Boxing Rankings: The Top 10 Super Middleweights in the World

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With the culmination of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic—a super middleweight boxing tournament—set for October 29, the super middleweight rankings could see a shift at the top of the rankings if Carl Froch can defeat Andre Ward.

The top 10 is full of up-and-coming prospects, littered with seasoned veterans as well.

Here are Froch, Ward and the top 10 super middleweights in the world.

10. Brian Magee

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After not suffering a loss in almost five years, Brian Magee (35-4-1, 24 KOs) faced top super middleweight Lucian Bute (29-9, 24 KOs) in March of this year, and had his run without a loss snapped by the undefeated Bute in a TKO victory in Round 10 of their fight.

Since his loss, Magee has already gotten back on the right track defeating Jaime Barboza in Barboza's native Costa Rica on July 30 of this year.

9. Thomas Oosthuizen

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Undefeated up-and-coming South African boxer Thomas Oosthuizen is looking to make some noise in the super middleweight division.

Oosthuizen (15-0-1, 11 KOs) has had all 16 of his fights in his home country of South Africa, and will have his first fight outside of his homeland when he faces off with Aaron Pryor (16-3, 11 KOs) in Biloxi, Mississippi on September 3.

The fight with Pryor will give us a better feel for Oosthuizen's level of fighting, seeing how he will fare outside of his home country where he could be more comfortable in the ring.

8. Dimitri Sartison

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Even though he has been out of the ring for over a year, Dimitri Sartison is still one of the best super middleweights in the world.

Sartison was stripped of his WBA regular title this past July, most likely due to his inactivity, and doesn't have anything set up for the remainder of the year.

7. Glen Johnson

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Glen Johnson doesn't have the best win-loss record in his last eight fights going 4-4, but Johnson held his own in most of those fights, so his record is not as bad as it looks on paper.

After losing a majority decision to Super Six finalist Carl Froch in April of this year, Johnson wasted no time in lining up another bout, and will travel to Canada to fight Canadian fighter Lucian Bute.

The "Road Warrior" has enough skill left in his 41-year-old tank, and could make a run at Froch or Andre Johnson, depending on whoever wins the Super Six final on October 29.

6. Sakio Bika

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Sakio Bika is a solid fighter that hasn't seen his best times in the ring as of late.

Bika has been disqualified for hitting Jean Paul Mendy while he was down in their July 2010 fight, and lost a closer-than-scored fight to Andre Ward last November in the Super Six tournament.

With no fights scheduled for the remainder of 2011, we will have to wait until next year to see what Bika will do as far as his boxing career path goes.

5. Robert Stieglitz

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Robert Stieglitz is the WBO super middleweight champion that has a nine fight win streak dating back to 2008.

The biggest fight of his career looms as a November 5 bout against fellow top super middleweight Mikkel Kessler—a former three-time title holder.

If Stieglitz can beat Kessler, a bout against Lucian Bute or the winner of the Super Six tournament between Andre Ward and Carl Froch could happen.

4. Mikkel Kessler

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Mikkel Kessler has only suffered two losses in his entire 46 fight career. One to current No. 1 ranked super middleweight Andre Ward, and the other to the highly-respected Joe Calzaghe.

Beating Carl Froch two fights ago in the biggest win of his career, Kessler will face off with Robert Stieglitz for the WBO super middleweight title.

As stated earlier, the winner of Kessler's bout with Stieglitz should earn a fight against either Lucian Bute, or the winner of the Super Six between Andre Ward and Carl Froch.

3. Lucian Bute

The undefeated Canadian fighter Lucian Bute (29-0, 24 KOs) is on the verge of taking over the super middleweight division.

A win in his next fight against veteran fighter Glen Johnson will either set up a fight between the winner of the Super Six between Andre Ward and Carl Froch, or a possible fight with the winner of the WBO title fight between Mikkel Kessler and Robert Stieglitz.

Bute has the skills and the KO power to rule the super middleweight division for years to come.

2. Carl Froch

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After losing the first fight of his career, English fighter Carl Froch has beaten two quality opponents in Arthur Abraham and Glen Johnson.

Froch, the WBC super middleweight champion, has a fight with Andre Ward in the finale of Showtime's Super Six boxing tournament, which will be the biggest fight of Froch's career thus far.

If Froch can defeat Ward he will be the No. 1 ranked super middleweight, and should be considered one of the top 10 pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

1. Andre Ward

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The undefeated WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward is the no-brainier No. 1 super middleweight, but will still have to prove his worth to some fans by defeating Carl Froch in the Super Six final on October 29.

Ward, already considered by most to be a fringe top 10 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, can cement his spot on boxing's elite list taking out Froch in their October fight.