2008 End of the Year Awards

Complaints of excessively growing number of pay-per-views somewhat dominated inside the journalistic circle of boxing. HBO’s production or lack there of, continues to befuddle many, including those who have ungenerously expressed their thoughts through articles across the web in year 2008.

While the search for the next great heavyweight grows persistent, we continue to forget about the Klitschkos, who have steadily built their resume as the best of the division. I mean, who else is there really?

But on a positive note, much of the action produced this year has been quite astounding. In regards to quality match-ups that surfaced throughout, there’s been plenty to be remembered for years to come.

2009 will arrive shortly, and it’s just about that time again, as we reflect on the memorable moments that graced us all in the last twelve months.

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

1. Israel Vasquez W12 Rafael Marquez - In any stretch of my imagination, I would’ve never thought that the third encounter between Mexican warriors Vasquez and Marquez would exceed their previous two outings. It certainly brought back the memories of classic rivalries such as Gatti-Ward, Bowe-Holyfield, and Barrera-Morales, but this trilogy by far, is the best I’ve ever seen. From the early going, it almost appeared as though Marquez was on his way to an easy win after scoring a knockdown in the fourth, but in return, he would see himself in the fight of his life, as the resurgent Vasquez would rally down the stretch to escape with a razor-thin split decision. If there was any surprise to the verdict, it was pointed to the mere fact that the two combatants managed to last before hearing the final bell. This without a doubt was the best fight I’ve witnessed since the 2005’s war between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo.

2. Tomasz Adamek W12 Steve Cunningham - The consensus bias on American cruiserweight title holder Steve Cunningham was that he was a light punching, safety-first boxer who hardly ever produced any excitement. On the other hand, it was a rarity to see Polish Adamek in a bad fight. Thankfully for those who have never seen Cunningham in action, this was his debut on live American television. Perhaps it was in his intention to come out the way he did, and thankful for those who watched the fight, it created a back-and-forth action. Unfortunately for Cunningham, he would visit the canvas on three different occasions, but would rise to seemingly get himself back in the fight. The decision really could’ve gone either way, but what’s certain is that the rematch is a must for 2009.

3. Joel Casamayor TKO8 Michael Katsidis - In a classic case of a boxer vs. a brawler on paper, it turned out to be an excellent seesaw battle between a grizzled old veteran and a young, up-and-coming contender. Katsidis, who was rapidly building his reputation as a must-see attraction, was facing his toughest test to date while Casamayor’s mission was to turn the clock back once more. After dropping his younger foe in the first 10 seconds of the first round, Casamayor, himself would not only hit the floor, but would literally fall through the ropes, only to regroup and retaliate with a devastating counter to finish the fight in an ending akin to that of a Mayweather-Hatton. It truly was redemption if there’s been any for a guy who’s been criticized in the past for stinking it out.

Honorable mentions: Antonio Margarito TKO10 Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao W12 Juan Manuel Marquez, Rogers Mtagwa TKO10 Tomas Villa

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

1a. Antonio Margarito - It’s been quite a while since Margarito first won his world championship, and it took a damn long time for him to establish himself as one of the elite figures in the game. Undaunted by the close decision loss to Paul Williams in late 2007, Margarito put himself back on the top by stopping the powerful Kermit Cintron for the second time to win his second welterweight championship belt. In July, the ‘Tijuana Tornado’ finally got his chance at stardom when he took on super star Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas. Grinding his way through like he normally does, Margarito silenced his naysayers and would pull off the upset by battering his unbeaten foe into submission after eleven brutal rounds. Can you hear him now?

1b. Manny Pacquiao - If styles make fights, this is the guy who will always trouble the great Juan Manuel Marquez. The case can be made vice versa, but this was the year, where Pac-Man would officially get his ‘W’ against his elite Mexican rival. Moving up north to the 135 pound landscape, the consensus pound-for-pound king made his emphatic debut, beating up title holder David Diaz senselessly in eight one-sided rounds. And on December 8th, Pacquiao did the unthinkable by beating down the legend in Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds, to become today’s version of Henry Armstrong.

2. Juan Manuel Marquez - If there’s anyone who could question the legitimacy of Manny Pacquiao’s top pound-for-pound status, it would certainly be none other than Juan Manuel Marquez, who’s had two razor thin controversial outcomes against the Filipino icon. Early in the year, the two fought in a nip-and-tuck battle for the 130 pound supremacy, and despite losing via split-decision, many observers had Marquez winning majority of the rounds to retain his title. Not to be upstaged when Pacquiao subsequently exploded onto the lightweight scene by dispatching David Diaz, Marquez would challenge the man who would be considered the linear lightweight champion up to date. And he did so in a remarkable fashion, becoming the first man to stop the iron-chinned Joel Casamayor.

