Well, another year has come and gone, and as usual, plenty of things from the ridiculous to the sublime have taken place in the game of boxing. As we turn our calendars to 2007, we highlight the best and the worst that occurred in 2006 with the always anticipated K9 Awards.
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
1- Manny Pacquiao: It’s not only on the strength of his two wins over Erik Morales (sandwiched around a win over Oscar Larios) that he wins this coveted prize, but the overall improvement that has many pundits believing he is the game’s best, pound-for-pound.
Also his ability to sell tickets – and exciting those that do (as nobody walks out early on his fights) – makes him one of the most important fighters in the business today.
2- Bernard Hopkins: Many thought he was chewing off more than he could chew when he moved up two full weight divisions to take on the recognized light heavyweight champion of the world in Antonio Tarver. Instead, he would trample all over the ‘Mason Dixon’ line in handily winning a unanimous decision.
We thought at the time he was walking off into the sunset…
3- Joe Calzaghe: In dissecting Jeff Lacy over 12 rounds, Calzaghe showed the American public his wide array of skills and why he’s one of the game’s longest reigning champions.
Honorable mention: Wladimir Klitschko, Floyd Mayweather, Israel Vazquez, Celestino Caballero
KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR
1- Daniel Ponce de Leon KO1 Sod Looknonyangtoy: They could’ve counted to 1,000. Sod LOOK-OUT!!! wouldn’t have gotten up from the devastating left cross that had him knocked unconscious before he sprawled out all over the canvas. It’s the type of victory that even had Ponce de Leon’s most ardent critics giving him grudging respect.
2- Calvin Brock TKO6 Zuri Lawrence: In what was a desultory fight, things were ended in stunning fashion with a big left hook that had Lawrence seemingly dangling in mid-air, out cold and lifeless. Everyone inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center held their breath until Lawrence regained consciousness a few minutes later.
3- Demetrius Hopkins TKO9 Michael Warrick: It’s right hands like the one that starched Warrick that have us wishing D-Hop would let his hands go more often.
4- Jose Hernandez TKO8 Jason Litzau: Hernandez showed why you keep punching till the very end against defensively flawed fighters.
5- Shannon Briggs TKO12 Sergei Liakhovich: Within seconds of defending his WBO title, ‘the White Wolf’ is knocked out (and out of the ring) by Briggs in the 12th and final round.
UPSET OF THE YEAR
1- Carlos Baldomir W12 Zab Judah: Baldomir got the year started off in style by catching Judah looking ahead to his April assignment against Mayweather. While he still got the fight, he lost millions and further tarnished his reputation. ‘Tata’, on the other hand, was able to parlay this into multi-million dollar fights against Arturo Gatti and then the ‘Pretty Boy’ himself.
2- Nobuo Nashiro TKO10 Martin Castillo: Despite having just seven bouts to his credit coming into his title challenge of the respected Castillo, Nashiro was able to consistently beat the champion to the punch with his unorthodox style. Eventually, the contest would be stopped after the tenth round due to cuts.
3- Daniel Jimenez W8 Vicente Escobedo: Escobedo was thought of as one of the game’s best young prospects. But in upsetting him in front of his home turf, the streaking Jimenez showed that he is one of the sport’s best young performers, himself.
4- Omar Nino W12 Brian Viloria: Thought to be an easy title defense for the ‘Hawaiian Punch’, this was anything but that as he was out-fought thoroughly by Nino, who was a 15-1 underdog coming in.
5- Oleg Maskaev TKO12 Hasim Rahman: Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same. At least this time ‘the Rock’ didn’t fall into Jim Lampley’s lap.
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
1- Bob Arum: While most everyone else in the game is basically a booking agent begging for license fees from networks, Mr. Top Rank is the last of the old-school, renegade promoters. He’s not afraid to burn bridges, spend his own money and like Sinatra, do things his way.
Nobody can build an attraction like his company. The De La Hoya-Mayweather bout (which he has nothing to do with) is a testament to his past work.
2- Frank Warren/ Akiro Honda: While boxing struggles to stay relevant in the States, these two promoters consistently develop talent and put on successful promotions overseas.
THE BEN JOHNSON AWARD (for dirty urine)
Orlando Salido/Omar Nino: After their title-fight winning performances in November in Las Vegas, both Salido and Nino tested positive for banned substances in their system.
THE BUZZKILL AWARD
1- HBO’s spoilers of Showtime fights: It’s bad enough they counter-program Showtime. But have they no consideration for those who want to see both cards without knowing the results?
I guess not.
2- Castillo-Corrales III being postponed: Imagine traveling cross-country to see this much-anticipated fight only to find out that there would be none. That’s exactly what happened to thousands of fans who traveled to Vegas in early June only to find out that they would have to settle for Vic Darchinyan-Luis Maldonado instead.
