[PilotMan]

Fighter of the Year Awards

The fighter of the year is given to the fighter who, chosen by the media have accomplished the most and shown that they are a force to be reckoned with in their weight class. Each weight division has a fighter of the year and from that group there is one fighter who is singled out as the best that boxing has to offer. Without further ado.

Flyweight - Mauro Martinez 29-0-0(19)

Martinez is currently the #1 ranked challenger to the flyweight title. He has won 4 fights this year 2 of them by KO. At the beginning of the year he was ranked #12 and with victories over Pancho Villa, Rommel Gamboa, Zosimo Diaz, and Rocky Cubillas. He has no scheduled opponent.

Bantamweight - Job Reyes 18-0-1(11)

I would argue that Xavier Firth should be the winner here, but alas, I don’t get to make the decisions. Reyes is currently the #1 contender to the bantamweight title. He started year as the #4 ranked Bantamweight and through victories against Masakane Fukushima, and Joselito Pana, he has move up. His last fight was a draw against Bimbo Melchor. His next opponent is yet to be determined.

Featherweight - Calvin Calvert 18-3-0(16)

Calvert is the #1 contender to the Featherweight title. He started the year ranked #4, and was undefeated in 4 fights. His victories over Arnulfo Guerrero, Sandy Saddler, Vicente Salvidar, and Ray O’ Reagan. Two of those victories were by KO. He is scheduled to fight Willie Pep the second week of February.

Lightweight - Pernell Whitaker 41-1-1(17)

Whitaker was undefeated in 4 fights this year, and started the year as the #14 contender to the title. He finished as the #3 contender to the title. His rise through the division was led with victories over Sean Apted, Dennis Smyth, Augustin Garza, and finished with a 3^rd round KO of Yasushi Nitta. He has not scheduled his next fight.

Welterweight - Oscar de la Hoya 34-0-0(26)

The Golden Boy had a good year, and is currently ranked as the #3 Welterweight in the world. He won four fights this year and two of them by TKO. He has been ranked high all year as he started ranked #4. His victories have been against: Kid Gavalin, Yoshiaki Kabayashi, Francisco Lacierva, and Saul Rodriguez. He is going to fight Charles Norris in February of 2006.

Middleweight - Anthony Hardy 45-2-0(15)

Hardy is the #1 contender to the Middleweight crown. He was ranked #12 at the start of the year, and moved up quickly with wins over Jake LaMotta, and Mike McCallum. Recently his victories over Karl Upchurch, and Jose Antonio Mendez have propelled him to his lofty rank in the Middleweight class. His next opponent is yet to be determined.

Light Heavyweight - Virgil Hill 48-3-0(25)

Virgil has made the biggest leap of any of the fighters of the year this year. He started the year ranked #17 and has moved all the way up to the #2 contender for the title. He has won 4 fights this year, and 3 have been by KO or TKO. His victims have been Julian Yates, Kelly Schofield, Billy Conn, and Roger Stewart. He is scheduled to face Roy Jones Jr next week.

Heavyweight - Joe Louis 71-3-0(57)

Louis has been one tough customer winning 3 fights this year. He has been the number one contender to the title for the whole year. The champ has done a good job staying away from the Louis. All three of his wins have come by way of KO or TKO. His victims have been Errol Hargreaves, Jack Johnson, and Paddy Sexton. He does not have a future fight scheduled.



And the Fighter of the Year for all of boxing is.......





Mauro Martinez (Flyweight)





A bit of controversy on this one, I must say. But congrats to him all the same.