3. Joe Calzaghe - This Welsh legend silenced his critics in 2006 by dominating Jeff Lacy. A year later, he followed it up with a career defining win over Mikkel Kessler in the richest super middleweight contest ever. Sensing a bit of urgency to wrap up what has been a terrific career, Calzaghe sought for the best and began the year by taking on living legend Bernard Hopkins in his American debut. Calzaghe would go on to win via split decision verdict and there would not be much of a public outcry as to Hopkins being robbed this time around. Adding another legend to his resume, Calzaghe defied the odds of many experts and fighters when he thoroughly dominated the formerly great Roy Jones at Madison Square Garden. The Britain expressed his pursuing of hanging up the gloves for good, and if he stays true to his words, he would be remembered as one of the finest fighters in history to retire unbeaten.

Honorable mentions: Nate Campbell, Vic Darchinyan, Tomasz Adamek, Celestino Caballero

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

1. Juan Manuel Lopez - When it comes to developing talent, there’s simply no other promotional outfit that ever comes close to matching the process that of Top Rank. Lopez, who’s likeable and marketable as they come, is only a 122 pounder, but his talent displayed in the year 2008 is undeniable. At the age of 25, his repertoire and combination package reminds us of a young Wilfredo Gomez. On the night of June 11th in Atlantic City, NJ, Mexico’s Daniel Ponce De Leon was thought to be too strong and too powerful for the untested prospect whose chin and toughness had been in question. But in only a minute and half into the first round, it proved to be the exact opposite, as ‘JuanMa’ would twice knockdown the Mexican banger en route to a shocking first round stoppage to lift his first world championship. As if the 122lbs.division hasn’t been hot already with the likes of Israel Vasquez, Rafael Marquez, and Celestine Caballero, Lopez’ addition to the list makes this weight class as a competitive force.

2. Chad Dawson - Floyd Mayweather calls him the ‘best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound’. He’s not there just yet, but he’s come close breaking into the top 10-15 on the lists of many. It’s no longer the days of Roy Jones in the light heavyweight ranks, and Bernard Hopkins and Calzaghe are at their imminent departure from the sport. Enter Chad Dawson, who already has some solid wins on his ledger. Taking on the most feared fighter of the division in Glen Johnson, the Connecticut native got a taste of what it feels like to be nearly drowned. He managed to swim out, but barely, as the announcement of his decision win was jeered by loud boos from the crowd in attendance. Few months rolled by, and Dawson came to his own when he put on flaw-less lopsided clinic over Antonio Tarver to re-solidify his claim. A rematch against Johnson in 2009 could seal his place as the man to beat in the 175lbs. division.

3. Roman Gonzalez - Very few may have heard of this Alexis Arguello-like straw-weight from Nicaragua, but this 21 year old could very well be the best kept secret in boxing. Like his native idol, the tall and lanky Nicaraguan packs TNT-like heat in both fists, as displayed in his fourth round TKO over the long time respected champ Yutaka Niida in his home country of Japan. It was quite frightening to see the iron-chinned veteran get tossed from pillar to post, as Gonzalez relentlessly bombed away with a series of devastating uppercuts and body shots to prompt the Japanese hero’s corner to throw in the towel. This kid would be a serious threat to just about anyone up to the flyweight division, and it will be interesting to see how he carries his largely framed size up to the bigger divisions in the future. A potential bout against Calderon doesn’t seem to be looming anytime soon, but talk about a dream-match for the hardcore fans.

Honorable mentions: Chris Arreola, Timothy Bradley, Kendall Holt, Sergio Martinez

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR

1. Vitali Klitschko - As mediocre as Sam Peter might have proven to be, it’s perceived as an implausible task for a retired former champion to come back from nearly four years of hiatus to come back without a tune up to regain his heavyweight crown. But it was as if the older Klitschko has never even left. He still fought with his hands down and was unorthodox as ever. Still, Vitali Klitschko appeared to be at the top of his game, dominating every aspect of the fight against a hungry young titlist, who was no less than a top three heavyweight at the time. Perhaps he could compete for the Fighter of the Year merits this time around in 2009.

2. Guillermo Jones - It’s been more than a decade since this Panamanian twice challenged France’s Laurent Boudouni for the jr. middleweight crown and there hasn’t been much luck. Well, not until recently, when Jones finally found out what it feels like to be a world champion, at 200 pounds no less. After falling short of lifting the belt on three occasions, Jones traveled once again, this time in Hamburg, Germany to take on Firat Arslan for the WBA cruiserweight strap. It turned out to be an excellent fight, but Jones displayed zero signs of ring-rust, battering the Hungarian with consecutive uppercuts to force a stoppage in the tenth. While inactivity may not have affected his performance, it has done irreplaceable amount of damage to his marketability, but there are significant matches to be made against the likes of Tomasz Adamek and Steve Cunningham (in a rematch). Let’s just hope that either one could come through in the near future.

2. Vic Darchinyan - Charisma is something fans have been searching for in the lighter ranks of the sport, and whether you like him or not, Darchinyan certainly brings just that to the table. This trash-talking, arrogant power puncher was brought to attention by many who watched him get put to sleep by a left hook from Nonito Donaire. Humbling wasn’t exactly the word to describe his post-fight interview, and it certainly did not phase his confidence leading up to his subsequent title bouts at a higher weight class of 115 pounds. After posting an easy blowout win to lift the IBF version of the title against Russia’s Dimitri Kirilov, Darchinyan would be disgusted by the experts who were largely in favor of Cristian Mijares to provide another loss for the Armenian. In what this scribe would tab as the most impressive win of the year, Darchinyan defied the odds by dismantling the heavily respected Mijares in nine uncompetitive rounds, becoming the first ever super flyweight to hold three major belts. If he can best the winner of Fernando Montiel vs. Donaire (possibly avenge the loss against Donaire) in 2009, he could easily be considered the premiere upper echelon fighters today.

