but doesn't commit. Bodyshot by Adamek his first strike in a few rounds. Klitschko doing less this round, too, waiting for KO punch. Very little activity with :30 left. Maybe Vitali put money on the 8th round. Klitschko 10-9; 70-63.
• Round Eight: Decent shot by Ademek early in the round, but Vitali has a few before and after it. And as the round continues the same pattern repeats. Jabs when Adamek enters, and left-right combos when he stays at a distance. KLITSCHKO trips and goes down! Not a knockdown but as the round ends we'll see if he moves okay next round. Klitschko 10-9; 80-72; official scorecards all 80-71.
• Round Nine: A more active round by Klitschko, peppering Adamek with shots. Good return shot from Adamek gets the crowd cheering but it's 10 to 1 in terms of those. Klitschko 10-9; 90-81
• Round Ten: If Adamek holds on it's going to be a huge landslide in the scoring. Adamek still lunging in occasionally against all odds. Adamek getting hit at will and in very bad shape, not defending himself. Somehow he stays on his feet, but the referee stops the bout. There was a good minute where Klitschko had free reign to hit him; in the last minute he hit Ademek more than he was hit the entire fight.

Klitschko wins yet again; the dominance continues. Respect shown for his opponent afterwards, but it wasn't a big challenge against a much smaller man who had no chance from the starts.

Adamek was a very weak #4 in our rankings and will drop out of the top ten, as is probably correct given his questionable performances against other top heavies.

#3 Alexander Povetkin vs. #4 Ruslan Chagaev Round-by-round scoring

The two best heavyweights not named Klitschko fight in Efurt, Germany today for a cooked-up WBA world title. This fight is followed by Robert Helenius vs. Serhai Liakhovich.

Povetkin is undefeated (21-0-0) and ranked #3 by SportsRatings behind only Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko. Ruslan Chagaev is ranked #4 and has a record of 27-1-1.

Event starts at 5:00pm eastern time (or rather, coverage does. Fight probably at 5:30)

CORRECTION - The Epix feed isn't live after all. Still, round by round scoring follows:

• Round One - Lots of circling and feeling out. Chagaev had the best punch of the round but Povetkin did a bit more. Not committing to this one. 10-10
• Round Two - More of the same, lots of pawing. Chagaev isn't connecting often but is blocking the meat of Povetkin's occasional flurries. Chagaev 10-9; Chagaev 20-19.
• Round Three - The Epix feed sucks ass. Povetkin pushing Chagaev with energetic flurries. Chag blocks most everything again but he's getting pressured, and Povetkin connects on a few. A lot more action this round. Good exchange at the end. Povetkin 10-9; 29-29.
• Round Four - Nice action to start the round, both fighters connecting, counterpunches from both fighters. Nice straight left by Chagaev. Potetkin starting to get combinations going in the 2nd half of the round. Povetkin 10-9. Povetkin 39-38
• Round Five - Both fighters moving a bit slower after the action the last two rounds. Great counter by Chagaev after Povetkin's flurry. Good uppercut by Povetkin. Again Povetkin doing better in the 2nd half of the round after a good start by Chagaev. Povetkin 10-9; Povetkin 49-37.
• Round Six - Chagaev stalking, connects with a left, and two more has Povetkin stunned, but Alex is fighting his way back. Great action this round. Uppercut left by Chagaev. Stiff right by Chagaev. Povetkin gets an uppercut in, looks a bit tired but not in trouble. Best round by either fighter for Chagaev, 10-9. Povetkin 58-47.
• Round Seven - Left hand again by Chagaev. Povetkin's punches are softer. Chagaev senses he has figured out how to hurt Povetkin and looks like a pit bull. Both fighters taking it easy in the 2nd half of the round. Chagaev 10-9. 67-67.
• Round Eight - Chagaev attacks and Povetkin's response isn't strong. Povetkin ducks big left from Chag. This is not a good advertisement for EpixHD. I think I saw most of that round, and have to call it a draw. 10-10, 77-77. But Chagaev is controlling the pace and probably won that round.
• Round Nine: Between rounds Teddy Atlas is actually telling Povetkin he can bring his father back to life if Povetkin becomes champion. Some good uppercuts from Povetkin mid-round. Povetkin goes to body, Chagaev good counter. Povetkin's best round in a while 10-9. 87-86 Povetkin
• Round Ten: Basically Povetkin's uppercuts vs. Chagaev's lefts has been the story of the fight, and whoever gets more in the last 3 rounds wins. Povetkin is doing more of what he wants than Chagaev this round. Chagaev may be a bit out of gas just as Povetkin is waking up. Povetkin is the agressor at the end of the round. Povetkin 10-9, 97-95.
• Round Eleven: Fuck Epix, their streams suck. I missed a lot of this round but what I saw Chagaev did a bit better this round. Chagaev 10-9. Povetkin 106-105.
• Round Twelve: Teddy Atlas is telling Povetkin to avoid the knockout attempt he says is coming from Chagaev. Povetkin is running from Chag's lefts, which don't connect. Uppercut from Povetkin does, though. Povetkin flurries, then exits before Chagaev can counter. Chagaev gets a left through with a minute left. Too little too late. It's going to be an interesting decision. I have Povetkin 10-9, 116-114.

116-112, 117-113, and 117-113 all for Alexander Povetkin. Chagaev had the fight in the bag but let up and Povetkin get back into it. Chagaev probably got tired after some of his better rounds.

The main thing I take away from this bout is that EpixHD is terrible. I missed a good 30 seconds of each round on average, or rather, saw the same 5 seconds about 3-4 times per round.

Helenius vs. Liakhovich scoring

Liakhovich (L from now on, Helenius is H) looks out of shape. H isn't exactly ripped but isn't chubby like L. Helenius is undefeated.

