Cruiserweight

The first fight was brutal. The rematch will hopefully set the record straight.

WBA cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev (25-2, 19 KO) will again put his title on the line against 41-year-old Panamanian Guillermo "El Jefe" Jones (39-3-2, 31 KO) on Saturday at the Dynamo Palace of Sports in Krylatskoye, Moscow, Russia.

In their first meeting in May 2013, Jones made a mess of Lebedev's face. The champion's right eye was closed completely. 

In all honesty, the fact that the bout was even allowed to continue was a travesty. Lebedev's eye was so badly swollen by the culmination of the fight, he truly looked disfigured.

Though Jones was down on all three scorecards in the 11th round, he took the decision out of the judges' hands.

A left-right combination knocked Lebedev out and made Jones the new champ...temporarily.

Jones tested for a banned substance before the fight.

His win stood, but the title went back to Lebedev. The second meeting should determine who permanently emerges from the rivalry with the title.

Unfortunately, fight fans in America and England won't be able to see the bout live. There's no television coverage in either country.

Here's the other specifics on the action.

When: Friday, April 25, at 11 a.m. ET

Where: Dynamo Palace of Sports in Krylatskoye, Moscow, Russia

The WBA offers the tale of the tape:

The Book on Jones

No, that isn't Beanie Sigel of Roc-A-fella Records fame.

But Jones has proven he spits hot fire on the microphone—at least during pre-fight press conferences.

At the pre-fight presser, Jones said this about his impending rematch with Lebedev, per Alexey Sukachev of Boxing Scene:

This guy has my title, and I want to bring it back to daddy!

Everyone who was there saw what I did to him. I'll repeat this execution in four days – so don't miss it.

Though he's competing at the advanced age of 41, Jones has distinguished himself as one of the best—if not the best—cruiserweight in the world.

His domination over Lebedev in the first meeting was just a sample of what the 6'4" veteran has accomplished.

His most recent run with the title—though brief—was his second as WBA champion.

Jones owns stoppage wins over Firat Arslan, Valery Brudov and Michael Marrone.

Cruiserweight is not one of boxing's glamour divisions, but Jones has done what's required of him to be among the elite in that group.

Another win over Lebedev would firmly establish him in the same category with the other cruiserweight champs.

The Book on Lebedev

One has to wonder if Jones owns a psychological edge over Lebedev after the champion absorbed such a beating in the first fight.

Lebedev hasn't fought since.

Because he sustained serious injuries that left him hospitalized, there are also concerns as to how well his eye will hold up if he takes more punishment.

Jones did most of his damage with long, straight punches that were augmented by his five-inch height and sizable reach advantage.

Jones' reach is listed at 76". Lebedev's is unlisted. The eye test would suggest the Russian's reach from armpit to knuckle is somewhere near 70".

Lebedev's arms almost certainly haven't grown in length since last year.

He'll have an uphill battle to overcome—mentally and physically.

Prediction

Lebedev was landing tons of shots on Jones in the first meeting, but he simply couldn't hurt the big Panamanian. 

Jones' shots carried more weight and clearly did more damage. He'll come into this bout confident he can again stop Lebedev late. 

Expect Jones to take less shots as he stays behind the jab a little longer than he did in the first meeting.

Because the fight is in Russia, Jones has to know he'll need a knockout or to dominate Lebedev completely to earn the decision.

Bank on him stopping Lebedev again late. Another brutal defeat might just cause the Russian his career.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

Tony "Bomber" Bellew (20-2-1, 12 KO) is hoping a move to the cruiserweight division is the medicine for what ailed him at light heavyweight. In his last fight, Bellew was smashed by WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson.

Valery Brudov (41-4, 28 KO) will provide the opposition for Bellew on Saturday in Liverpool. Brudov is 37 years old and has some experience fighting current and former champions.

He's on the downside of his career, so this is a fairly safe cruiserweight debut for Bellew.

It'll be interesting to see if Bellew can carve a path to a title shot at 190 pounds. It starts on Saturday against Brudov. Here's how you can watch:

When: Saturday, March 15 at 2 p.m ET

Where: Echo Arena in Liverpool, England

TV: Sky Sports

Live Stream: Sky1

The Book on Bellew

After being stopped in the sixth round of the bout with Stevenson in November 2013, Bellew is ready to try his hand within a division without as many dangerous champions. At 175 pounds, the route to a championship goes through Stevenson, Sergey Kovalev, the ageless Bernard Hopkins and the underrated Beibut Shumenov.

