The Year That Was

As was the case last year, apologies for having a year in review now as opposed to around Rosh Hashanah. But 2011 was a year of expectations unfulfilled in Jewish boxing.

The two big fights came within three weeks of each other about nine months ago. Junior middleweight Yuri Foreman lost to Pawel Wolak in March. Foreman cited a lack of hunger and has taken the rest of the year off. In April, Ran Nakash got a surprise opportunity to fight for the WBO belt against Marco Huck in Germany. Huck won a unanimous decision in a fight that Steve Kim of MaxBoxing.com labeled as one of the four most controversial verdicts of the year. Kim wasn't the only one who felt this way.

Numerous fights involving Jewish boxers fell through this year. Nakash wasn't able to find a willing opponent after his gritty title challenge. Welterweight Dmitriy Salita saw a fight with Ismael El Massoudi nearly usurped. Alexander Frenkel, who held the European cruiserweight belt, had numerous bouts against various veteran European fighters fall through. Frenkel has since lost the fire to box and is taking time off. Max Heyman had a fight scheduled with prospect Gayrat Ahmedov, but injured his hand in training.

However, there are many positives going forward for fans of Jewish boxing. In many ways, this year signified a changing of the guard. Boyd Melson, Cletus Seldin, and Zachary Wohlman are all undefeated. The three combined to go 12-0 with seven knockouts in 2011. The three should be active in 2012 as well.

Adn there's more good news. Nakash is scheduled to fight in January. Salita is in negotiations with El Massoudi once again. Foreman has indicated that he plans on returning to the ring in the coming year.

Stay tuned boxing fans.

Frenkel Suffering from Burnout

Numerous sources are reporting that cruiserweight Alexander Frenkel is suffering from burnout, in addition to an injured hand, which goes towards explaining why Frenkel has been absent from the ring for over a year.

Chris Meyer, who works with Frenkel, told the media, "We noticed even at training he wasn't really into it." Frenkel won the European title in September of 2010 in impressive fashion. Most thought he would challenge for a world title this year. "Everyone deals with [pressure] differently. Some drive fast cars; others go after beautiful women. Alexander is rather more the type to worry a lot about it."

Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs) intends to take at least the rest of the year off. If Frenkel is able to rediscover his love of boxing, he could fight as soon as early 2012.

Frenkel Injured, Vacates Belt

According to (you guessed it) Per Ake Persson of BoxingScene.com, Alexander Frenkel is injured and will not be able to fight Enad Licina on October 22. As a result, Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs) will be forced to vacate his European cruiserweight title. Licina is scheduled to battle Alexander Alexeev for the vacant belt.

Since knocking out Enzo Maccarinelli in September of 2010, Frenkel hasn't fought in the ring. He's been scheduled to do so several times since, but nothing has materialized. The German-based Ukrainian was set to fight in February, but suffered an injury. He was going to face Silvio Branco in June, and then July, but Branco eventually backed out. Now the Licina fight has dissolved as Frenkel enters his thirteenth month of inactivity.

The Outlook for the Rest of 2011

The years 2009 and 2010 were memorable ones in the annals of Jewish boxing history. Those two years included numerous title fights involving Jewish contestants. The prospects for more relevant bouts featuring Jewish pugilists seemed bright at the outset of 2011.

Unfortunately, this year has been a bit disappointing so far. More worrisome, the rest of 2011 looks rather bleak from the vantage point of August 16. Let's start with the positive.

Alexander Frenkel, Dmitriy Salita, and Ran Nakash could have impactful fights during the second half of the year. The other rays of light come in the form of two undefeated prospects, Cletus Seldin and Boyd Melson, who will hopefully stay busy.

Frenkel has been part of 2011's disappointment. He was injured at the start of the year. He trained to fight Silvio Branco, first in June, then in July, before Branco backed out of the bout. Frenkel had created some momentum in KOing Enzo Maccarinelli almost a year ago, winning the European cruiserweight crown and big things were expected from him in 2011. It hasn't happened. Frenkel is scheduled to face Enad Licina, a capable fringe contender, on October 22. If Frenkel can get passed Licina, big fights lay ahead for the Ukrainian-German Jew in 2012.

Salita's first round loss to Amir Khan in December of 2009 for a sanctioning body's belt has been well-documented. Since, Salita has defeated three journeymen with winning records. Now a welterweight, Salita is looking to fight in the fall.