• Round One: L is active and jumping inside and back out. Getting some jabs in. H just working on keeping the distance. L scored a bit early, after that not much happened. Liakhovich 10-9.
• Round Two: Another jab from L. H starts jab but isn't connecting. L gets the straight left through when H jabs, but his punches aren't hurting H. Body shot from H. I actually give that one to Liakhovich, too. 10-9; Liakhovich 20-18.
• Round Three: Let's see if Helenius gets a sense of urgency to do something, or when he really gets going. H is punching harder this round. H is kind of being outboxed so far. L has a nosebleed. More action that round, and pretty even. 10-10. 30-28 Liakhovich.
• Round Four: L continues to be agressive, may have some confidence. H is realizing he's going to be in for a scrap, even though it still doesn't appear L is huring H much at all. L is still very energetic, H is keeping his cool, counterpunching. But he's clearly not fighting his fight; L is controlling the pace and action. H wins that round, however, 10-9. Liakhovich 39-38.
• Round Five: L is taking H's advantages (size, reach) away. Good combo punching by H, lands some good crosses. There's no quit in Liakhovich however. Good counter by L. Pretty even round by the end, but I give it to H for the middle part where he nearly rocked L. Helenius 10-9; tie 48-48
• Round Six: Good combo by H but L comes roaring back, in energy if not effectiveness. He hasn't slowed down all bout, and has definitely been the busier fighter. Both fighters connecting but H isn't bleeding. tie 10-10, 58-58.
• Round Seven: H is having a tough time taking control of the fight; it looks like lack of experience. He's still not determining the fight's pace this round but is getting the better of the punches that do connect. H 10-9; Helenius 68-67.
• Round Eight: H is marking up L's face but L is hardly slowing. H goes off on L late in the round and he goes to a knee. Helenius 10-8; Helenius 78-75.
• Round Nine: How much longer can L last? He's expended so much energy. Helenius catches him with and uppercut and then some strong shots and the ref stops the fight. Helenius by TKO.

Fury Beats Chisora, Jumps Into Top 10: How Far Can He Go?

Tyson Fury outlasted Dereck Chisora last night in London, winning a clear decision that was unanimous on the judges scorecards. Fury, who ranked #44 in the SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Top 100 will move into the top ten in the August rankings. Chisora, who held the #7 position, will fall out of the top 25.

Preview: SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Top 100 August Rankings

July Rank	August Rank	Fighter	Rating	Rated Record	July results
1	1	WLAD KLITSCHKO	67.17	34-3-0	UD 12 #4 DAVID HAYE
2	2	VITALI KLITSCHKO	43.67	24-2-0
3	3	ALEX POVETKIN	31.48	16-0-0
5	4	RUSLAN CHAGAEV	26.66	13-1-0
6	5	TOMASZ ADAMEK	22.16	5-0-0
8	6	EDDIE CHAMBERS	20.07	14-2-0
9	7	ONDREJ PALA	19.73	8-0-0
10	8	ROBERT HELENIUS	19.61	7-0-0
4	9	DAVID HAYE	19.41	5-1-0	L UD 12 #1 WLAD KLITSCHKO
44	10	TYSON FURY	19.04	5-0-0	UD 12 #7 DEREK CHISORA

Fury's ranking, no doubt, is the result of a string of inflation that started when Sam Sexton beat Martin Rogan twice. That made Sexton an overrated fighter in the top ten, and when Chisora beat him, "Del Boy" was ranked higher than he deserved. Now Fury replaces Chisora in the top ten and is similarly several spots too high. Should he really be considered ahead of the likes of Tony Thompson, Chris Arreola, and David Tua? Would he have a chance to beat any of them at this point?

Interestingly, the move will put Fury just behind David Haye, who falls to #9 after losing to Wladimir Klitschko, and making him the #2 fighter in all of the U.K. Fury has already said he will not be taking the challenge to fight a Klitschko for the title, as he quite wisely has said he isn't ready for that yet at age 23. But what should his next move be? Is he perhaps ready to take on David Haye to prove he's the top fighter in the U.K.?

Though Fury won the British and Commonwealth titles, most would say he probably isn't ready for a challenge like Haye. For his part, Haye may or may not even fight again, particularly if he keeps his promise to retire on his 31st birthday in October. In any case, a battle with Haye is unlikely and probably not in Fury's best interests.

A more realistic matchup, and one that would generate nearly as much interest, would be Fury against David Price. Price is the 4th ranked UK fighter in the top 100, following Haye, Fury, and Chisora, and the fight would be a true battle of UK giants as both men stand over two meters tall. Many would favor Price in the contest, as he looked impressive against yet another giant, Tom Dallas, in a 2-round KO win. He also has much more experience than Fury.

But such a fight need not be made hastily. Fury will probably take several lower-profile fights to defend his titles before stepping back up again, and that would be a wise decision for the young boxer. There is no need to rush things. Though he has clearly improved since his early days years ago—when he famously punched himself in the face during a bout—he still has a lot to practice. Getting in the ring right away with Price, or Haye—or certainly, Klitschko—wouldn't be a prudent course of action.

Eventually, however, he'll be challenging names bigger than his own. How far will he go? Does he realistically have hope of one day being the heavyweight champion of the world?

Based on his current talent level, we're tempted to say no. Though he won convincingly (117-112 on two cards, and 118-111 on the other) he didn't really dominate Chisora, and was hurt several times, particularly in the 2nd round. Add to that the fact that Chisora weighed 261 pounds for the fight, and isn't a world-beater himself, and this fight was really only mildly impressive for a man that had an 8-inch height advantage.

