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DECEMBER

Dec. 3

At Costa Mesa, Calif.: Adan Mares vs. Pedro Lopez, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Malcolm McAllistervs. Michael Faulk, 6 rounds, middleweights; Ruslan Madiyev vs. Thomas Herrera, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Flavio Rodriguez vs. Clint Coronel, 4 rounds, junior middleweights; Luis Bello vs. TBA, 6 rounds, welterweights; Jaime Ocegueda vs. Ruben Ozuna, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Kevin Watts vs. Manuel Lopez, 6 rounds, welterweights; Tevin Watts vs. Kareem Martin, 6 rounds, welterweights; Tugstsogy Nyambayar vs. TBA, 8 rounds, featherweights; Anthony Flores vs. Luis Arceo, 8 rounds, junior welterweights; Virgilijus Stapulionis vs. Cesar Vila, 8 rounds, junior middleweights; Stephen Shaw vs. TBA, 6 rounds, heavyweights

Dec. 4

At Los Angeles (Estrella TV/Ringtv.com): Christian Gonzalez vs. TBA, 8 rounds, junior lightweights; Emilio Sanchez vs. TBA, 8 rounds, junior featherweights; Ivan Delgado vs. Jose Bustos, 6 rounds, junior lightweights; Nick Arce vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior lightweights; Joshua Franco vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior bantamweights; Pablo Rubio Jr. vs. TBA, 4 rounds, junior featherweights

At Fort Washington, Md.: Mykal Fox vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior welterweights; Mario Munoz vs. TBA, 8 rounds, featherweights; Thomas Snow vs. TBA, 8 rounds, featherweights; Charles Natal vs. Grayson Blake, 6 rounds, welterweights; Junior Castillo vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior middleweights; Chris Warden vs. TBA, 4 rounds, welterweights; Shynggyskhan Tazhibay vs. TBA, 4 rounds, welterweights; Sam Crossed vs. TBA, 4 rounds, cruiserweights; Santario Martin vs. Nicholas Hernandez, 4 rounds, middleweights

At TBA, South Africa: Xolisani Ndongeni vs. Juan Pablo Sanchez, 12 rounds, lightweights

Dec. 5

At New York (Showtime/Showtime Extreme): Daniel Jacobs vs. Peter Quillin, 12 rounds, for Jacobs' WBA "regular" middleweight title; Jesus Cuellar vs. Jonathan Oquendo, 12 rounds, for Cuellar's WBA "regular" featherweight title; Chris Algieri vs. Erick Bone, 10 rounds, welterweights; Marcus Browne vs. Francisco Sierra, 8 or 10 rounds, light heavyweights; Yuri Foreman vs. Lenwood Dozier, 8 rounds, junior middleweights; Heather Hardy vs. Noemi Bosques, 8 rounds, female featherweights; Will Rosinsky vs. Joe Smith Jr., 10 rounds, light heavyweights; Titus Williams vs. TBA, 4 rounds, junior lightweights; Gary Stark, Jr. vs. Carlos Valcarcel, 6 rounds, featherweights; John Hernandez vs. Jack Grady, 4 rounds, lightweights

At Kissimmee, Fla. (HBO Latino): Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. vs. Rafael Rivera, 10 rounds, featherweights; Dusty Hernandez-Harrison vs. Steve Claggett, 10 rounds, welterweights; Alexander Brand vs. Medzhid Bektemirov, 10 rounds, light heavyweights

At Fresno, Calif. (UniMas): Jose Ramirez vs. Johnny Garcia, 8 rounds, junior welterweights; Andy Vences vs. Manuel Rojas, 8 rounds, lightweights; Andy Ruiz vs. TBA, 8 rounds, heavyweights; Joe Louie Lopez vs. Dave Courchaine, 4 rounds, middleweights; Emilio Hernandez vs. Alex Rojas, 4 rounds, junior welterweights; Eduardo Domingues vs. Saul Lomas, 4 rounds, lightweights; Eric Altamirano vs. Ricardo Maldonado, 4 rounds, lightweights; Guy Robb vs. Juan Ruiz, 8 rounds, featherweights

At Guanajuato, Mexico (beIN Sports Espanol): Francisco Rodriguez vs. Moises Fuentes, 10 rounds, flyweights

At Hamburg, Germany: Jack Culcay vs. Dennis Hogan, 12 rounds, for Culcay's WBA interim junior middleweight title

At Los Mochis, Mexico: Jhonny Gonzalez vs. Futa Nakagishi, 10 rounds, junior lightweights; Alberto Guevara vs. Arturo Santos, 10 rounds, bantamweights; Karim Arce vs. TBA, 4 rounds, junior bantamweights

At Hamilton, New Zealand: Joseph Parker vs. Daniel Martz, 12 rounds, heavyweights

At Kiev, Ukraine: Oleg Yefimovich vs. Rudy Encarnacion, 12 rounds, for vacant European featherweight title

At TBA, Namibia: Paulus Ambunda vs Jason Cooper, 12 rounds, junior featherweights

At Carshalton, England: Lenny Daws vs. Ruben Nieto, 12 rounds, for vacant European junior welterweight title

At Walsall, England: Joe Hughes vs. Anthony Upton vs. 10 rounds, junior welterweights

At Atlantic City, N.J.: Thomas LaManna vs. Ariel Vasquez, 8 rounds, welterweights; Anthony Young vs. Anthony Prescott, 6 rounds, welterweights; Angel Concepcion vs. TBA, 4 rounds, light heavyweights; John Lennox vs. Willis Lockett, 6 rounds, heavyweights; Alvin Vermall vs. Brian Donahue, 4 rounds, cruiserweights; Julio Acero vs. Quian Davis, 4 rounds, cruiserweights; Edgar Cortes vs. TBA, 4 rounds, bantamweights

Dec. 7

At Hua Hin, Thailand: Amnat Ruenreong vs. Myung Ho Lee, 12 rounds, for Ruenreong's IBF flyweight title

Dec. 8

At Trenton, N.J. (PBC on Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes): Juan Dominguez vs. Yenifel Vicente, 10 rounds, featherweights; Keith Tapia vs. Garrett Wilson, 10 rounds, cruiserweights; Immanuwel Aleem vs. Carlos Galvan, 8 rounds, middleweights

Dec. 11

At San Juan, Puerto Rico (truTV): Felix Verdejo vs. TBA, 10 rounds, lightweights; Nonito Donaire vs. Cesar Juarez, 12 rounds, for vacant WBO junior featherweight title

At Houston (Showtime): Regis Prograis vs Abel Ramos, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Bryant Cruz vs. Wesley Ferrer, 8 rounds, lightweights; Ivan Baranchyk vs. Andrew Ruiz, 8 rounds, junior welterweights; Steed Woodall vs. Steve Rolls, 8 rounds, middleweights

At Parsippany, N.J.: Jerry Odom vs. Michael Mitchell, 8 rounds, light heavyweights; Ian Green vs. Jamie Campbell, 6 rounds, middleweights; Arturo Trujillo vs. TBA, 6 rounds, welterweights; DeLoren Carraway vs. TBA, 4 rounds, welterweights; Hector Frometa vs. Drew Morais, 4 rounds, welterweights; Leon Johnson vs. Rex Harris, 4 rounds, cruiserweights; Oscar Bonilla vs. Bienvenido Diaz, 4 round, lightweights; Hakim Bryant vs. TBA, 4 rounds, middleweights; Cassius Chaney vs. TBA, 4 rounds, heavyweights; Dustin Fleischer vs. TBA, 4 rounds, welterweights

At Kobe, Japan: Hozumi Hasegawa vs. Carlos Machuca, 10 rounds, featherweights; Etsuko Tada vs. Kareli Lopez, 10 rounds, female flyweights

Dec. 12

At San Antonio (NBC/NBC Sports Net): Omar Figueroa vs. Antonio DeMarco, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Dominic Breazeale vs. Charles Martin, 10 rounds, heavyweights; Chris Arreola vs. Travis Kauffman, 10 rounds, heavyweights; Victor Ortiz vs. TBA, 10 rounds, welterweights; Terrell Gaushavs. TBA, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Hugo Centeno vs. TBA, 10 rounds, middleweights; Brandon Figueroa vs. TBA, 4 rounds, junior featherweights; Marrio Barrios vs. TBA, 8 rounds, junior lightweights; Justin DeLoach vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior middleweights; Semajay Thomas vs. TBA, 6 rounds, welterweights; Rickey Edwards vs. TBA, 6 rounds, junior welterweights

At Glendale, Calif. (HBO Latino): Pedro Campa vs. Aaron Herrera, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Sullivan Barrera vs. Karo Murat, 12 rounds, IBF light heavyweight eliminator; Arif Magomedev vs. Jonathan Tavira, 10 rounds, middleweights; Egidijus Kavaliauskas vs. Pablo Munguia, 8 rounds, welterweights

At Tucson, Ariz. (UniMas): Oscar Valdez vs. Ernie Sanchez, 10 rounds, featherweights; Jose Benavidez Jr. vs. Sidney Siqueira, 10 rounds, welterweights; Jesse Hart vs. TBA, 8 rounds, super middleweights; Esquiva Falcao vs. TBA, 8 rounds, middleweights; Alex Saucedo vs. TBA, 8 rounds, junior welterweights

At Tijuana, Mexico (beIN Sports Espanol): Yazmin Rivas vs. Catherine Phiri, 10 rounds, female bantamweights

At London: Anthony Joshua vs. Dillian Whyte, 12 rounds, for Joshua's Commonwealth and vacant British heavyweight titles; Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan, 12 rounds, WBA middleweight title eliminator; Tony Bellew vs. Mateusz Masternak, 12 rounds, for vacant European cruiserweight title; Kevin Mitchell vs. Ismael Barroso, 12 rounds, for vacant WBA interim lightweight title; Luke Campbell vs. TBA, 10 or 12 rounds, lightweights; Josh Warrington vs. Jorge Sanchez, 12 rounds, featherweights

At Baton Rouge, La.: Travis Scott vs. David Lujan, 8 rounds, middlweights; Justin Thomas vs. Billy Bailey, 8 rounds, super middlweights; Henry Allen vs. Devon Jones, 4 rounds, junior lightweights; Sammy Parker vs. Lanny Dardar, 4 rounds, light heavyweights; Cole Crumpler vs. Antonio Gonzales, 4 rounds, featherweights; Harris Tucker vs. TBA, 4 rounds, heavyweights

At Copenhagen, Denmark: Patrick Nielsen vs. Rudy Markussen, 12 rounds, super middleweights; Dennis Ceylan vs. TBA, 8 or 10 rounds, featherweights

Dec. 16

At Kyoto, Japan: Shohei Omori vs. Marlon Tapales, 12 rounds, WBO bantamweight eliminator; Kota Tokunaga vs. Kazuhiro Ni****ani, 10 rounds, lightweights

Dec. 17

At Panama City, Panama: Luis Concepcion vs. Giovani Segura, 12 rounds, for Concepcion's WBA interim junior bantamweight title; Jezreel Corrales vs. Juan Antonio Rodriguez, 12 rounds, for vacant WBA interim junior lightweight title; Ricardo Nunez vs. Rafael Mensah, 10 rounds, lightweights; Jaime Arboleda vs. Sandro Hernandez, 9 rounds, junior lightweights

Dec. 18

At Las Vegas (Spike TV): Denis Shafikov vs. Rances Barthelemy, 12 rounds, for vacant IBF lightweight title; Beibut Shumenov vs. Krzyzstof Wlodarczyk, 12 rounds, for Shumenov's WBA interim cruiserweight title; Chris Pearson vs. Aaron Garcia, 8 rounds, junior middleweights; Gervonta Davis vs. Luis Sanchez, 10 rounds, lightweights; Mickey Bey vs. Niam Nelson, 10 rounds, lightweights; Ishe Smith vs. Tommy Rainone, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Ronald Gavril vs. TBA, 8 or 10 rounds, super middleweights; Brian Castano vs. TBA, 10 rounds, junior middleweights; Fabian Maidana vs. TBA, 8 rounds, welterweights

At Indio, Calif. (Estrella TV): Joseph Diaz vs. Hugo Partida, 10 rounds,featherweights; Rene Alvarado vs. Andrew Cancio, 10 rounds, featherweights; Taishan Dong vs. Daniel Arambula, 4 rounds, heavyweights

At Sydney, Australia: Vic Darchinyan vs. Cris Paulino, 10 rounds, junior featherweights

Dec. 19

At Verona, N.Y. (HBO/HBO Latino): Luis Ortiz vs. Bryant Jennings, 12 rounds, for Ortiz's WBA interim heavyweight title; Nicholas Walters vs. Jason Sosa, 10 rounds, junior lightweights; Gabriel Rosado vs. Joshua Clottey, 10 rounds, middleweights; Yunieski Gonzalez vs. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy, 10 rounds, light heavyweights; Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. TBA, 10 rounds, lightweights

