2009 in Review: Fighter of the Year & other awards & videos!

BIGBONE'S 2009 IN REVIEW

In a way, 2009 was both great and somewhat disappointing. 2008 was superb and last year promised to be even better, however, you might feel that the past 12 months ended slightly below expectations. There were some great fights and unforgettable moments, however many sad memories and some disappointing events. Still, it was a very busy year with ups and downs, so I tried to sum it up looking for the best. Pro boxing has unlimited depth and so many things go unnoticed, so I looked deep into all regions and came up not necessarily with the most popular, but in my view the most deserving picks. I also added an 'underrated' pick for each category. So, here are 2009’s winners, candidates and tons of videos, enjoy!

Fighter of the Year:
Manny Pacquiao (KO2 Hatton, TKO12 Cotto)

In 2008 it was close, but in 2009 PacMan had no competition: the Filipino icon wins the Fighter of the Year award by knockout. What more could you ask than a fighter capturing his 4th lineal and 7th ABC championship (both a new record), and doing it in exciting style? In May, World LWW champ Ricky Hatton (unbeaten at 140), lasted only two rounds and got knocked out brutally by the once skinny little brawler, now an absolute beast: Pac captured his 4th lineal championship. And since he started at flyweight, nobody could’ve said a bad word if Manny decided to not to face a prime welterweight champion for a 7th divisional title, but Manny did just that as he challenged WBO WW champ Miguel Cotto.

There was no blowout in November as the fight started highly competitive, but in the end, it was just as painfully for the loser. The first 4 rounds produced outstanding action with Cotto being very game and often successful, but got dropped both in the 3rd and 4th, and after that, Pacquiao just put his game on another level and beat the brave Miguel to a pulp. When the ref finally pulled out the Puerto Rican in the 12th, you could feel the stoppage came about 4 rounds too late: Cotto’s face was covered in blood once more and showed little resistance. The awesome performance was not only rewarded by the welterweight belt and 2009’s Fighter of the Year award: Manny Pacquiao also became the Fighter of the Decade with his unmatched list of great wins: Ledwaba, Julio, Barrera, Morales, Larios, Marquez, Diaz, De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto, lineal or ABC titles in 6 weight classes in the last 10 years with just one loss, two draws and a debated victory. What a year and what a decade! Thank you Manny Pacquiao!

Underrated run: Tim Bradley: UD12 Holt (unification), TKO3 (changed to NC) Campbell, UD12 Peterson

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Fight of the year:
Juan Manuel Lopez UD12 Rogers Mtagwa

The 122lbs division produced the FOTY once more as Lopez and Mtagwa brawled out an outstanding action fight. Read how it went down & the ohter candidates: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5782438&postcount=54

Underrated action fight: Johnny Perez UD12 Joseph Agbeko

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Round of the year:
Marcos Maidana TKO Victor Ortiz, Round 1

Bombs and knockdowns, heart to survive and courage to fight back in the face of defeat: Maidana and Ortiz gave us an unforgettable first round. See my review and the other candidates here: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5782438&postcount=54

Underrated round: Zsolt Erdei vs. Giacobbe Fragomeni R12

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Knockout of the year:
Lucian Bute KO4 Andrade via body shot

A beautiful body blow by Lucian Bute gets my KOTY vote in 2009. Read how it happened and why not a brutal KO gets the award: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5770430&postcount=49

Underrated knockout: Toshiaki Nishioka KO4 Jhonny Gonzalez

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Upset of the year:
Juan Carlos Salgado TKO1 Jorge Linares

A rare punch, a temple shot ended unbeaten Linares's reign in a huge upset by unknown Salgado. Read how it happened & other candidates: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5770430&postcount=49

Underrated upset: Victor Ramirez RTD9 Alexander Alexeev

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Dominance of the year:
Wladimir Klitschko RTD9 Ruslan Chagaev for World HW Championship

The most meaningful HW unification since Lewis-Holyfield a decade ago ended in the most dominant win possible. Click here for my review and other candidates for the award:
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5760058&postcount=42