But if we take a longer-term view, everything can change. Fury's improvement just over the last few years suggests that when he peaks—which could be 7-10 years from now—he'll be quite good indeed. And be that time the Klitschkos will probably both be retired, which opens up the picture quite a bit. There are few prospects of Fury's age and accomplishment around; only Germany's Edmund Gerber comes to mind, and he's nearly a half-foot shorter. Fury could become champion one day if he continues to improve and waits out Wladimir.

As for Chisora, it's hard to say what he might do. British heavyweights tend to hang on a long time if Audley Harrison, Matt Skelton, and Michael Sprott are any indication. Only 27, Chisora already looked washed up against Fury, and the fact that he came in out of shape for the biggest fight of his life—one that would have guaranteed him a title shot—doesn't bode well for his future. Chisora has the physique (6'1", 250+) and the mental instability (he bit Paul Butlin during one match) that suggests steroids use. He appears much older than his age and given that many fighters don't handle their first loss well, there's no guarantee Chisora will mount another run at the top ten. His title shot with Wladimir Klitschko, already cancelled twice, won't be offered up any time soon.

Saturday's fight was definitely a fork in the road for both fighters. Fury's career got a big boost, one that if managed correctly could lead to greatness one day; while Chisora's stock plummeted, and he has his work cut out for him if he wants to revitalize his career.

After Trouncing Haye, Does Wladimir Klitschko Belong in the All-Time Top 10?

Now the hype is over, and a fight that appeared to be interesting for several rounds lulled into another anticlimactic affair. Wladimir Klitschko emerged victorious yet again and further cemented his position at the top of the heavyweight division.

But where should he rank on the all-time list of heavyweight boxers? There seem to be two schools of though, as polarized as the opinions about both Klitschko brothers.

On one hand you have those who think that the heavyweight division is depleted and shallow, perhaps at an all-time low. With no sound competition, it's only natural that one (or two) decent fighters dominate the scene, even if they would be B-level fighters in any other era. Citing Wladimir's three embarrassing knockout losses to less-than-great fighters, they argue that he doesn't belong in the all-time top 50.

Others, however, point to Wladimir's complete dominance of his title fights recently, wherein he has nearly pitched shutouts across the board. Other respected heavies (Holmes and Tyson, for example, in the 80s, and even Louis and Marciano) spent the majority of their reigns beating fighters that don't show up on anyone's all-time best lists. Wladimir has been unchallenged for over half a decade, which ranks with the best. Further, they argue, boxing has never seen the likes of the Klitschkos, who are super-heavies and size and height, and with their weight and reach advantage, they could arguably beat any fighter who ever lived; perhaps, then, Wladimir Klitschko should be at or near #1 on the all-time list.

By our all-time rankings formula, Wladimir Klitschko has moved—for the first time—into the top ten. His five-year string of wins over top ten foes has helped him amass enough points to pass the likes of George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Jersey Joe Walcott in the last year.

SportsRatings All-Time Heavyweight Top 10 (click here for full Top 500)

1 year ago	All-time Rank	Fighter	Peak Rating	Rated Record	Peak rating date & highest-rated win
1	1	MUHAMMAD ALI	110.04	47-5-0	peak rating: 9/1977  win: 9/1978 UD 15 #42 LEON SPINKS
2	2	ROCKY MARCIANO	108.81	29-0-0	peak rating: 9/1955  win: 9/1952 KO 13 #10 JERSEY JOE WALCOT
3	3	JOE LOUIS	107.10	59-3-0	peak rating: 3/1942  win: 6/1938 KO 1 #21 MAX SCHMELING
4	4	LARRY HOLMES	94.29	45-6-0	peak rating: 5/1985  win: 10/1980 KO 11 #1 MUHAMMAD ALI
5	5	MIKE TYSON	89.02	34-6-0	peak rating: 7/1989  win: 6/1988 KO 1 #19 MICHAEL SPINKS
6	6	EZZARD CHARLES	84.04	58-23-0	peak rating: 5/1951  win: 9/1950 UD 15 #3 JOE LOUIS
7	7	LENNOX LEWIS	80.58	33-2-1	peak rating: 11/2000  win: 11/1999 UD 12 #13 EVANDER HOLYFIELD
8	8	ARCHIE MOORE	80.51	86-12-5	peak rating: 5/1955  win: 8/1954 KO 14 #22 HAROLD JOHNSON
12	9	WLAD KLITSCHKO	80.23	34-3-0	peak rating: 7/2011  win: 6/2009 KO 9 #199 RUSLAN CHAGAEV
9	10	JERSEY JOE WALCOT	79.34	26-17-1	peak rating: 6/1952  win: 7/1951 KO 7 #6 EZZARD CHARLES

Still a long, long way away from reaching Muhammed Ali at the top spot (or #2 Marciano and #3 Louis), Klitschko is within striking distance of reaching the top 5, and could pass Lennox Lewis with another win or two.

No formula, of course, is going to ring "true" in all cases, and in Klitschko's case any ranking, period, is unsatisfying. Without worthy competition, a fighter can't prove he's one of the all-time greats. But dominating in any era should be worth something. What, then, is the best balance?

