
Devon Alexander vs. Timothy Bradley and the Top 10 Can't Miss Fights in January
January will feature the first major bout of 2011 as rising stars Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley put their undefeated records on the line in a highly anticipated showdown on HBO. Fans will have to wait until the very end of the month to see it though.
In the mean time, the season premier of Friday Night Fights begins this week on ESPN2, and if last year was any indication, there should be plenty of fights to keep boxing fans entertained until the big fights come around. Boxers featured on FNF this month include heavyweight Chris Arreola and undefeated prospects Ruslan Provodnikov and Edwin Rodriguez.
The following is a list of the top 10 fights of the month.
No. 1 Devon Alexander vs. Timothy Bradley
1 of 10
Records: Devon Alexander (21-0, 13 KO), Timothy Bradley (26-0, 11 KO)
When: January 29
Where: Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
Titles: WBC light welterweight title (Alexander), WBO light welterweight title (Bradley)
Televised: HBO
Notable wins for Alexander: Andriy Kotelnik UD12, Juan Urango KO8, Junior Witter RTD8
Notable wins for Bradley: Lamont Peterson UD12, Luis Carlos Abregu UD12, Kendall Holt UD12
No. 2 Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Mauricio Herrera
2 of 10
Records: Ruslan Provodnikov (17-0, 11 KO), Mauricio Herrera (15-1, 7 KO)
Division: Light Welterweight
When: January 7
Where: Cox Pavlion, Las Vegas, Nevada
Televised: ESPN2
Provodnikov Quick Bio: Amateur record 130-20. Gold Medalist in 2000 Olympics. Has TKO victory over Emmanuel Augustus.
No. 3 Chris Arreola vs. Joey Abell
3 of 10
Records: Chris Arreola (29-2, 25 KO), Joey Abell (27-4, 26 KO)
When: January 28
Where: Pechenga Resort and Casino, Temecula, California
Televised: ESPN2
Notable fights for Arreola: Tomasz Adamek L12, Vitali Klitschko RTD by 10.
*Arreola set compubox record in his last fight versus Manuel Quezada; No. 3 for most punches (988) thrown by a Heavyweight in a single fight.
No. 4 Steve Cunningham vs. Enad Licina
4 of 10
Records: Steve Cunningham (23-2), Enad Licina (19-2)
When: January 22
Where: Jahnsportforum, Germany
Titles: IBF Crusierweight Title (Cunningham)
No. 5 Beibut Shumenov Vs. Juergen Braehmer (photo) *Canceled
5 of 10
Records: Beibut Shumenov (10-1) vs. Juergen Braehmer (36-2)
When: January 8
Where: Ice Mansion, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
Televised: ESPN3
Titles: WBO light heavyweight title, WBA Super World lightheavyweight title, IBA light heavyweight title
*Braehmer withdrew on January 4th. This bout has been canceled.
No. 6 Ryol Li Lee vs. Akifumi Shimoda
6 of 10
Records: Ryol Li Lee (17-1-1), Akifumi Shimoda (22-0-1)
When: January 31
Where: Ariake Colosseum, Tokyo, Japan
Titles: WBA World super bantameight title
*Lee is coming off shocking upset win over Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.
No. 7 Peter Manfredo Jr. vs. Daniel Edouard
7 of 10
Records: Peter Manfredo Jr. (36-6), Daniel Edouard (23-3-2)
When: January 14
Where: Mallory Square, Key West, Florida
Televised: ESPN2
Notable fights for Manfredo: Angel Hernandez TKO10, Sakio Bika TKO by 3, Joe Calzaghe TKO by 3
No. 8 Lucas Marcus Matthysse vs. DeMarcus Corley
8 of 10
Records: Lucas Matthysse (27-1), DeMarcus Corley (37-15)
When: January 21
Where: Auditorio Angel Bustelo, Mendoza, Argentina
Televised: Telefutura
Notable fights for Lucas Matthysse: Zab Judah L12 (split decision), Vivian Harris TKO4
Notable fights for DeMarcus Corley: Marcos Maidana L12, Devon Alexander L12, Floyd Mayweather Jr L12
No. 9 Evander Holyfield vs. Sherwin Williams
9 of 10Records: Evander Holyfield (43-10-2), Sherwin Williams (34-11-2)
When: January 22
Where: The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Televised: Integrated Sports PPV
*Holyfield turned 48 in October.
No. 10 Sebastian Sylvester vs. Mehdi Bouadla
10 of 10
Records: Sebastian Sylvester (34-3-1) vs. Mehdi Bouadla (21-3)
When: January 22
Where: Jahnsportforum, Neubrandenburg, Germany
Titles: IBF middleweight title
Notable fights for Sylvester: Mahir Oral UD12, Roman Karmazin D12, Giovanni Lorenzo SD 12, Felix Sturm L12


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