At Manchester, England (Showtime): Andy Lee vs. Billy Joe Saunders, 12 rounds, for Lee's WBO middleweight title; Liam Smith vs. Jimmy Kelly, 12 rounds, for Smith's WBO junior middleweight title; Liam Williams vs. Kris Carslaw, 12 rounds, for Williams' Commonwealth and vacant British junior middleweight titles; Paul Butler vs. Silvio Olteanu, 12 rounds, junior bantamweights; Jack Catteral vs. TBA, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Mitchell Smith vs. George Jupp, 10 rounds, junior lightweights; Tom Stalker vs. Craig Evans, rematch, 10 rounds, lightweights; Tommy Langford vs. TBA, 10 rounds, middleweights; Adrian Gonzalez vs. TBA, 10 rounds, lightweights; Derry Matthews vs. TBA, 10 or 12 rounds, lightweights; Vijender Singh vs. TBA, 4 rounds, middleweights

At Merida, Mexico (beIN Sports Espanol): Miguel Berchelt vs. TBA, 10 rounds, junior lightweights; Daniel Sandoval vs. TBA, 10 rounds, junior middleweights

At Helsinki, Finland: Erkan Teper vs. Robert Helenius, 12 rounds, for Teper's European heavyweight title

At Nyköping, Sweden: Erik Skoglund vs. Derek Edwards, 12 rounds, light heavyweights

Dec. 29

At Tokyo: Naoya Inoue vs. Warlito Parrenas, 12 rounds, for Inoue's WBO junior bantamweight title; Javier Mendoza vs. Akira Yaegashi, 12 rounds, for Mendoza's IBF junior flyweight title; Takuma Inoue vs. Rene Dacquel, 12 rounds, junior bantamweights; Satoshi Hosono vs. Akifumi Shimoda, 10 rounds, featherweights

Dec. 31

At Tokyo: Takashi Uchiyama vs. Oliver Flores, 12 rounds, for Uchiyama's WBA junior lightweight title; Ryoichi Taguchi vs. Luis De La Rosa, 12 rounds, for Taguchi's WBA junior flyweight title

At Nagoya, Japan: Kosei Tanaka vs. Vic Saludar, 12 rounds, for Tanaka's WBO strawweight title

At Osaka, Japan: Kazuto Ioka vs. Juan Carlos Reveco, rematch, 12 rounds, for Ioka's WBA "regular" flyweight title; Katsunari Takayama vs. Jose Argumedo, 12 rounds, for Takayama's IBF strawweight title; Takahiro Yamamoto vs. Yuki Strong Kobayashi, 12 rounds, bantamweights; Sho Ishida vs. Ryuta Otsuka, 12 rounds, junior bantamweights
 
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Manny Pacquiao: #LetsMakeFistory.

As 2014 came to a close on Wednesday, Manny Pacquiao continued to publicly chase the fight that he and most of the sports world want most -- a showdown with pound-for-pound king and fellow welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), who turned 36 on Dec. 17, has been way more vocal in recent months about his desire to make what would easily be the richest fight in boxing history, and on Wednesday he tweeted to Mayweather yet again, saying it was time for the two all-time greats, both in the twilight of their careers, to get together and make the fight.

The ball will drop at midnight to usher in 2015. @FloydMayweather let's not drop the ball on fighting each other next year! #LetsMakeFistory

— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) December 31, 2014
Pacquiao spoke often of his desire for the fight during the lead-up to his Nov. 22 demolition of Chris Algieri and even made a Foot Locker commercial spoofing the quagmire the sides have been in. The fight has gone unmade since 2009, when it was first discussed, only to fall apart after everything but drug-testing protocol had been agreed to.

On Dec. 16, Pacquiao also tweeted to Mayweather, "Don't be a boxing humbug. Let's give the fans the fight they want. They have waited long enough."

Behind the scenes, there have been recent discussions between Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank and Leslie Moonves, the head of CBS, which has two fights left on a six-fight contract that CBS and subsidiary network Showtime signed Mayweather to in early 2013.

For it to happen, CBS/Showtime, which has Mayweather under contract, and Time Warner/HBO, which has Pacquiao under contract, likely would have to come together for a joint pay-per-view broadcast. They did it once before, in 2002, for another long-anticipated fight between HBO's then-heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Showtime's Mike Tyson. Both were near the end of their careers, and the fight became was the highest-grossing fight in boxing history at the time.

Even if Arum and Moonves can come to an agreement on the parameters of a deal -- and the Pacquiao side is clear that it is willing to accept less than 50 percent of the money -- Moonves still has to persuade Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs), who will turn 38 on Feb. 24, to make a deal.

So far it does not appear that there has been any serious movement on the Mayweather side even though Mayweather said in a Showtime interview on Dec. 12 that he wanted the fight and wanted it to happen on May 2.

"We are ready. Let's make it happen May 2. Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao. Let's do it," Mayweather said in the interview. However, in the same interview, Mayweather put up other obstacles, including saying that the fight had to be a Showtime pay-per-view.

Big fights we could see in 2015.

Looking back on the year that was for boxing doesn't necessarily summon the fondest of emotions.

With too many pay-per-views and an obnoxious amount of mismatches on pay cable, 2014 will likely be remembered as the forgettable hangover to a spectacular 2013 that featured nonstop action, surprises and marquee matchups.

2014 ESPN boxing awards
ESPN.com is rolling out its year-end boxing awards.

Dec. 22: Fighter of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 23: Round of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 24: Prospect of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 26: KO of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 29: Fight of Year » Vote » MTR »
Still, the dawning of a new year brings forth its own amount of optimism. And with that in mind, here's a look at the best fights that realistically could be made in 2015.

You won't see the obvious No. 1 choice of Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao in this countdown. Not only is it still relatively difficult to make politically -- although clearly not impossible -- I'm not convinced Mayweather adviser Al Haymon and Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum will ever actually sit down and negotiate a proper split of the purse.

You also won't see any fights with obvious hurdles that have yet to be cleared, including the pairing of a Haymon-represented fighter with anyone promoted by Top Rank or under an exclusive deal with HBO.

What you will see, though, are 10 realistic and exciting fights not currently signed that we very well could see in 2015:

1. Miguel Cotto-Canelo Alvarez

Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez
Getty Images
If there's a substitute fight for Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto vs. Canelo Alvarez has to be it.
It's Puerto Rico versus Mexico. It's young versus old for the lineal middleweight title. It's also the best realistic matchup that can be made in 2015 and a true 50/50 fight between two of the sport's biggest brands. Whether or not Mayweather can spoil this proposed Cinco de Mayo party in the 11th hour by deftly securing a Pacquiao fight or by luring Cotto into a big-money rematch remains to be seen. But this remains the only matchup with enough combined star power to upstage any Mayweather or Pacquiao fight not involving each other.
2. Gennady Golovkin vs. the world

Gennady Golovkin.
Courtesy Tom Hogan
Gennady Golovkin has many options in 2015, and most of them are worth waiting for.
You can pick anyone you want from a group of marquee names that the unbeaten middleweight titlist has been unsuccessful at luring into a big fight. But whether you prefer Cotto, Alvarez, Andre Ward or Carl Froch, the result is the same: GGG has boxing's undivided attention and all of boxing wants to see him in a big fight. Golovkin has spent the past two-plus years showing fans how good he is. But the bigger question that remains is just how great can he be? Very few fighters today have the potential to be both the sport's biggest draw and its best fighter at the same time. Golovkin is one of them.
3. Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez V

Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao
Al Bello/Getty Images
Can Juan Manuel Marquez beat Manny Pacquiao again? Nobody would say no to a fifth fight.
I know what you're thinking: You're sick of me talking about this fight. You have customer fatigue. You think it's another unnecessary rematch. You just want that "other" fight to finally happen. But do me a favor and watch their epic fourth meeting from 2012 one more time. And if your schedule affords, rewatch their first three fights, too. Pacquiao-Marquez is the best rivalry of the last 40 years. (Yes, you read that correctly.) And a fifth go-around between this pair of top-5 pound-for-pound fighters still means something. As long as Marquez's knee injury doesn't force him into retirement, this remains a massive fight.
4. Danny Garcia-Adrien Broner

Danny Garcia, Rod Salka
Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
Danny Garcia didn't have a great year in terms of big fights. Can a showdown against Adrien Broner help him restore his image?
If you prefer to substitute Lucas Matthysse or Lamont Peterson for either fighter, I wouldn't hold it against you. But the point of his matchup is to find clarity at 140 pounds within Haymon's star-studded stable. And with nearly all of Haymon's top-shelf clientele enjoying a year of infuriatingly soft matchmaking in prime pay-cable showcases, it's a need that holds an extra layer of urgency. For Garcia, the junior welterweight champion, there's no better way to restore the goodwill he lost in the court of public opinion in 2014 than to face a big name like the polarizing Broner. It's also a heck of a matchup on paper -- provided that pairing his star fighters against each other is part of Haymon's plan for 2015.
5. Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Amir Khan

Mayweather/Khan
Getty Images
If the Manny Pacquiao fight doesn't materialize, Floyd Mayweather Jr. could pick Amir Khan for a 147-pound duel.
We all want him to fight Pacquiao. But when you look at Mayweather's realistic pool of spring opponents, Khan is not only the most likely to land a fight, he's much more of a live underdog than most are willing to admit. Yes, in a perfect world void of boxing politics, there are more deserving candidates at 147 pounds. But Khan is far from undeserving. His shutout of Devon Alexander not only validated him as a viable welterweight, it showcased the kind of elite offensive skills that could prove to be kryptonite for a 38-year-old Mayweather in 2015.
6. Manny Pacquiao-Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford, Manny Pacquiao
AP Photos
Manny Pacquiao, right, should consider a fight against Terence Crawford if Floyd Mayweather Jr. decides to go in a different direction.
With Crawford, ESPN.com's 2014 fighter of the year, moving up in weight and Pacquiao's pool of viable opponents at 147 pounds ever shrinking, this crossroads showdown at junior welterweight has all the makings to be epic. In fact, the more Pacquiao comes up empty in his pursuit of Mayweather, the more likely you are to see it in 2015. Despite its vast commercial potential, it's a fight that still needs time to be properly built as the unbeaten Crawford continues to build his brand. But from a technical standpoint, this matchup is already about as good as it gets in the sport.
7. Carl Froch-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Froch/Chavez
Getty Images
A Carl Froch-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. super middleweight showdown has been in the works in 2014 and could finally happen in 2015.
Like more than a few fights eligible for this list, Froch-Chavez would've been a much bigger deal had it taken place two years ago. But there's still a certain timeless notion to the thought of seeing the erratic Chavez in a star-studded action fight. Froch is also the rare big name whose standing as a future Chavez opponent isn't ruined by the Mexican star's recent union with Haymon. Considering the rabid fan bases of both and the lack of retreat in their respective fighting styles, this is a potential can't-miss superfight.
8. Vasyl Lomachenko-Nicholas Walters

Nicholas Walters, Nonito Donaire
Chris Farina/Top Rank
After Nicholas Walters demolished Nonito Donaire in 2014, fight fans want to see what he can do against young Vasyl Lomachenko.
Fresh off his eye-opening stoppage of 2012 fighter of the year Nonito Donaire, the hard-punching Walters is on the verge of becoming the next big thing in an absolutely loaded featherweight division. Luckily for us, a title unification bout against the tough, technical prodigy Lomachenko is one promoter Top Rank is looking to make. This one not only has fun written all over it, the winner takes a huge step closer to becoming a star.
9. Roman Gonzalez-Juan Francisco Estrada II

Roman Gonzalez
TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP/Getty Images
A Roman Gonzalez rematch against Juan Francisco Estrada should be on top of the wish list in 2015.
In an alternate universe in which the smallest weight classes were featured on American television with the same level of promotion as their larger compadres, this hard-core fight fans' dream would be a candidate for the top spot on this list. Their all-action first meeting at junior flyweight in 2012 was another step in the unbeaten Gonzalez's journey toward P4P acceptance. But it also announced Estrada, the lone fighter "Chocolatito" was unable to finish inside the distance over his last 13 bouts, as a future star on the rise. Three years later, a rematch to unify flyweight belts would be must-see TV on any network.
10. Abner Mares-Leo Santa Cruz

Abner Mares, Jose Ramirez
Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy/Getty Images
Now healthy again, Abner Mares could find his way to face Leo Santa Cruz.
Admittedly, this pairing of exciting Mexican-born stars would've been much more mouthwatering in 2013, before Mares' knockout loss to Jhonny Gonzalez and the slow dimming of the unbeaten Santa Cruz's star through weak matchmaking. But the fight likely has its greatest chance of being made in the first half of 2015, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would turn down this enticing promise of guaranteed action.

Fighter of the year: Terence Crawford.

In 2013, lightweight Terence Crawford gave fight fans a glimpse of what was to come when he fearlessly moved up to junior welterweight to take an HBO-televised fight on short notice against dangerous puncher Breidis Prescott.

While there were some on Crawford's team concerned about the fight, his first scheduled 10-rounder and first significant television exposure against easily his best opponent, Crawford was cool as could be. And on fight night he delivered a dominating performance in a near-shutout decision win. He had announced his arrival and went on to win two more lopsided fights last year to move closer to the top of the 135-pound division.