Underrated dominance: Brian Viloria KO11 Ulyses Solis

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Blowout of the year:
Hasegawa Hozumi TKO1 Vusi Malinga

It took just 153 seconds for the BW Champ to put his dangerous mandatory away: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5760058&postcount=42

Underrated blowout: Juan Carlos Salgado TKO1 Jorge Linares

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Prospect of the year:
Saul Alvarez (7-0 with 6KOs this year)

Just 19 but already highly impressive, Canelo wins the prospect of the year award after a busy 2009: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5751506&postcount=36

Underrated prospect: Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam

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New Champ of the year:
Koki Kameda (UD12 Daisuke Naito for lineal Flyweight Championship)

ESB favorite is no joke anymore as he beat the lineal FW champion in a Japanese superfight: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5751506&postcount=36

Underrated new champ: Luis Concepcion TKO12 Salado

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Comeback of the year:
Amir Khan (TD5 Barrera, UD12 Kotelnik, TKO1 Salita)

The devastating KO loss last year didn't end or even slow down the UK fighter's career: he beat a legend, became a LWW champ and blew out a mandatory in 2009: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5739047&postcount=24

Underrated comeback: Robert Stieglitz TKO11 Karoly Balzsay

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Robbery of the year:
Sergio Martinez D12 Kermit Cintron

Is it possible to win 3 times in 45 minutes and still get robbed? Of course, if you are Sergio Martinez: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5725085&postcount=13

Underrated robbery: Felix Sturm UD12 Khoren Gevor

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Blind Judge of the year:
Gale E. Van Hoy

What do you do when a fighter warns to public of your possible biased scoring? Rob him in front of all eyes! Shame on you Gale E. Van Hoy! http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5725085&postcount=13

Underrated blind judge: Daniel Talon (shame on him): Sturm W Gevor 117-111

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Brave effort of the year

RESPECT for those who took unnecessary risks for the fans!

- LW champion Juan Manuel Marquez taking on WW Floyd Mayweather at 147lbs
- Former FlyW and reigning LWW champ Pacquiao taking on WW champ Miguel Cotto at 145lbs
- LHW champ Zsolt Erdei taking on CW champ Giacobbe Fragomeni on short notice at 200lbs
- LMW champ Sergio Martinez taking on P4P-er Paul Williams at 160lbs on short notice
- Jermain Taylor participating in Super Six and taking on KO artist Arthur Abraham coming off the bad Carl Froch loss
- Undisputed SFlyW champ Vic Darchinyan taking on BW champ Joseph Agbeko
- MW/SMW Enrique Ornelas taking on Bernard Hopkins at 175lbs
- Roy Jones Jr. taking on KO artist Danny Green in Australia at CW catchweight of 180lbs despite the Hopkins fight being signed
- ring veteran & BW champ Gerry Penalosa taking on KO artist Juan Manuel Lopez at SBW
- 8-0 LHW contender Beibut Shumenov taking on LHW champ Gabriel Campillo
- LWW champ Juan Urango taking on WW champ Andre Berto ______________________________________________________________________

The Champions we lost this year:


R.I.P. Alexis Argüello! (1952-2009)

R.I.P. Johnny Caldwell! (1938-2009)

R.I.P. Lou Filippo! (1925-2009)

R.I.P. Chris Finnegan! (1944-2009)

R.I.P. Vernon Forrest! (1971-2009)

R.I.P. Arturo Gatti! (1972-2009)

R.I.P. Yuh Hwan-kil! (1962-2009)

R.I.P. Ingemar Johansson! (1932-2009)

R.I.P. Raul Macias! (1937-2009)

R.I.P. Greg Page! (1958-2009)

R.I.P. Giovanni Parisi! (1967-2009)

R.I.P. Jisselle Salandy! (1987-2009)

R.I.P. Darren Sutherland! (1982-2009)

R.I.P. Jose Torres! (1936-2009)

 

Gorres was removed from ICU, soon will be able to breathe on his own. His wife would like to bring Z back home for the long rehab, since at this moment Gorres can't speak and the left side of his body is paralyzed.

Valdez suffered a minor blod clot but already during better, nothing life threatening. The latest I read he's still in hospital for observation but soon will be able to leave.