Klitschko has defeated many of the better fighters of the current era, and without breaking much of a sweat in most cases. But most observers wouldn't rank these fighters very highly on an all-time scale, and our system bears this out. Here is a look at Wladimir's career and the contemporary (time of fight) and all-time ranking for each opponent:

 Date        Result         Rankings   Opponent
 12/1998: LOSS by KO   to   #101 #1051 ROSS PURITTY    
 05/1999: Win  by KO  over  #114 #2257 TONY LAROSA     
 09/1999: Win  by KO  over  #84   #590 AXEL SCHULZ     
 11/1999: Win  by KO  over  #201  #499 PHIL JACKSON    
 12/1999: Win  by KO  over  #66  #3050 LAJOS EROS      
 03/2000: Win  by KO  over  #42  #1127 PAEA WOLFGRAMM  
 04/2000: Win  by KO  over  #45   #510 DAVID BOSTICE   
 07/2000: Win  by KO  over  #47   #390 MONTE BARRETT   
 10/2000: Win  by UD  over  #7    #146 CHRIS BYRD      
 03/2001: Win  by KO  over  #113  #713 DERRICK JEFFERSON
 08/2001: Win  by KO  over  #61   #746 CHARLES SHUFFORD
 03/2002: Win  by KO  over  #90   #356 FRANS BOTHA     
 06/2002: Win  by KO  over  #99   #238 RAY MERCER      
 12/2002: Win  by KO  over  #6    #303 JAMEEL MCCLINE  
 03/2003: LOSS by KO   to   #88   #247 CORRIE SANDERS  
 08/2003: Win  by KO  over  #53   #456 FABIO MOLI      
 12/2003: Win  by KO  over  #116  #458 DANELL NICHOLSON
 04/2004: LOSS by KO   to   #75   #321 LAMON BREWSTER  
 10/2004: Win  by TDW over  #16   #317 DAVARL WILLIAMSON
 04/2005: Win  by KO  over  #50  #2558 ELISEO CASTILLO 
 09/2005: Win  by UD  over  #5    #184 SAMUEL PETER    
 04/2006: Win  by KO  over  #2    #146 CHRIS BYRD      
 11/2006: Win  by KO  over  #8    #355 CALVIN BROCK    
 03/2007: Win  by KO  over  #30   #281 RAY AUSTIN      
 07/2007: Win  by KO  over  #17   #321 LAMON BREWSTER  
 02/2008: Win  by UD  over  #9    #601 SULTAN IBRAGIMOV
 07/2008: Win  by KO  over  #7    #196 TONY THOMPSON   
 12/2008: Win  by KO  over  #13    #98 HASIM RAHMAN    
 06/2009: Win  by KO  over  #2    #199 RUSLAN CHAGAEV  
 03/2010: Win  by KO  over  #4    #285 EDDIE CHAMBERS  
 09/2010: Win  by KO  over  #12   #184 SAMUEL PETER    
 07/2011: Win  by UD  over  #4    #697 DAVID HAYE      

As you can see, he has a string of wins over top 10 foes—10 in all counting Haye—but he's beaten only one fighter in the All-Time top 100, Hasim Rahman (who wasn't in the top ten at the time). Further, Klitschko lost to three low-rated fighters, including Ross Puritty who is only #1,051 by our system!

Early losses by fighters tend to be forgiven, and our system concentrates on wins. Klitschko is clearly a different fighter than he was when he lost to Puritty, Sanders, and Brewster. And the all-time rankings of the boxers he's defeated will go up as their careers continue, so Wlad's resumé won't always look so paltry.

Still, it's telling to compare to an era when big matchups were commonplace. When George Foreman beat Joe Frazier, Joltin' Joe was not only ranked #1, but he was already in the all-time top 10. Likewise, Foreman was in the all-time top ten when Ali beat him. Compare that to Wlad's most-hyped fight, where David Haye is not in the top 500, and to his highest-rated win, over all-time #199 Ruslan Chagaev.

Suffice it to say, there's a reason these fights didn't capture the public's imagination like boxing did in the 1970's, and it goes beyond the fact that, to fans the United States, these men are all foreigners (though that plays a part). It also goes beyond the widely-held view that Klitschkos fights aren't very exciting (though that also plays a part). For fans to really be engaged, there has to be competition, and for a fighter to truly earn respect, he needs a worthy foe.

Right now there is only one fighter who could challenge Wladimir Klitschko, and that is his brother Vitali.

It would be a great fight, on par with any in boxing history, but it will never happen. When people debate Wlad's all-time rank, they also debate his current rank, as many feel Vitali is the better boxer. Vitali, however, ranks only #33 on our all-time list. Why? Here's a look at his relevant resumé:

 Date     Result            Rankings   Opponent
 10/1998: Win  by KO  over  #87   #961 MARIO SCHIESSER 
 06/1999: Win  by KO  over  #12   #223 HERBIE HIDE     
 10/1999: Win  by KO  over  #15   #546 ED MAHONE       
 12/1999: Win  by KO  over  #180  #511 OBED SULLIVAN   
 04/2000: LOSS by KO   to   #25   #146 CHRIS BYRD      
 11/2000: Win  by UD  over  #24   #301 TIMO HOFFMAN    
 01/2001: Win  by KO  over  #147  #170 ORLIN NORRIS    
 12/2001: Win  by KO  over  #125 #1051 ROSS PURITTY    
 02/2002: Win  by KO  over  #149 #1719 VAUGHN BEAN     
 11/2002: Win  by KO  over  #37   #187 LARRY DONALD    
 06/2003: LOSS by KO   to   #1      #7 LENNOX LEWIS    
 12/2003: Win  by KO  over  #17   #252 KIRK JOHNSON    
 04/2004: Win  by KO  over  #5    #247 CORRIE SANDERS  
 12/2004: Win  by KO  over  #14   #176 DANNY WILLIAMS  
 10/2008: Win  by KO  over  #3    #184 SAMUEL PETER    
 03/2009: Win  by KO  over  #7    #411 JUAN C GOMEZ    
 09/2009: Win  by KO  over  #6    #225 CHRIS ARREOLA   
 12/2009: Win  by UD  over  #28   #662 KEVIN JOHNSON   
 05/2010: Win  by KO  over  #16   #540 ALBERT SOSNOWSKI
 10/2010: Win  by UD  over  #96   #200 SHANNON BRIGGS  
 03/2011: Win  by KO  over  #10   #681 ODLANIER SOLIS

Two things stand out. One, Vitali has far fewer wins over top 10 opponents (just 5), and two, he took four years off from fighting during his prime. Both of these will do quite a bit of harm to his standing in any algorithmic, point-based system. The level of respect Vitali has from the boxing community—generally greater than that afforded to Wladimir—comes from his loss to all-time great Lennox Lewis, wherein Vitali had Lewis in big trouble before succumbing to a doctor's stoppage. This fight alone overshadows anything else either brother has accomplished.