Rafael's fighters of the year
2014: Terence Crawford
2013: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
2012: Nonito Donaire
2011: Andre Ward
2010: Sergio Martinez
2009: Manny Pacquiao
2008: Manny Pacquiao
2007: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
2006: Manny Pacquiao
2005: Ricky Hatton
2004: Glen Johnson
2003: James Toney
2002: Vernon Forrest
2001: Bernard Hopkins
2000: Felix Trinidad

As good of a year as he had in 2013, Crawford, known as "Bud" to his hometown fans in Omaha, Nebraska, had an even better 2014 campaign and established himself as the world's No. 1 lightweight. Back down at 135 pounds, he won all three of his fights in impressive fashion, beat three quality opponents, won a world title, engaged in a fight of the year candidate, became a bona fide ticket seller in Omaha and positioned himself for huge future business, including as a possible Manny Pacquiao opponent.

The 27-year-old Crawford truly arrived. For his tremendous campaign, he is the 2014 ESPN.com fighter of the year.

In March, Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs) did something very difficult as he went on the road to Glasgow, Scotland, the hometown of lightweight titleholder Ricky Burns, who received some close calls on home turf. But Crawford put on a dazzling performance and rolled to the clear decision and took Burns' world title.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum fulfilled his promise to Crawford by putting on his first title defense in Omaha in June. A wild crowd of 10,943 turned out for the first world title fight in the city in 42 years, since Joe Frazier defended the world heavyweight title against Omaha's Ron Stander in 1972. And Crawford didn't face a low-level opponent as some fighters might do in a first defense, especially at home. Instead, Crawford faced a serious foe in undefeated former unified featherweight titleholder Yuriorkis Gamboa, the superfast 2004 Cuban Olympic gold medalist.

It turned out to be a fantastic and dramatic fight, but one that Crawford ultimately took over as he dropped Gamboa four times en route to a thrilling ninth-round knockout.

2014 ESPN boxing awards
ESPN.com is rolling out its year-end boxing awards.

Dec. 22: Fighter of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 23: Round of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 24: Prospect of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 26: KO of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 29: Fight of Year » Vote » MTR »
In November, Crawford once again defended the title in Omaha, this time in front of 11,127 as he took on worthy mandatory challenger Raymundo Beltran, who had gotten ripped off in a draw in Scotland against Burns in the fight before Crawford beat him. While some may have considered Beltran to be the uncrowned titleholder going into the fight with Crawford, there was no such discussion by the time it was over. Crawford put on a boxing master class in a virtual shutout decision.

Crawford, now firmly established as an HBO cornerstone fighter, is set to move up to junior welterweight in 2015, where big bouts await him. He had a helluva 2014 and had an idea he would be in the fighter of the year running.

"After the Gamboa fight people were saying, 'You just went over to Scotland and beat Ricky Burns and then you beat a tough opponent in Gamboa, and now you're taking on another tough opponent in Beltran,'" Crawford said before facing Beltran. "Some guys might take a smaller fight but I'm fighting good guys back-to-back-to-back and I had people telling me I'll be fighter of the year if I keep it up. It put a smile on my face but it's just talk."

Not anymore.

Other contenders

[+] EnlargeBernard Hopkins, Sergey Kovalev
Ed Mulholland/USA TODAY Sports
Sergey Kovalev put himself in the conversation with three victories, including a shutout of Bernard Hopkins in their November unification fight.
2. Sergey Kovalev: Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KOs), the 31-year-old Russian destroyer, made three dominant light heavyweight title defenses in 2014, all in Atlantic City, New Jersey. There was a one-sided seventh-round destruction of previously undefeated Cedric Agnew in March followed by a second-round blowout of Blake Caparello in August, both relatively unknown opponents. But Kovalev is here because of what he did in his next fight in November. He was hoping to face world champion Adonis Stevenson, but Stevenson backed away from the fight, so Kovalev instead took on a legend in Bernard Hopkins, who was 49 but a unified titleholder and still one of the best in the business. In fact, many picked Hopkins to win in what was one of the most significant fights of the year. Kovalev, however, dominated Hopkins as nobody had ever done in his Hall of Fame-worthy career. He dropped Hopkins in the first round and battered him en route to a clean shutout decision for a huge victory.

3. Manny Pacquiao: The Filipino legend, boxing's only eight-division titleholder, fought just once in 2013, a lopsided decision against Brandon Rios as he made his comeback from the big knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez at the end of 2012. But despite the easy win against Rios, there were many who still questioned what Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), 36, had left in the tank. He showed that it was still a lot in 2014 as he notched a pair of dominant wins and regained a welterweight world title. In April, he faced Timothy Bradley Jr. in a rematch of Bradley's massively controversial split-decision win that gave him Pacquiao's welterweight belt in 2012. The second time around Pacquiao dominated Bradley about as much as he appeared to the first time. The difference this time was the judges in Las Vegas gave him the clear decision victory. Pacquiao returned in November in Macau, China, to face junior welterweight titleholder Chris Algieri, who was moving up in weight one fight after claiming his belt from Ruslan Provodnikov. But Algieri proved to be no match at all as Pacquiao scored six knockdowns in as dominant a win as he could have had without recording a knockout.

4. Miguel Cotto: Cotto had lost both of his fights in 2012 and then rebounded to win his only fight of 2013, a third-round knockout of Delvin Rodriguez. Although Cotto looked great against Rodriguez in his first pairing with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, he was not facing an A-level opponent. What would happen if Cotto faced an elite foe and did so moving up to middleweight? We found out in 2014 as Cotto took on perennial pound-for-pound-ranked Sergio Martinez, the legitimate middleweight world champion. Although Martinez had been dealing with injury issues, especially to his knee, Cotto's domination cannot be underestimated. They met in June in front of Cotto's crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden and Cotto (39-4, 32 KOs), 34, put on a brilliant performance in his lone outing of the year. He dropped Martinez three times in the first round and again in the ninth round en route to a one-sided 10th-round stoppage that made Cotto the first Puerto Rican fighter to win world titles in four weight classes. It was a performance as brilliant as it was historic.

[+] EnlargeGennady Golovkin
Courtesy Tom Hogan
With three more knockout victories, middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin continued his march toward stardom in 2014.
5. Gennady Golovkin: Golovkin did not get a chance in 2014 to fight the elite opponents he so badly wants to, but that did not stop him from continuing to terrorize the middleweight division by destroying anyone willing to get into the ring with him. Three men did and they paid dearly as Golovkin (31-0, 28 KOs), 32, of Kazakhstan -- and now living in Los Angeles -- ran his knockout streak to 18 in a row and increased his knockout percentage to 90.3, the best among active titleholders. In February in Monte Carlo, he scored three knockdowns en route to a seventh-round knockout of Osumanu Adama. In July, he mowed down former world titleholder Daniel Geale, scoring two more knockdowns in a third-round destruction as he played the main arena at New York's Madison Square Garden for the first time. In October, Golovkin made a much-anticipated West Coast debut as he sold out the StubHub Center and authored a resounding second-round knockout of longtime contender Marco Antonio Rubio to add an interim belt to his collection.

6. Roman Gonzalez: Gonzalez had impressive title reigns at strawweight and junior flyweight before moving up to flyweight and winning the lineal championship in 2014. The 27-year-old former protégé of the late, great Hall of Famer Alexis Arguello won all four of his fights by knockout, beginning with a sixth-round stoppage of Juan Kantun in February in Mexico. In April, he blew out Juan Purisima in the third round in Japan. The reason the big-punching Gonzalez (41-0, 35 KOs), 27, of Nicaragua, is on the list, however, is for what he did in September. He went back to Japan and knocked out champion Akira Yaegashi in the ninth round of a tremendous performance. In November, also in Japan, Gonzalez made his first defense in a one-sided sixth-round knockout of Rocky Fuentes.

Round of the Year: Coyle-Brizuela.

There are certain qualities that go into making a memorable fight, including thrilling two-way action, dramatic swings of momentum, multiple knockdowns and, at times, even controversy.

Not often, however, do you get all of the above in one round.

But that's exactly what happened during Tommy Coyle's memorable lightweight duel in February against Argentina's Daniel Brizuela.

A fight of the year candidate in its own right, featuring eight total knockdowns and three point deductions, Coyle-Brizuela clearly wasn't a highly anticipated bout between big names. There wasn't even a title at stake.

The fight did, however, feature two determined combatants willing to put on a showcase of bravery inside the Ice Arena in Coyle's hometown of Hull, England, that few will forget. And the high point of the bout was a Round 11 worthy of recognition as ESPN.com's 2014 round of the year.

ESPN's rounds of the year
2013: Bradley-Provodnikov (12th)
2012: Martinez-Chavez Jr. (12th)
2011: Kirkland-Angulo (1st)
2010: Marquez-Katsidis (3rd)
2009: Marquez-Diaz I (1st)
2008: Holt-Torres II (1st)
2007: Vazquez-Marquez II (3rd)
2006: Sithchatchawal-Monshipour (9th)
2005: Corrales-Castillo I (10th)
Coyle (20-2, 9 KOs), 25, had already been knocked down once in Round 2 and two more times in Round 6 when he was barely able to beat the count. The action only heated up from there, as Brizuela (27-4-2, 8 KOs) was dropped in Round 8, lost a point for a low blow in Round 9 and was cut due to an accidental head butt in Round 10.

That set the stage for a wild Round 11, which opened with Sky Sports' announcer Nick Halling asking, "Is there one more big twist to this one?"

Brizuela quickly answered Smith's question just 23 seconds into the round when he visibly hurt Coyle with a vicious left hook to the body. Brizuela followed up with a flurry of right hands upstairs before dropping Coyle for the fourth time on another left hook downstairs.

But what happened next was just ridiculous.

Exhausted and badly hurt, Coyle rose from the canvas at the count of eight and motioned Brizuela forward with his left glove. Coyle then uncorked a violent overhand right that caught Brizuela flush on the temple and floored him.

You could almost hear the late Emanuel Steward's epic call of "Ohhhh mmmyyy gawwddd" from Round 6 of Victor Ortiz's 2011 brawl with Andre Berto echoing in the air as the hometown crowd exploded for Coyle. The moments couldn't have been more similar, with Halling exclaiming, "What a right hand! Out of nowhere!"

2014 ESPN boxing awards
ESPN.com is rolling out its year-end boxing awards.

Dec. 22: Fighter of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 23: Round of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 24: Prospect of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 26: KO of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 29: Fight of Year » Vote » MTR »
Brizuela sat up on his knees and smiled as he nodded his head, almost as a tip of the cap to Coyle's dramatic shot. But Brizuela was clearly on unsteady legs as he reached his feet with Coyle switching gears and going on the attack.

Moments later, Coyle caught up with Brizuela and decked him again with a massive right hand at the midway point in the round.

Brizuela took his time in getting up and was in big trouble as Coyle stalked him and landed repeated heavy blows. But with less than a minute remaining, Coyle's aggressiveness got the best of him, and he was docked a point by referee Steve Gray after landing a clean right hook on the break.

The break in the action gave Brizuela an unexpected 20 seconds of valuable recovery time, and the two fighters traded hooks until the final bell, with Brizuela surviving another flush shot along the ropes in the closing seconds.

With the fight seemingly up for grabs on the scorecards entering Round 12, Coyle knocked Brizuela down for a fourth and final time and took home the TKO victory thanks to a questionable stoppage from Gray while Brizuela was alert and on his feet.

Other scorchers

David Lemieux-Gabriel Rosado (fourth) -- Dec. 6 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York:
[+] EnlargeGabriel Rosado and David Lemieux
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
David Lemieux, left, and Gabriel Rosado gave fans a great fight, including a fourth round to remember.
This exciting but mostly one-sided matchup between gutsy middleweights hit a crescendo during this memorable round. After Lemieux established control and swelled Rosado's left eye the previous round, he walked Rosado down again with clean power shots. But Rosado began to assert himself within the storm by backing Lemieux up with an overhand right. He continued to mix in hard counter shots before landing a flush uppercut that woke up the crowd. With Lemieux taking a breather behind his high guard, Rosado teed off and pinned him against the ropes. Lemieux answered by wobbling him with a left hook. With 20 seconds remaining and Rosado pinned in the corner, the Philadelphia native called Lemieux forward and landed his best offense of the fight until the final bell. Rosado, who went on to lose by 10th-round TKO, raised his gloves into the air and stared down Lemieux as the Brooklyn crowd erupted on its feet.
Francisco Rodriguez Jr.-Katsunari Takayama (12th) -- Aug. 9 at Arena Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico:
[+] Enlarge Francisco Rodriguez and Katsunari Takayama
Mario Ocampo/LatinContent/Getty Images
The whole fight between Francisco Rodriguez Jr., left, and Katsunari Takayama was intense, but the last round provided incredible moments.
In a rare strawweight unification bout, this round was the climax of an intense brawl that was red-hot from start to finish. Both men fought with such amazing passion and intensity, making it difficult to differentiate one round from another, as each one was fast-paced and competitive. Both fighters squared up, refused to clinch and uncorked untold clean punches at close range. Rodriguez, who went on to claim a unanimous decision, wobbled Takayama with one minute remaining, bringing an already elated crowd to its feet. With Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. jumping up and down from ringside waving his hands in the air, both fighters exhaustedly emptied the tank until the final bell.
Francisco Vargas-Juan Manuel Lopez (third) -- July 12 at MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas:
[+] EnlargeJuan Manuel Lopez and Francisco Vargas
AP Photo/Eric Jamison
Juan Manuel Lopez, right, ended up losing the fight but not before providing some great moments against Francisco Vargas.
If 2014 marked the end of the road for the all-action yet vulnerable Lopez, he provided fans with plenty of highs and lows on his way out. This round was no exception, although it took a little more than a minute to heat up. After Vargas backed Lopez to the ropes with body shots, the two fighters traded savage hooks at close range, with neither willing to back down. As the crowd's intensity increased, so did the number of clean shots that were landing for both. But Vargas, who was throwing the straighter punches, was increasingly getting the better of the exchanges. After a full minute of sustained brutality, Lopez was wobbled by a fierce left uppercut. Determined to go out on his shield, Lopez kept firing until he was floored with 26 seconds remaining. Both fighters brawled until the bell, but with Lopez on shaky legs, his corner smartly stopped the fight between rounds.
Thomas Williams Jr.-Cornelius White (first) -- Jan. 24 at Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, Washington:

What a way to kick off the new year. In a January main event on ESPN's "Friday Night Fights," the southpaw Williams opened the light heavyweight bout by flooring White with the first significant left hand he threw. After patiently picking White apart with combinations, he looked on the verge of scoring a second knockdown with just over a minute remaining. But Williams walked into a clubbing left hook and went down hard. With his cobwebs still shaken and his unbeaten record on the line, Williams returned to his feet and wobbled White with an overhand left, causing ringside analyst Teddy Atlas to shout, "Rock 'em sock 'em robots!" Two punches later, White was down for the second time. Williams poured it on before referee Bobby Howard jumped in to rescue White at 2:49 of a wild opening stanza.