On this occasion, boxing met the enemy – and it was itself.
THE BEST FIGHT AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AWARD
1- John Duddy W12 Yory Boy Campas: Yeah, he’s flawed, but Duddy is fun to watch, as he showed in his 12 round back-and-forth slugfest with Campas. But he’d better learn how to duck once in a while.
2- Knicks-Nuggets: This is the most life the Knicks have shown in years. Hey, Carmelo Anthony, forget about ‘stop snitchin’, stop running after sucker punching people.
THE OAKLAND RAIDERS AWARD ( for the worst year for a proud franchise)
Main Events: From Fernando Vargas to Cal Brock to Arturo Gatti and then Jason Litzau, wins were hard to come by for this company. Then they would see Juan Diaz bolt for Don King. For them 2007, can’t come fast enough.
THE JACK ABRAMOFF AWARD (for inappropriate behavior from someone in charge.)
Laurence Cole: I guess Cole took it upon himself that the Juan Manuel Marquez-Jimrex Jaca bout had open scorecards – well, at least for Marquez. But why did he try and cover his mic when he let Marquez know he was ahead on the scorecards as his cuts were being attended to?
THE JOE NAMATH AWARD (for guaranteeing)
Frank Espinoza: After he and his fighter, Israel Vazquez, were called out by Jhonny Gonzalez and his representative, Osvaldo Kuchle, Espinoza would not only make the fight, he was also willing to wager a cool 50-large on his man. To make it official, Espinoza would show up to the final press conference with an oversized check, making his intentions clear.
Hey, it doesn’t get anymore official than that.
Kuchle would make himself invisible and wasn’t around to take Espinoza up on the wager and Vazquez would come off the canvas (twice) to defeat Gonzalez.
That’s putting your money where your mouth is. Or, in the case of Kuchle – not doing so.
THE BILLY BEANE AWARD (for most resourceful decision maker with limited resources)
1- Gordon Hall: If there was ever a boxing program that stuck to its mission statement, it’s ShoBox. And under Hall’s guidance, you consistently see the game’s best young prospects on the rise.
2- Doug Loughrey: He does the best he can with a Kansas City Royals-like budget. Hey, ESPN, would it really hurt to give your boxing program a few more nickels?
THE GEORGE KARL / ISIAH THOMAS AWARD (for battling coaches)
Yoel Judah/Roger Mayweather: Who knew that Judah-Mayweather would end up being a doubleheader on April 8th at the Thomas and Mack Center? While Floyd decisioned Zab, Yoel definitely got the better of Roger during their in-fight melee that had both camps coming into the ring after Judah’s deliberate low-blow of ‘the Pretty Boy’. ‘The Black Mamba’s’ legs are really gone.
THE BOBBY BROWN-WHITNEY HOUSTON AWARD (for divorces)
1- Marc Ratner-NSAC: Ratner left for the greener pastures of the UFC, leaving behind his long-time post as the Executive Director of the NSAC. Can you blame him?
2- Mayweather-Top Rank: Like Floyd said to Stephen A. Smith, hey, what does he need them for? He can cut out the middle man in dealing with HBO.
3- Juan Diaz-Main Events: After developing ‘the Baby Bull’, Main Events saw their contract expire just as he was making some significant money and gaining momentum in his career.
4- Lamon Brewster- Sam Simon/Jesse Reid: Uh, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
5- Jeff Lacy-Gary Shaw: Weren’t these two like family not too long ago? It seems Lacy has blamed everything from global warming and high gas prices on his former promoter.
Honorable Mention: Jermain Taylor-Pat Burns, Paulie Malignaggi-Billy Giles
THE MARSHAL AND KIM MATHERS AWARD (for reconciliation that most likely won’t work)
Diego Corrales/Gary Shaw: After his failed attempt to bolt GSP for Golden Boy, Corrales is now back under Shaw’s banner.
THE PAT ROBERTSON AWARD (most delusional speaker)
Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Scary thing is, he might actually be serious about what he says. Except of course his retirement vow.
THE CHRIS SIMMS AWARD (for playing with pain)
1- Paulie Malignaggi vs. Miguel Cotto: Say what you want about him, but Malignaggi is a tough guy. He didn’t win the fight, but he earned respect in going the distance against Cotto with a badly swollen jaw.
2- Teddy Reid vs. Verno Phillips: Reid,has always been among the most tasteless characters in the game, but there’s no denying his toughness. There’s no dog in that guy.
THE WALKOUT BOUT OF THE YEAR
Jin Mosley vs Martha Vargas: You just gotta love it when the spouses of two fighters nearly come to blows after they fight. The winner would’ve gotten a crack at Doug Christie’s wife.
