Even without them sitting beside me right now, I'm fairly certain the other BoxingWatchers would agree with me that 2008 was a pretty good year to be a fan of the sport. Plenty of fights between big name fighters came together - including one most thought laughable at the beginning of the year - and more than a handful of fights between lesser known boxers turned out to be well worth watching.
Not all of the marquee match-ups were sequels, as we got to see Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik, and, yes, Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya go at it for the first time. But when it came time to vote for our Fight of the Year, it was the third chapter in the thrilling trilogy between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez that came out on top.
If you watched and enjoyed the first two fights in the series, you were undoubtedly excited for Round Three - and maybe a little concerned that it wouldn't live up to what had come before since the bar had been set so high. As it happened, there was no reason to worry.
Part of the reason was that the styles of the two fighters suited each other so well. Marquez was a better technician and Vazquez had more power, but the differences were small. As we knew from the first two bouts, both men had plenty of heart and stamina, were willing to trade and had enough holes on defense to ensure many punches would land.
The rounds unfolded in breathtaking fashion. Both fighters had their moments, and yet both found themselves on the canvas.
What set it apart from other skillful, competitive fights in 2008 was the last-minute drama, as Vazquez scored a late knockdown that literally won him the fight. And there was even just a pinch of controversy, though it was the kind that led to discussion, not the kind that made you feel the loser got hosed.
In short, it was the proverbial fight that had everything. Here's hoping 2009 gives us another fight like that... even if it has to be Vazquez-Marquez IV.
Reader Picks: The readers also went with Vazquez-Marquez III, giving it 55 percent of the vote. Pacquiao-J.M. Marquez II came in a strong second with 30 percent.
Also receiving some love were Cotto-Margarito and Diaz-Campbell, and it's hard to argue that those were both offensive showcases.
Somewhat surprisingly, Holt-Torres II got no votes despite featuring what was absolutely the craziest single round of 2008. I also thought Cunningham-Adamek would get some support. Though I didn't feel it quite lived up to Fight of the Year status, it was an excellent scrap and was fresher in the minds of fans since it was fought near the end of the year.
Showing posts with label fight of the year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fight of the year. Show all posts
23.12.08
Vote in the BoxingWatchers.com Year-End Polls: 2008 Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year
The boxing year may have finished with a whimper instead of a bang, but that doesn't mean 2008 wasn't a very good year for fans of the fight game. There were numerous big name fights and more than a handful of dramatic, action-packed bouts, and as an added bonus, some even fell in both categories.
Of course, the BoxingWatchers will hit you with our picks for Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year, but we'd like to hear what you think as well. Be sure to vote in our polls on the right side of the page. Heck, vote early and often if the software doesn't recognize your IP address!
We'll match up the picks and give our reasons for ours on Dec. 31. Have a great holiday season!
Of course, the BoxingWatchers will hit you with our picks for Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year, but we'd like to hear what you think as well. Be sure to vote in our polls on the right side of the page. Heck, vote early and often if the software doesn't recognize your IP address!
We'll match up the picks and give our reasons for ours on Dec. 31. Have a great holiday season!
30.12.07
BoxingWatchers.com 2007 Fight of the Year: Vazquez-Marquez II
Since boxing history is full of exciting rematches and trilogies, it's hardly surprising that two men could put on a pair of Fight of the Year candidates in a single calendar year. That being said, there's no question that something special happened each time Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez faced off in 2007.
Far too often today's fights seem to please either action fans or purists while alienating the other group, but the first Vazquez-Marquez showdown in March was a treat for everyone. Closely fought from the get-go, Vazquez seemed to hold a narrow lead after seven rounds. One problem: a Marquez punch smashed his nose, and Israel was unable to continue.
When the rematch was scheduled for August, the obvious but inevitable question became whether or not the sequel could live up to the original. Both men delivered in spades, trading shots over six hard-fought rounds until Vazquez avenged his defeat with a KO. It was, as my brother Uatu put it, pretty rare to see two boxers with such high skill levels hit each other so hard and so often.