Salita, who has been training with Emanuel Steward, is likely to step up his competition in his next fight. That could set the stage for a number of intriguing bouts featuring the Ukrainian-American Jew. Fans surely hope that he works his way up to a big bout, instead of feasting on inferior opponents and waiting for the one lucrative shot. That would not only provide his supporters with a string of important contests involving their man, but would better prepare him for his next title shot.

Salita has also been active in promoting boxing events in New York City. He has featured both Melson (junior middleweight) and Seldin (welterweight) in his shows and has served as a meaningful promotional voice for Jewish boxers.

Ran Nakash acquitted himself nicely in a title shot against Marco Huck in April. Nakash is scheduled to face a faded Lou Del Valle this month. While Del Valle is a former world title holder, he is well passed his prime and should be considered a heavy underdog against the ferocious Israeli. One hopes Nakash will have another relevant fight in 2011; the cruiserweight division is loaded and the fights are out there.

Now, the bad news for fans of Jewish boxing. We've already discussed Frenkel's setbacks and Salita's and Nakash's substandard opposition coming off of title shots. Yuri Foreman won't decide his boxing future until some point in 2012 after suffering his second straight loss this past March. Max Heyman was given an opportunity to resurrect his boxing career last month against the undefeated Gayrat Ahmedov, but injured his hand in training and had to bow out. Hopefully, Heyman will get another shot against a good opponent. And former heavyweight prospect Roman Greenberg remains inactive. It has been three years since he last fought, when he endured his only career loss.

Frenkel-Licina Date Set

Cruiserweight Alexander Frenkel is scheduled to face Enad Licina on October 22 in Halle, Germany. Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs) last fought in September, when he KOed Enzo Maccarinelli, meaning he'll face Licina after a thirteen-month layoff. Licina (20-3, 11 KOs) stopped Michele De Meo inside one round in May to get back on track after losing to beltholder Steve Cunningham in February.

Frenkel's EBU European belt will be on the line in this scheduled twelve round bout. The winner could be in line for a title shot.

Frenkel to Face Licina

Alexander Frenkel is now planning on facing the experienced Enad Licina. The date and place for this cruiserweight contest is still to be determined. Frenkel was originally scheduled to face Silvio Branco later this month, but Branco backed out.

Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs), who is the European champ at cruiserweight, hasn't fought since last September's stoppage of Enzo Maccarinelli. Licina (20-3, 11 KOs), a Serbian-born resident of Germany, has fought twice in 2011, including a loss to IBF world champion Steve Cunningham on February 12.

Our source for all things Alexander Frenkel, Per Ake Persson of BoxingScene.com, postulates that the winner is likely to get a world title shot. Both men are promoted by Sauerland, as is most of the top of the cruiserweight division.

Frenkel-Branco Called Off

According to Per Ake Persson of BoxingScene.com, the proposed bout between EBU European cruiserweight beltholder Alexander Frenkel and veteran Silvio Branco, scheduled for July 22, has been called off.

Frenkel's long layoff continues. He last fought on September 18, 2010. In that bout, Frenkel usurped his belt from Enzo Maccarinelli by way of seventh round technical knockout.

Jews at the Elite Level

The years 2009 and 2010 saw several impactful matches to the wider boxing world which featured Jewish participants. In 2009, Yuri Foreman won the WBA light middleweight belt and there were three other world title fights involving Jewish boxers. In the first half of 2011, two bouts with a Jewish competitor have reached that level.

On March 12, Yuri Foreman made his comeback fight against Pawel Wolak on the undercard of the Cotto-Mayorga pay per view event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Foreman had been rated in The Ring's top 10 in the world junior middleweight rankings.

But Yuri was flat on that night. Wolak won a 6th round TKO, earning him a place as the 7th best 154-pound fighter in the world according to The Ring. Of his performance, Foreman said, "I was weak and not present. I guess I rushed in to fighting without [being] physically and mentally ready." Foreman has since decided to take some time off before reconsidering his future in the sport.

On April 2, Ran Nakash, taking the fight on short notice, battled WBO cruiserweight titlist Marco Huck. Nakash lost a unanimous decision in a fight that probably should've been deemed a draw. Nakash started out strong, but faded during the latter half of the contest and, with the fight in Germany, he never had a chance on the scorecards.