At cruiserweight, Guillermo Jones, Yoan Pablo Hernandez and Marco Huck are the class of the division. While these three champions aren't slouches, they aren't on the same level as the title holders at 175 pounds.

Per Sky Sports, this fight still keeps Bellew on target to capture his professional goals. He told Sky Sports: "My two goals in boxing are to earn a living for me and my kids, and to become a world champion."

This may not seem like a major victory for Bellew to obtain, but with little noteworthy competition at cruiserweight, he'd have to be in the mix for a shot at a world title with a win.

The Book on Brudov

Brudov has lost just four fights in his career. All four losses have come to men who are current or former world champions—or interim titleholders. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD2a-8y3rMc

Unfortunately for Brudov, he's never beaten an opponent of note. In 2012, he was battered into submission by the slick-boxing Ola Afolabi. Brudov retired in the fifth after being dropped twice in the fight.

Since then, Brudov has won two fights in a row, but the wins have come over marginal opposition. One fighter Brudov defeated in this span, Jevgenijs Andrejevs, has a record of 9-54. 

Clearly, Bellew represents a big step up from the fighters Brudov's been facing of late.

Prediction

Brudov has long arms and decent movement. He also has moderately quick hands. That said, Bellew is a difficult fighter to catch flush. He stands 6'3" and knows how to use his height to keep distance.

When he's not totally outclassed athletically the way he was against Stevenson, he's a tough assignment.

Don't expect a thrilling bout, nor an easy one for Bellew. He doesn't have explosive power, so he'll need to take Brudov apart with solid boxing to win. 

He'll do that in a less-than-entertaining bout. Bellew will win by a unanimous decision.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

Marco Huck came one step closer to breaking Johnny Nelson's record of 13 successful WBO cruiserweight defences with his sixth-round stoppage of Firat Arslan on Saturday evening.

It was the 26th knockout of Huck's career, and it raised his record to 37-2-1, per BoxRec.

For the second time in his career, Huck defeated his older countryman, but this time he did it in far more convincing fashion than the unanimous decision that occurred in November 2012.

The early stages of the bout left one thinking that Arslan might take something away from Stuttgart, Germany, but a defensive ploy would prove unsustainable as Huck went on to hammer down the doors and force his own path to victory.

German reporter Carolin Bluechel testified to the quality of the two giants involved:

The fight took on a lot of the same aspects that made up its first edition, with Arslan keeping things tight in the opening rounds and leaving Huck to do a lot of the pressing.

It's a strategy that was befitting of both fighters. At 43 years old, Arslan could not chase such a fit opponent and risk losing stamina early on.

In kind, 29-year-old Huck attempted to pick and run as he saw fit, and his coaches told him to take things "step by step." The tactic worked to good effect for the most part, but Arslan's defence stood firm.

Frustrations began to show for the challenger in the third round, however, and after staging a foray forward, Arslan was sent sprawling to the canvas. Huck had gotten in under his chest slightly and used the veteran's own momentum to force a slip.

"Kapt'n" was equal to the pressure, but at this point Arslan started to shift things in his favour, landing several choice hooks to the head of his foe while skipping back and holding his guard high.

At the halfway point, the fight remained close. It was almost impossible to pick a points leader between the two, with a selection of controversial blows beginning to veer below the belt from both boxers.

Whereas Huck persevered with throwing his punches in flurries, Arslan was content with throwing slower but more meaningful attempts. In truth, neither Huck nor Arslan was landing with particular potency, but the frequency of the exchanges was extraordinary.

Finally, in the sixth round, Huck found his opening. The champion downed his rival with an assault of punches in quick succession, and Arslan's strategy of absorbing the pressure ultimately proved too risky.

Amazingly, the stalwart got off the canvas, but with two minutes still left in Round 6, Huck was invited to bombard once more and dropped his opponent a second time.

Sky Sports' Shaun Brown commented on the sheer brutality of the first putdown in particular:

Arslan is worthy of commendation for coming back into the fray for a second time, but it was too much as Huck forced the referee to step in after raining more blows on his opponent in the corner.

With 14 years between the two fighters, one would have banked on Huck to make shorter work of Arslan on paper, but the challenger's fortitude prolonged the fight and remains a thing of wonder.

In the end, though, the WBO cruiserweight champion defended his title for a 12th successive time, and it was deserved after a matchup where Huck weathered anything the man opposite had to throw at him, finally giving back in more than equal portion.

