SONAHR: December 21, 2014 – In the realm of pugilism, 2014 was not a spectacular year. But it was a steady one, with luminaries such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao continuing to win, emerging stars like Gennady Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev rising higher, and the heavyweight division beginning to shift, with a fighter whose name isn?t Klitschko holding one of the four major world titles. That would be new WBC champion Bermane Stiverne, who won the title Wladimir?s brother Vitali vacated. Wladimir still wears the other three belts. And then there was Bernard Hopkins? last stand against Father Time. Here are the high and low points of the past 12 months.
Fighter of the Year: Manny Pacquiao
This one goes to someone who is certainly no stranger to the top honor. Pacquiao began the year by dominating Timothy Bradley, who had scored a controversial decision over him in 2012, and finished by trouncing upstart Chris Algieri. Those two victories are of greater significance than Floyd Mayweather Jr.?s wins over Marcos Maidana, a crude slugger who gave Mayweather more trouble than he should have. Now, if only Pacquiao and Mayweather can finally meet in the ring in 2015 ?
Non-Fighter of the Year: Andre Ward
Three years ago, Ward was the consensus Fighter of the Year, having won the super-middleweight Super Six tournament and then going on to demolish then-light-heavyweight champion Chad Dawson. Since then, Ward has had only one bout, and he did not fight at all in 2014. The reason for his activity is an intractable contract dispute with his promoter, Dan Goosen, who passed away earlier this year. Whatever his differences with the late Goosen were, it?s past time for Ward to settle them, before inactivity erodes his superlative skills.
Fight of the Year: Sergei Kovalev W 12 Bernard Hopkins
Usually, a one-sided thrashing like the one Kovalev handed to Hopkins would not be a Fight-of-the-Year candidate. But it?s precisely because the victim was Hopkins ? the ageless wonder, the oldest fighter ever ho hold a world championship, the man who easily defeated quality opponents young enough to be his sons, that Kovalev?s feat is so noteworthy. Hopkins?s other losses were close. This one wasn?t. He went the distance, but arguably didn?t win a round. It was a changing of the guard in the light-heavyweight division ? and as such, the Fight of the Year.
Upset of the Year: Chris Algieri W 12 Ruslan Provodnikov
Even though he was undefeated, Algieri went in as a huge underdog against Provodnikov, a Russian powerhouse who nearly defeated Timothy Bradley in 2013 and then steamrolled the highly regarded Mike Alvarado to win the WBO junior-welterweight title. But Algieri rose from two first-round knockdowns to dampen Provodnikov?s power and come away with the crown. However, lightning did not strike twice for Algieri when he later fought Manny Pacquiao, who beat him like a drum. But that defeat doesn?t take anything away from Algieri?s earlier accomplishment against Provodnikov.
Progress of the Year: Nicholas Walters
Before October 18, few people outside his native Jamaica had ever heard of Nicholas Walters. And fewer still gave him much of a chance to beat one-time pound-for-pound great Nonito Donaire in a bout intended to unify the WBA?s ?regular? and ?super? featherweight titles. So what did Walters, whose nickname is ?Axe,? do? He chopped Donaire down in the sixth round in an upset on a par with Algieri?s win over Provodnikov. From nowhere to the top of the heap ? that?s progress by any standard.
Rip-off of the Year: Oscar Escandon W 12 Tyson Cave Escandon, of Colombia, and Cave, who hails from Halifax, Nova Scotia, clashed for the WBA?s ?interim? world super-bantamweight title earlier this month in California. When the 12 rounds were done, most observers believed that Cave had pitched a virtual shutout. Yet one of the judges scored it a narrow 115-113 win for Cave, and the others tallied 115-113 and an astonishing 117-11 for Escandon. Everyone from former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis to volatile commentator Teddy Atlas called the verdict a robbery and a farce. Full disclosure: I live in Nova Scotia and am a fan of Tyson Cave?s. But even if I lived on Mars and hated Cave?s guts, I would still say this decision smells worse than the bottom of a neglected pigsty.
Comeback of the Year: Jermain Taylor
During the mid-2000s, Taylor was on top of the world, having beaten Bernard Hopkins twice in middleweight title bouts and looking to be a future superstar. Then a series of brutal knockout defeats at both middleweight and super-middleweight caused such concern for Taylor?s health that he retired from the ring. In later comeback bouts, he won but did not impress. That was probably why he received a shot at Sam Solimon?s IBF middleweight title in October. Wouldn?t you know it ?Taylor won a wide unanimous decision over Solimon, and is a world champion again. But Taylor?s victory was almost immediately overshadowed by an arrest on charges of shooting his cousin. Here?s hoping his comeback isn?t followed by a comedown.
So, a good year, if not necessarily a great one. In a sport that has allegedly languished on its deathbed for decades, that?s encouraging news.