The immediate future for the current crop of Jewish boxers does appear bright. Nakash proved himself to be a legitimate contender, but the hardnose Israeli may have placed himself out of a meaningful fight. He showed his tremendous ability against Huck, but between his relative anonymity and his newfound status as a dangerous fighter, it's possible he won't face a world class opponent any time soon.

Alexander Frenkel's prospects are likely better than his fellow Jewish cruiserweight. The Ukrainian-born resident of Germany faces Silvio Branco in July, which isn't on the level of a world class fight. But an impressive showing could find the undefeated Frenkel against a top cruiserweight in his next bout.

Dmitriy Salita has won three fights since losing in his title shot back in 2009. His fans look for him to face stiffer competition on his way towards boxing relevance. Nakash, Frenkel, and Salita look to extend this wave of Jewish boxing a bit further into the future.

Cruiserweight Update

It is being reported that Ran Nakash is scheduled to face Lou Del Valle on July 23 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Nakash (25-1, 18 KOs) and Del Valle (36-6-2, 22 KOs) were going to fight last summer, but Del Valle backed out. Nakash ended up defeating Victor Barragan by unanimous decision instead.

Nakash is coming off of a gritty performance in a decision loss to beltholder Marco Huck in April. Del Valle, who will be 43 years old at the time of the contest, hasn't fought in the ring since before he was supposed to take on Nakash a year ago.

The bout between Alexander Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs) and Silvio Branco (61-10-2, 37 KOs) will apparently be postponed and should take place in July. It is still scheduled to take place in Civitavecchia, Italy. Frenkel's opponent, Branco, is even older than Nakash's, Del Valle, as he is turning 45 in August.

When to Stop the Fight?

Within the past year, referees controversially allowed three different fights, in which Jewish boxers participated, to proceed. Last June, a torn ACL and a white towel weren't enough to persuade Arthur Mercante Jr. to stop the contest between Yuri Foreman and Miguel Cotto. A few months later, Erkki Meronen signaled Alexander Frenkel to continue his pummeling of a half-conscious Enzo Maccarinelli. And this past February, Gilbert Richardson failed to stop the fight between Christina Ruiz and Emily Klinefelter, resulting in a burst blood vessel in Klinefelter's brain.

It is easy to second guess boxing referees who have to make split second decisions during the heat of battle. It is a difficult job and referees can be forgiven for missing certain calls. But a referee cannot miss when it comes to a fighter's safety. Above all else, that is the referee's primary responsibility.

On June 5, Foreman defended his WBA junior middleweight belt against Miguel Cotto in Yankee Stadium. The bout was competitive until Foreman tore his ACL 45 seconds into the 7th round as he bounced around the ring. As Foreman continued to fight, hobbled, he fell again with 1:38 left in the round. HBO commentator Jim Lampley exclaimed, "He's done! There's no way he can continue in the fight at this point." Mercante disagreed.

In the heat of the moment, perhaps it was natural to get caught up in the drama. The severity of Foreman's injury wasn't known until after the bout. But, a minute and 45 seconds into the 8th round, Foreman's then-cornerman Joe Grier threw in the towel knowing the injury had compromised his man. Mercante refused to accept Grier's suggestion to halt the fight and it continued until Foreman was put down by a body shot in the 9th.

Dr. Margaret Goodman believes the fight should have been stopped much earlier. In an article published on The Ring's site, Goodman writes, "Can a boxer compete with one hand? Yes, if he can mount an offense and/or move away from punches. A one-legged fighter is a disaster waiting to happen, a sitting duck, especially against a puncher like Cotto."

On why he continued to fight, Foreman told Tim Keown of ESPN The Magazine, "It was the fight of a lifetime... When you're on the biggest stage, you keep going until you can't go anymore. It's the referee's job to draw the line."

And that is precisely the point. The fighter has been conditioned to keep fighting. Someone else must step in and stop it. When Alexander Frenkel landed a gruesomely perfect left hook on the chin of Enzo Maccarinelli in the 7th round of their bout last September 18, Maccarinelli's head bounced around as he fell to the canvas. His noggin finally rested on the bottom rope.

Maccarinelli instinctively staggered to his feet. But it was clear that he was unable to protect himself. The referee, Erkki Meronen, had a split second to decide whether to stop the fight or to allow the European champion, Maccarinelli, to attempt to keep his title. He allowed the two combatants to continue. A quick one-two combination put down the woozy Maccarinelli. The fight was then stopped and Maccarinelli was administered oxygen.

