According to the site that gives news about boxing, Sakio Bika is now a free agent. He says he wants to fight the winner of Bute-Andrade. I guess it could happens early next year. I could see Bute and Pavlik fight on the same card to hype a showdown between them later in 2010. Pavlik-Stieglitz for the WBO Title. Bute vs. Bika or Green for the IBF Title. My guess is HBO would rather see Bute fight an American fighter (Green). We'll see.
The thing is Bute already beat Bika so they're no need for a second bout...Bring in Allan Green and his big mouth:bbb
Bika's only hope is that Andrade wins. There's absolutely nothing to be gained by Bute fighting him. Otherwise, Bika needs a powerful promoter to force him into potential manadatory status, but given the division, that just isn't going to happen. Maybe he should try 175. It's pretty open.
Actually, just noticed Bika is highly ranked by the IBF. Any decent promoter should be able to lobby for him to get an eliminator against some very beatable IBF top-10 guys (Brinkley fer Chrissakes). If Green knows whats good for him, he should take his title shot before he's faced to walk (run) away from an eliminator with Bika. IBF Top 10. 1 Librado Andrade United States 2 NOT RATED 3 Arthur Abraham Germany 4 Sakio Bika South Africa 5 Jesse Brinkley United States 6 Allan Green United States 7 Karoly Balzsay Hungary 8 Dennis Inkin Germany 9 Edison Miranda Colombia 10 Jermain Taylor United States 11 Vitaly Tsypko Ukraine 12 Curtis Stevens United States 13 Shannan Taylor Australia 14 Mads Larsen Denmark 15 Fulgencio Zuniga Colombia (odd they list Balzsay when he's WBO champ. The ABC's can't even be consitently inconsistent.) Edit... scratch that... he ain't no WBO champ, even if the IBF lists him as one as well as ranking him.
We all no why that is.... because he's a spoiler, he makes you look bad with his rough house tactics.
Well he can't get a worse promoter than The Contender people. Any american promoter would do. Hope he gets another good fight.He should fight Green,I'd like that but boxing politics say different probably.
And he's just in time to capitalize on his fame from The Contender. :roll: Better late than never I guess.
Yikes, pretty old news, too. I knew something was fishy. The same IBF page that has him ranked lists him as WBO champ, as does Fightnews.
a fully fledged member of the 'who needs him club'... rough,strong and very durable fighter a handful for anyone at 169 to 175
Stieglitz took Balszay's title awhile back. And what the hell is Brinkley doing at #5? The next five names would whoop his ass, and so would Zuniga.