Welcome to The Queensberry Rules’ annual year-end boxing awards, continuing this 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, which will finish after, is a pu-pu platter of awards ranging from Trainer of the Year to more frivolous topics.
For each category, we give five finalists, with video and/or relevant info. You tell us if our finalists and honorable mentions are lacking, and give your vote on who you think should win. Maybe you sway us to adjust the list, and maybe you sway us on the eventual winner. On the second day after a category is introduced, we’ll give you the winner and explain why.
So, up now: 2015 Round of the Year candidates. Previously: 2015 Fight of the Year candidates. On deck: 2015 Fight of the Year.
THE ROUND OF THE YEAR FINALISTS (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Amir Imam-Fidel Maldonado Jr. Round 3
The round before offered the first knockdown. It was far from the last.
Lucas Matthysse-Ruslan Provodnikov Round 11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zqD4rn3Ic8
Just two guys bashing each other as hard as they can.
Daniel Jacobs-Sergio Mora Round 1
Daniel Jacobs decking Sergio Mora early? Not so weird, but what happened next was.
Krzysztof Glowacki-Marco Huck Round 6
Glowacki had never been down before, and barely made it up. Somehow, it was like nothing ever happened after that.
Edwin Rodriguez-Michael Seals Round 1
What looked like it might be a quick knockout win turned into a nightmare.
THE ROUND OF THE YEAR HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
Francisco Vargas-Takashi Miura Round 9
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL0wP7ybb2nT6Z2Z758tts7FJFtClu-Yjl&v=l3GntQwjdUw
Nonito Donaire-Cesar Juarez Round 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OutFDL2fn98
Jean Pascal-Yunieski Gonzalez Round 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxLqUWjaZSc
Canelo Alvarez-Miguel Cotto Round 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL0wP7ybb2nT5kIF82H-ICCHzeBDmwGrkW&v=liN-gHrOX-Q
James DeGale-Lucian Bute Round 12
Sergey Kovalev-Jean Pascal Round 5
Anthony Joshua-Dillian White Round 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3QqaDIgQhw
Juan Francisco Estrada-Hernan Marquez Round 6
Kohei Kono-Koki Kameda Round 9