After being awarded a disputed unanimous-decision win over Firat Arslan (33-6-2, 21 KO) in November 2012, WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck (36-2-1, 25 KO) will give the veteran a rematch. The fight will take place at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

It was originally supposed to happen in September 2013, but it was postponed after Huck suffered an elbow injury. Since the first meeting, both Huck and Arslan have scored decision wins.

Huck defeated Ola Afolabi in June 2013. It was another rematch after a controversial win in May 2012. Arslan outboxed Varol Vekiloglu in March, so he'll have a bit of ring rust to shake off in Saturday's bout.

At 43 years old, this could be Arslan's last chance to win another world title. He won his first and only world championship in 2007 when he defeated Virgil Hill. 

Some felt Arslan did enough to win the first fight. Huck is trying to leave no doubt this time around. Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Jan. 25, at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle, Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

TV: BoxNation

Live Stream: LiveSport.TV (region restricted)

The Book on Huck

Because the 29-year-old German doesn't fight a clean, fluid style, or possess devastating power, his fights are often difficult to judge. Thus, he has so many close and controversial decisions on his record.

Huck isn't much for defense. He's a pure brawler who isn't difficult to hit. He shows great stamina and that is what usually propels him to victory. Allan Fox of Boxing News 24 credits Huck's longevity and durability:

Ignoring some of his controversial decisions, Huck is doing a good job of winning and staying on top of the division. A lot of fighters would have slipped a notch by this point in their careers if they had taken the kind of punishment to the head that Huck has taken. But he doesn’t have any problems fighting this style and he’s not showing any signs of slipping.

It would be great to see Huck take on the likes of Guillermo Jones or Yoan Pablo Hernandez at some point, but he has a tough assignment in Arslan to handle first.

The Book on Arslan

Arslan was obviously upset with the decision in his first fight with Huck. Because of the success he had against the champion, Arslan is going into Saturday's fight very confident. He told Jake Donovan of Boxing Scene:

"I am feeling like the world champion since my first fight against Marco, which I actually won. Now it is time to collect my belt from him."

That can be partially dismissed as pre-fight bravado, but you have to think Arslan believes he can actually pull out the win in the rematch. As Anson Wainwright of Max Boxing indicated when he spoke to Arslan after the first fight, the challenger took the action to Huck.

In many eyes, he outworked him. If he duplicates, or improves his performance, will the judges give him the nod this time?

Prediction

As a pure competitor, it is hard to find a fighter more fierce than Huck. When he steps in the ring, he gives maximum effort and empties the tank.

Arslan is similar, but at some point the age disadvantage has to show. The challenger is 14 years older than Huck. In what will probably be another grueling contest, Arslan is more apt to slow down late.

Huck will outlast him again for another—less controversial—unanimous-decision victory.

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Almost nothing can tarnish the in-ring legacy of a legend, but at some point, there is legitimate concern for the well-being of a fighter who fights too far past his prime.

At 44 years old, Roy Jones Jr. (56-8, 40 KO) fights on, and many boxing fans are probably wondering why.

The former four-division world champion, future Hall of Famer and boxing legend will return to the ring on Saturday to face 36-year-old Frenchman Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf (17-3-1, 8 KO). The two will battle at the Dynamo Palace of Sports in Krylatskoye, Moscow, Russia for the German version of the World Boxing Union cruiserweight title.

Originally, Jones Jr. was supposed to face Bobby Gunn in Bethlehem, Pa., but per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, that deal fell through and Eddine Benmakhlouf became the opponent.

This is a far cry from the all-eyes-on-me spectacles that Jones Jr. had with regularity during the 1990s and early 2000s.

(Disclaimer: video contains music that is NSFW)

This is a bout that most will not see on television but will more than likely have to read about to find out the results.

There is no information available for viewing, but here is what we know about the fight.

When: Saturday, Dec. 21

Where: Dynamo Palace of Sports in Krylatskoye, Moscow, Russia

The Book on Jones Jr. and Eddine Benmakhlouf

All About Anderson Silva

Jones Jr. has always liked to be unique and challenge the conventionality of the sport. His fundamentals and approach were technically incorrect, but because of his amazing physical gifts and boxing I.Q., he could do things others couldn't.

Now he is looking to do something else rather unprecedented. Jones Jr. is looking to take on mixed martial arts great Anderson Silva in a boxing match in 2014.