But in our system, unfortunately, it just goes down as a loss. Without many big wins, and four years off that lowered his peak score due to inactivity, Vitali doesn't measure up to Wlad, even if he may be the better boxer. He doesn't hold a win over anyone ranked in our all-time top 150.

All of this shows how difficult it is to place both brothers in boxing history in an unbiased way. Are they the culmination of decades of refinement of nutrition, technique, and training? Or are they flukes, freaks of nature who would be exposed in a different era? And without these two greats battling each other, how can we tell for sure who deserves to be ranked ahead of the other, let alone against other fighters?

No one has the answer. But in my personal opinion, I think both Klitschkos are all-time greats. Vitali proved himself against Lennox Lewis, and Wladimir has accomplished more in terms of winning than Vitali. Without great competition, I don't know if they'll ever be considered among the very best. Maybe if they fought, the victor could take his place among the Alis, Lewises, and Marcianos of the world, but since that will never happen, the Klitschkos will probably remain a double question mark. Great, but not the greatest.

Klitschko vs. Haye Live Round-by-Round Scoring

#1 Wladimir Klitschko vs. #4 David Haye for the IBF, WBA, WBO, IBO, and SportsRatings Heavyweight title. The bout starts at around 5:15 Eastern time (US), 10:15pm UK time, 11:15pm Hamburg time.

The interesting thing so far is that it's raining pretty heavy in Hamburg, Germany, and the fight is taking place in an outdoor soccer stadium. The canvas is covered right now, so the ring will be dry to start with, but if it keeps raining it won't stay dry long. It's also fairly cold in Hamburg, about 57 degrees F.

The rain is lighter as Haye comes out to the ring. The fight looks like it will start a bit late, maybe closer to 5:30 EST. The huge contingent of British fans is pretty sauced up for the fight, and Haye's bodyguards are having to shove their way through the crowd. The love/hate partisanship from the crowd for Haye is very apparent.

Klitschko for his part has a bizarre intro video featuring Haye, George Foreman, and brother Vitali, enumerating Wladimir's problems with Haye's behavior, shown just before he walks to the ring. Quite a bit of buildup for this fight, no doubt.

The national anthems are playing, so the fight should begin shortly. Introductions are over, the fight is ready to begin.

Round One: Lots of footwork early, both fighters look energetic. Rain is still coming down. Haye so far has avoided Wlad's jab. Klitschko threw Haye to the ground with his glove, no knockdown but a bit of intimidation. Haye's guard is down, taunting Klitschko. Left-right from Haye connects, but then Wlad connects with the jab. Both fighters trade shots, neither hurt. Haye has a lot of head movement, foiling Wlad's jab attempts. Hard round to score; 10-10.

Round Two: Both fighters want to get back into it. Jab by Wlad but Haye ducks the followup right. Both fighters whiffing a lot. Haye backs Klitschko up a few times but Wlad is out of reach as he backs up. Both fighters are staying out of range. Wild right from Haye grazes Klitschko, who continues with the jab. Two lefts from Haye. Big jab and right cross from Wlad; Haye is ok, still full of energy. Klitschko 10-9; overall Klitschko 20-19.

Round Three: Cat and mouse game continues. Wlad is connecting slightly with some jabs as Haye is not moving quite as much. Haye connects with a huge right, stunning Klitschko for a moment. Wlad is trying to re-establish control, gives good left-right combo. Now Wlad is showing a lot of head movement. A couple of rights back up Wlad, who comes back with a huge combo himself with Haye against the ropes. The round ends in a clinch. Another even round 10-10; total: Klitschko 30-29.

Round Four: Excitement continues. Klitschko hard right to Haye's head. Clinch against the ropes. Both showing lots of head movement. Round half over. Haye dodging jabs with just his head, counters with his own jab. Klitschko can't solve Haye's movement, but Haye rarely connecting too. Haye's hands are down, he ducks under Wlad's attack. Haye jumps in with combo that mostly misses. Haye connects at the bell but Klitschko wins another hard to score close round. Klitschko 10-9; total 40-38.

Round Five: Will Haye tire? Moving a bit slower this round. Klitschko moving somewhat slower too. Wlad's jab isn't connecting like it normally does, but with Haye's guard down it gets in now and then. Haye rushes in and clinches, then runs in with wild missing punches. Haye hasn't really connected this round, and Wlad is winning on jabs with 1 minute left. Body shot by Haye. Huge right by Klitschko almost floors Haye! But he recovers. Now Wlad is stalking him, pushes him to the ground. Haye stumbles again near the end. Klitschko 10-9; total: 50-47.

