As
a memorable 2013 comes to a close, it's time to hand out the annual hardware
and honor those who have provided us with the best ring moments from the past 12 months. The award categories for this year are fighter,
fight, knockout, round, upset, trainer, promoter, network and referee of the year.
I have also included the past Saturday Night Boxing award winners. Without
further ado: the 2013 Saturday Night Boxing Awards.
Fighter
of the Year: Adonis Stevenson
It
should be remembered that prior to this year that Adonis Stevenson was
essentially a mere curiosity from Canada, a powerful southpaw super
middleweight with heavy hands, limited opposition and a knockout loss to
journeyman Darnell Boone. However, 2013 was Stevenson's year, obtaining
four stoppage victories and moving up to light heavyweight to become the
number-one fighter in the division. Stevenson started off the year by avenging
his loss to Boone. He then jumped at the opportunity to face lineal light
heavyweight champion Chad Dawson, where he knocked him out in the first round. For
his next fight, Stevenson flashed his boxing skills in addition to his power,
battering former titlist Tavoris Cloud around the ring to earn a seventh-round stoppage.
In his final outing of the 2013 campaign, Stevenson defeated mandatory
challenger Tony Bellew by patiently stalking him and unleashing several
left hand bombs in the sixth frame, which ended the match.
With
Stevenson's body of work this year, he has become one
of the sport's must-see attractions, not to mention a face of HBO
Boxing. Already 36, Stevenson is now looking for big fights and he will get them next
year against possible opponents such as Sergey Kovalev, the winner of Jean
Pascal-Lucian Bute and Bernard Hopkins.
Previous
SNB Fighters of the Year:
2012:
Nonito Donaire
2011:
Andre Ward
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Fight of the Year: Bradley-Provodnikov
Not
a whole lot was expected from March's meeting between Tim Bradley and Ruslan
Provodnikov. Bradley had been inactive for nine months after his dubious victory over Manny Pacquiao. In the aftermath of the decision, Bradley became persona non grata in the boxing world, receiving death
threats, scorn from boxing fans and media and continued derision in the
sport after believing that he had actually earned the victory legitimately. With Provodnikov, Bradley was looking to stay busy while he waited for greater things in the sport.
Provodnikov was thought of as a limited banger who might give Bradley some rounds. However, he was moving up from junior welterweight and most assumed that he wouldn't be successful in imposing himself on Bradley, who had grown into the welterweight division.
Provodnikov was thought of as a limited banger who might give Bradley some rounds. However, he was moving up from junior welterweight and most assumed that he wouldn't be successful in imposing himself on Bradley, who had grown into the welterweight division.
From
the opening moments of the match, the pre-fight script could have been thrown out the window. In the first, Provodnikov caught Bradley in a sequence with a couple of short, chopping over-the-top right hands and a left
hook, causing Bradley to crumble to the canvas in a delayed reaction (referee Pat Russell incorrectly ruled a
slip).
In the second, the hard-charging Provodnikov had Bradley essentially out on his feet with a series of short power punches. Provodnikov moved in for the kill against the delirious Bradley, who was winging arm punches out of sheer self-survival. Somehow, Bradley made it out of the round and Russell should be given credit for not stopping the fight.
In the second, the hard-charging Provodnikov had Bradley essentially out on his feet with a series of short power punches. Provodnikov moved in for the kill against the delirious Bradley, who was winging arm punches out of sheer self-survival. Somehow, Bradley made it out of the round and Russell should be given credit for not stopping the fight.
Then,
something strange happened. Bradley regrouped in the corner and dominated
Provodnikov with his boxing ability and varied offensive attack. During the next three frames, Bradley continued to cruise and Provodnikov
looked like the proverbial "might be dangerous early" type of
fighter.
In
the sixth, Provodnikov was soundly getting outboxed early in the round until he
connected with his power again, reducing Bradley to a Gumby-type figure. Provodnikov expertly
closed the ring off on the champion and fired menacing shots, but Bradley again
survived the round.
After the sixth, Bradley
recovered between rounds (notice a theme?) and starting plastering Provodnikov
with body shots, uppercuts, left hooks and straight rights. As the fight
progressed, both trainers told HBO's Max Kellerman that they were considering
stopping the fight.
Prior
to the 11th, Provodnikov's trainer Freddie Roach told his fighter that he needed a
knockout to win. In the 12th, Provodnikov almost got it, beating Bradley mercilessly
around the ring. As the round closed, Bradley took a knee, which
essentially ended the action of the fight. When the final bell sounded, both
fighters felt like they had done enough to win. The official scores were
115-112 and 114-113 (x 2), all for Bradley. (If Russell had correctly
ruled the knockdown in the first round, the fight would have been a draw.)