Naturally, the rubber match scheduled for March 2008 is highly anticipated, and with two close, exciting fights already in the books, it's really anyone's guess what might happen. That should pretty much sum up why Vazquez-Marquez II is BoxingWatchers.com's 2007 Fight of the Year.
Honorable Mention: If you wanted to hear 10,000 fans sound like 100,000, all you needed to do was be inside Boardwalk Hall for Taylor-Pavlik. A sizable contingent of The Ghost's supporters were on hand, but plenty of people cheered when the then-undefeated middleweight champion sent Pavlik to the mat early in the fight.
Of course Pavlik and his fans cheered last, and everyone on hand agreed it was a hell of a fight. And lest we dismiss it as just a slugfest, let's not forget that Taylor showed some nice boxing skills as well - he was ahead on all three cards when he was knocked out in the seventh. The return engagement will take place in Vegas in February, and the MGM Grand can only hope for the same atmosphere.
Another fight that paired two talented boxers in their primes but simply lacked the drama of the two fights above was Calzaghe-Kessler. The two undefeated Europeans squared off in a very well-fought bout, and the four and five-point margins on the judges' cards may not entirely reflect how hard Kessler made Calzaghe work for his win. Joe may need any lessons he learned if he ever lands the fight he wants with Bernard Hopkins.
Special "Most Like a Video Game" Honor: Bika-Codrington - Contender Season 3 Finale. I love EA's Fight Night series of video games, but the two-way bombs that land in the electronic world simply don't happen in real life. At least that's what I thought until I watched Sakio Bika and Jaidon Codrington connect with an insane number of power shots. No one watching learned anything about the fundamentals of boxing, but the fight completely blew away expectations and was absolutely enthralling television.
Far too often today's fights seem to please either action fans or purists while alienating the other group, but the first Vazquez-Marquez showdown in March was a treat for everyone. Closely fought from the get-go, Vazquez seemed to hold a narrow lead after seven rounds. One problem: a Marquez punch smashed his nose, and Israel was unable to continue.
When the rematch was scheduled for August, the obvious but inevitable question became whether or not the sequel could live up to the original. Both men delivered in spades, trading shots over six hard-fought rounds until Vazquez avenged his defeat with a KO. It was, as my brother Uatu put it, pretty rare to see two boxers with such high skill levels hit each other so hard and so often.
Naturally, the rubber match scheduled for March 2008 is highly anticipated, and with two close, exciting fights already in the books, it's really anyone's guess what might happen. That should pretty much sum up why Vazquez-Marquez II is BoxingWatchers.com's 2007 Fight of the Year.
Honorable Mention: If you wanted to hear 10,000 fans sound like 100,000, all you needed to do was be inside Boardwalk Hall for Taylor-Pavlik. A sizable contingent of The Ghost's supporters were on hand, but plenty of people cheered when the then-undefeated middleweight champion sent Pavlik to the mat early in the fight.
Of course Pavlik and his fans cheered last, and everyone on hand agreed it was a hell of a fight. And lest we dismiss it as just a slugfest, let's not forget that Taylor showed some nice boxing skills as well - he was ahead on all three cards when he was knocked out in the seventh. The return engagement will take place in Vegas in February, and the MGM Grand can only hope for the same atmosphere.
Another fight that paired two talented boxers in their primes but simply lacked the drama of the two fights above was Calzaghe-Kessler. The two undefeated Europeans squared off in a very well-fought bout, and the four and five-point margins on the judges' cards may not entirely reflect how hard Kessler made Calzaghe work for his win. Joe may need any lessons he learned if he ever lands the fight he wants with Bernard Hopkins.
Special "Most Like a Video Game" Honor: Bika-Codrington - Contender Season 3 Finale. I love EA's Fight Night series of video games, but the two-way bombs that land in the electronic world simply don't happen in real life. At least that's what I thought until I watched Sakio Bika and Jaidon Codrington connect with an insane number of power shots. No one watching learned anything about the fundamentals of boxing, but the fight completely blew away expectations and was absolutely enthralling television.
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