Welcome to The Queensberry Rules’ annual year-end boxing awards, beginning 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: 2016 Knockout of the Year candidates. On deck: 2016 Round of the Year candidates and Knockout of the Year winner.
THE KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR FINALISTS (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Deontay Wilder vs Artur Szpilka
Whatever ill you can say of Deontay Wilder, this isn’t on the list: “Dude can’t punch.”
Mason Menard vs Eudy Bernardo
Ah, the dichotomy of how sudden Menard’s punch was and how slowly Bernardo fell.
Murat Gassiev vs Jordan Shimmel
Jordan Shimmel probably felt like he was doing his thing. Then Gassiev did his.
Vasyl Lomachenko vs Roman Martinez
Suppose we can put to rest any questions about whether Lomachenko’s power would carry up to 130 pounds.
Canelo Alvarez vs Amir Khan
It wasn’t a fair fight. It ended as it should’ve, but it still was pretty “whoa.”
THE KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
Hasan N’dam vs Alfonso Blanco
Thomas Williams vs Edwin Rodriguez
Adonis Stevenson vs Thomas Williams
Rashidi Ellis vs Eddie Gomez
Julius Indongo vs Eduard Troyanovsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YuTEa4G6TU
Alexander Povetkin vs Johann Duhaupas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLNwx8FM-Hg
Johann Duhaupas vs Robert Helenius
Justin DeLoach vs Dillion Cook
Canelo Alvarez vs Liam Smith
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnECS5E0DAg
Errol Spence vs Leonard Bundu
Jason Sosa vs Javier Fortuna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlwJaH8a_g8
Tom Doran vs Luke Keeler
Callum Smith vs Nick Blackledge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnJeSGGURzE
Joe Murray vs Rashid Kaseem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u36d6huM134
Jorge Lara vs Fernando Montiel
Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs Nadjib Mohammedi
Eric Molina vs Tomasz Adamek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYwy6JIVd88
Anthony Joshua vs Charles Martin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHVPkEiEBMw
Daniel Perez vs Gustavo Molina
Tomoki Kameda vs Edgar Alfredo Martinez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cNGcOtmRSQ
Tony Bellew vs Ilunga Makabu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3pJaDmU70E
Joe Smith vs Andrzej Fonfara
Callum Johnson vs Willbeforce Shihepo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_n34g46hKM
JJ McDonagh vs Jake Ball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm48A8jkx04