THE ‘IS IT IN YOU?’ AWARD
OK, just why was Golden Boy soooo against Vargas using Gatorade in the summer rematch against Mosley? Who knows, maybe they’re partial to Powerade.
THE STEVE HOWE AWARD (for someone badly in need of treatment and rehabilitation to straighten out his life)
Scott Harrison: Seriously, every time you scanned the web, this guy was always into something. He had more problems in 2006 than Snoop going through an airport.
THE LARRY COKER AWARD (for scapegoating and passing blame)
Zab Judah after his bout with Baldomir. Seriously, the way he was talking, you would’ve thought that King basically held down his arms and tied his feet together as he faced Baldomir.
His tirade on Showtime with Jim Gray afterwards is an all-time sound-bite.
THE NACHO BERISTAIN AWARD (for mis-managing)
Nacho Beristain: Who else? Seriously, how did Juan Manuel Marquez end up in Indonesia for around $30,000 again?
THE DON DEKINGER AWARD (worst officiating)
Jay Nady – Maskaev-Rahman II: Seriously, that was ‘shady’ officiating on behalf of Rahman. Maskaev was fighting two-on-one in there it seemed.
THE JOHN STOCKTON AWARD (shortest shorts)
Fernando Montiel: Yes, he wears short, shorts. But unfortunately his bouts are usually long and boring.
THE PATRICK EWING ON THE SONICS AWARD (for how the mighty have fallen)
Roy Jones, once a franchise fighter on HBO, was relegated to fighting on a small, non-descript pay-per-view show in Boise, Idaho. I mean, Kery Davis and Ross Greenburg didn’t even care.
THE YOGI BERRA AWARD (for its deja vu’ all over again)
Oscar De La Hoya’s bait-and-switch of the third Saturday in September: For the second year in a row, he said he would fight on that key pay-per-view date, only to bow out and have Marco Antonio Barrera take the assignment.
And for the second consecutive year, Arum was none too happy about this.
THE PEACHES AND HERB AWARD ( for reuniting)
Shane and Jack Mosley: And it felt so good as father and son got back together again for the rematch with Vargas.
THE RAY NAGIN AWARD (quotes of the year)
1- Zab Judah on Don King after his loss to Baldomir: “He’s f**ked up.”
2- Teddy Atlas to James Toney, as ‘Lights Out’ tried to explain that the reason why he came in so heavy for his fight against Rahman was the flu, which caused him to take in fluids: “You gotta put fluids in you, not food, when you’re sick.”
3- Naazim Richardson to Bernard Hopkins during the late rounds of his bout with Tarver: “We gonna Trinidad his ass!”
4- Kenny Weldon to Sergei Liakhovich for not listening to his instructions during their bout against Brewster after the fifth round: “I swear I’ll throw the stool at ya!!!”
5- Erik Morales on HBO’s countdown show for his third bout against Pacquiao on why he doesn’t like Barrera: “He’s a motherf**ker, it’s that simple.”
THE BEST ARUM QUIPS OF 2006
1- ” Floyd (Mayweather) has a phobia; Margarito is Floyd’s avian flu.”
2- On his relationship with HBO and how he won’t take it anymore: “Those Saddam Hussein days are over.”
THE OPINION OF KINGMAN’S PERFORMANCE AWARD ( best post-fight tirade)
Lou DiBella after the bout between Ike Quartey and Vernon Forrest. Feeling his man, Quartey, got jobbed, DiBella went on a classic rant, dropping F-bombs and other assorted expletives at a rapid rate. Tommy Lasorda would’ve blushed hearing this.
Jim Healy would’ve loved it.
THE TERRELL OWENS AWARD (for bizarre financial demands)
Ricardo Mayorga just prior to his bout with De La Hoya: I’m not exactly EF Hutton here, but isn’t the time to demand what you think you’re worth supposed to take place before you sign your name on the dotted line, not just a few days before the event?
THE STEVE WYNN AWARD (worst eyesight in rendering decisions)
1- Chris John W12 Juan Manuel Marquez: Most who saw this bout had Marquez winning at least eight frames.
2- Fernando Zuniga W10 Jose Luis Zertuche: Nobody who saw this scrap ringside had Zuniga winning. Well, except those whose votes actually mean something.
3- Mike Arnaoutis W12 Ricardo Torres / Omar Nino D12 Brian Viloria: Two for the price of one on the night of November 18th.
Honorable Mention: Sam Peter W12 James Toney, Juan Urango W12 Naoufel Ben Rabah
THE JAY-Z AWARD (most disappointing comeback)
‘Boxing After Dark’: for all it’s fanfare and hoopla, the return of B.A.D. was for the most part, disappointing.