Jose Lopez-Roberto Castaneda (first) -- Aug. 16 at Coliseo Hector Sola Bezares, Caguas, Puerto Rico:

When was the last time you saw a fighter win an eight-round decision after suffering four knockdowns in the first round? Lopez, an unbeaten junior featherweight who was later docked a point in Round 3, may have completed a feat that won't be repeated any time soon. Things began promising for Lopez when he floored Castaneda at the midpoint of the round. But with Castaneda hurt along the ropes, the Mexican uncorked a stunning left hook that decked Lopez and drastically changed the momentum of the fight. Castaneda amped up the pressure and scored two more knockdowns over the next 25 seconds. Then, with Lopez in deep trouble, Castaneda forced him to one knee at the bell with a left hook. Lopez, nicknamed "Wonder Boy," staggered into his own corner and quickly sat on his stool while referee Robert Ramirez Sr. applied the count and made sure he was fit to continue. It's a wonder that Lopez, who rallied to score two more knockdowns of Castaneda, was able to right the ship and get the win.

Juan Manuel Lopez-Daniel Ponce De Leon II (second) -- March 15 at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Bayamon, Puerto Rico:
[+] EnlargeManuel Lopez/Ponce de Leon
Joel Colon/PR Best Boxing Promotions
Juan Manuel Lopez, right, dropped Daniel Ponce De Leon with a powerful right hook in the second round.
In a rematch of their 2008 bout, Lopez scored his second stoppage win in an action-packed second round. Ponce De Leon kicked things off by flooring Lopez midway through Round 2 with a looping left hook he never saw coming. But Lopez, true to his nature, refused to give in and kept throwing bombs. Moments later, they traded at close range before Lopez capped off a three-punch combination by decking Ponce De Leon with a monster right hook. Ponce De Leon was soon down again following an accumulation of punches before dramatically being stopped him against the ropes. Lopez may have been aided by referee Luis Pabon's quick hook, but the much-needed win kept his career alive to the delight of his native Puerto Rican crowd in Bayamon.
Adrien Broner-Emanuel Taylor (12th) -- Sept. 6 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati:
[+] EnlargeAdrien Broner-Emanuel Taylor
Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
Adrien Broner, left, and Emanuel Taylor went for broke in the 12th round last September in Cincinnati.
With the scorecards closer than expected entering the final round of a fight that exceeded expectations for competitiveness and action, Broner and Taylor saved their best for last. With Taylor going for broke in search of a knockout and Broner willing to stand in the pocket looking to counter, the two junior welterweights traded big punches from start to finish in Round 12. Both fighters appeared to hurt the other at separate times until Taylor emptied the tank for good in the final minute. But after Broner backed him up with a pair of hard left hooks downstairs, the Cincinnati native put the cherry on the sundae in front of his hometown fans by capping off a four-punch combination with a left uppercut that floored Taylor with just 20 seconds left.
Curtis Stevens-Tureano Johnson (fourth) -- April 4 at Liacouras Center, Philadelphia:

Stevens figured to be a heavy favorite against the unbeaten yet unheralded Johnson. But no one told that to the Bahamian middleweight, who simply smothered Stevens from the opening bell and fought at a frenetic pace until Stevens rallied to stop him -- somewhat controversially -- in the final round. In between were brutal pockets of two-way slugging inside a phone booth, with this round standing out as the best. Johnson continued his hot start early with clubbing right hands. But Stevens pushed back behind a series of uppercuts to gain some momentum for the first time in the fight. Suddenly Johnson was wobbly and looked ready to go with 45 seconds left before both fighters traded bombs until the bell.

Canelo Alvarez-Alfredo Angulo (eighth) -- March 8 at MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas:
[+] EnlargeSaul Alvarez
AP Photo/Eric Jamison
Alfredo Angulo did his best in the eighth round in a defeat to Canelo Alvarez in March.
Alvarez dominated this March pay-per-view bout save for one exciting round where Angulo emptied the tank for one final stand. After Alvarez teed off early, the Mexican star took a moment to catch his breath along the ropes. But Angulo seized the opportunity and began to find a home for flush shots that quickly woke up the Las Vegas crowd. The more Canelo responded with big punches, the more Angulo raised his gloves and called him forward to fight. Alvarez answered Angulo's best rally with some trash talk and gesturing of his own before both fighters traded combinations in the center of the ring to close the round.
Monte Meza Clay-Alan Herrera (ninth) -- Aug. 8 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh:

There was an old-school quality to the way these two lightweights relentlessly traded shots like two TV fighters from decades before. You could almost feel the impact of each punch landed. But before Meza Clay would go on to finish Herrera in the 10th and final round, the two combatants went to war in a memorable Round 9. Neither fighter took a step back, nor did they take their foot off the gas pedal. With promoter Mike Tyson screaming from ringside while sitting in on the broadcast, Herrera wobbled Meza Clay with 30 seconds to go and cornered him. Herrera swooped in and fired nearly every punch he had left in him but was unable to drop a determined Meza Clay before the bell.

Round of the Year: Coyle-Brizuela.

There are certain qualities that go into making a memorable fight, including thrilling two-way action, dramatic swings of momentum, multiple knockdowns and, at times, even controversy.

Not often, however, do you get all of the above in one round.

But that's exactly what happened during Tommy Coyle's memorable lightweight duel in February against Argentina's Daniel Brizuela.

A fight of the year candidate in its own right, featuring eight total knockdowns and three point deductions, Coyle-Brizuela clearly wasn't a highly anticipated bout between big names. There wasn't even a title at stake.

The fight did, however, feature two determined combatants willing to put on a showcase of bravery inside the Ice Arena in Coyle's hometown of Hull, England, that few will forget. And the high point of the bout was a Round 11 worthy of recognition as ESPN.com's 2014 round of the year.

ESPN's rounds of the year
2013: Bradley-Provodnikov (12th)
2012: Martinez-Chavez Jr. (12th)
2011: Kirkland-Angulo (1st)
2010: Marquez-Katsidis (3rd)
2009: Marquez-Diaz I (1st)
2008: Holt-Torres II (1st)
2007: Vazquez-Marquez II (3rd)
2006: Sithchatchawal-Monshipour (9th)
2005: Corrales-Castillo I (10th)
Coyle (20-2, 9 KOs), 25, had already been knocked down once in Round 2 and two more times in Round 6 when he was barely able to beat the count. The action only heated up from there, as Brizuela (27-4-2, 8 KOs) was dropped in Round 8, lost a point for a low blow in Round 9 and was cut due to an accidental head butt in Round 10.

That set the stage for a wild Round 11, which opened with Sky Sports' announcer Nick Halling asking, "Is there one more big twist to this one?"

Brizuela quickly answered Smith's question just 23 seconds into the round when he visibly hurt Coyle with a vicious left hook to the body. Brizuela followed up with a flurry of right hands upstairs before dropping Coyle for the fourth time on another left hook downstairs.

But what happened next was just ridiculous.

Exhausted and badly hurt, Coyle rose from the canvas at the count of eight and motioned Brizuela forward with his left glove. Coyle then uncorked a violent overhand right that caught Brizuela flush on the temple and floored him.

You could almost hear the late Emanuel Steward's epic call of "Ohhhh mmmyyy gawwddd" from Round 6 of Victor Ortiz's 2011 brawl with Andre Berto echoing in the air as the hometown crowd exploded for Coyle. The moments couldn't have been more similar, with Halling exclaiming, "What a right hand! Out of nowhere!"

2014 ESPN boxing awards
ESPN.com is rolling out its year-end boxing awards.

Dec. 22: Fighter of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 23: Round of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 24: Prospect of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 26: KO of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 29: Fight of Year » Vote » MTR »
Brizuela sat up on his knees and smiled as he nodded his head, almost as a tip of the cap to Coyle's dramatic shot. But Brizuela was clearly on unsteady legs as he reached his feet with Coyle switching gears and going on the attack.

Moments later, Coyle caught up with Brizuela and decked him again with a massive right hand at the midway point in the round.

Brizuela took his time in getting up and was in big trouble as Coyle stalked him and landed repeated heavy blows. But with less than a minute remaining, Coyle's aggressiveness got the best of him, and he was docked a point by referee Steve Gray after landing a clean right hook on the break.

The break in the action gave Brizuela an unexpected 20 seconds of valuable recovery time, and the two fighters traded hooks until the final bell, with Brizuela surviving another flush shot along the ropes in the closing seconds.

With the fight seemingly up for grabs on the scorecards entering Round 12, Coyle knocked Brizuela down for a fourth and final time and took home the TKO victory thanks to a questionable stoppage from Gray while Brizuela was alert and on his feet.

Other scorchers

David Lemieux-Gabriel Rosado (fourth) -- Dec. 6 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York:
[+] EnlargeGabriel Rosado and David Lemieux
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
David Lemieux, left, and Gabriel Rosado gave fans a great fight, including a fourth round to remember.
This exciting but mostly one-sided matchup between gutsy middleweights hit a crescendo during this memorable round. After Lemieux established control and swelled Rosado's left eye the previous round, he walked Rosado down again with clean power shots. But Rosado began to assert himself within the storm by backing Lemieux up with an overhand right. He continued to mix in hard counter shots before landing a flush uppercut that woke up the crowd. With Lemieux taking a breather behind his high guard, Rosado teed off and pinned him against the ropes. Lemieux answered by wobbling him with a left hook. With 20 seconds remaining and Rosado pinned in the corner, the Philadelphia native called Lemieux forward and landed his best offense of the fight until the final bell. Rosado, who went on to lose by 10th-round TKO, raised his gloves into the air and stared down Lemieux as the Brooklyn crowd erupted on its feet.
Francisco Rodriguez Jr.-Katsunari Takayama (12th) -- Aug. 9 at Arena Monterrey, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico:
[+] Enlarge Francisco Rodriguez and Katsunari Takayama
Mario Ocampo/LatinContent/Getty Images
The whole fight between Francisco Rodriguez Jr., left, and Katsunari Takayama was intense, but the last round provided incredible moments.
In a rare strawweight unification bout, this round was the climax of an intense brawl that was red-hot from start to finish. Both men fought with such amazing passion and intensity, making it difficult to differentiate one round from another, as each one was fast-paced and competitive. Both fighters squared up, refused to clinch and uncorked untold clean punches at close range. Rodriguez, who went on to claim a unanimous decision, wobbled Takayama with one minute remaining, bringing an already elated crowd to its feet. With Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. jumping up and down from ringside waving his hands in the air, both fighters exhaustedly emptied the tank until the final bell.
Francisco Vargas-Juan Manuel Lopez (third) -- July 12 at MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas:
[+] EnlargeJuan Manuel Lopez and Francisco Vargas
AP Photo/Eric Jamison
Juan Manuel Lopez, right, ended up losing the fight but not before providing some great moments against Francisco Vargas.
If 2014 marked the end of the road for the all-action yet vulnerable Lopez, he provided fans with plenty of highs and lows on his way out. This round was no exception, although it took a little more than a minute to heat up. After Vargas backed Lopez to the ropes with body shots, the two fighters traded savage hooks at close range, with neither willing to back down. As the crowd's intensity increased, so did the number of clean shots that were landing for both. But Vargas, who was throwing the straighter punches, was increasingly getting the better of the exchanges. After a full minute of sustained brutality, Lopez was wobbled by a fierce left uppercut. Determined to go out on his shield, Lopez kept firing until he was floored with 26 seconds remaining. Both fighters brawled until the bell, but with Lopez on shaky legs, his corner smartly stopped the fight between rounds.
Thomas Williams Jr.-Cornelius White (first) -- Jan. 24 at Little Creek Casino Resort, Shelton, Washington:

What a way to kick off the new year. In a January main event on ESPN's "Friday Night Fights," the southpaw Williams opened the light heavyweight bout by flooring White with the first significant left hand he threw. After patiently picking White apart with combinations, he looked on the verge of scoring a second knockdown with just over a minute remaining. But Williams walked into a clubbing left hook and went down hard. With his cobwebs still shaken and his unbeaten record on the line, Williams returned to his feet and wobbled White with an overhand left, causing ringside analyst Teddy Atlas to shout, "Rock 'em sock 'em robots!" Two punches later, White was down for the second time. Williams poured it on before referee Bobby Howard jumped in to rescue White at 2:49 of a wild opening stanza.