Bradley-Provodnikov exemplified
the best of boxing. Many fighters wouldn't have made it out of the first
round, yet Bradley somehow overcame four rounds of intense and
sustained beatings to pull out the victory. Bradley demonstrated that he
had the attributes (heart, skills, courage and determination) that separate elite
talents from the merely good ones. He ended 2013 back in boxing fans' good
graces. To be more accurate, with his showing against Provodnikov and his
subsequent victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, Bradley's status has never
been higher in the sport.
Provodnikov seized
his moment. He didn't shrink from the bright lights. After getting outboxed and
hit hard through many portions of the fight, he persevered for all 12 rounds,
convinced his trainer not to stop the match and almost secured one of the
most impressive knockout victories of the modern age. His performances against
Bradley and Mike Alvarado, later in the year, signaled that he was a major
force to be reckoned with in the welterweight ranks. One really refreshing attribute of Provodnikov is his refusal to make excuses. He didn't complain about fighting at a higher weight against Bradley or squaring off against Alvarado at a disadvantageous high altitude. He just put his head down and landed punishing blows.
Previous
SNB Fights of the Year:
2012:
Pacquiao-Marquez IV
2011:
Rios-Acosta
__________________________________________________________________
Knockout of the Year: Stephen Smith KO 5 Gary Buckland
Now
that's a nasty shot! In August, rising prospect Stephen "Swifty"
Smith faced the capable Gary Buckland for a British super
featherweight title. Through the first four rounds, the action was fairly even.
To that point, it was a well fought if slightly pedestrian contest. But in the
fifth, Smith slipped a jab to the outside and then BAMMMMM! He connected with
one of the best counter right uppercuts you will ever see. Buckland remained
face down on the canvas for several moments after the fight and Smith had his signature
moment of his career – pure devastation.
Previous
SNB Knockouts of the Year:
2012:
Juan Manuel Marquez KO 6 Manny Pacquiao
2011:
Takashi Uchiyama TKO 11 Jorge Solis
_________________________________________________________
Round
of the Year: Tim Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov Round 12
The
first two minutes of the final round of Bradley-Provodnikov were rather
non-descript. Bradley's trainer, Joel Diaz, correctly informed his fighter
prior to the round that Provodnikov would be gunning for the knockout. In the
other corner, Provodnikov knew exactly what he needed to do to win the fight.
Provodnikov started the round stalking Bradley with lead left hooks, but
Bradley evaded most of the damage, using the ring and firing back quick
combinations to stay out of harm's way.
However,
at just over the two-minute mark, Provodnikov landed a huge left hook that
drove Bradley across the ring to the ropes. The shot stunned Bradley but
he seemed to have his bearings. A few seconds later, Provodnikov landed
a powerful counter right hand that again sent Bradley back to the
ropes. Now Bradley was in real trouble. His legs were gone and he had no
strength left in his punches. Provodnikov connected with two more right hands
straight on the button. Bradley held on and then used the ring to try
and stave off further damage. Another left hook scored for Provodnikov and as
he was about to move in for the finish, Bradley took a knee.
Similar
to the thrilling ending of the 2012 Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight,
Bradley, so close to the final bell, needed to make it back on his feet to give himself a chance to win. By Pat Russell's eight-count,
Bradley rose and collected himself in the corner. Russell instructed Bradley to move forward. The champion nonchalantly gave a shrug and walked towards the referee. Russell inspected Bradley and let the
fight continue. Then, the final bell sounded.
This
fight had everything a boxing fan could ever want but the last round
passed my strict criteria for round of the year. Was I out of
my seat jumping up and down like an idiot? Of course I was. This final battle
between hunter and prey was the most thrilling action of 2013.
Previous
SNB Rounds of the Year:
2012: Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Round 12
2012: Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Round 12
2011:
Hernan Marquez-Luis Concepcion I Round 1
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Upset of the Year: Jhonny Gonzalez KO 1 Abner Mares
From
2010 to 2013 Abner Mares faced a Murderer's Row of opposition, including Yonnhy
Perez, Vic Darchinyan, Joseph Agbeko, Anselmo Moreno and Daniel Ponce de Leon. Winning belts in three divisions, Mares had established himself
as one of the sport's elite fighters. For his first featherweight
title defense, Mares was given a supposed softer touch with the
32-year-old Jhonny Gonzalez, a powerful fighter, but one who had lost to Ponce
de Leon in 2012 and had been knocked out three times previously. Going into the
fight, Mares was anywhere from an 8-1 to 12-1 favorite.