Jones Jr. said this to Rafael:

I want to be ready for Anderson Silva in case he beats (Chris) Weidman. Silva has made it clear that if he wins, he wants me next. I'm here for him. That's a fight that intrigues a lot of people, but I can't fight Anderson Silva coming off such a long layoff. So I needed to get a fight first. If it wasn't for Anderson Silva calling me out, I wouldn't be fighting this fight.

Silva will be looking to avenge his KO defeat to Weidman at UFC 168 on Dec. 28. If Silva and Jones Jr. are victorious, a mixed-sport clash is very possible.

Who Is Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf

We don't know much about Eddine Benmakhlouf, but we do know this bout is being billed as a winner-take-all affair, per BoxingScene.com. Basically, if you don't win, then you don't get paid. 

Some may doubt whether or not Jones Jr. is literally risking the chance he'll be fighting for free, but it could very well be the case for Eddine Benmakhlouf. He is a late replacement and almost completely unknown in just about every boxing circle.

He has a decent record, but you won't recognize any of the names of his past opponents. He's being sent in to fail. We'll see if he can give Jones Jr. more than he is bargaining for.

Prediction

Even as a shell of his former self, Jones Jr. should be capable of outboxing an inexperienced 36-year-old who has never fought beyond eight rounds in his career.

Were it not for the possibility that this bout could lead to something oddly intriguing like a Jones Jr.-Silva bout, there would likely be no interest at all.

As it is, Roy will do his part to keep the dream fight alive and win by unanimous decision over Eddine Benmakhlouf.

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Former WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly has been forced to withdraw from his fight at the Copper Box Arena in London this Saturday after suffering a back injury.

The 26-year-old was due to make his cruiserweight debut against Australian Daniel Ammann and was fighting for the vacant Commonwealth title, but the injury has ruled him out until 2014.

Cleverly suffered the injury last week during training and has been medically advised to withdraw from the bout.  The Welshman said he moved up to the 200-pound weight limit to improve his in-ring performances, and the Cardiff University graduate is disappointed his return to action has been delayed.

He said: “It’s a bitter blow as training had been going so well and I was looking forward to making my debut at cruiserweight. For it to only happen a week before the fight is even more devastating. I just want to get this year out of the way and enter 2014 with a clean slate and get my career back on track.”

Cleverly last fought back in August when he was knocked out by Sergey Kovalev, losing  his WBO title as a result. In the immediate aftermath of his loss, he even considered retiring as he struggled to come to terms with the loss. However, in October, Cleverly announced he would carry on his boxing career at cruiserweight.

Dereck Chisora headlines the event in London as he takes on Ondrej Pala from the Czech Republic in the first defence of his European heavyweight title.

There is a slugfest on tap in the cruiserweight division on Friday night.

Krzysztof "Diablo" Wlodarczyk (47-2-1, 33 KO) of Poland will defend his WBC cruiserweight title against the undefeated Rakhim "The Machine" Chakhkiev (16-0, 12 KO) in the challenger's home country at the Dynamo Palace of Sports in Krylatskoye, Moscow, Russia.

This is Wlodarczyk's fifth defense of his title, and the fact that he is traveling to the challenger's country to fight is noteworthy. This should be an exciting battle.

Though the bout is only televised in Poland for the public, here is the information for viewing the fight and a deeper look at the matchup.

The Book on Wlodarczyk

Road Warrior

This isn't the first time Diablo has taken to the road in a title fight. The first time he fought for the WBC title, he took on Italian Giacobbe Fragomeni in his home country in 2009.

The result was a draw, though Wlodarczyk would later defeat Fragomeni in Poland to win the title in 2010. Wlodarczyk's third defense was against Aussie Danny Green in Western Australia.

To this point, Wlodarczyk hasn't lost any of his championship road ventures. He'll be looking to remain undefeated away from Poland in championship bouts on Friday.

In the Ring

Diablo is a boxer-puncher who throws a pushing but stiff jab to set up the strong right hand. He also has a sneaky left hook that can do damage. You'll see evidence of this in his KO win over Green in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EgkrN1ej_E

Though Wlodarczyk isn't blessed with great quickness, he's strong and physical on the inside. He excels at in-fighting and has a solid chin.

Defeating him would be a tall task for any 175-200 pound fighter in the world.

The Book on Chakhkiev

On the Fast Track

The Machine has had only 16 bouts in his career, but he's 30 years old. Because of his age, it makes sense for him to take on an established champion like Wlodarczyk relatively early in his professional career.

Needless to say, Chakhkiev is really raising the bar with this matchup as it compares to his previous fights. Only five of his 16 bouts have been scheduled for 10 rounds, and Friday's clash will be his first fight set for 12. 