Jose Lopez-Roberto Castaneda (first) -- Aug. 16 at Coliseo Hector Sola Bezares, Caguas, Puerto Rico:

When was the last time you saw a fighter win an eight-round decision after suffering four knockdowns in the first round? Lopez, an unbeaten junior featherweight who was later docked a point in Round 3, may have completed a feat that won't be repeated any time soon. Things began promising for Lopez when he floored Castaneda at the midpoint of the round. But with Castaneda hurt along the ropes, the Mexican uncorked a stunning left hook that decked Lopez and drastically changed the momentum of the fight. Castaneda amped up the pressure and scored two more knockdowns over the next 25 seconds. Then, with Lopez in deep trouble, Castaneda forced him to one knee at the bell with a left hook. Lopez, nicknamed "Wonder Boy," staggered into his own corner and quickly sat on his stool while referee Robert Ramirez Sr. applied the count and made sure he was fit to continue. It's a wonder that Lopez, who rallied to score two more knockdowns of Castaneda, was able to right the ship and get the win.

Juan Manuel Lopez-Daniel Ponce De Leon II (second) -- March 15 at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Bayamon, Puerto Rico:
[+] EnlargeManuel Lopez/Ponce de Leon
Joel Colon/PR Best Boxing Promotions
Juan Manuel Lopez, right, dropped Daniel Ponce De Leon with a powerful right hook in the second round.
In a rematch of their 2008 bout, Lopez scored his second stoppage win in an action-packed second round. Ponce De Leon kicked things off by flooring Lopez midway through Round 2 with a looping left hook he never saw coming. But Lopez, true to his nature, refused to give in and kept throwing bombs. Moments later, they traded at close range before Lopez capped off a three-punch combination by decking Ponce De Leon with a monster right hook. Ponce De Leon was soon down again following an accumulation of punches before dramatically being stopped him against the ropes. Lopez may have been aided by referee Luis Pabon's quick hook, but the much-needed win kept his career alive to the delight of his native Puerto Rican crowd in Bayamon.
Adrien Broner-Emanuel Taylor (12th) -- Sept. 6 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati:
[+] EnlargeAdrien Broner-Emanuel Taylor
Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
Adrien Broner, left, and Emanuel Taylor went for broke in the 12th round last September in Cincinnati.
With the scorecards closer than expected entering the final round of a fight that exceeded expectations for competitiveness and action, Broner and Taylor saved their best for last. With Taylor going for broke in search of a knockout and Broner willing to stand in the pocket looking to counter, the two junior welterweights traded big punches from start to finish in Round 12. Both fighters appeared to hurt the other at separate times until Taylor emptied the tank for good in the final minute. But after Broner backed him up with a pair of hard left hooks downstairs, the Cincinnati native put the cherry on the sundae in front of his hometown fans by capping off a four-punch combination with a left uppercut that floored Taylor with just 20 seconds left.
Curtis Stevens-Tureano Johnson (fourth) -- April 4 at Liacouras Center, Philadelphia:

Stevens figured to be a heavy favorite against the unbeaten yet unheralded Johnson. But no one told that to the Bahamian middleweight, who simply smothered Stevens from the opening bell and fought at a frenetic pace until Stevens rallied to stop him -- somewhat controversially -- in the final round. In between were brutal pockets of two-way slugging inside a phone booth, with this round standing out as the best. Johnson continued his hot start early with clubbing right hands. But Stevens pushed back behind a series of uppercuts to gain some momentum for the first time in the fight. Suddenly Johnson was wobbly and looked ready to go with 45 seconds left before both fighters traded bombs until the bell.

Canelo Alvarez-Alfredo Angulo (eighth) -- March 8 at MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas:
[+] EnlargeSaul Alvarez
AP Photo/Eric Jamison
Alfredo Angulo did his best in the eighth round in a defeat to Canelo Alvarez in March.
Alvarez dominated this March pay-per-view bout save for one exciting round where Angulo emptied the tank for one final stand. After Alvarez teed off early, the Mexican star took a moment to catch his breath along the ropes. But Angulo seized the opportunity and began to find a home for flush shots that quickly woke up the Las Vegas crowd. The more Canelo responded with big punches, the more Angulo raised his gloves and called him forward to fight. Alvarez answered Angulo's best rally with some trash talk and gesturing of his own before both fighters traded combinations in the center of the ring to close the round.
Monte Meza Clay-Alan Herrera (ninth) -- Aug. 8 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh:

There was an old-school quality to the way these two lightweights relentlessly traded shots like two TV fighters from decades before. You could almost feel the impact of each punch landed. But before Meza Clay would go on to finish Herrera in the 10th and final round, the two combatants went to war in a memorable Round 9. Neither fighter took a step back, nor did they take their foot off the gas pedal. With promoter Mike Tyson screaming from ringside while sitting in on the broadcast, Herrera wobbled Meza Clay with 30 seconds to go and cornered him. Herrera swooped in and fired nearly every punch he had left in him but was unable to drop a determined Meza Clay before the bell.

Prospect of the year: Felix Verdejo.

For a kid who says he was supposed to be a baseball player, 21-year-old lightweight sensation Felix Verdejo is one helluva boxer.

When Verdejo, viewed by many as the next great fighter from the boxing-mad island of Puerto Rico, was 9 years old, he loved baseball, much like many of the kids he grew up with. One day, under the watchful eye of close family friend Angel Rivera, whom Verdejo considers an uncle, he was practicing with best friend Jean Rivera, Angel's son.

When practice turned a bit chippy and Jean began throwing rocks at Verdejo, things got a little out of hand and they started fighting. Angel broke the boys up, telling them that if they wanted to fight for real, they should put on boxing gloves, and they did.

Rafael's prospects of the year
2014: Felix Verdejo
2013: Vasyl Lomachenko
2012: David Price
2011: Gary Russell Jr.
2010: Canelo Alvarez
2009: Daniel Jacobs
2008: Victor Ortiz
2007: Amir Khan
2006: Andre Berto
2005: Joel Julio
2004: Samuel Peter
2003: Jermain Taylor
2002: Miguel Cotto
2001: Francisco Bojado
2000: Julio Diaz

"That was my first fight," Verdejo said through translator Gardy Lopez of Top Rank, Verdejo's promoter.

Angel thought Verdejo showed promise and took him to a nearby gym, where he met trainer Ricky Marquez. That was the end of Verdejo's baseball path. But a dozen years later, Marquez still trains (and manages) Verdejo, who has emerged as a possible future star in boxing.

"I loved boxing from the first day I tried it," Verdejo said. "I was always getting into fights in the streets, so I used boxing for discipline instead of fighting in the streets.

"As a professional boxer, I want to be a world champion. I want to unite my country and bring happiness to my people."

Verdejo went 106-17 as an amateur and represented Puerto Rico in the 2012 Olympics, after which he signed with Top Rank and came into the pro ranks with a lot of hype. So far, Verdejo (16-0, 12 KOs), the 2014 ESPN.com prospect so the year, has lived up to all of it.

"We think he has the kind of talent to win world titles in multiple divisions -- 135, 140, 147 when it's all said and done," said Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti. "A lot has to happen but I think the talent is there. He works as hard as anybody. He cares about always being in shape, how he performs. He loves the fans, he loves his island and it's important to him to be respectful of everyone."

He has shown consistent improvement in the ring, including going 7-0 with 6 knockouts (one of which was a huge third-round KO of the year candidate against Sergio Villanueva in October) in 2014, a fan-friendly style and is already a gate attraction, having drawn crowds for fights in Puerto Rico, New York, Philadelphia and Orlando, Fla. Many believe Verdejo is the heir apparent to recent Puerto Rican stars Felix "Tito" Trinidad and Miguel Cotto and will eventually be a pay-per-view headliner.

[+] EnlargeFelix Verdejo, Engelberto Valenzuela
Chris Farina/Top Rank
Lightweight Felix Verdejo, left, won all his seven fights in 2014, six of them by stoppage.
Those are big names to be compared to, but Verdejo said he does not feel any pressure to live up to their great legacies. Trinidad won titles in three weight classes and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June. Cotto, a lock Hall of Famer, is the reigning middleweight champion and the first Puerto Rican to win world titles in four weight classes.

"It's an honor for me to be compared to those big stars from my island," said Verdejo, who has appeared on Cotto undercards. "They did their job. I will do mine and keep developing. Tito is my friend. Every time he sees me he is giving me advice and I appreciate it. He tells me to keep training hard and that after I accomplish what I want in boxing there is time for everything else.

"I respect Miguel a lot. He's a good guy but my relationship with Cotto is not the same as with Tito. Cotto is more focused on his career so we haven't had a chance to talk a lot."

Verdejo has a close relationship with Trinidad, whom he has known since his amateur days, meeting because Verdejo's mother worked with Trinidad's cousin. Like Trinidad, Verdejo has a million-dollar smile, an outgoing personality and loves to be around his fans.

"I enjoy what I am doing and I enjoy being with the fans. It's the way I have always been," Verdejo said. "Even now everywhere Tito goes people are all over him. I would love that to happen to me. I will keep working hard and as long as I keep doing what I am doing it will come little by little and the love from the fans will keep growing."

Despite the intense boxing rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico, Verdejo also counts himself as a big Juan Manuel Marquez fan.

"Tito is my favorite boxer. I grew up watching him but one of my others is Marquez," Verdejo said. "I admire everything he has done."

2014 ESPN boxing awards
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Dec. 22: Fighter of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 23: Round of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 24: Prospect of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 26: KO of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 29: Fight of Year » Vote » MTR »
Verdejo is expected to make his 2015 debut in February headlining a UniMas-televised card, but Moretti said he'll likely be on HBO before the end of the year. Eventually, he is expected to headline big cards at Madison Square Garden on Puerto Rican parade weekend in June, a date on which Cotto had many of his biggest fights. But Top Rank does not want to rush Verdejo.

"He's very easy to market and the fans already give him a big reception wherever he goes. But we want him to mature physically. He's still only 21. There is no rush on anyone's part," Moretti said. "We just want him to progress as a fighter. We want him to take his time and let him get experience. It might take 25 fights. It's a costly venture but that's the way you should do it if you can.

"This is a marathon with him, not a sprint, and he and his team are with us on this. We are not slow in his development but we are not rushing him. That said, he is ready for the next step, there's no question. I think he's ready for some better guys."

Verdejo said his career is moving just the way he hoped it would.

"I like the pace my career is going," he said. "I'm very happy with the way things are going. I know this is the stage of his career where I am learning and developing and I understand that. I know there are a lot of people with a lot of expectations but that motivates me to train harder and reach my goals and develop. I don't feel the pressure, but I'm up for the challenge."

More rising stars (in alphabetical order)
Artur Beterbiev (29, Montreal, light heavyweight, 7-0, 7 KOs):
[+] EnlargeArtur Beterbiev, Tavoris Cloud
Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports
Artur Beterbiev had a great 2014, defeating former titlist Tavoris Cloud and unbeaten Jeff Page Jr.
Beterbiev was a 2008 and 2012 Russian Olympian who beat unified light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev in the amateurs. Beterbiev moved to Quebec a year ago with his wife, three children and mother to pursue his professional career and has been impressive. In just his sixth fight, he took a massive step up in competition against former world titleholder Tavoris Cloud and thrashed him by violent second-round knockout. Although Beterbiev, an aggressive, seek-and-destroy fighter, suffered a flash knockdown in the first round of his most recent fight against unbeaten Jeff Page Jr. on Dec. 19, he rebounded to score three knockdowns in a second-round knockout win. Promoter Yvon Michel expects him to fight five times in 2015. Beterbiev is not far away from a major fight.
Marcus Browne (24, Staten Island, New York, light heavyweight, 13-0, 10 KOs):
[+] EnlargeMarcus Browne
Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
Marcus Brown finished Paul Vazquez in just 28 seconds in August to extend his unbeaten record.
The 2012 U.S. Olympian, a southpaw, was a decorated amateur, winning numerous national tournaments and three New York Golden Gloves championships. As a pro, the likable Browne has good skills, size and a fan-friendly personality. He continued to improve in an active year in which he won all five of his fights, including against experienced journeymen Otis Griffin (W8) and George Blades (KO1). Besides his fights, he has gained good experience sparring with former world champion Jean Pascal and contender Edwin Rodriguez.
Frankie Gomez (22, East Los Angeles, junior welterweight, 18-0, 13 KOs):

Gomez, a 2009 U.S. national amateur champion and silver medalist in the 2009 world amateur tournament, was one of the most-sought after amateurs in the United States when he decided to turn pro rather than pursue a 2012 Olympic berth. The "Pitbull" eventually signed with Golden Boy and it looked like he might be a bust after a drug arrest, poor training habits and a lack of dedication. At one point his issues led to an 11-month layoff. But now that he is training with Freddie Roach, Gomez is said to have a renewed dedication and seems poised to live up to his immense promise. He fought only twice in 2014, but looked very impressive in July against talented Vernon Paris, whom he dropped and beat by shutout decision. That performance was a glimpse of what Gomez is capable of.

