The year 2007 offered plenty of classic fights. In fact, this was an excellent year for a fringe but kicking sport. Between upsets, epics and unfinished business that remains, there?s enough drama in boxing to switch a TV here or there. As far as competition was concerned, it seemed that there was no one running away with the competition. To be direct, nobody in boxing had what would be considered one of the best years ever.
Let?s cut the foreplay. Below is the short list for fighter of the year in reverse order.
Floyd Mayweather, JR., 39-0, 25 KO?s
Gee, boys, can I change my fighter of the year pick for the end of the year awards? At first I picked Mayweather and defended it. The problem is that I neglected to do my research and realized Mayweather?s fight with Carlos Baldomir was in late 2006 rather than 2007. Instead of three top ten contenders he only took on two, changing his year?s worth of accomplishment just a bit.
Even so, Floyd Mayweather?s two man list is a huge bulging monster of publicity and talent: Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Those two are two of the best fighters in the game and it is arguable that no one in the sport picked harder competitors. As much as we like to knock Pretty boy (or Money, or Petty boy, or Puppy boy, or Puposky) his year looks darn good on paper.
He boxed De La Hoya and came up with a decision victory that was not the best looking but displayed clear strength in mentality and talent. Then, he took down Ricky Hatton with hard left hooks in the ninth round of a tough fight. That is an excellent set of performances for any fighter.
Case Against: The simplest case is that only fought twice last year. Sure, some guys fought six times but only faced chumps, but that does not excuse Floyd when he is compared to the best year for any fighter. The other contenders simply won more fights.
As an extension to that argument, consider that Floyd?s opponents may not have even been the strongest of the year for any one fighter. At that point, the case looks a bit weak.
Manny Pacquiao, 45-3, 35 KO?s
Case For: Pacquiao?s year was similar to Mayweather and he is tied with him when the honor is concerned. Pacquiao fought and defeated an undefeated Jorge Solis in what was lopsided stylistically, statistically and rationally. He followed that victory up with another win over Marco Antonio Barrera in order to finish their slate of business. With two solid victories and one knockout of an undefeated fighter, Pacman had a good year.
Case Against: Like Mayweather, Pacman only fought twice this year. His resume also left a few holes. Solis was never proven against a fighter anywhere near the caliber of Pacquiao. In addition, Pacquiao fought Marco Antonio Barrera rather than Juan Manuel Marquez. The fight with Marquez is the one everyone wants to see. Pacquiao and Marquez have a draw between them and the rematch is highly anticipated. Pacquiao has destroyed Barrera now for the majority of twenty four rounds. Even a faded Barrera is a great fighter, but he is not nearly as dangerous an opponent as the best in the game anymore.
Joe Calzaghe, 44-0, 32 KO?s
Case For: Calzaghe has two victories like the other men mentioned thus far. However, his two men are impressive as well. Peter Manfredo, JR., dropped a fight against Calzaghe by efficient (though early) third round knockout. In November, Joe coasted by unanimous decision past the undefeated Mikkel Kessler in a super middleweight unification bout. Calzaghe was impressive in the fight and proved that he could take on the strongest competition around. Case Against: The stoppage against Manfredo was completely premature, though Calzaghe has a lineage advantage over Manfredo now that Manfredo has dropped a decision to famous Calzaghe victim Jeff Lacy. His victory over Kessler was spectacular, but Calzaghe?s only knockout of the year was a cheapie.
Juan Diaz, 33-0, 17 KO?s
Diaz also had only two fights this year. However, he proved worlds in those fights. At only twenty four years old, he now has more names on his resume than almost any remaining lightweight contender. The Baby Bull comes at opponents with ferocious speed and volume punching. This year, he picked up two belts, giving him three over all and leaving him only one belt away from becoming the unified lightweight champion.