3. Evander Holyfield - Most folks have pretty much given up on the hopes of Holyfield retiring and Nikolai Valuev certainly didn’t do any good by unimpressively eaking out a close decision against a forty six year-old veteran this past weekend in Switzerland. But for whatever it’s worth, Holyfield did do enough on most observers’ scorecard, and it would’ve been an astonishing accomplishment had he not been robbed out of winning his fifth world title. As an athlete, he still appears to be in great shape, told by his excellent physique, but please, let’s not hope that this warrants another title shot against either Klitschkos or Valuev in a return bout.

Honorable mentions: Daniel Santos, Alex Bunema, Cassious Baloyi, Nate Campbell

UPSET OF THE YEAR

1. Manny Pacquiao TKO9 Oscar De La Hoya - While it was the most the most anticipated, it was also foreseen as the most awaited mismatch of the year. Both proved to be true somewhat as it was a mismatch indeed. Only a very few could imagine that it would be Pacquiao who would come out on top. The supposed size advantage wasn’t even the case, mainly due to the lightening fast Filipino’s elusive footwork and blistering combinations to what is now apparent of De La Hoya’s diminishment. The display and manner in which Pacquiao dominated was the true upset, considering this guy once held a title at 112 pounds. The much talked about mega-bout against Ricky Hatton is now on its way into fruition, and no, it wouldn’t be much of an upset should Pacquiao come out victorious.

2. Vic Darchinyan TKO9 Cristian Mijares - Unlike the heavyweight division, these men at 115 pounds can actually fight and they do so in a much more explosive and exciting fashion. The interesting note here is that nearly 90% of the boxing media chose the classy Mexcian to retain his title. The verbose Darchinyan sure talks a load of trash in almost every instance, but on this night, he would simply let his fists do the talking. From the first round, it was all Darchinyan, who dominated every second of the contest en route to a stunning ninth round TKO.

3. Bernard Hopkins W12 Kelly Pavlik - He was supposed to be old, washed up, and unable to pull the trigger. Bernard Hopkins, at the age of forty-three, was supposed to lose fair and square for the first time in over a decade. Many hoped rising star and middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik to put an end to the Bernard Hopkins era. No one got their wish, including the media who were largely in favor of Pavlik to complete the task. In the end, it was another vintage Hopkins performance, as the wily old veteran showed very little sign of his age. In his mid-forties, the guy is still one of the best fighters in the game, and God only knows when the Executioner’s era will come to an end.

4. Evander Holyfield L12 Nikolai Valuev - No, Holyfield did not get the official ‘W’, but his performance alone was enough of an upset to those who expected the gigantic Russian to easily retain his title. There’s already been a public outcry since the unreasonable verdict, and this true is a re-indictment of how mediocre the heavyweight division truly is.

Honorable mentions: Nate Campbell W12 Juan Diaz, Carlos Quintana W12 Paul Williams, Sergio Mora W12 Vernon Forrest, Alex Bunema TKO10 Roman Karmazin

WISH LIST FOR 2009

1. Less PPVs - Fans have had enough already as it is. It’s a wishful thinking, but how about bringing back HBO’s double headers instead of showing the replay of the PPV main-event from the previous week as an undercard? The days of quality fights on Boxing After Dark are long gone. Now we’re more used to seeing showcases or one significant fight at a time, but hey, let’s so just hope that Versus and Showtime continue their trend of bringing quality match-ups like they have been this year. Cunningham-Adamek II, anyone?

2. Edwin Valero on U.S. television - There are ethical concerns on whether or not this guy should fight, but considering he’s already found an alternative route to remain active on foreign soil, why not reinstate his license here in the states? So far, it’s only been the state of Texas, who’s been willing to let him fight, so let’s hope 2009 is the breakthrough year for this monstrous banger. By the end of the year, he could see himself as one of the recognized best fighters in boxing.

3. Margarito vs. Williams II - If there’s one fight that MUST happen in 2009, it’s got to be the rematch between Antonio Margarito and Paul Wiilliams before it’s too late. Both fighters have positioned themselves to make this a much more lucrative fight, and the promoting/managerial parties need to somehow come to an agreement. Let’s make it happen.

4. A fair shake for Glen Johnson - Geez, how many times has this guy been robbed? I wasn’t alone when I thought Johnson should’ve gotten the decision against Chad Dawson, but despite the CONSISTENT effort the ‘Gentleman’ has been putting in, he’s simply not getting the dividends he deserves. He’s due for another title shot in 2009 possibly against Romania’s Adrian Diaconu, but here’s a hoping to this fight landing somewhere on U.S. soil.