Anonymous Top-15 World-Rated Heavyweights?

[Enlightened-One]

I’ve been reviewing the top-15 ratings of the WBC, WBA, IBF & WBO.

There are six heavyweights included in those rankings that I know very little about. I may have witnessed a couple of bouts at most and had a superficial review of their resumes, but that’s just about it:

• Ali Eren Demirezen (unimpressive, based on the Ajagba bout and snippets from a few others )
• Arslanbek Makhmudov (a decent(ish) prospect that's fought no one)
• Demsey McKean (seems to be only a small step above journeyman level and fought no one)
• Evgeny Romanov (too small for heavyweight, but has a decent chance to capture a title at bridgerweight)
• Lenier Pero (what's this man done to gain a top-15 rating at heavyweight by the WBA? A very decent amateur pedigree, but his pro record is outrageously weak and he fails my proverbial eyeball test)
• Zhan Kossobutskiy (his resume mirrors Filip Hrgovic's - a four-year pro that faces the sort of journeymen that debutants fight - He fails my eyeball test)

To be honest, I don’t know too much about these guys, but if I evaluate them as a group, I’m generally unimpressed. However, I might be jumping the gun, by watching the wrong fights or not considering certain factors.

I was wondering if anyone can help address my knowledge gaps on these guys, by letting me know those you feel to be decent prospects, whether they deserve their rankings and who you feel they can beat from the bigger-names competing in the same weight class.

Thoughts?

[ValMar]

I’ve been reviewing the top-15 ratings of the WBC, WBA, IBF & WBO.

There are six heavyweights included in those rankings that I know very little about. I may have witnessed a couple of bouts at most and had a superficial review of their resumes, but that’s just about it:

• Ali Eren Demirezen (unimpressive, based on the Ajagba bout and snippets from a few others )
• Arslanbek Makhmudov (a decent(ish) prospect that's fought no one)
• Demsey McKean (seems to be only a small step above journeyman level and fought no one)
• Evgeny Romanov (too small for heavyweight, but has a decent chance to capture a title at bridgerweight)
• Lenier Pero (what's this man done to gain a top-15 rating at heavyweight by the WBA? A very decent amateur pedigree, but his pro record is outrageously weak and he fails my proverbial eyeball test)
• Zhan Kossobutskiy (his resume mirrors Filip Hrgovic's - a four-year pro that faces the sort of journeymen that debutants fight - He fails my eyeball test)

To be honest, I don’t know too much about these guys, but if I evaluate them as a group, I’m generally unimpressed. However, I might be jumping the gun, by watching the wrong fights or not considering certain factors.

I was wondering if anyone can help address my knowledge gaps on these guys, by letting me know those you feel to be decent prospects, whether they deserve their rankings and who you feel they can beat from the bigger-names competing in the same weight class.

Thoughts?

Arslanbek Makhmudov has a lethal punch power, He should not belong in this group.

[oogiebe]

I’ve been reviewing the top-15 ratings of the WBC, WBA, IBF & WBO.

There are six heavyweights included in those rankings that I know very little about. I may have witnessed a couple of bouts at most and had a superficial review of their resumes, but that’s just about it:

• Ali Eren Demirezen (unimpressive, based on the Ajagba bout and snippets from a few others )
• Arslanbek Makhmudov (a decent(ish) prospect that's fought no one)
• Demsey McKean (seems to be only a small step above journeyman level and fought no one)
• Evgeny Romanov (too small for heavyweight, but has a decent chance to capture a title at bridgerweight)
• Lenier Pero (what's this man done to gain a top-15 rating at heavyweight by the WBA? A very decent amateur pedigree, but his pro record is outrageously weak and he fails my proverbial eyeball test)
• Zhan Kossobutskiy (his resume mirrors Filip Hrgovic's - a four-year pro that faces the sort of journeymen that debutants fight - He fails my eyeball test)

To be honest, I don’t know too much about these guys, but if I evaluate them as a group, I’m generally unimpressed. However, I might be jumping the gun, by watching the wrong fights or not considering certain factors.

I was wondering if anyone can help address my knowledge gaps on these guys, by letting me know those you feel to be decent prospects, whether they deserve their rankings and who you feel they can beat from the bigger-names competing in the same weight class.

Thoughts?

Arslanbek Makhmudov has a lethal punch power, He should not belong in this group.

AND...a scary head twitch.

[candyslim]

Demirezen is never going to impact the higher echelons but he's a very capable superior journeyman type that would be a respectable test for any aspiring heavyweight.

The jury is out on Makhmudov. He's a ferocious puncher no doubt, and looks the part (although I've heard he's a really nice guy outside the ring). He's fought no one as a pro who offers an indication as to how far he could progress, but I've seen him made to look very pedestrian as an amateur. He eventually caught up with Mihai Nistor if memory serves after being made to look like the Mummy from Egyptian mythology for practically the whole fight.

Demsey McKean is destined to remain one of the best heavyweights in Australia but the Jonathan Rice fight where he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, show that he's found his level and won't become a player of note on the international stage.

Evgeny Romanov memorably knocked out Deontay Wilder. He has left it too late to make an impression on the professional scene unless they put him in as challenger to the first Bridgerweight champion. He won't have deserved it but did Rivas or Jennings?

Lenier Pero wasn't ever much to write home about even as an amateur. He's not even the best of the Cuban heavyweights to have turned pro comparatively recently (that might be Larduet). He got a split decision win IIRC over Pavel Doroshilov who has wasted the talent he has by only coming out of hibernation once a year at best. Pero is not going to amount to anything.