Round Six: How will Haye respond? Wlad looks more confident as he tries to take Haye apart now. Haye needs a big offensive push but he's concentrating on defense and elusiveness. Haye is jabbing at the air now, missing by a lot; he rushes in again and clinches low and falls again. Klitschko is starting to take control even as he still has difficulty connecting. Is Haye's best moment over? Wlad wins an uneventful round. Klitschko 10-9; total 60-56

Round Seven: Wlad backing Haye up. Haye clinches and again is pushed down, and Klitschko has a point deducted! Interesting. Haye complains to the ref again, as he has been doing all fight, about pushes. Little action again this round. Big right by Klischko misses as Haye dodges again. Left by Haye. Haye did little this round but get pushed down, making this round a draw. 9-9; Klitschko: 69-65

Round Eight: Jabs from Klitschko are connecting; Haye is still dancing though. Haye is having every fighter's frustration with hitting Wlad, as he rushes in, Wlad jumps back. Left cross by Haye misses, Wlad's jabs whiff as well. The punchstats will be interesting. Another slip by Haye, as the canvas is probably fairly wet by now. Haye needs to make something happen but can't do it, he wraps up with Wlad and punches him in the back. Klitschko 10-9; total: 79-74

Round Nine: Wlad is probably well ahead on the scorecards by now; Haye needs to come up with something while Wlad needs to step it up to get a KO, as Haye is still full of life. Decent shot by Haye, Wlad rolls with it and backs up, Haye doesn't follow. Right by Wlad, as he seems to be trying to lure Haye in. Combo by Klitschko with the round half over. Yet another slip/pushdown by Haye. Fighters trade in the last minute, Haye looks angry, they brawl at the end. Still Klitschko's round however. 10-9; total: 89-83.

Round Ten: Right by Klitschko as Haye's reply whiffs. Looks at the ref again, something about Wlad using the inside of the glove on jabs? Popping jab from Wlad. More jabs, occasional right. Haye running out of steam, or out of ideas. Wlad wrestles Haye from the middle of the ring to the ropes; both fighters somewhat tired. Wlad connects, clinches, Haye tries to punch from the clinch as the round ends. Klitschko 10-9; total 99-92

Round Eleven: Klitschko is dominating the score by winning fairly close rounds, but he should be clearly ahead, meaning Haye needs a KO to win, most likely. Haye lunges in an misses, falling to the canvas, and the annoyed ref gives Haye a standing count! Big jab by Wlad. More of the same this round. Huge overhead right by Haye whiffs. Left jab by Haye, Klitschko responds. Haye lunges and misses again, stumbles on his knees for about the 10th time as the round ends. With the "knockdown", Klitschko wins 10-8; total 109-100.

Round Twelve: Haye lunging in more, showing more offense this round. Will he go for broke? Try to KO Wlad, or be KOed himself? Haye lands a great right; Klitschko holding grotesquely and wrestling to avoid followup shots. Klitschko returns fire with big jabs. Standing toe to toe more than they have all fight, one minute left. Both tired. Haye probably doesn't have the energy as his lunges are ineffective late in the round. Last 10 seconds a brawling clinch. Haye might deserve that round, maybe not, but we'll give it to him Haye 10-9; total: Klitschko 118-110.

In summary, Haye was elusive all fight but rarely connected, and at most won about four rounds. Klitschko's face shows the marks of when Haye landed, but Haye took a beating himself. Most rounds, however, were full of Klitschko jabs with little in return from Haye, just like all of Wladimir's recent fights. But Haye made it harder than anyone has in a long time.

The judges' scorecards: 117-109, 118-108, 116-110 all for Wladimir Klitschko, pretty much exactly in line with how we saw it. Haye and Klitschko shake hands. Haye is saying a broken toe kept him from being able to "push off" to deliver his right hand, something that isn't going to endear him to his detractors. He will take some time off to decide what to do next with his career, but sounds as if it's going to continue.

Wladimir Klitschko retains the top spot in the SportsRatings Heavyweight rankings, while David Haye will fall from #4 to around #10, with a 5-1 heavyweight record. Klitschko improves to 56-3, now holding all the major belts except brother Vitali's WBC title.

Preview: Klitschko vs. Haye at 5:15 Eastern Time (USA) Saturday, June 2

After a luckluster June which saw the top 25 of the SportsRatings Top 100 Heavyweights change negligibly, the biggest fight of the year happens tomorrow, June 2, when #1 Wladimir Klitschko faces #4 David Haye in a bout that's been anticipated for years.

First, lets get this out of the way: The fight time. When events happen in Europe there's a lot of confusion in the U.S. as to when the bell will ring. In short, the fight—held in Hamburg, Germany— should start at or around 5:15 eastern time, with HBO beginning coverage at 4:30. Other times/dates around the world of interest to those watching the combatants:

United States
California (Pacific time): 2:15 PM
Denver, CO (Mountain): 3:15 PM
Chicago (Central): 4:15 PM
New York (Eastern): 5:15 PM

United Kingdom 10:15 PM

Germany: 11:15 PM

Ukraine: 12:15 AM June 3

Russia
Moscow: 1:15 AM June 3
Novosibirsk: 4:15 AM June 3
Vladivostok: 8:15 AM June 3

Japan: 6:15 am June 3

Australia (Sydney): 7:15 AM June 3

New Zealand: 9:15 AM June 3

Gives a good idea of Russia's size, doesn't it? Remember these times are for the approximate start of Round One. If you want to catch the staredown, referees' directions, and national anthems, start watching on the hour (15 minutes earlier). And if the walk-ins are important to you, tune in 15 minutes before the hour.

Tale of the Tape

Now, the fight. Klitschko of course has a huge size advantage, and he weighed in at 243 to Haye's 213. He's also about 4 inches taller and has a 3 inch reach advantage. Haye is 5 years younger at 30.