Tony Harrison (24, Detroit, junior middleweight, 19-0, 16 KOs):

The aggressive Harrison, called the face of boxing in Detroit by some, went 75-12 as an amateur and won the Michigan Golden Gloves before getting the ultimate stamp of approval as an up-and-comer when the late, great Emanuel Steward took him under his wing to train him until his death in 2012, which Harrison took very hard. Harrison, a pinpoint puncher who has gained experience sparring with Gennady Golovkin, had only three fights in 2014 and won each by knockout inside two rounds as he dusted experienced opponents Grady Brewer, Bronco McKart and Tyrone Brunson. Harrison had to pull out of an August fight because of a broken jaw, but it was only a temporary setback.

Jesse Hart (25, Philadelphia, super middleweight, 16-0, 13 KOs):

Hart, with good size (6-foot-2) and speed, long arms and an engaging personality, has boxing in his genes as he is the son of 1970s middleweight contender Eugene "Cyclone" Hart. He was a standout amateur, going 85-11 and winning the 2011 National Golden Gloves and USA Nationals, and just missed a 2012 U.S. Olympic berth on a double-tiebreaker. In 2014, he went 5-0 and did well against some experienced opponents, including Derrick Findley (W6) and Samuel Miller (TKO2).

Amir Imam (24, Pompano Beach, Florida, junior welterweight, 15-0, 13 KOs):

Imam is a dynamic fighter with a strong blend of speed and power. His biggest problem is simply that promoter Don King, who does very few shows these days, has not gotten him enough fights. Imam only fought three times in 2014, not nearly enough for a young talent. But he did take a big step up in competition in May when he faced Yordenis Ugas, a standout on the powerhouse Cuban amateur national team and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist. Imam outpointed Ugas over eight rounds in a good performance as he went past the fourth round for the first time. Imam's key to success is activity. He is scheduled to appear on the Bermane Stiverne-Deontay Wilder undercard on Jan. 17.

Anthony Joshua (25, England, heavyweight, 10-0, 10 KOs):
[+] EnlargeAnthony Joshua
Scott Heavey/Getty Images
Anthony Joshua, right, has the tools and the talent to be the next great heavyweight champion.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Joshua won the 2012 Olympic super heavyweight gold medal at home in London and appears well on his way to stardom. No less an expert than heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who had Joshua in one of his training camps and sparred about 15 rounds with him, thinks he's the future heavyweight champion. "If he is going to keep doing what he is doing he will be champion for sure," Klitschko told ESPN.com. "I think he has amazing potential. He needs to learn but that will come. I think he has the size and the weight. He's built like a modern professional warrior and athlete." Joshua, who has great size, power and a tireless work ethic, went 7-0 in 2014 and beat experienced opponents such as former title challenger Matt Skelton, Konstantin Airich, Denis Bakhtov and Michael Sprott, all inside three rounds. He has fights scheduled for Jan. 31 and April 4.
Ievgen Khytrov (26, Ukraine/Brooklyn, New York, middleweight, 7-0, 7 KOs):

Khytrov had a huge amateur career, including representing Ukraine in the 2012 Olympics and winning a gold medal at the 2011 world championships. He turned pro last December and has looked superb as he has blasted out one opponent after another, and he's not fighting stiffs. He knocked out competent opponents Louis Rose and Willie Fortune in the first round (and neither had ever been stopped before) as well as Chris Chatman. Offensively, Khytrov is scary. Co-promoter Lou DiBella believes he will develop quickly and that one day he will face Gennady Golovkin. Khytrov will kick off the year Jan. 9 on a "ShoBox" card.

Dmitry Kudryashov (29, Russia, cruiserweight, 16-0, 16 KOs):

Kudryashov doesn't have the name recognition of some top prospects but he could turn out to be a hidden gem. His nickname is "The Russian Hammer" and for good reason. He has frightening power in both hands and has put away all of his opponents, often with a single crushing blow. He has scored 11 of his knockouts inside three rounds. Kudryashov turned pro in 2011 and slowly stepped up his opposition in 2014, winning his four bouts. His biggest win came on Nov. 28 when he obliterated former world titleholder Juan Carlos Gomez in 22 seconds. He could be a cruiserweight version of Sergey Kovalev.

Erickson Lubin (19, Orlando, Florida, junior middleweight, 8-0, 6 KOs):
[+] EnlargeErickson Lubin
Johnny Louis/FilmMagic
Erickson "The Hammer" Lubin is only 19-years-old, but the junior middleweight has tremendous upside.
The lanky Lubin, known as "The Hammer," went 143-7 as an amateur and was considered a slam-dunk to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2016. But he surprised many by signing a pro contract with Mike Tyson's Iron Mike Productions on his 18th birthday, causing USA Boxing to unleash its anger toward Tyson for signing away such a great medal hope. Lubin turned pro 13 months ago and has shown good speed and power in both hands. He stepped up in competition for his last fight on Nov. 14 against experienced Norberto Gonzalez, who dropped him in the opening round. But Lubin shook it off, dropped him in the fourth round and cruised to a unanimous eight-round decision. Lubin could go a long way, but he is very young. He needs experience and his handlers will need to show patience and allow him to develop. They should not rush him.
Jessie Magdaleno (23, Las Vegas, junior featherweight, 19-0, 15 KOs):

Magdaleno, the younger brother of former junior lightweight title challenger Diego Magdaleno, is an exciting fighter, although he has not developed quite as quickly as many thought he would. He was limited two only two fights in 2014, mainly due to injury and illness, but he knocked out a pair of experienced opponents. He had a strong amateur background, going 120-16 and winning six major titles and would have been favored to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic team had he not turned pro instead in late 2010. Magdaleno, who is trained by Joel Diaz, will kick off the year by headlining a Jan. 10 UniMas-televised card against Erik Ruiz (13-1, 6 KOs).

Joseph Parker (22, New Zealand, heavyweight, 12-0, 10 KOs):
[+] EnlargeJoseph Parker
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
In a division looking desperately for new stars, heavyweight Joseph Parker is one to watch.
The heavyweight division is in desperate need of new blood and Parker is one of the guys seemingly ready to deliver it. Already a popular attraction in his country, Parker (who has had two fights in the United States) looks like the total package so far with good size (6-foot-4, 230 pounds), big power and a good team behind him, including noted trainer Kevin Barry. In 2014, Parker was 5-0 with 4 KOs, including wins against veterans Brian Minto (TKO7) and Sherman Williams (W10). His fourth-round destruction of Irineu Beato Costa Jr. on Dec. 6 was as brutal a knockout as you'll ever see. He has also gained valuable experience sparring with titleholder Bermane Stiverne and he's supposed to work with world champion Wladimir Klitschko in his upcoming training camp.
Jose Pedraza (25, Puerto Rico, junior lightweight, 19-0, 12 KOs):

Nicknamed "Sniper," Pedraza, a 2008 Olympian and 2009 silver medalist at the world amateur championships, is a versatile performer who can be a slick boxer and show opponents angles or he can attack, especially to the body. He went 4-0 with 2 KOs in 2014 and pushed himself to the verge of a world title bout with his most impressive win, a clear decision in a Nov. 14 title eliminator against Michael Farenas, whose only previous loss was to Yuriorkis Gamboa in a 2012 interim title bout.

Gilberto Ramirez (23, Mexico, super middleweight, 30-0, 24 KOs):
[+] EnlargeGilberto Ramirez and Fulgencio Zuniga
Courtesy Zanfer Promotions
Super middleweight Gilberto Ramirez, right, has the entertaining fighting style that boxing fans love.
Ramirez, a powerful, 6-foot-2 right-hander who boxes southpaw, has the kind of exciting fighting style and charisma that could make him a big star in Mexico and the United States. But he can also fight, as evidenced by his impressive performances in 2014, when he was 4-0, all by knockout, against solid opponents Don Mouton (KO1, had never been stopped), former title challenger Giovanni Lorenzo (TKO5), Junior Talipeau (TKO1) and former title challenger Fulgencio Zuniga (TKO8). Promoter Top Rank and HBO think so highly of him he was handed the coveted opening TV slot to face Maxim Vlasov (30-1, 15 KOs) on Jan. 24 in the Mike Alvarado-Brandon Rios III co-feature. If Ramirez passes that test, he could be on his way to stardom.
Jose Ramirez (22, Avenal, California, junior welterweight, 13-0, 10 KOs):

Ramirez was a superb amateur, going 145-11, winning 11 national titles and making the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. He has shown good speed and power and is a good body puncher, but his most dangerous weapon is a tremendous, fight-altering left hook. He went 6-0 with 5 KOs in 2014 and as much as he improved in the ring he also showed he is a force to be reckoned with at the box office. He drew a crowd of nearly 10,000 to a fight in Fresno in October, a 50-second destruction of the experienced David Rodela.

Callum Smith (24, England, super middleweight, 15-0, 11 KOs): Smith has only been a pro for two years and already come a long way. He might turn out to be the best of the fighting Smith brothers, Paul (super middleweight contender), Stephen (former British junior lightweight champ) and Liam (British junior middleweight champ). Callum, who has excellent size at 6-foot-3, went 6-0 with 4 KOs in 2014 and scored his biggest win on Nov. 22, when he easily outpointed experienced former title challenger Nikola Sjekloca.

Errol Spence Jr. (24, Dallas, welterweight, 15-0, 12 KOs):
[+] EnlargeErrol Spence
Harry How/Golden Boy/Golden Boy/Getty Images
Unbeaten welterweight Errol Spence Jr. is one of the most exciting prospects in boxing.
Spence, the best prospect from the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, is one of those up-and-comers who looks like a can't-miss future champion. He has a well-rounded arsenal, is above average in every facet and known to have a tremendous worth ethic. A southpaw, he has excellent speed and power, not to mention tenacity in the ring. He won three U.S. amateur national championships (2009-11) and was a two-time National Golden Gloves champion (2009-10). In 2014, he was 5-0 with 4 KOs against decent competition, including a shutout decision against fringe contender Ronald Cruz. He also has sparred with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Adrien Broner, and word on the street is that he gave both hell. While calling one of his fights, Showtime's Steve Farhood made a great analogy to the kind of talent Spence has, saying, "He's like a pitcher with a really good fastball and four other pitches."
Oleksandr Usyk (27, Ukraine, cruiserweight, 6-0, 6 KOs):

Usyk, a southpaw, is another in a long line of talented fighters coming out of Ukraine. He won the 2012 Olympic heavyweight gold medal and 2011 world amateur gold medal during his storied amateur career in which he won around 400 fights. Besides a ferocious fighting style, he is a showman and draws crowds. Backed by the Klitschko brothers' K2 Promotions East, Usyk has spent time in training camp with heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is a regular at his fights. Vitali saw some excellent performances in 2014 as Usyk, who is advanced enough that he's already had fights scheduled for 10 and 12 rounds, won all four of his outings by knockout against opponents with a combined record of 79-28-3.

Oscar Valdez (24, Mexico, featherweight, 14-0, 13 KOs):
[+] EnlargeOscar Valdez, Adrian Perez
Chris Farina/Top Rank
Oscar Valdez, left, finished Adrian Perez in the fourth round back in April, with a tremendous attack to the body.
Valdez, a humble, hard worker, has great potential to not only win world titles but also to be involved in very fan friendly fights. He can box or brawl. He has speed and power, good defense and ring smarts. As an amateur, he was a two-time Mexican Olympian and is the only Mexican to medal at the amateur world championships, claiming bronze in 2009. In 2014, he cruised through all six of his fights, scoring five knockouts, including against former world title challenger Alberto Garza in November.
Julian Williams (24, Philadelphia, junior middleweight, 18-0-1, 11 KOs): Compared to your average prospect Williams, who is very physically strong, patient and can fight on the inside or outside, has been matched tough against very solid opponents in six of his last seven fights going back to 2013, when he beat former titleholder Joachim Alcine and Orlando Lora. He went 4-0 with 3 KOs in 2014, including wins against experienced former title challenger Freddy Hernandez (KO3), Michael Medina (KO8) and unbeaten Eliezer Gonzalez (W8). Williams and his team have embraced tough matchups and they have served "J-Rock" well as he continues to improve and climb the ladder in the kind of deliberate fashion that could lead to a title shot in 2015. Given his ties to adviser Al Haymon, you can be sure he will get an opportunity.

Klitschko scores KO of the year.

Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko sure has scored his share of big knockouts. In recent years, opponents such as Samuel Peter, Eddie Chambers, Tony Thompson, Jean-Marc Mormeck and Alex Leapai have all fallen from his fistic fury as Klitschko racked up championship defense after championship defense in a nearly nine-year title reign of pure dominance.

