2016 Fight Of The Year Nominees

Welcome to The Queensberry Rules’ annual year-end boxing awards, continuing throughout 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.

Up now: 2016 Fight of the Year nominees. On deck: Round of the Year winner and Fighter of the Year candidates. Before: Knockout of the Year candidates, Knockout of the Year winner, Round of the Year candidates.

THE 2016 FIGHT OF THE YEAR FINALISTS (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)

Jamie Conlan vs Anthony Nelson

 

“Up and down, topsy turvy” — astute Box Nation analysis.

Fernando Vargas vs Orlando Salido

There’s no year that goes by anymore without Salido in a Fight of the Year candidate, and Vargas is starting to make a habit of appearing now, too.

Carl Frampton vs Leo Santa Cruz (link)

A classic of the volume puncher/counterpuncher genre.

 

Roman Gonzalez vs Carlos Cuadras

Cuadras punctured the pound-for-pound king’s aura of invincibility (but didn’t stop his unbeaten streak) in this well-fought, power punch-filled affair.

Sergey Kovalev vs Andre Ward (highlights only)

It’s not your typical Fight of the Year slugfest, but it it’s plenty intense and dramatic.

THE HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

Dillian Whyte vs Dereck Chisora

Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter

Jesus Soto Karass vs Yoshihiro Kamegai I

Thomas Williams vs Edwin Rodriguez

Tom Doran vs Luke Keeler

Sam Eggington vs Frankie Gavin

Adonis Stevenson vs Thomas Williams

Shinsuke Yamanaka vs Anselmo Moreno II

Tony Bellew vs Ilunga Makabu

Hosea Burton vs Frank Buglioni

Jorge Linares vs Anthony Crolla

Anthony Crolla vs Ismael Barroso

Gennady Golovkin vs Kell Brook

Jason Sosa vs Stephen Smith

Vyacheslav Shabranskyy vs Sullivan Barrera

Mark Magsayo vs Chris Avalos

Leo Santa Cruz vs Kiko Martinez (link)

About Tim Starks

Tim is the founder of The Queensberry Rules and co-founder of The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (http://www.tbrb.org). He lives in Washington, D.C. He has written for the Guardian, Economist, New Republic, Chicago Tribune and more.

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