Fight Tactics

Most people expect Klitschko to follow the pattern that has led him to dominate for the last five years: jabbing his opponent to death while avoiding getting hit. Of his last several foes, only 6' 6" Tony Thompson was able to get in any decent shots, while even the likes of Sultan Ibragimov, Ruslan Chagaev, and Eddie Chambers were all pretty much shut out offensively. To avoid getting hit, Klitschko keeps a distance with his reach, uses backward movement when the opponent closes, and clinches if he managed to get inside. Lately, the jab has almost been enough on its own.

Can Haye break the spell and deliver any punishment? His reach and height disadvantage aren't as great as the others who fared poorly (Ibragimov, Chagaev, and Chambers all stand around 6' 1"), and he's probably the fastest fighter Wladimir has ever faced.

Some have suggested that Haye will fight Klitschko the way he fought Nicolay Valuev—staying at a distance, then closing quickly to deliver shots and backing out just as fast. This would be much harder to pull off against Klitschko than Valuev, it goes without saying. But standing at Wladimir's jab distance is suicide.

Though it might just be a mental tactic, Haye claims he intends to end the fight quickly by knockout, and in reality putting everything he's got into a few make-or-break rounds might not be a bad idea given Wladimir's complete dominance of later rounds against worn-down opponents. Klitschko has reiterated his long-held stance that he will batter Haye for "12 rounds of pizza face" before knocking him out.

Haye and the Hype

This is probably the most anticipated heavyweight title fight since Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson in 2002. While Lewis' fight with Vitali Klitschko is the most-remembered heavyweight title fight of this century, it wasn't preceded with a lot of hype as Vitali was a late replacement and wasn't expected to be a big challenge to Lewis. Since then, all the "real" title fights have involved a Klitschko (and have drawn less U.S. interest) or have been various alphabet belts that most observers consider secondary. Haye holds the WBA belt, meaning that the WBA, IBF, and WBO will be united after the fight, with Vitali Klitschko holding the WBC.

The hype of this fight can be attributed mostly to David Haye's mouth, and secondarily to his ring performance. Haye was a Cruiserweight champion known for his speed and his demolition of Enzo Macinarelli, which at the time was a rare occurrence. Since moving up to heavyweight he's dispatched Monte Barrett (TKO 5) in a short, fairly entertaining fight; Valuev (MD 12) in a very uneventful bout; John Ruiz (TKO 9) in perhaps Haye's best effort; and most recently, Audley Harrison (TKO 3) in a completely 1-sided joke.

Haye promised to "clean up" the heavyweight division, confronted Wladimir on an escalator to make the fight two years ago, wore t-shirts depicting both Klitschkos decapitated...then pulled out of the scheduled bout claiming a hand injury.

When Haye pulled out of the first fight, many assumed the injury was an excuse for either a) losing the tv sponsorship that would have made the fight lucrative for him, b) wanting better terms, ones that didn't include a rematch-clause involving Vitali, or c) he was scared and wanted out. The fact that he eventually made the fight suggests that he wasn't scared. He did get better terms for this fight, with no rematch clauses, probably due to the leverage from his WBA belt.

However, even though he broke off the first fight, the only reason it happened was due to his constant haranguing of the Klitschkos. At that time his heavyweight resume was weak. Now, despite few fights at this level, it's as strong as most of those the Klitschkos have been facing recently as they steamroll the division. And like him or not, he did "clean up" the division in the manner he promised: since losing to Haye, long-time boxing fan nemeses Valuev and Ruiz have yet to fight again, and Audley Harrison is at least a big step closer to retirement.

Will the fight live up to the hype? Will it be the most exciting heavyweight title fight since Lewis-Klitschko? Or will it be another uneventful, one-sided affair, with Haye unable to make any ground on the champion?

We think Haye has injected some much-needed energy into the heavyweight scene, and he does have good speed and unorthodox delivery, giving him a chance to be Wladimir most successful title challenger. But that doesn't say a lot, as no one has come close to beating Wlad in several years. We see Haye having some success a la Tony Thompson, but Wlad's jab and technique are still at their peak. If Haye plays it conservatively he will lose a wide decision. If he goes for broke, it will be an interesting first 6 rounds but Klitschko more than likely wins this scenario, too, by mid-to-late TKO.

Here's hoping Haye lays it all on the line, which gives him his only chance to actually win. Boxing needs an exciting heavyweight title fight, and more people will be watching this one than in a long time. 

Barnett impresses, Overeem sluggish in Strikeforce wins

Josh Barnett looked impressive against Brett Rogers but it's Alistair Overeem who will take over the top spot in the SportsRatings MMA Heavyweight ratings.

Overeem beats Werdum, 29-28, 30-27, 30-27

Overeem defeated current HW #1 Fabricio Werdum in an awkward bout, as Werdum tried desperately to get the action to the ground while Overeem didn't fall for the ploy that fooled Fedor. Werdum was nearly as effective in striking as Overeem, too, which made the Strikeforce champ look less than dominant as he advanced to the second round of the Heavyweight Grand Prix in a unanimous decision.

The stand-up battle was tepid as both fighters refused to commit to an all-out slugfest: Werdum because he was just using strikes as an entry for the takedown, and Overeem because he didn't want to overcommit and get taken down. The result was a comedy as Werdum fell from the slightest punches, hoping Overeem would follow, only to be invited back to his feet.

Werdum eventually had some opportunities on the ground but by then he was too tired to do much, and Overeem wasn't trying any offense as he rested in Werdum's guard. It was somewhat reminiscent of the Sharmrock-Gracie superfight from 1995 during those moments, while the rest was somewhat like Damian Maia vs. Anderson Silva. The crowd wasn't appreciative at all, but that doesn't say much as the crowd booed the ground action in Barnett vs. Rogers.