However,
no one told Gonzalez that he was in Carson, California to lose. Working with
Hall of Fame trainer Nacho Beristain, Gonzalez immediately landed a punch which
forever changed the fortunes of the two fighters. Cocking his left arm
slightly down and to the side, Gonzalez was signaling a forthcoming left
hook to the body, Mares dropped his right hand to prepare for the punch. Instead,
Gonzalez went upstairs with the left hook, sending Mares down to the canvas
violently. Mares beat the count and the fight continued, but Gonzalez jumped on
him with a series of power shots putting Mares on the canvas again. Ref Jack Reiss
took a long look at Mares on the ground and waved off the fight. In a brief sequence, one of the top young fighters of the sport was sent back to the drawing board.
Previous
SNB Upset of the Year:
2012:
Sonny Boy Jaro TKO 6 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
_________________________________________________________
Trainer of the Year: Kenny Porter
In
my estimation, a trainer has four main responsibilities: 1. Ensure that
his fighter is in peak mental and physical conditioning for a fight. 2.
Continue to make improvements with his fighter. 3. Concoct
and implement a game plan for each fight. 4. If needed, make critical
adjustments during the fight. With these considerations in mind, I don't
believe that any trainer had a better year than Kenny Porter, who took his son,
Shawn Porter, from welterweight afterthought to champion in 2013.
Shawn
Porter had a ho-hum 2012. He failed to impress in a workmanlike decision
against journeyman Alfonso Gomez and engaged in a spirited draw against former
lightweight titlist Julio Diaz, a fighter long thought to have been past his
expiration date. In the Diaz fight, Porter mixed in periods of dominance with
stretches of uncertainty. He seemed caught in-between styles, sometimes a
boxer, sometimes a slugger. The end result was something far less than
anticipated.
Porter
didn't fight again until May of 2013, when he stepped in against wildly
overmatched Phil Lo Greco, a club fighter whose gaudy undefeated record was
nothing more than smoke-and mirrors. Lo Greco showed a world-class ability to
take a beating, but nothing more.
In
September, Porter returned to the ring to square off against Diaz in a rematch. For
this fight, Porter had a much surer sense of his ring identity. He utilized his athleticism, boxing skills and sharp power punches to keep the
veteran Diaz at bay. As the fight progressed, Porter's class rose to the top.
It was a confident performance and one he could build off of.
For
his next fight, Porter found himself in a title shot against
Devon Alexander. Porter, a significant underdog, lacked the
world-class experience that Alexander had. To many boxing observers (myself included), this fight was seemingly a case of too much-too
soon for Porter.
However,
Kenny Porter had a brilliant game plan for the fight. Studying Alexander's loss
to Tim Bradley, Porter found the exact formula for how his son could impose his
will on Alexander. Porter even had his camp contact Joel Diaz, Bradley's
trainer, to get additional pointers for facing Alexander.
From
the opening bell, Porter jumped on Alexander with a display of power punches,
mugging on the inside and a high work rate. Alexander seemed incapable of
keeping the more spirited Porter from coming forward. Using the combination of
his athleticism and power punches, Porter swarmed Alexander and made him uncomfortable throughout the first five rounds.
But
by the sixth, Alexander started to get his sea legs and worked his way into
the fight. Porter's work rate started to drop. As the fight progressed,
Alexander appeared to be the fresher combatant.
However,
Kenny Porter would not let victory slip away. Goading his son prior to the
championship rounds, Porter exclaimed how the fight was still in the balance and emphasized that Shawn needed to close strongly. Shawn immediately responded and found
his second wind. He had two big closing rounds to earn the victory, securing his
first world title.
Ultimately,
Kenny Porter had the perfect game plan to help his son become champion. However,
when self-doubt, fatigue or the enormity of the moment may have crawled into the mind
of the fighter, Porter showed the urgency needed to push his charge over the top. It was a masterful performance. There
certainly were bigger-name trainers than Porter in 2013, but there wasn't
a better one.
Previous
SNB Trainers of the Year:
2012:
Robert McCracken
2011:
Robert Garcia
_______________________________________________________
Promoter
of the Year: (Tie) Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank Promotions
The
two major American promoters both had excellent years in 2013.
Golden Boy put together the highest grossing pay per view of all time with
"The One," headlined by Mayweather-Alvarez. Even though Golden Boy
was kicked off of HBO in 2013, the company responded by making some of the more
memorable fight cards of the year, including the wonderful Knockout Kings II
during the summer and Broner-Maidana to end the year. The company also started a new biweekly boxing series on FS1, which has yielded mixed results to this point, but the series could certainly become a platform for sterling fights in the future.
With its deep stable of fighters, a commitment to exciting boxing cards and an ability to expand boxing's reach for the company's biggest attractions, Golden Boy has demonstrated forward thinking in the sport and has generated a lot of momentum in the boxing world.
With its deep stable of fighters, a commitment to exciting boxing cards and an ability to expand boxing's reach for the company's biggest attractions, Golden Boy has demonstrated forward thinking in the sport and has generated a lot of momentum in the boxing world.