Diaz?s accomplishment was as good in reality as it is on paper. Diaz began the year by beating Acelino ?Popo? Freitas in a fight between two top five lightweights. Freitas quit under the barrage of Diaz after the eighth round of the fight. Freitas has quit in the past, but this time was no fluke. As support for that, Diaz destroyed Julio Diaz and forced him into quitting in similar fashion only one round later. Juan hit Julio with one hundred fifty more punches. Diaz beat two very dangerous fighters and has begun to clean out the division.
Case Against: Again, only two fights. Also, neither Freitas nor Julio Diaz beckons the status brought on by a name like Shane Mosley or Mikkel Kessler. Diaz has spoken about fighting the likes of Manny Pacquiao, but that fight is down the road if ever, far after the Juan Manuel Marquez show down that is to come early next year.
Miguel Cotto, 31-0, 25 KO?s
Case For: Keep in mind that Cotto has had more than just an excellent year. He has had about seven rather impressive victories in a row and owns victories over plenty of solid competition. However, this year was his major step from contender to a real commercial fighter. He began with a deserved tune up, a one sided domination of Oktay Urkal. Urkal was never in the fight and was stopped in the eleventh round, a time later than many felt was safe and just.
Following Urkal, Cotto rung up Zab Judah is a classic performance. Judah landed some good shots in the fight, but he was beaten until he turned his back again in the eleventh round. The victory for over Judah gives a Cotto a name for a resume and one victory over a top ten welterweight this year.
Finally, Cotto beat Sugar Shane Mosley by unanimous decision in a November match up with Sugar Shane Mosley. The victory showcased several developing abilities for Cotto. Prior to the fight, media talk surrounding the bout whispered about whether or not Cotto could out box Mosley.
Case Against: Cotto?s victory over Judah was exciting and impressive and he has had an electric year in the ring overall. However, his best victory of the year was a questionable call. While the majority (myself included) believes that Cotto won the fight, the fact that the outcome is questionable puts a teeny smudge on the year?s best accomplishment. Even so, competing with a fighter like Mosley could also be a plus.
Kelly Pavlik, 32-0, 29 KO?s
Case for: Pavlik began his year with a brutal knockout of Jose Luis Zertuche. After laying him down with a perfect one-two combination at the end of the sixth round, he put him to sleep on his feet with a right hand in the eighth round. The knockout let the nation know that he had real, elite power. It also might be knockout of the year.
Following Zertuche, Pavlik bested fan favorite and spotlight power puncher Edison Miranda in a Middleweight title Eliminator. Miranda had constantly called out Jermain Taylor prior to his own fight with Pavlik, an action that greatly offended the champion. After a verbal war between Miranda and Taylor, Pavlik laid out Miranda with a vicious beat down. Both men came forward, but it was Miranda who looked far worse by night?s end. Pavlik destroyed him with three right hands at the end of the sixth round, following up with only a few more punches in order to slump him into the ropes. Miranda reached his feet but was knocked out again to close the sixth round. In the seventh, Pavlik blew Miranda away with a left hook-right cross combination, finally putting the Colombian away under a barrage of punches.
Pavlik then bested Jermain Taylor, simultaneously lifting two middleweight belts, breaking Taylor?s unbeaten streak and gaining candidacy for Knockout of the Year, Fight of the Year and Middleweight Fight of the Decade. This fight was not easy for Pavlik, as Taylor is a strong fighter trained by some of the world?s best. Taylor sent Pavlik to the mat in the second round and almost took him out for good. Pavlik remained tough and fought back, destroying Taylor with the fight?s ultimate punishing blows in the seventh round. Pavlik stunned Taylor with the right hand of a one-two combination, sending him stumbling backward into the ropes. Pavlik followed up with a barrage of hooks from both sides of the plate before landing a fatal uppercut on Taylor.
Case Against: Pavlik was nearly knocked out in the second round of his fight with Taylor, which places him just an iota away from surrendering his rank to Cotto. Also, while he holds an intimidation advantage in most fights, he has not yet gained the status of seeming invincibility enjoyed by many of the other top tier fighters. Still, Pavlik did enough to become fighter of the year.
