Welliver Beats Down Mensah, Forces Him To Flee Ring In The 10th

Did you notice if Mitchell got tagged by powershots from Davis?

 

Mitchell took numerous rights from Timur in the first round and a half. I noticed that Ferreryo reached Mitchell with the right, too. Supposedly Zack Page potshoted Mitchell successfully a few years ago.

If and when Mitchell falls, faulty defense will be a factor. I think Mitchell's defense fails him in center ring/distance boxing (which is ironic, given Mitchell's effective jab).

 

It's not a question of Mitchell's opponents' needing durability to hang in there. Mitchell hits so hard that he can bomb out even extremely durable guys, if he can hit them.

The real secret to hanging in there with Mitchell is to make him miss...to remain in center ring and box effectively from the distance.

 

Here's my list of Tier 2 heavies that I think either would be too much for Chauncy, or who might possibly beat Chauncy. The list is incomplete. Keep in mind that it includes many guys who are not locked into major promotional contracts (and who would probably go to NZ/China if offered a chance), and guys who are locked into contracts in the US or Europe, and who wouldn't be allowed to fight in NZ/China even if they wanted to.

This list is not meant as a knock on Chauncy...no disrespect intended here. I'm just saying that I think Chauncy is still a prospect, and not yet a real contender. He's still on a learning curve. Based on the quality of opponents that he has beaten so far, the fighters listed below would represent a step up for him right now.

Maybe a year from now, Chauncy will be polished enough to whip all these guys. In the meantime, here's my list:

TIER 2 GUYS WHO I THINK COULD BEAT CHAUNCY NOW
Sergei Liakhovich (possibly he's still Tier 1...don't know)
Fres Oquendo
Cedric Boswell
Timur Ibragimov
DaVarryl Williamson (depending on how much Williamson has left)
Chazz Witherspoon
Maurice Harris (assuming Harris is in shape and motivated)
Francesco Pianetta
Monte Barrett (assuming Barrett fights his best, and is in shape)
Andrei Pala
Marius Wach
Mike Perez
Luis Ortiz

TIER 2/3 GUYS WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO BEAT CHAUNCY NOW
Oliver McCall (assuming Chauncy can’t dance away from Ollie)
Taras Bidenko
Sam Sexton
Derrick Rossy (depending on how much Rossy has left)
Oluken Gbenga (assuming he fights his best)
Nikolai Firtha
Konstantine Airich (assuming he fights his best, and pressures effectively)
Gregory Tony
Michael Sprott (depending on whether Sprott fights his best)
Manuel Quezeda (depending on whether Quezada fights his best)
Nagy Aguillera
Dennis Bakhtov (on his better nights)
Dominick Guinn (assuming Guinn fights his best)
Travis Walker
Kendrick Releford (yes, this guy can fight…is better than his record indicates)
Evans Quinn (if he fights his best)
Jean Marc Mormeck

 

Chauncy is in his senior year of school. The guys on my list are his classmates, for now. If he spends 2012 fighting and beating 3 or 4 of these dudes, then he graduates. And then it's time for the really big fish.

 

I don't know how long you've been following boxing, but top ratings -- particularly mandatory challenger positions -- are usually obtained based on merit. That means the contender in question has beaten top notch opponents, or at the very least, has decisively beaten a series of Tier 2 foes.

 

It's outrageous that Rahman was given the mandatory. You are absolutely correct. Hasim has done nothing recently except win a series of a fights against hand picked "C" level opponents, some of whom are actually his sparring partners.

The only reason the WBA put Rahman in the #1 spot is because of his marketability: his huge name. The WBA did this because it wants to collect the big sanctioning fee that it gets from the Povetkin-Rahman sham.

However, there is a reason why Rahman has a hugely marketable name. It's because he was once a world heavyweight champion. Thus, Hasim is banking on his past status.

For the most part, though, the circumstances surrounding Rahman's #1 rating are the exception in boxing. Usually the situation is that the #1 guy gets his spot based on winning big fights (or winning semi-big fights), and having a promoter with the financial and political clout to arrange the mandatory rating.

Generally the #1 ranked contender has beaten at least one "A" level fighter.

 

The regional championships are all bogus. They are phony titles, acquired through payments to the alphabets. It says very little about a fighter's ability or merit that he holds a regional title. Any promoter with enough money can get almost any regional title for almost any fighter.

That's just the way boxing works, unfortunately.

 

Speaking of regional belts, I noticed that Mansour has a couple (which he will lose now that he's headed for the slammer). Do you know what promoter paid for those belts?

Who was financing Mansour's career? Did he say who was going to front all the money for a fight with Chauncy?