Rafael's KOs of the year
2014: W. Klitschko KO5 K. Pulev
2013: A. Stevenson TKO1 C. Dawson
2012: J.M. Marquez KO6 M. Pacquiao IV
2011: N. Donaire TKO2 F. Montiel
2010: S. Martinez KO2 P. Williams II
2009: M. Pacquiao KO2 R. Hatton
2008: E. Miranda KO3 D. Banks
2007: D. Wilson KO11 E. Nwodo
2006: C. Brock KO6 Z. Lawrence
2005: A. Green KO1 J. Codrington
2004: A. Tarver KO2 R. Jones Jr. II
2003: R. Juarez KO10 A. Diaz
2002: R. Jones KO7 G. Kelly
2001: L. Lewis KO4 H. Rahman II
2000: L. Lewis TKO2 F. Botha

Klitschko's greatest knockout weapon has always been his thunderous right hand, which he usually sets up with a missile-like jab, the best in the business.

Often forgotten about in his diverse arsenal is a pulverizing left hook. When Klitschko decides to use it, that hook is as devastating as any punch in boxing. Just ask poor Kubrat Pulev, who was on the receiving end of several of them to the tune of four knockdowns. The final one separated him from his senses in the fifth round and resulted in Klitschko retaining the title and scoring the 2014 ESPN.com knockout of the year.

Klitschko (63-3, 54 KOs) was making his 17th title defense when he met Pulev (20-1, 11 KOs) on Nov. 15 at the sold-out O2 World arena in Hamburg, Germany, where Klitschko is an adored superstar. Many expected Pulev, a legitimate mandatory challenger, to at least give Klitschko a few problems. That did not happen.

Klitschko went early and often to the left hook, dropping Pulev with it twice in the first round. Then he landed another big one in the third round to send him to the deck yet again.

[+] EnlargeKlitschko-Pulev
Joern Pollex/Getty Images
Wladimir Klitschko, left, destroyed Kubrat Pulev with a fight-ending left hook in November.
In the fifth round, Pulev had a brief moment when it looked like he might have broken though by getting Klitschko's attention with a hard right hand to the head and forcing him to hold on. But after referee Tony Weeks separated them, Klitschko ended the fight on the next punch, a crushing left hook that landed squarely on Pulev's jaw and sent him crashing to the mat, flat on his back but with his fists in the air.

HBO's Hall of Fame announcer Jim Lampley described the action perfectly.

"Hard right hand by Pulev and the Klitschko chin holds up for the moment to that punch," Lampley said, before immediately shifting gears. "Down goes Pulev on another left hook! And that may be the one from which he does not get up. He's done, and it's a fifth-round KO win for Wladimir Klitschko."

2014 ESPN boxing awards
ESPN.com is rolling out its year-end boxing awards.

Dec. 22: Fighter of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 23: Round of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 24: Prospect of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 26: KO of Year » Vote » MTR »
Dec. 29: Fight of Year » Vote » MTR »
Klitschko, often accused of using a too-clinical approach in his fights, showed more emotion than usual in this booming knockout. Usually all too nice to his opponents, Klitschko didn't particularly like Pulev, so he punctuated the knockout by giving him a little forearm shove for good measure as he was falling to the mat. Then Klitschko pumped his fist.

Pulev, with a bloody, busted up face, raised his head off the canvas midcount but then his body went limp and his bead fell back to the mat as Weeks waved off the fight at 2 minutes, 11 seconds.

The final, destructive left hook was the end of a brilliant, nearly flawless performance from Klitschko, the baddest man on the planet.

Other sweet shots
Carl Froch KO8 George Groves II (May 31 at London):
[+] EnlargeCarl Froch, George Groves
Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
Carl Froch (right) retained his title in front of some 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium against George Groves with a devastating right hand.
Six months earlier, Froch scored a highly controversial ninth-round knockout of Groves to retain his unified super middleweight title in a fight in which Groves had decked Froch in the first round and was winning on all three scorecards before the poor stoppage. There was no controversy whatsoever in the rematch as Froch left no doubt, finishing Groves in grand style before a wild record-British boxing crowd of 80,000 at Wembley Stadium. In the eighth round of the close, exciting fight, they were locked in an exchange when Froch ended it just like that as he nailed Groves with a clean, full-leverage right hand on the chin, dropping him hard near the ropes. Groves' left leg was pinned underneath him and he was in a very awkward position as referee Charlie Fitch waved it off with 26 seconds left in the round. Groves was out of it. As he tried to get to his feet after the stoppage, he couldn't and fell into Fitch. "Right hand has destroyed Groves," bellowed Sky Sports' Nick Halling. "It's waved off already. Charlie Fitch saw enough! What a shot! You will not see a more explosive finish than that!"

Andy Lee KO5 John Jackson (June 7 at New York):
[+] EnlargeAndy Lee
Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Andy Lee of Ireland, left, was in trouble in the fifth round, but a well-placed right hand ended Julian Jackson night.
A few days before Lee's 30th birthday he gave himself quite a gift in the form of a giant come-from-behind knockout. Jackson, the son of former middleweight and junior middleweight titlist Julian Jackson, had dominated Lee throughout their junior middleweight bout. He knocked Lee down in the first round and had him in big trouble in the fifth round as he sent him staggering into the ropes and was looking to finish him. But he left himself open and Lee came off the ropes and crushed Jackson with a counter right hook. "Jackson's power is simply devastating Lee -- and there's a perfect right hand counter off the ropes and Benjy Esteves stops the fight! What an amazing comeback knockout for Andy Lee," Lampley roared. Jackson had gone down face first, his arm outstretched, as Lee raised his arms in victory. He knew the fight was over as did Esteves, the referee, who called it off at 1 minute, 7 seconds without bothering to count. Jackson was out cold as Lee rescued himself with his money punch.

Amir Mansour KO7 Frederic Kassi (Nov. 8 at Bethlehem, Pa.):

Mansour, the 42-year-old ex-convict, who lost a decade of his career while in prison, may never win the heavyweight world title but he sure makes for exciting fights and brings the heat. This knockout sure showed that as he absolutely erased Kassi in very violent fashion. After the fight, Mansour admitted that Kassi had stung him a few times with hard punches during, but nothing was as big as the shot Mansour ended the fight with. He maneuvered Kassi to the ropes and landed a left hand to the head before annihilating him with a huge right hook to the chin. Kassi was out cold before he hit the canvas face first. Referee Gary Rosato did not bother to count as he waved off the fight immediately at 2 minutes, 17 seconds. "Mansour has knocked him out! A thunderous right by Amir Mansour and Kassi is out cold," is how NBCSN's Kenny Rice called it. Kassi was motionless on the canvas for several minutes before regaining his senses. What a devastating knockout.

Marvin Sonsona KO3 Akifumi Shimoda (Feb. 22 at Macau, China):

Kaboooooom! Shimoda looked good in the early going of this featherweight bout against fellow southpaw Sonsona, a former junior bantamweight titlist. But Sonsona figured him out and then landed a wicked left uppercut that caught Shimoda flush. His head snapped back and he fell to his rear end with his left leg pinned underneath him and then he fell flat on his back, out cold as his head slammed the mat. Referee Danrex Tapdasan began to count but then quickly waved off the fight at 1 minute, 17 seconds as Sonsona and his team launched into a wild celebration while Shimoda was down for several minutes. "Big shot catches him. That might be it," exclaimed Top Rank broadcaster Col. Bob Sheridan, calling the action. "It's all over! It's all over! It's gonna be scored a knockout. He's not getting up at all!"

Felix Verdejo KO3 Sergio Villanueva (Oct. 4 at Orlando, Florida):
[+] EnlargeFelix Verdejo, Sergio Villanueva
Alex Menendez/Getty Images
Felix Verdejo, ESPN.com 2014 prospect of the year, had one of the best KOs as well in his victory over Sergio Villanueva in October.
Puerto Rican lightweight sensation Verdejo, the 2014 ESPN.com prospect of the year, showed off his punching power with this highlight-reel knockout against Villanueva, who was selected as the opponent because he is typically durable and Top Rank's matchmakers felt he would give the 21-year-old the rounds he needs. Instead, Verdejo scored an early knockout, the kind of jaw-dropping destruction that makes it easy for people to view him as the heir apparent to Puerto Rican legends Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto. Verdejo was in control all the way and then, in the third round, momentarily turned southpaw and ruined Villanueva with a right hand that caught him flush on the side of the face. As Verdejo hopped out of the way to avoid Villanueva falling into him, he was motionless for a moment and then fell toward the canvas. But Villanueva did not hit the mat because he fell in between the first and second ring ropes, literally bouncing off of them. He actually got to his feet, but he was out of it. As referee Frank Santore was calling off the fight at 1 minute, 57 seconds, Villanueva staggered backward across the ring before falling to his back.

Viktor Postol KO11 Selcuk Aydin (May 17 at Inglewood, California):

In this junior welterweight world title elimination bout, Postol earned a mandatory shot with a sick knockout to end a surprisingly one-sided fight. Postol let his hands fly throughout the entire bout as he connected on 395 of 1,105 punches. But it was one huge shot that will be remembered. Moments after referee Raul Caiz Jr. docked a point from Aydin for hitting behind the head, Postol crushed him with a right uppercut. Aydin's head violently rocked back and he went down like a sack of rocks before his head bounced off the canvas, and Caiz immediately waved off the fight at 2 minutes, 52 seconds.

Gennady Golovkin TKO3 Daniel Geale (July 26 at New York):
[+] EnlargeGennady Golovkin, Daniel Geale
Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
Gennady Golovkin delivered a tremendous right hand that dropped Daniel Geale for good in the third round.
GGG knows a thing or two about knockouts. The middleweight titleholder owns the highest knockout percentage of any active titleholder (90.3) and this beauty against Geale, a legitimate opponent and former titleholder, was his 17th in a row in a streak that now stands at 18 straight. Golovkin, who had knocked Geale down in the second round and cut him over his right eye, ended it in the third. Geale landed a really good right hand to Golovkin's forehead but Golovkin was simultaneously throwing his own right hand, which he basically threw as he was going backward but still managed to connect clean on Geale's chin to knock him down. Geale beat the count, but his legs were a total mess and he knew he was done, nodding as referee Michael Ortega waved off the fight at 2 minutes, 43 seconds.

Frank Galarza KO2 John Thompson (Jan. 17 at Memphis, Tennessee):

Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Galarza handed Thompson his first career defeat in frightening fashion. The spent the first round getting a look at each other before Galarza lowered the boom 16 seconds into the second round. He immediately staggered Thompson with a right hand and kept throwing until connecting with a savage left hook that dropped Thompson like a rag doll. He fell to the mat face first, going down very awkwardly as his head was twisted to the side with his weight on his neck. He tried to get to all fours but then fell over, forcing referee Keith Hughes called off the fight. This was quite nasty.

Joseph Parker KO4 Irineu Beato Costa Junior (Dec. 6 at Hamilton, New Zealand):
[+] EnlargeJoseph Parker, Irineu Beato Costa Junior
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Joseph Parker, right, showed some power against Irineu Beato Costa Junior in December.
Parker, a powerful heavyweight and one of boxing's top prospects, was facing Junior, who had gone the 12-round distance in his only previous defeat. But Parker handed him his first knockout loss in emphatic fashion. Parker had worked the body during the fight and also landed some nice right hands to the head before ending the fight when he nailed him with a left jab that basically turned Costa's head into the follow-up right hand that caught him flush on the jaw and splattered him flat on his back. Costa's eyes were open but he was totally out of it. Referee Brad Vocale counted to four but properly elected to stop the fight at 31 seconds without finishing the count. He probably could have counted to 100. Broadcaster Col. Bob Sheridan was on the scene: "Ohhhhhh! Right hand! He's not gonna get up from that! Hit him right on the chin with a solid right hand! This fight's all over. He's not going to count him out because he saw the eyes roll back. Big, big, big shot with a right hand from Joseph Parker!"

Alexander Povetkin KO10 Carlos Takam (Oct. 24 at Moscow):

In a heavyweight matchup of 2004 Olympians, former world titleholder Povetkin (a gold medalist) and Takam fought mostly on even terms in a grueling fight before Povetkin began to take over in the ninth round and knocked him down with a right hand just before the end of the round. Then in the 10th round, Povetkin leveled the fading Takam, unleashing a huge left hook that cracked him on the chin and flattened him. Takam went down spread eagle in the middle of the ring and was out cold, causing referee Kenny Bayless to wave off the fight at 54 seconds without a count. What a tremendous punch. It's why folks love heavyweights.

Nicholas Walters KO5 Vic Darchinyan (May 31 at Macau, China):
[+] EnlargeNIcholas Walkters, Vic Darchinyan
AP Photo/Kin Cheung
Nicholas Walters retained his featherweight belt with a powerful left hook against veteran Vic Darchinyan.
Walters retained his featherweight belt as he notched his 10th knockout in previous 11 fights in a one-sided demolition of Darchinyan, the faded former flyweight and junior bantamweight titlist. Walters had dropped Darchinyan with a right uppercut in the second round and earlier in the fifth round with a right hand. Darchinyan continued to fight but looked finished. And then Walters -- "The Axe Man" -- caught him with a huge left hook that dropped him hard. He went down, his left leg pinned underneath him as he hit his head on the bottom ring rope, and referee Raul Caiz Jr. immediately waved it off without a count with 38 seconds left in the round. off the without a count at 2 minutes, 22 seconds. Darchinyan had no idea where he was.

