By Gerardo Granados: I believe that the reader will agree with me when I say that I am glad that 2020 is finally over. This year, the forced long months’ lockdown is causing more damage to the small businesses than the virus itself.
The boxing industry is taking a hit too, and the prizefighters haven´t had the chance to fight that often this year. I hope that 2021 will allow us to fight fans to attend the local boxing events, so our local fighters can earn a living.
This was an atypical boxing year all around, none the less we still got enough fights to consider candidates for the year-end awards.
This year, Canelo Alvarez broke free from Golden Boy Promotions and was released from the ridiculous record high pay DAZN contract, after having sued them and solved his situation in just two months.
The summer 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide lockdown, so the amateur boxers might have to wait until the summer of 2021 or opt to turn pros.
I have never heard a paramedic, a fireman, or a soldier, brag about their risky professions.
But this year I saw a so-called boxing big name who is really skilled to do so, to be honest, he is as skilled as he is boring. He complained about the risks to his health he took inside the ring and was trashing fight fans on social media.
I guess this Diva should stop complaining about fight fans and start to give us entertaining fights. Even his promoter stated how boring he is. To see a boxer brag about the risk he takes inside the ring is annoying because many boxers have fought in the past without never complain, even less after making six-figure paydays per fight.
This 2020 we, the real fight fans, also saw how the new trend of soft boxing pseudo fans praised a quitter.
What bothered me the most is to see boxing major media puppets trying to make it right to quit to protect a quitter boxing career.
MMA and pro boxing are different animals, but still, in MMA, their fighters aren’t allowed to quit. Yes, they tap, but it is only to avoid a serious permanent injury.
The worst part of 2020 was to see how the circus tuber fights are promoted as if these aficionados deserved such attention from the major boxing outlets. Disgusting.
Ladies and Gentlemen, and to all the savage blood-thirsty fight fans, I present the 2020 Boxingnews24 Awards to you.
The robbery of the year goes to the Rolando Romero 12 round decision theft against Jackson Marinez. Special mention to the Reymart Gaballo gift win over Emmanuel Rodriguez.
The mismatch of the year goes to Siniesa Estrada knockout of Miranda Adkins in just seven seconds. Terrible matchmaking and even worse to see they allowed the inexperienced, unqualified contender to fight for any title, even if it was for a paper belt. Special mention to the Gennady Golovkin mismatch against a supposed mandatory IBF challenger Kamil Szeremeta.
The trainer of the year goes to Eddy Reynoso, for the constant improvement of his main boxer Canelo Alvarez. Trainer Reynoso has become, in just a few years, an elite level and savvy boxing trainer.
The upset of the year goes to Jessica McCaskill’s victory over the first lady of boxing Cecilia Braekhus.
The knockout of the year award goes to the WBA – IBF light welter title fight of Josh Taylor’s first-round knockout to Apinun Khongsong, the left to the liver was accurate, and Apinum´s agony was beautiful to watch, and also is a thing not easy to forget. Special mention to Aleksandr Povetkin knockout of Dillian Whyte and Gervonta Davis knockout of Leo Santa Cruz.
The female fighter of the year goes to Jessica McCaskill. Caskilla moved from 140 to 147 to dethrone Braekhus by Majority Decision last August to become the world’s undisputed welterweight champion. Jessica was there to fight and to win. I believe that Jessica won because she wanted it more than Braekhus.
The fighter of the year goes to Teofimo Lopez. The young, hungry lion beat the matrix Vasyl Lomachenko to become the undisputed lightweight champion of the world.
The fight of the year goes to the WBC 140 eliminatory of Jose Zepeda vs. Ivan Baranchyk’s five-round battle. Both boxers showed heart, hunger, determination, and the pride of a ring warrior. Thank you for keeping pro boxing honest. If the reader hasn’t seen this fight, I strongly suggest you search for it and enjoy it.
As always, I want to thank all the anonymous fighters, whom all around the world deliver to us the fight fans great fights to watch. To them, to the award winners, and especially to the readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year. God bless you all.