Zhan Kossobutskiy on the other hand is quality. I watched videos of him as an amateur and was very impressed by how he handled Magomedrassul Medzhidov (as he was then) winning a well earned victory on points. As a pro he just did a number on the tough and capable Joey Dawejko and he's my pick of your bunch as the 'most likely to succeed'.
He's the wrong side of thirty though the clock is ticking.

Bear in mind I'm just an enthusiast whose opportunities for watching these guys is severely limited, so don't assume I necessarily know what I'm talking about.

[KiwiRider]

Demirezen is never going to impact the higher echelons but he's a very capable superior journeyman type that would be a respectable test for any aspiring heavyweight.

The jury is out on Makhmudov. He's a ferocious puncher no doubt, and looks the part (although I've heard he's a really nice guy outside the ring). He's fought no one as a pro who offers an indication as to how far he could progress, but I've seen him made to look very pedestrian as an amateur. He eventually caught up with Mihai Nistor if memory serves after being made to look like the Mummy from Egyptian mythology for practically the whole fight.

Demsey McKean is destined to remain one of the best heavyweights in Australia but the Jonathan Rice fight where he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, show that he's found his level and won't become a player of note on the international stage.

Evgeny Romanov memorably knocked out Deontay Wilder. He has left it too late to make an impression on the professional scene unless they put him in as challenger to the first Bridgerweight champion. He won't have deserved it but did Rivas or Jennings?

Lenier Pero wasn't ever much to write home about even as an amateur. He's not even the best of the Cuban heavyweights to have turned pro comparatively recently (that might be Larduet). He got a split decision win IIRC over Pavel Doroshilov who has wasted the talent he has by only coming out of hibernation once a year at best. Pero is not going to amount to anything.

Zhan Kossobutskiy on the other hand is quality. I watched videos of him as an amateur and was very impressed by how he handled Magomedrassul Medzhidov (as he was then) winning a well earned victory on points. As a pro he just did a number on the tough and capable Joey Dawejko and he's my pick of your bunch as the 'most likely to succeed'.
He's the wrong side of thirty though the clock is ticking.

Bear in mind I'm just an enthusiast whose opportunities for watching these guys is severely limited, so don't assume I necessarily know what I'm talking about.

Nice work there Slim
I agree about Demsey, he has found his level to be Asia-Pacific, maybe he beats Junior Fa, but not Parker.
He should have stopped Hunter Sam in 5 or six, and nit gone to a UD.

[candyslim]

Thanks Kiwi. I think McKean loses to Parker but gives him a run for his money. I'd love to see McKean against Fa that would be really interesting, I'd like to see him in with Hemi Ahio or even Patrick Mailata down the line too.

Just because a fighter isn't going to set the world on fire doesn't mean they can't be in a few barn-burners. There's a nice little heavyweight community you've got going on in the Antipodes led by Parker and Huni, Aside from those I mentioned there's Faiga Opelu (what a fight he against McKean would make) Joey Goodall (seems to have struggled with the transition to the pro game), Willis Meehan (is he ever going to do anything?) Jai Opetaia (would be very competitive at heavyweight at least at local level) not to mention the unskilled but hard as nails Rugger-buggers.

Plenty of potential for some great scraps.

[adislav123]

makhmudov defends his naba/nabf titles against...

fvckin erkan teper ???

surreal. to say the least.

[candyslim]

Erkan Teper was once in the world top 20 largely thanks to his friendly local pharmacist, but he hasn't had a fight this year as far as I know, and his last result against a well known opponent was an 8th round knockout loss to Robert Helenius back in 2018. That might have been after he got clean.

I guess taking the positives any fight is better than no fight, and while Erkan might be more Tomatokan these days at least we know who he was.

[margaret thatcher]

tepers disappointing, but i dont get the omg so shockingly bad stuff. he fought some decent names and only stopped once and that was in the 8th.....mak will probably get in more work than usual it's hardly hrgovic level opposition

[Enlightened-One]

Demirezen is never going to impact the higher echelons but he's a very capable superior journeyman type that would be a respectable test for any aspiring heavyweight.

The jury is out on Makhmudov. He's a ferocious puncher no doubt, and looks the part (although I've heard he's a really nice guy outside the ring). He's fought no one as a pro who offers an indication as to how far he could progress, but I've seen him made to look very pedestrian as an amateur. He eventually caught up with Mihai Nistor if memory serves after being made to look like the Mummy from Egyptian mythology for practically the whole fight.

Demsey McKean is destined to remain one of the best heavyweights in Australia but the Jonathan Rice fight where he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, show that he's found his level and won't become a player of note on the international stage.

Evgeny Romanov memorably knocked out Deontay Wilder. He has left it too late to make an impression on the professional scene unless they put him in as challenger to the first Bridgerweight champion. He won't have deserved it but did Rivas or Jennings?

Lenier Pero wasn't ever much to write home about even as an amateur. He's not even the best of the Cuban heavyweights to have turned pro comparatively recently (that might be Larduet). He got a split decision win IIRC over Pavel Doroshilov who has wasted the talent he has by only coming out of hibernation once a year at best. Pero is not going to amount to anything.

Zhan Kossobutskiy on the other hand is quality. I watched videos of him as an amateur and was very impressed by how he handled Magomedrassul Medzhidov (as he was then) winning a well earned victory on points. As a pro he just did a number on the tough and capable Joey Dawejko and he's my pick of your bunch as the 'most likely to succeed'.
He's the wrong side of thirty though the clock is ticking.

Bear in mind I'm just an enthusiast whose opportunities for watching these guys is severely limited, so don't assume I necessarily know what I'm talking about.

Great feedback!

I'll key an eye on Zhan Kossobutskiy.

[candyslim]

Cheers EO. I don't think he'll let me down.