Dereck Chisora and 10 Heavyweight Boxers to Keep an Eye on in 2012

Before his fight with Robert Helenius many felt Dereck Chisora was a boxer who had less talent than he thought and was destined to stay in the local British heavyweight scene.

In the end he lost the decision, but many thought it was a robbery and it actually helped rebuild his stock.  

At 28, he may want to get a quick rematch or an easy return, bout but it is obvious that he is now in the mix of young talent that might one day make an impact in heavyweight boxing.

But he isn't the only one.  Here is a list of 10 other boxers who just might shake up boxing's biggest and most important division.

Robert Helenius

He may have won the decision against Chisora, but it couldn't have felt like much of a victory.  Still, he has already beaten former champions like Samuel Peter and Lamon Brewster, so it isn't as if he hadn't already made a name for himself.

The tainted win might set him back a bit, but he will recover faster than most would if Chisora had been their only significant fight.

Helenius can punch and he has shown that he can knock out tough fighters on the top level.  All he needs to do is make a return, possibly against Chisora, and remind boxing fans of that.

Tyson Fury

Fury is a lot more talk than talent right now.  That isn't to say that Fury doesn't have any skills, just that he never shuts his mouth.

All Fury needs to do to make his abilities equal his mouth is learn how to use his height, power, and jab to win fights.  Then he can go from being an undefeated prospect into an undefeated prospect who knocks all of his opponents out.

That would turn him not only into a UK draw, but maybe one day into a world champion.

Marco Huck

Technically, Huck isn't a heavyweight yet.  He is actually a cruiserweight who is moving up a division to face Alexander Povetkin for the WBA heavyweight title.

Should he lose, then he can still move back down in weight and continue his successful career in boxing's second-largest division.

If he does win, then he will be able to stake a claim as one of the best heavyweights in the world and possibly set up a lucrative fight with one of the Klitschko brothers.

Seth Mitchell

A few months ago, the former football player wouldn't have made the list.  American heavyweights just don't have talent these days and if they do, they routinely don't take tough fights.

Mitchell had been on that path for the last few years of his career.  It might be the fact that Mitchell is less than half a year from his 30th birthday, but he finally took a step up in competition against Timur Ibragimov.

Ibragimov is a tough fighter, and the fact that Mitchell was able to take him out in only two rounds speaks well for the American heavyweight.  Hopefully, he keeps impressing, as he is running out of time.

Mike Perez

The Cuban amateur standout who defected to Ireland had done nothing in the first few years of his career to make him much of a name in the heavyweight scene.

Then he won the prizefighter series, which is famous in the UK.  To win he had to beat three heavyweights in the same night.  Though none of them were world beaters, it vaulted him upward and gave him some notice among fans.

He also just won his fight this Friday against Friday Ahunyana.

I swear that isn't a joke.  Still, it's good to see that he has kept the ball rolling, and hopefully he will continue to do so.

Luis Ortiz

Yet another Cuban amateur who escaped to find his fortune.

However, Ortiz came to America and hasn't fought anyone close to the level that Perez has.  Still, at 32, it's a good bet that fans will see Ortiz quickly step up in action.

Otherwise, he will quickly be forgotten.

So fans should keep a tab on Ortiz during 2012, which should be his breakout year.  Otherwise, that breakout year may not ever come.

Deontay Wilder

It isn't so much that fans need to keep an eye on Wilder because of anything he might do, but because it is long past time he did something.

He has been a pro for years and he still has yet to face real opposition.  Until he starts stepping up his competition, fans aren't going to pay attention.

For the only American medalist at the Beijing Olympics, it is getting a little silly.

Wilder's time is now or never, and he needs to show that he is ready for the big stage.

Francesco Pianeta

At one point, Pianeta was a rising heavyweight in the European scene.  Then he wound up fighting to a draw with Albert Sosnowski.

After that, he seemed to stop taking steps up in competition and settled for just fighting mediocre opposition.

At 27, he still has some time, though, and after three years of soft touches, he might just want to kick it into high gear.  This just might be the year to do it.

Fans who like to see international talent might want to see where 2012 takes him.

David Price

The former British Olympian has finally started to take steps up in competition, but not by much.

He is already 28, and while that isn't old for a heavyweight, it doesn't make him young, either.  He didn't win a medal at the Games, so he needs to start taking out serious competition if he wants to turn heads.

He did lose to Roberto Cammarelle, who ended up winning the gold medal at super heavyweight, but that means little to most fans.

He needs some credible wins, and hopefully he'll start getting them in 2012.

Andrzej Wawrzyk

The young Polish fighter seems to be on track to becoming one of the top heavyweights in a few years.  

He is a young 24, having just had his birthday three months ago, and he is starting to take on better fighters.

He hasn't fought in a 12-round fight yet, but it will be interesting to see if he does this year and against what kind of boxer.

He has plenty of time to grow, but with the kind of activity he has shown in the past, it seems like he won't be taking his time to get to the top.

Fans should keep an eye on Wawrzyk if he does decide to keep going fast.