Top
Rank had my fight of the year in 2013 (Bradley-Provodnikov), perhaps the second
best fight of the year (Rios-Alvarado II) and a number of other solid scraps in the past 12 months. In addition, with Vasyl Lomachenko (who might win a world title
next year in his second pro fight), Felix Verdejo and Oscar Valdez, Top Rank
clearly signed up the most impressive talents from the 2012 Olympics. From a strategic standpoint, perhaps its most important new fighter is Zou
Shiming, the Chinese gold medalist. Featuring Shiming, Top Rank
held three fight cards in the gambling Mecca of Macau (including
Pacquiao-Rios), just a quick trip away from the Chinese mainland.
By
working to build the Chinese professional boxing audience as well as further
cementing its status in Asian boxing, Top Rank positioned itself well in 2013
for future prosperity. Its talent pipeline has been replenished and the
company has realized more than any of its competitors that boxing stars can
come from anywhere. Becoming too reliant on American or North
American-born boxers runs the risk of myopia. Talent is talent. If it's
there, Top Rank has enough faith in its own capabilities that it can
produce the next wave of boxing stars, regardless of country of origin.
Previous SNB
Promoters of the Year:
2012:
Golden Boy Promotions
2011:
Top Rank Promotions
___________________________________________________
Network of the Year: Showtime
Sure,
landing Floyd Mayweather was a big coup for Showtime and it immediately paid
off dividends for the network, which had the biggest two pay per views of the year.
Previously, HBO was thought of as a far superior entity in terms of successful
pay per views. What Showtime demonstrated with this change was that it could certainly compete with HBO in helping to maximize revenue for big events.
But two fights don't make a network; with that said, Showtime produced one of its best years in boxing. Investing heavily in its product, Showtime saw double-digit gains in ratings for 2013 and set new internal viewership records for a number of its fights.
But two fights don't make a network; with that said, Showtime produced one of its best years in boxing. Investing heavily in its product, Showtime saw double-digit gains in ratings for 2013 and set new internal viewership records for a number of its fights.
Working
exclusively with Golden Boy as lead promoter, Showtime,
led by boxing head Stephen Espinoza, insisted on asserting quality control
for its telecasts. The network refused to let Golden Boy's "Most Favored Nation" status drag down its overall product, which had happened previously in the sport when similar exclusive network-promoter arrangements existed. After the first quarter of the year, Showtime hardly
had a misstep. In addition, Showtime also raised the bar on American airwaves by
filling its telecasts with three and four title fights as well as showing key
undercard matches on one of its other networks. Finally, with Al Bernstein and
Paulie Malignaggi, Showtime can now boast of having the best two fight
analysts working on American television. Overall, it was a stellar year for the
network.
Previous
SNB Network of the Year:
2012:
BoxNation
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
Referee
of the Year: Tony Weeks
Nevada-based
Tony Weeks has long been regarded as one of the best referees in boxing. His decisive work in Danny Garcia-Lucas Matthysse illustrates
why this reputation is deserved. After Garcia closed Matthysse's eye in the seventh round from
a left hook, Weeks continued to let Matthysse fight on. Matthysse would later demonstrate
in both the 11th and 12 rounds that he had more than enough ability, even in
a diminished state, to win the fight. In the 11th round, Matthysse got
tangled up in the ropes and as he re-emerged, Garcia landed a chopping
left hook that sent Matthysse to the canvas. It was a slight shot but Weeks
made the correct call by scoring a knockdown.
Finally, in the 12th, with the fight potentially in the balance, Weeks demonstrated no hesitation in issuing a point deduction for a flagrant low blow by Garcia. Again, Weeks made the correct call and wasn't awed by the big stage in the slightest. He did his job with aplomb and helped to preserve a clean and fair fight.
Finally, in the 12th, with the fight potentially in the balance, Weeks demonstrated no hesitation in issuing a point deduction for a flagrant low blow by Garcia. Again, Weeks made the correct call and wasn't awed by the big stage in the slightest. He did his job with aplomb and helped to preserve a clean and fair fight.
Weeks
also officiated two of the better fights of the year in Alvarado-Provodnikov
and Rios-Alvarado II. Weeks did right by Alvarado by letting him
continue after getting knocked down twice in the eighth. The referee was also a wonderfully
unobtrusive presence during Rios-Alvarado II, a fight that featured some of the
best inside combat of the year. All around, it was a great 2013 for Weeks.
Previous
SNB Referee of the Year:
2012:
Eddie Claudio
Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com
@snboxing on twitter
Follow Saturday Night Boxing on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SaturdayNightBoxing
Adam Abramowitz is the head writer and founder of saturdaynightboxing.com.
He is also a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
Contact Adam at saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com
@snboxing on twitter
Follow Saturday Night Boxing on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SaturdayNightBoxing
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