We scored the bout 29-28 for Overeem, giving Werdum the final round where he actually won the standup. But Overeem will take over Werdum's spot at #1 in the Heavyweight rankings next month, and #3 in the pound for pound. Overeem advances to take on Antonio Silva, another BJJ expert who is much bigger and stronger than Werdum, and who showed good standup skills against Fedor.

Barnett submits Rogers in 2nd round

Josh Barnett didn't look as buff but his skills were unchanged as he wrestled Brett Rogers into submission in the 2nd round. Barnett slammed Rogers to the mat in the first round and kept his weight on him for four minutes, then in the 2nd round a tired Rogers tapped from an arm triangle choke.

Barnett looked very good as he controlled the action against Rogers, a big strong fighter if no real grappler. Rogers just didn't have the ground game to compete, and he was definitely tentative in standup, hoping to avoid the takedown. Which was futile, of course.

Barnett will face Sergei Kharitonov, the #15 heavyweight, in round two. Between Silva and Barnett/Kharitonov, Overeem faces a pretty rough road to winning the tournament, even with Fedor out!

 

Strikeforce HW Round 1.5 preview: Barnett vs. Rogers, Overeem vs. Werdum

Less than an hour away from the main events of the 2nd half (or "Phase 2") of Strikeforce heavyweight tournament bracket first round. In the other half of the bracket a few months ago, of course, Fedor Emelianenko lost to Antono Silva, while Sergei Kharitanov beat Andre Arlovski.

In tonight's half of the bracket, Josh Barnett takes on Brett Rogers while Alistair Overeem tackles Fabricio Werdum, the other man to beat Fedor recently.

One subplot of these fights is the question: just how many of these guys are on steroids? Overeem gained a huge amount of weight over his career; his defenders claim it was nothing unusual. But his body change looks akin to what Barry Bonds went through. Rogers is another physical freak, while Josh Barnett certainly has a checkered past in terms of PED use. Fabricio Werdum is probably the least suspect, but how many Brazilians were going around 250 pounds 20 years ago? Strikeforce has certainly been less concerned with stringent testing than the UFC in the past; now that they're owned by Zuffa, will that change?

The other subplot is: How do these guys line up against the best heavyweights in the UFC? Once a champion is crowned, how would he do against, say, the winner of Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez?

Barnett vs. Rogers

Josh Barnett (29-5) is ranked 7th in the SportsRatings Heavyweight MMA top 25, and 25th in the overall (pound-for-pound) Top 100. Barnett's career has had its ups and downs, largely due to testing positive for steroids twice three times. One of those results cancelled an entire event during which he was to fight Fedor Emelianenko.

Barnett looked a bit less bulky and less "cut" than normal at the weigh in. Is this what he looks like when not on steroids? Or has he just had to cycle down to pass the tests? Either way, it seems that any advantages he had before might be lessened.

Rogers (11-2) has lost twice after a 10-0 start during which he didn't beat many big names. As a result, he's no longer in our Top 25 among heavyweights. But his losses are to Emelianenko and Overeem, which is nothing to be ashamed of. We think Rogers has a great chance to get a win against a possibly beyond-his-peak Barnett, but he has to overcome the spectre of those two losses to do so.

Ultimately, Rogers might be too one-dimensional for the top rung of the MMA heavyweight division. He's similar to Shane Carwin, who stormed to a 10-0 record but has lost twice now when his punching didn't get the job done. And Carwin has a wrestling background, so he's much less 1-dimensional in theory than Rogers. Barnett in his prime might have been equal to a Junior Dos Santos but those days might be gone.

Overeem vs. Werdum

Alistair Overeem (34-11) is another enigma in terms of his recent career. He racked up many losses when he was a smaller fighter, but since "getting big" he's 9 match winning streak in four different promotions. But few of his opponents have been top names. He beat Rogers after Fedor did, but before that lost to Kharitonov and Werdum, two of the other fighters in the brackets.

He has looked impressive in winning, particularly against Rogers, whom he dominated from the start. In this tournament he will face world-class competition, and if he comes out the winner, he can claim as much as Cain Velasquez to be the world heavyweight champion. However, in our ratings he's only #10 right now.

Who is ranked #1? Believe it or not, it's Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), who earned an outrageous amount of points due to being the first man in a decade to beat Fedor. Facing Overeem, who is the Strikeforce champ, Werdum will have to prove himself in a hurry. Overeem was considerably less bulky and strong when he lost to Werdum, but Werdum is a lot bigger now, too. Werdum is perhaps the opposite of Brett Rogers in that he has a great BJJ ground game but limited punching power despite his Muay Thai credentials.

We'll find out, basically, whether Werdum's win over Fedor was a fluke. Despite that win, and Werdum's preview win over Overeem, Overeem still has to be considered a favorite.

Strikeforce winner vs. UFC heavyweights

The two promotions' heavyweight rosters are pretty evenly matched. Barnett, Rogers, Werdum, Overeem, Silva, Kharitonov, and Emelianenko are all UFC worthy (only Arlovski, of the tournament competitors, is not anymore). A few years ago, it was probably superior, because of the top slot.

A few years ago, Fedor was still unstoppable, and the UFC didn't really have a great champion. Brock Lesnar was just waiting to be exposed; Shane Carwin is one-dimensional; Frank Mir isn't any better than the Strikeforce fighters; and while Junior Dos Santos is good, he wouldn't necessarily have a better than par chance in the Strikeforce tournament.

But since Cain Velasquez dominated Brock Lesnar, and Fedor lost twice, the top spot among heavyweights has to go to Cain. The tie among the equally-matched stables is broken by the top slot: Cain is the new Fedor.

So for now, Velasquez is the new gold standard for MMA heavyweights. But the Strikeforce winner might get a chance to face the UFC champ. But that fighter would go into the fight against Velasquez an underdog.