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.
THE ROUND OF THE YEAR FINALISTS (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Francisco Vargas vs Orlando Salido Round 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbbFVoMUz0g
If more than one round was allowed from each fight, Vargas vs Salido might have a few entries.
Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter Round 9
Maybe the fight wasn’t as good from top-to-bottom as some made it out to be, but boy did Thurman vs Porter have its moments.
Hozumi Hasegawa vs Hugo Ruiz Round 9
Hasegawa did a stutter-step, and Ruiz closed in. Then came the storm.
Sam Eggington vs Frankie Gavin Round 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkxn0fWbteg
Back and forth they went; it was hard to keep count of the reversals.
Dillian Whyte vs Dereck Chisora Round 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItHrhvED4oI
The fight itself overshadowed the absurd table-throwing press conference, and round 5 was one reason why.
THE HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
Roman Gonzalez vs Carlos Cuadras Round 5
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4td2jz_carlos-cuadras-vs-roman-gonzalez-720p_sport
Thomas Williams vs Edwin Rodriguez Round 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ccA9pMrsw8
Jamie Conlan vs Anthony Nelson Round 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqncreV9RvU
Gennady Golovkin vs Kell Brook Round 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxpCjcBaAmA
Frank Buglioni vs Hosea Burton Round 12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJOMtqPnrr4
Adonis Stevenson vs Thomas Williams Round 4
Tom Doran vs Luke Keeler Round 1
Akira Yaegashi vs Martin Tecuapetla Round 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HNpFkAuU_E
Yoshihiro Kamegai vs Jesus Soto Karass I Round 10
Robert Easter vs Richard Commey Round 9
Carl Frampton vs Leo Santa Cruz Round 6 (link)