Welcome to The Queensberry Rules’ annual year-end awards, starting today and continuing into next 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 next week, 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 that winner and explain why.
So, up first: Knockout of the Year candidates. On deck: Round of the Year candidates and Knockout of the Year.
THE FINALISTS (IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)
Marvin Sonsona-Akifume Shimoda
In a year with several great uppercut knockouts, this one was the most kinetic.
Nicholas Walters-Vic Darchinyan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44xauZGtKXE
Walters put his stamp on 2014 twice with big KOs, the first delivered via a pneumatic left.
Carl Froch-George Groves II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0l8KMzVXKM
The heated rivalry ended with one shot that turned Groves into a knotted-up garden hose.
Andy Lee-John Jackson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsT_Qh-TaoY
So long as Lee’s right hand is connected to his body, no fight is over.
Gennady Golovkin-Daniel Geale
How many times have you seen someone score a knockout punch WHILE being punched, and off-balance?
THE HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
David Lemieux-Fernando Guerrero
Tomoki Kameda-Pungluang Sor Singyu
Nicholas Walters-Nonito Donaire
Danny Garcia-Rod Salka
Terence Crawford-Yuriorkis Gamboa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_gSlaHNaBk
Viktor Postol-Selcuk Aydin
Jorge Sebastian Heiland-Matthew Macklin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcAqlZQUpcw
Rey Loreto-Nkosinathi Joyi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thCmiwvCEgw
Amir Mansour-Fred Kassi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_NyqeNLheQ
Felix Verdejo-Sergio Villanueva
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yWKuSX0EoY
Wladimir Klitschko-Kubrat Pulev
Alexander Povetkin-Manuel Charr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3vg8kkro2w
Hugo Centeno-James De La Rosa
Marco Antonio Rubio-Domenico Spada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIg5YHCWHXo
Gennady Golovkin-Marco Antonio Rubio
Jesus Cuellar-Juan Manuel Lopez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqDmA-f7gjU
Alexander Povetkin-Carlos Takam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOkX0aChDTQ
Frank Galarza-John Thompson