Chakhkiev will have a lot to get acclimated to in the ring, but such is the plight of an inexperienced 30-year-old contender.

In the Ring

Chakhkiev's power is easy to see. He throws heavy shots with bad intentions, as he comes in looking to finish his opponents with power punches straight down the middle of their guard.

Take a look at him in this KO win over Zack Page in May 2012. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_mobPILqIk

One potentially perilous habit Chakhkiev has is the tendency to drop his right hand when he's still in punching range for his opponent.

It is quite possible that he hasn't faced an opponent with the quickness or training to take advantage of that deficiency; but if he hasn't cleaned that up, it could spell trouble for him against Wlodarczyk.

Prediction

This should be an exciting fight filled with good offense, but Wlodarczyk's experience and power on the inside gives him an edge. The jab and lead left hooks should be the key punches in what I predict will be a fifth-round KO win for Diablo.

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On Saturday, June 8, WBO cruiserweight champion Marco "Captain" Huck (35-2-1, 25 KO) will defend his title against Ola "Kryptonite" Afolabi (19-2-4, 9 KO) for the third time in Germany. This fight will take place in Max Schmeling Halle, Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin.

Despite the decided home-field advantage in the previous two fights, Afolabi has given the Serbian-born Berlin resident Huck all he can handle. Their first fight was competitive, but Huck captured a clear unanimous decision win in Dec. 2009.

Most recently the two men fought to a disputed draw in May 2012.

Trilogies are fun and good for boxing as they usually continue a line of entertaining and competitive bouts. The first two Huck-Afolabi bouts fit that description, but the second bout was especially good.

Here is a rather detailed highlight package of the second fight, per Mr. Giudzio on YouTube.

Here's how you can watch the third bout and a deeper look at the matchup.

When: Saturday, June 8 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: Max Schmeling Halle, Prenzlauer Berg in Berlin

TV: BoxNation (UK)

Live Stream: Box Nation (Region Restrictions Apply)

The Book on Huck

Looking for the Decisive Win

Aside from an unsuccessful attempt as a heavyweight against Alexander Povetkin, Huck hasn't lost a fight since 2007 when he was outpointed by Steve Cunningham.

As a cruiserweight champion who has fought almost exclusively in his home country of Germany, Huck has been extremely successful. However, almost every good fighter with a lengthy reign as champion has a fighter on their resume that gives them a little trouble.

For Huck, that fighter is Afolabi. Many—including myself—believe Afolabi won the second fight, so Huck needs to win this one decisively and not depend on the German crowd to influence the judges' decision.

In the Ring

I've never been impressed with Huck's boxing skills. He throws wide winging punches and he goes into a shell for prolonged periods of time.

What he does have going for him is heart. Huck's resolve and a solid chin have been on display on several occasions during his 37-fight career. The only time he was stopped was in a December 2007 bout with Cunningham.

His corner threw in the towel in the final round of that fight.

Aside from heart, Huck is also an effective puncher—especially to the body. He doesn't have explosive one-punch power, but he will stop his share of opponents with cumulative punishment.

Huck does have issues with opponent's with fast hands; this is why Cunningham defeated him and why Afolabi has given him problems.

This dynamic won't change in the third fight.

The Book on Afolabi

Is Afolabi Huck's Kryptonite?

Despite a few tough battles, Huck has been a cruiserweight Superman in Germany. He has consistently lured top fighters to Germany to fight him and he's fared well for the most part.

With Afolabi gearing up for a third meeting with his rival in Germany, he's hoping he can finally earn a decision or even stop Huck.

In the Ring

Afolabi's biggest issue when facing Huck is his lack of punching power. He's easily the more skilled and athletic fighter, but because he doesn't have the zip on his punches, he can't effectively deter Huck's overtures for a slugfest.

When the fighters fight at a distance, Afolabi's two-and-a-half inch reach advantage and edge in quickness is apparent. But Huck's punches seem to do more damage.

That could partially explain why the scorecards haven't gone in Afolabi's favor to this point. Because the power dynamic isn't likely to swing in his favor, Afolabi may have to refrain from the wild exchanges that give Huck a chance to gain the advantage.

Prediction

This should be another competitive and entertaining fight, but I can see Huck stopping Afolabi this time. Huck will be more aggressive and look to make a statement against Afolabi early.

While it may be a risk in the event he can't finish him, his conditioning usually isn't an issue. Even if he doesn't stop Afolabi, Huck should score enough major power punches that will lead to another victory.

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