Welcome back to The Queensberry Rules’ annual year-end boxing awards, continuing over the course of a week. Here’s how we do it around these parts:
The major categories are Knockout of the Year, Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year. For each category, we give five finalists, with video and/or relevant info, as well as honorable mention candidates. On the second day after a category is introduced, we’ll give you the winner and explain why.
Previously: Knockout of the Year nominees. On deck: Knockout of the Year winner and Fighter of the Year nominees.
FIGHT OF THE YEAR NOMINEES (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Juan Francisco Estrada vs Roman Gonzalez
An all-time great rediscovers his brutal genius against an elite fighter in his prime seeking redemption for his only loss yet to be avenged.
Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder 3
515 pounds of hate and discontent settle the nastiest rivalry of this heavyweight era.
Terence Crawford vs Shawn Porter
https://youtu.be/Vg4McL3PVMQ
Welterweight’s cruelest surgeon attempts a live dissection of its most fearless battering ram.
Stephen Fulton vs Brandon Figueroa
Two terrific prospects meet at the top of the junior featherweight division and turn each other into stars. All 12 rounds were exactly like that.
Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos
The old canard goes that you have to *take* the title from the champion. Kambosos set out to do exactly that, and Lopez tried everything he could to stop him.
FIGHT OF THE YEAR HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
Gervonta vs Mario Barrios
Josh Taylor vs Jose Ramirez
Ryan Garcia vs Luke Campbell
Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua
Ted Cheeseman vs Troy Williamson
