As this 2008 calendar year comes to a close there will be many questions presented despite the many already answered in the world of boxing.
Among them comes the arduous task of defining which man did enough to claim the most prestigious honor after a tough 365 day span.
The two men believed to be at the forefront of the argument are none other than lightweight phenom, Manny Pacquiao, and light heavyweight stud, Joe Calzaghe.
When comparing stats, it’s relatively safe to say that both men have had very similar years, only separated by the amount of times they fought during 2008.
The initial parallel between them comes in the sense that they both received somewhat controversial wins against their toughest opponent – (Marquez for Pacquiao and Hopkins for Calzaghe) – while both also defeated an aging wonder who many felt would be far more effective than they actually were when the bell rang – (De la Hoya for Pacquiao and Jones for Calzaghe).
Pacquiao managed to squeeze a third fight in, but despite the increase in weight to make that fight happen, his opponent (David Diaz), was no where near the challenge he could have accepted with other formidable foes such as Nate Campbell and Juan Diaz lurking around in the same division.
Both Pacquiao and Calzaghe have made a great name for themselves and technically, there’s no way to take anything away from what they’ve accomplished.
That being said, when the fans, various internet websites, and numerous boxing scribes around the country finally pick a winner for the mythical award, you can gaurantee that there will be no true consensus, but rather a mere choice of whomever the person behind the laptop pecking away is.
In all fairness it’s a literal toss-up, as both men did all you could ever ask from a fighter, which is defeat the man in front of them.
Too bad this type of award typically resonates the names of only those fighters in the mainstream because if some had it their way, it may very well go to a man that’s been under the radar but above the rim all year long.
That man being Paul Williams; A fighter who has not only talked the talk but walked the walk.
Granted, Williams hasn’t faced the same type of opposition, but what he has done in the sport this year has been unprecedented considering todays era of ego’s and money driven talent in the world of boxing.
Williams has basically taken his show on the road by not only throwing out an open challenge, but doing it in a way that allowed him to make his presence felt in three weight divisions spanning from 147 lbs thru 160 lbs.
Money, ego, and nothing else stopped him from seeking the biggest challenges in the sport. Trouble is, from Pavlik to Margarito, none of those challengers he sought out signed their name on the dotted line. Can’t blame the guy for that.
No one knows which fighter will get the highly acclaimed ‘Fighter of the Year’ title attached to their name, but one thing for sure, when we strip away the politics of the sport, the big picture tends to become far more legible.
Personally, I think any one of these three men could fit the bill. Problem is, it’s not my call, it’s yours.
Now you decide….
