Welcome to The Queensberry Rules’ annual year-end awards, starting today and continuing throughout the week. Here’s how we do it around these parts:
The major categories are Knockout of the Year, Round of the Year, Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year. The final leg is a pu-pu platter of awards ranging from Trainer of the Year to more frivolous topics.
For each category, I give five finalists, with video and/or relevant info. You tell me if my finalists and honorable mentions are lacking, and give your vote on who you think should win. Maybe you sway me to adjust the list, and maybe you sway me on the eventual winner. On the second day after a category is introduced, I give that winner and explain why. (There are no major fights left in 2011, but we reserve the right to change our category winners if something crazy happens.)
So, up first: Knockout of the Year and Round of the Year candidates. On deck: Knockout of the Year and Round of the Year winners, followed by Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year candidates.
FINALISTS (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Hernan Marquez – Luis Concepcion I, Round 1
It looked like “Nico” might get his second consecutive 1st round stoppage, this one over Marquez. But with three seconds to go in the round…
Victor Ortiz – Andre Berto, Round 6 (partial, poor-quality clip)
Emmanuel Steward said it best about the surprise second knockdown, by Ortiz when the ref was getting ready to halt the contest and give Berto the win: OH MY GAWWWWWD!
Brandon Rios – Urbano Antillon, Round 1
Rios-Antillon didn’t last too long, but it condensed a full fight’s worth of action into three rounds, starting immediately.
Akira Yaegashi – Pornsawan Porpramook, Round 8
Sans knockdowns, one-round swings in momentum don’t come much more dramatic than when Akira met Porn.
James Kirkland – Alfredo Angulo, Round 1 (no video available)
Angulo looked like he might stop Kirkland in the opening stanza. But Angulo got tired in the process, and Kirkland was waiting for him when he did.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
Carl Froch – Glen Johnson, Round 8
Lamont Peterson – Amir Khan, Round 9
Antonio DeMarco – Jorge Linares, Round 11
Luis Franco – Leolino Miranda, Round 5
Delvin Rodriguez – Pawel Wolak, Round 9
Vanes Martirosyan – Saul Roman, Round 7
Brandon Rios – Miguel Acosta, Round 9
Toshiaki Nishioka – Rafael Marquez, Round 12
Tyson Fury – Dereck Chisora, Round 2
Edgar Lopez – Felix Rivera, Round 2
Oscar Pereyra – Angel Aguirre, Round 4
Manny Pacquiao – Juan Manuel Marquez III, Round 9
Hank Lundy – David Diaz, Round 4
Luis Cruz – Martin Honorio, Round 5
