On the Move: SecondsOut World Rankings 11/20/11

By Derek Bonnett


 


I just can’t live like this anymore.

For years and years, I have been lying to myself. Among crowds of boxing writers and fans, I stay silent or nod quietly in agreement with their disparaging remarks concerning Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. I go home and look into the mirror and say, I’m just blinded by my feelings for his legendary father. Once, I was called out for possibly being a JCC Jr. supporter after picking the young Mexican to defeat Miguel Cotto. I quickly justified it by saying that I thought Cotto was on the downside of his career and not attributing my pick to anything the now middleweight champion could possibly offer in the ring.

I’ve had it: I’m out! I am a supporter of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. I have loved his gutty performances against Jose Celaya and Sebastian Zbik and his boxing exhibition over John Duddy. Now, you can add his recent win over Peter Manfredo Jr., which was a mix of style and muscle. The kid may not be of the same mold of his dad, but he is a hell of a lot closer than any other boxing son we have seen in recent years. He has yet to beat the best, but Celaya, Duddy, Billy Lyell, Zbik, and Manfredo were all world class fighters with excellent experience. His record shows greater depth than that seen on the records of Dmitry Pirog and Gennady Golovkin, Max Kellerman’s supposed greatest challenges for Sergio Martinez.

However, JCC Jr. is not without his flaws. His opponents are still not elite caliber and he still hides behind his promoter Bob Arum. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. may not fear Sergio Martinez or Saul Alvarez, but it remains to be seen if Arum fears them for him. More importantly, the one name not being mentioned is Marco Antonio Rubio, the man who earned his shot at the WBC title the night he knocked out David Lemieux.

I’ve said it: I am a fan of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. However, he is a champion now and the kid gloves must come off. I once thought Rubio, one of my favorite fighters of the last ten years, would beat the young champion handily. Now, I see a dogfight with no clear victor or favorite and that is the middleweight title bout I want to see happen.

Now for the recent changes to the SecondsOut world rankings:

On Friday, November 18, at Hotel Jaragua, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Argenis Mendez stopped substitute Alex Perez in two rounds of a super featherweight bout. Perez hit the canvas once in the second round before the TKO was called. Mendez put himself back into the win column following a controversial decision loss to Juan Carlos Salgado back in September. His resume improved to 19-2 (10). Perez dropped 23-43-4 (18).

Mendez kept his SecondsOut ranking of third at 130 pounds right behind Salgado.

On Saturday, November 19, at Homebush Sports Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Billy Dib made short work of Alberto Servidei with a one round blowout in an IBF featherweight title bout. Dib defended his crown for the first time and enhanced his dossier to 33-1 (20). Servidei, identified as a questionable title challenger in my recent volume of Title Shots Here! Getcha’ Free Title Shot!, proved me correct and lost his unbeaten record in decisive fashion. Servidei fell to 31-1-2 (7).

Dib maintained his number nine standing among SecondsOut’s top featherweights. A possible showdown with Chris John is on the tips of a lot of tongues. This would be Dib’s most substantial challenge as a professional and a clear indicator of how much he has grown since his loss to Steve Luevano.

Also on the same day, in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, Hugo Fidel Cazares stopped substitute Adan Garcia in seven rounds of a bantamweight bout. Garcia hit the canvas in rounds four and seven before the bout was called to a halt at 1:41 mark. Cazares upped his record to 36-7-2 (26). Garcia dipped to 17-6-1 (12).

Cazares held onto his SecondsOut number nine ranking at 118 pounds.

Also on the same date, at Estadio Centenario, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, Fernando Montiel suffered an upset loss to Victor Terrazas by twelve round decision in a super bantamweight bout. Terrazas put Montiel to the canvas in the fifth round and prevailed by scores of 115-112, 115-113, and 114-113. Terrazas added to his ring credentials with this career best victory and now stands at 32-2-1 (18). Montiel, perhaps at the end of a hall of fame career, dropped to 46-4-2 (36).

Jorge Arce abandoned his number two ranking at SecondsOut to return to bantamweight. Rendall Munroe climbed back aboard the SecondsOut top ten at 122 pounds given his stoppage of Terrazas previously. He re-enters at ninth. Montiel exits the top ten for the time being and Terrazas fills in at tenth.

Also that evening, a Reliant Arena, Houston, Texas, USA, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. stopped Peter Manfredo Jr. in five rounds of a WBC middleweight title bout. Although never hitting the canvas, Manfredo was badly rocked in the fifth before being swarmed Chavez. The WBC champion made the first defense of his title and improved his ledger to 44-0-1 (31). The brave Manfredo dropped to 37-7 (20) and has perhaps laced up the gloves for the last time.

Chavez Jr. maintained his number eight ranking among SecondsOut elite 160 pounders.

SecondsOut ranked fighters in action through Sunday, November 27:

On Saturday, November 26:

At Playa Del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico: Humberto Soto versus Adailton Dejesus in a ten round junior welterweight bout

At Monumental Plaza de Toros, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico: Saul Alvarez versus Kermit Cintron in a twelve round WBC light middleweight title bout

At Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico: Jorge Arce versus Angky Angkotta in a twelve round vacant WBO bantamweight title bout

At Trabzon, Turkey: Selcuk Aydin versus Ionut Dan Ion II in a twelve round welterweight title bout

At U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA: Adrien Broner versus Vincente Martin Rodriguez in a twelve round vacant WBO super featherweight title bout

To check out Derek’s SecondsOut rankings Click here

For further boxing discussion, contact Derek "DBO" Bonnett on Facebook or at mabfan@comcast.net