Pictured: Joe Calzaghe
by Joe Kowalski
http://www.castefootball.us
We are roughly halfway through 2007, so now is a great time to evaluate the progress of white boxers so far this year. Though there have been some setbacks, it has been a pretty good year for white fighters. With Sultan Ibragimov’s victory over the latest Great Black Hope, Shannon Briggs, all four heavyweight belts are again around white waists. Our people hold 13 of the 20 belts from heavyweight to middleweight. The remaining black champions face white contenders in the next few months so that number is likely to grow.
Top 10 P4P List
Two whites are in Ring magazine’s top 10 “pound for pound” list. Joe Calzaghe is at #7 and Ricky Hatton comes in at #9. Hatton should move up with a victory over Jose Luis Castillo on June 23. Wladimir Klitschko could very well move into the list with an impressive victory over Lamon Brewster next month as either Bernard Hopkins or Winky Wright will likely drop out after their July 21 bout. Mikkel Kessler and Kelly Pavlik are no doubt near the top 10 and will join this elite group if they keep winning.Superfights
This has also been a great year for whites in high profile fights. The Pavlik-Miranda clash on HBO last month was one of the most widely anticipated bouts of the year for true boxing fans. And Kelly did not disappoint his national audience. Hatton, Calzaghe, Klitschko and Kessler have all been featured on HBO this year. Paul Malignaggi will be showcased on HBO this weekend as he battles Lovemore Ndou for the IBF junior welterweight crown. If he wins, Paulie will become the first white American to hold a belt since 2003. HBO will also show Hatton’s match with Castillo next week and Klitschko’s rematch with Brewster on July 7.
Other huge matches include Pavlik taking on middleweight champ Jermaine Taylor on September 28. That same day, Oleg Maskaev takes on Sam Peter. Joe Calzaghe will meet Mikkel Kessler in September or October in a long awaited clash for supremacy at 168. This will be the first superfight involving two whites in my lifetime. If Hatton gets by Castillo, he will likely face either Floyd Mayweather or Miguel Cotto in an even bigger superfight later this year. All these fights will receive massive press attention and will be featured on either HBO, Showtime or pay-per-view (PPV). It is definitely our time to shine.
Other upcoming bouts involving our fighters include:
June 16
Zsolt Erdei v. George Blades (WBO light heavyweight title)
June 23
Victor Oganov vs. Antwun Echols (undercard of Hatton-Castillo)
June 29
Wladimir Sidorenko v. Jerome Arnould (WBA bantamweight championship)
June 30
Alexander Povetkin vs. Larry Donald
Dmitry Kirillov v. Ricardo Vargas (IBF super flyweight title)
Lou Savarese vs. Evander Holyfield (PPV)
July 7
Vic Darchinyan vs. Nonito Donaire (IBF flyweight title)
July 14
Arturo Gatti v. Alfonso Gomez
Walter Matthysse v. Kermit Cintron (IBF welterweight title)
July 21
Gavin Rees vs. M’baye (WBC junior middleweight title)
Enzo Maccarinelli v. Wayne Braithwaite (WBO Cruiserweight Championship)
Michael Katsidis v. Czar Amonsot (HBO – WBO lightweight title)
September
Tomasz Adamek v. Steve Cunningham (IBF cruiserweight title)
Vitali Klitschko v. Jameel McCline
Top 10 White Fighters
1. Joe Calzaghe
2. Ricky Hatton
3. Mikkel Kessler
4. Wladimir Klitschko
5. Zsoldt Erdei
6. Kelly Pavlik
7. Vic Darchinyan
8. Arthur Abraham
9. Wladimir Sidorenko
10. Sergeii Dzindziruk