 

HBO's review, including remembering of Argüello, Forrest and Gatti.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXps04q0GqU[/ame]


Check back for updates on other categories later.

 

Robbery of the year:
Sergio Martinez D12 Kermit Cintron

Hometown judges and hometown referees, bad decisions and bad calls - it’s killing boxing, and we had more than a few suspect results this year. However, one stands out the most, one you could hardly believe when it happened right in front of your eyes, on HBO. Kermit Cintron challenged WBC champ Sergio Martinez is February to pick up a light-middleweight belt, however Maravilla was too slick and quick, soundly outboxed Cintron and suddenly knocked him down in round 7 with a left hand to the head. Referee Frank Santore Jr. COUNTED OUT Cintron as he reached the FULL TEN COUNT (audio-video evidence), meaning fight’s over, Martinez won by KO, who started celebrating as according to the rules. However Cintron started to argue that he was headbutted, and Kermit’s corner entered the ring (which is disqualification according to the rules - Barrera-Jones I - also video evidence). The ref - shame on him - was confused, and he did the worst and most unacceptable thing a referee can do: overruled his OWN decision (full 10 count in a legit knockdown) in favor of the FIGHTER’S judgement (headbutt), which is outrageous.

At this point, if not the KO, Martinez should’ve won by DQ as about 12 people and cameramen were inside the ring. Instead, Santore Jr. - shame on him - ordered the fighters to continue. There wasn’t even a timeout called, but it didn’t matter: the fighters had to go on, which they did, and it went to the cards. Most fans and writers had Martinez winning about 8-9 rounds plus the extra point for the KD, however here’s the absolute shocker: two judges, namely Ged O'Connor (shame on him) and Peter Trematerra (shame on him) scored it a disgusting draw therefore the fight ending in a majority draw. Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez was robbed 3 different times in a single fight, his record should have a KO, a DQ and an UD win over Kermit Cintron, however he can call himself lucky that as a foreigner, he still got a draw. On top of all things, who could forget Kermit’s gay dance on the ropes after the fight? It was too much in a disgusting night.


Other candidates:
- Chris John D Rocky Juarez
- Joan Guzman D Ali Funeka
- Tim Coleman SD Mike Arnaoutis
- Tyson Fury W John McDermott
Underrated robbery: Felix Sturm UD12 Khoren Gevor

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Blind Judge of the year:
Gale E. Van Hoy

Every now and then there’s a blind or "hometown blind" judge who goes against a seemingly right decision and awards the other guy the winner. In extreme cases, the scores are outrageously against reality, sometimes more than 10 points off. This year Gale E. Van Hoy - shame on him - was the most consistent blind judge, producing two outrageous cards. First he had Chris John vs. Rocky Juarez (a fight John clearly won in Juarez’ hometown) a draw, and it was so bad, that entering the Juan Diaz fight, Paulie Malignaggi asked Van Hoy (local judge from Diaz’ state), to be replaced to a neutral one. They never replaced him, and guess what - in a close fight that went Malignaggi’s way on most cards, Gale E. Van Hoy - shame on him - had Diaz winning 10 rounds to 2, 118-110. Can you believe that when everybody was watching whether he’ll score for the hometown kid, he came up with the year’s worst card, live on HBO? Incredible.


Other candidates:
- Pierre Benoist (shame on him): Williams W Martinez 119-110
- Tom Miller (shame on him): John D Juarez 114-114
- Raul Caiz (shame on him): John D Juarez 114-114
- Ged O’Connor (shame on him): Martinez D Cintron 114-114
- Peter Tremanterra (shame on him): Martinez D Cintron 114-114
- Joseph Pascal (shame on him): Guzman W Funeka 116-112
- Bill Clancy (shame on him): Berto W Collazo 116-111
- Terry O’Connor (shame on him): Fury W McDermott 98-92
Underrated blind judge: Daniel Talon (shame on him): Sturm W Gevor 117-111


Check back later for daily updates and awards!

 

The infamous 7th round of Martinez-Cintron:

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Also, judge Sturm vs. Gevor for yourself, double click for other rounds

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