Foreman and Maccarinelli were thankfully able to recover in the short term, and their careers will continue, but Emily Klinefelter wasn't as lucky. After her bout with Christina Ruiz on February 5, Klinefelter wound up in the hospital with a burst blood vessel in her brain. She had been knocked down repeatedly, but kept managing to return to her feet. Ruiz's manager, Emilio Ledezma, later said, "The girl was taking a beating. The ref should’ve stopped the fight [earlier]." Of Klinefelter, Ruiz noted, "Her eyes were kind of rolling back, and I thought they were going to stop the fight, but they didn’t."

After the final knockdown, in the 3rd round, Klinefelter was laid out, unresponsive. The fight finally stopped when referee Gilbert Richardson counted to ten. It's easy to criticize Richardson for failing to stop the bout earlier knowing Klinefelter's eventual fate. But Klinefelter, a decorated amateur and undefeated professional fighting in her hometown, kept rising to her feet. And her corner didn't intervene, either. Yet, one wonders if there is any justification for Richardson to count all the way to ten before calling off the contest.

Of course, the failure of officials to stop fights earlier is not limited to bouts that involve Jewish fighters. Instead, that three such bouts have taken place within this rather small sample size is an indication of a problem. There is little more exciting in boxing than watching a fallen fighter get back up and triumph. But this excitement cannot happen at the expense of the health of the boxer. This is a problem that is not unique to any single commission or country. It is pervasive. And it must be rectified. When in doubt, referees must be taught to stop the fight. A controversial early stoppage is always better than a controversial late one.

Frenkel to Battle Branco

European cruiserweight beltholder Alexander Frenkel is expected to get back into the ring against Silvio Branco on June 25 in the latter's hometown of Civitavecchia, Italy, according to Per Ake Persson of BoxingScene.com.

Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs) last fought in September, when he knocked out Enzo Maccarinelli in the 7th round. Branco (61-10-2, 37 KOs), who is turning 45 years old this summer, defeated Vincenzo Rossitto by unanimous decision last November to win the WBC international belt.

Schedule Update

It is possible that Alexander Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs) could face veteran Silvio Branco (61-10-2, 37 KOs) according to Affaritaliani.it. Branco has been a professional boxer nearly as long as Frenkel has been alive. Frenkel scored an eye-opening seventh round knockout of Enzo Maccarinelli last September to win the European cruiserweight title.

Junior middleweight Boyd Melson (2-0) is penciled in to fight in the cozy Roseland Ballroom in New York, New York on May 19 in a four round bout. His opponent has yet to be determined.

Frenkel Injured

According to Per Ake Persson of BoxingScene.com, Alexander Frenkel is off the February 12 card in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany because of a hand injury. Frenkel's proposed opponent was cruiserweight Zakaria Azzouzi. No word on whether Enzo Maccarinelli's face was nearby when the injury occurred.

Frenkel Has New Date and Opponent

Alexander Frenkel is now scheduled to fight on February 12 at the RWE Rhein-Ruhr Sporthalle in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany. He's penciled in to defend his EBU European cruiserweight title against Zakaria Azzouzi in a 12 round bout.

Frenkel (23-0, 18 KOs) is coming off of an impressive knockout of Enzo Maccarinelli for the European belt. Azzouzi, a 25 year old France resident, comes in with a record of 12-1-2 with 9 KOs. He's 1-1-1 in his last three fights, including a loss to Rachid El Hadak (21-8-1, 7 KOs) last March.

Azzouzi then mustered a majority draw against Tomasz Hutkowski, who was 18-0 when they met, last September. Azzouzi's last fight was a decision win over Arturs Kulikauskis (7-6-1, 4 KOs) last month.

Frenkel-Azzouzi is scheduled to be on the undercard of Yoan Pablo Hernandez-Steve Herelius. Arthur Abraham is also scheduled to be on the card in a non-Super Six bout.

Frenkel Could Face Fragomeni

It appears as if Alexander Frenkel, coming off of an impressive victory over Enzo Maccarinelli, will face Giacobbe Fragomeni on February 26, 2011 at Stechert Arena in Bamberg, Germany. Frenkel would defend his EBU European cruiserweight title.

Frenkel, who is from Ukriane and resides in Germany, is 23-0 with 18 knockouts. Maccarinelli, who he knocked out last September, was the most decorated opponent of Frenkel's career to this point.

Fragomeni (27-3-1, 11 KOs), a 41-year old from Italy, would be at a 4 inch and 16 year disadvantage. He has fought against top cruiserweight competition in recent years, including Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Zsolt Erdei, and David Haye. Fragomeni is 0-3-1 against those three, with the lone draw coming against Wlodarcyk in 2009. The veteran does have two wins over undefeated prospects.

The title bout would be scheduled for 12 rounds.

The Year That Was

Maybe this post should have been written three months ago, but since the blog was started about a year ago, perhaps this is as good a time as any for a year in review.

On June 5, Yuri Foreman, the WBA junior middleweight champ, faced Miguel Cotto in the first fight in the new Yankee Stadium. Foreman fought well, the first Jewish boxer defending a world title in three decades (according to the oft-pedaled line), but Cotto was ahead on the scorecards after six rounds. In the seventh, Foreman, who relies on constant lateral movement, tore his ACL and his meniscus. Yet, he gallantly fought on in a stunning display of determination.

In the eighth, Foreman's corner threw in the towel, but referee Arthur Mercante refused to stop the bout. The contest wasn't stopped until Cotto threw a debilitating body shot in the ninth, in the process earning Foreman's title. Foreman has since recovered from the injuries and is back in training. There has been speculation that he could fight Pawel Wolak in March and/or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June.

On April 24, Mariano Plotinsky attempted to become the second Jewish world champion within a five month span when he took on WBO light heavyweight champion Jürgen Brähmer in Germany. Showing grit and courage, Plotinsky was ultimately overmatched, succumbing to Brähmer's pressure in the fifth. Since the fight, Plotinsky has effectively retired from the ring and now continues to train fighters.

Alexander Frenkel won twice this past year, including an honorable mention for knockout of the year against Enzo Maccarinelli in the seventh round of their September 18th bout. The Maccarinelli fight earned Frenkel the EBU European cruiserweight title. He is next scheduled to enter the ring in February.

Dmitriy Salita got back on the winning track this year. He defeated two journeymen with winning records. Salita, who has become his own promoter, hopes to fight in Israel in 2011. He has talked about battling Mike Anchondo or Ricky Hatton, among others.

Ran Nakash fought and won four times this year, including three knockouts. He's looking to face veteran cruiserweight Bobby Gunn in 2011.

And finally, Max Heyman came back after a two and a half year absence from the ring. He went 2-1 in 2010, including avenging a split decision loss against Mike Alderete.

Frenkel to Fight in February

Alexander Frenkel- along with his frightening left hook- is scheduled to defend his European cruiserweight belt on February 26, 2011 at Stechert Arena in Bayern, Germany. Frenkel is coming off an impressive victory over Enzo Maccarinelli this past September.

In the seventh round, Frenkel ducked a Maccarinelli punch and poetically rose to unleash a wondrous left hook. The fight ended soon after. Frenkel earned Maccarinelli's EBU belt in the victory.

Frenkel had hoped to stay busy after the win, and fight in November, but that turned out not to be the case. Frenkel does not yet have an opponent.

Frenkel Hopes to Stay Busy

In an interview with James Slater of East Side Boxing, cruiserweight Alexander Frenkel said he hopes "to fight again as soon as possible. Maybe November." Frenkel is coming off of a stunning seventh-round KO of former world champion Enzo Maccarinelli to take the European title earlier this month.

When asked whether he would like to fight for a world title, Frenkel explained, "If I got the chance to go for a world title, I would go for it, if my trainers okayed it." He added humbly, "But I know I need to learn much more, and to get much stronger. Fights with the best fighters will make me stronger and better."

The future seems to be bright for the undefeated 25-year old. Frenkel has consistently showed a propensity to knock out his opponent with one punch, usually with the same left hook that floored Maccarinelli. He also showed a good chin against the powerful Welshman. However, Frenkel believes he was losing on points at the time of the KO as the fight was in England, but he appears to understand that he needs to improve to reach the top of the sport.

Alexander Frenkel vs. Enzo Maccarinelli

September 18, 2010
LG Arena
Birmingham, England
European cruiserweight championship

part 1


part 2


Frenkel: black trunks
Maccarinelli: black and white trunks

Alexander Frenkel vs. Michael Simms

March 3, 2010
Max Schmeling Halle
Berlin, Germany


Frenkel: black trunks
Simms: white trunks