Fight of year: Rodriguez-Takayama.

The strawweight division is boxing's smallest, one in which the combatants are a mere 105 pounds, or about half the size of a small heavyweight. But do not take their diminutive stature as a sign that they can't fight or aren't capable of delivering just as much raw violence and excitement as any of their bigger, more popular colleagues.

For example, in 2011, Japan's Akira Yaegashi knocked out Pornsawan Porpramook of Thailand in the 10th round of a gripping, action-packed fight to win a strawweight world title in what became the ESPN.com fight of the year. It was easily the best fight in the history of the division, which was created in 1987.

Rafael's fights of the year
2014: Francisco Rodriguez Jr. W12 Katsunari Takayama
2013: Timothy Bradley Jr. W12 Ruslan Provodnikov
2012: Juan Manuel Marquez KO6 Manny Pacquiao (IV)
2011: Akira Yaegashi TKO10 Pornsawan Porpramook
2010: Humberto Soto W12 Urbano Antillon
2009: Juan Manuel Marquez KO9 Juan Diaz (I)
2008: Israel Vazquez W12 Rafael Marquez (III)
2007: Israel Vazquez TKO6 Rafael Marquez (II)
2006: Somsak Sithchatchawal TKO10 Mahyar Monshipour
2005: Diego Corrales TKO10 Jose Luis Castillo (I)
2004: Marco Antonio Barrera W10 Erik Morales (III)
2003: Arturo Gatti W10 Micky Ward (III)
2002: Micky Ward W10 Arturo Gatti (I)
2001: Micky Ward W10 Emanuel Burton
2000: Felix Trinidad TKO12 Fernando Vargas
Three years later, boxing fans were treated to another epic fight in the weight class as Mexico's Francisco Rodriguez Jr. (15-2, 10 KOs), a 21-year-old making his first title defense, and Japanese veteran two-time titleholder Katsunari Takayama (27-7, 10 KOs), 31, making his third title defense, met in a rare strawweight unification fight Aug. 9 in Rodriguez's hometown of Monterrey, Mexico.

What they delivered was special: the second-best fight in 105-pound division history and the 2014 ESPN.com fight of the year. It was a frenzied battle that was so good and so filled with unrelenting action from bell to bell that, other than the mandatory one-minute rest period between rounds, it felt like one extended round as they exchanged punches nonstop for virtually the entire fight.

It was an all-out war that was as intense and action-packed as any fight in boxing in recent times. From the opening bell, they sprinted toward each other and never stopped trying to crush each other in search-and-destroy style.

After Takayama seemed to get the better of the action in the first two rounds (despite being cut over his left eye), Rodriguez scored a knockdown inside the first minute of the third round when he connected with a left hook to the body that sent Takayama sprawling to the mat but seemingly not badly hurt. He popped up quickly, and the combat resumed in what became a breathtaking battle of attrition.

They never stopped punching as they took turns rocking each other round after round. It was tiring just to watch them as they stood head-to-head and chest-to-chest and pounded away, including at the end of the sixth round, which had amazing action. Even after emptying their tanks for 11 rounds, they still had enough left for a sensational final round, one of the best of the year, as they continued to fight at 100 mph.

The whole fight had ridiculous, nonstop action. The heart and conditioning of both of these warriors was something to behold. Other than counting on the only knockdown, referee Samuel Viruet had very little to do because there were virtually no clinches.

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ESPN.com is rolling out its year-end boxing awards.

Dec. 22: Fighter of Year » Vote » MTR »
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Dec. 29: Fight of Year » Vote » MTR »
Want a testament to how incredibly entertaining this slugfest was? The great Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. was ringside cheering wildly as Rodriguez and Takayama left everything they had inside the ring. Rodriguez got the decision on scores of 116-111, 115-112 and a way-too-wide 119-108, but what fans will remember is the phenomenal action.

Postscript: Rodriguez soon vacated his belts, moved up to flyweight and was held to a draw against Jomar Fajardo in November. Takayama has not fought since but will face countryman Go Odaira on New Year's Eve in Osaka, Japan, for both of the vacant titles. Perhaps it will also be a memorable fight, but it seems doubtful it can match the ferocity of what Takayama and Rodriguez did to each other a few months earlier.

Other unforgettables

Orlando Salido KO11 Terdsak Kokietgym (Sept. 20 at Tijuana, Mexico):

[+] EnlargeOrlando Salido and Terdsak Kokietgym
Courtesy Zanfer Promotions
With seven total knockdowns and a brutal finish, Orlando Salido, right, and Terdsak Kokietgym put on quite a show in Tijuana.
Meeting for a vacant interim junior lightweight belt, former featherweight titlist Salido and former world title challenger Kokietgym waged an absolutely sensational fight that featured nonstop action, seven total knockdowns (Salido was down three times and Kokietgym four times) and massive courage from both guys. If all of that weren't great enough, the sheer mayhem was capped off with Salido scoring a huge knockout. It was a riveting battle, which did not come as a huge surprise given Salido's penchant for being in excellent fights. Even Kokietgym has been in his share. Mix them together and the result was the kind of fight that produced jump-out-of-your-seat action. The fight started super fast and never let up. They came out banging and each hit the deck in the opening round, then continued to trade knockdowns in a wild fight. Salido was down in the second round, Kokietgym in the fourth round on a body shot, Salido again in the fifth round and Kokietgym yet again in the seventh round. From the seventh round until the KO, Salido took over the fight, but the action never let up. Finally, in the 11th round, Salido ended the fight with a vicious four-punch combination for a spectacular knockout. It was a devastating end to a great fight.

Tommy Coyle TKO12 Daniel Brizuela (Feb. 22 at Hull, England):

Coyle, fighting in his hometown and gaining a reputation as an all-action brawler, squared off with Argentina's Brizuela in a hellacious lightweight fight that was dramatic, intense and worthy of repeat viewing. Sure, neither has a big name in boxing and there was no world title at stake, but that didn't stop them from turning in a memorable scrap that featured all-out action, three point deductions for rough stuff, eight -- yes, eight! -- knockdowns and the great 11th round, which was picked as ESPN.com's round of the year. Overall, each man hit the deck four times, but it was resilient Coyle who was the last man standing. Brizuela notched the first three knockdowns, one late in the second round and two more in the sixth round, when he nearly got the stoppage. Brizuela, who was cut over his left eye from an accidental head-butt in the 10th round, also had Coyle down in the wild 11th round. Coyle scored knockdowns in the eighth round, two in the 11th round and one more in the 12th round. "How are these two still standing? What a fight," said Sky Sports broadcaster Nick Halling as the 11th round ended. Indeed, it was a tumultuous affair. Both guys looked as if they were ready to go at any moment in the 12th round. Coyle, however, cracked Brizuela with a right hand that sent him into the ropes and followed with a left hand that dropped him yet again. Brizuela pounded the canvas with his fist out of frustration, then quickly got to his feet and seemed OK, but referee Steve Gray elected to halt a fight that won't soon be forgotten.

Terence Crawford TKO9 Yuriorkis Gamboa (June 28 at Omaha, Nebraska):

[+] EnlargeCrawford
AP Photo/John Peterson
Terence Crawford's lightweight title defense against Yuriorkis Gamboa slowly morphed from a technical fight to an all-action affair.
This fight had everything you could possibly want in a prize fight: competition, an awesome atmosphere, high stakes, two skilled and undefeated fighters who both showed heart, hard punching, knockdowns, action and a definitive ending. Crawford, making his first lightweight title defense, returned home for his first professional fight and drew a crowd of 10,943 for the first world title fight in the city in 42 years and, boy, was it worth the wait. The fight was expected to be a boxing match between two slick and skilled fighters, but it quickly became an action-packed affair. Crawford struggled to deal with Gamboa's speed for the first four rounds, but after that he took over the fight. Still, Gamboa, a former unified featherweight titlist coming off a year layoff, never appeared totally out of it until the very end, even rallying to rock Crawford in the ninth round. Crawford scored four knockdowns overall, first dropping Gamboa in the fifth round and again in the exciting power-punch-filled eighth round, prompting HBO's Hall of Fame announcer Jim Lampley to punctuate the round with, "Unbelievable stuff here in Omaha, Nebraska! This crowd, many of whom are at their first live prize fight, getting their money's worth in a big way!" Crawford finished Gamboa off with two more knockdowns in the ninth round as the crowd went nuts and a star was born.

Lucas Matthysse KO11 John Molina (April 26 at Carson, California):

Matthysse is a tremendous puncher and rarely in a bad fight. Molina, also a big puncher, knows no other way but to brawl, and, since his chin has betrayed him, he walks a tightrope whenever he's in the ring. So when Matthysse and Molina were matched, it figured to be an excellent junior welterweight fight -- if Molina's chin could hold up against Matthysse's thunderous power. It held up long enough for them to produce a scintillating and bloody five-knockdown slugfest in which they spent nearly the entire fight trading fierce punches at close quarters until "The Machine" simply wore Molina down and stopped him with a late-rounds onslaught that was not for the faint of heart. Molina was credited with knockdowns in the second round and fifth round (although the fifth-round punch was a shot behind Matthysse's head). Matthysse was also cut by an accidental head-butt over his left eye in the third round. But Matthysse kept firing away and eventually took over the fight as he administered a beating to determined Molina in the later rounds. He got credit for a knockdown in the eighth round when it was really a push. But Matthysse did have a big round and laid a serious beating on Molina, who was bleeding under his left eye. "This is a brutal battle between Matthysse and Molina. We can hear every thudding blow," Showtime's Mauro Ranallo roared early in the eighth round. Matthysse scored another knockdown in the 10th round and finished the bloody Molina in the 11th when he floored him again with a brutal left hook and a right hand that ended the bone-crunching battle.

Curtis Stevens TKO10 Tureano Johnson (April 4 at Philadelphia):

Boxing fans have long known that Stevens likes to rumble. Those same boxing fans now know the same about Johnson, who was taking a big step up in competition, as they turned in a quality rumble marred only by the debatable stoppage. The ending, however, did not take away from the excitement produced in the first nine rounds of this middleweight slobber-knocker. They went at each other from the opening bell in a blazing first round filled with power punches. Although it was mostly a one-sided fight in Johnson's favor, the action never relented. In the 10th and final round, it was obvious that Stevens was going to need the knockout to win, and he got it when he connected with a left hook that hurt Johnson and sent him into the ropes, where he landed another fierce left hand. Stevens continued to throw punches with abandon, but, although most of the shots missed the target or just caught Johnson's gloves, referee Gary Rosato jumped in quickly, giving Stevens a questionable comeback victory in an otherwise sizzling fight.

David Lemieux TKO10 Gabriel Rosado (Dec. 6 at New York, Brooklyn):

[+] EnlargeGabriel Rosado
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
Gabriel Rosado was stopped in a one-sided affair, but his willingness to engage made his action fight with David Lemieux a memorable one.
If Lemieux was going to move on to a possible world title shot, he was going to have to go through Rosado, a fierce competitor and former title challenger who will expose an opponent if he is not at his best. Given their aggressive styles, the middleweight match figured to be a barn burner when it was signed, and it more than lived up to the hype as they engaged in a rock 'em, sock 'em brawl that had the crowd cheering throughout. Although Lemieux was firmly in control from the third round on, it was still very exciting. Lemieux dropped Rosado in the third round, when his left eye turned into a swollen, black-and-blue wreck, hampering his vision. Then came the round of the year contender in the fourth, which featured hellacious back-and-forth action as both fighters were rocked. By the sixth round, Rosado's eye was essentially closed. Lemieux showed no mercy as he continued to pound Rosado, including nearly dropping him with a left hook at the end of the ninth round. As Rosado continued to take punishment in the 10th and the eye was in terrible shape, the ringside doctor ordered the fight stopped. It sure was fun while it lasted.

Steve Cunningham W10 Amir Mansour (April 4 at Philadelphia):

It was the better boxing of former cruiserweight titleholder Cunningham against the brute strength of Mansour in a heavyweight fight that was hard-fought, intense and dramatic. Cunningham survived two knockdowns and nearly being knocked out to rally for a tremendous victory on a card that also included fight of the year contender Curtis Stevens versus Tureano Johnson. Cunningham and Mansour brawled throughout the fight in which both men were bruised and bleeding. Mansour nearly ended the fight in the fifth round as he dropped Cunningham twice and nearly had him out. Although Cunningham looked done after the round, he dug deep, stayed calm and fought his way back into the fight, taking advantage of Mansour's inexperience. Cunningham countered Mansour's wild shots and continued to win rounds despite being so damaged in the fifth round. If there was any doubt that Cunningham had mounted a successful comeback, he salted the win away with a knockdown in the final 35 seconds of the fight when he dropped an off-balance Mansour with a left hand. It was the kind of fight that should raise the stock of both men, who put it all on the line.

Monty Meza Clay TKO10 Alan Herrera (Aug. 8 at Pittsburgh):

This was a terrific and unexpected action-packed fight as Meza Clay, the hometown favorite, and Mexico's Herrera turned in a toe-to-toe brawl with neither man giving an inch throughout the extremely fast-paced fight. Meza Clay applied nonstop pressure as his crowd went wild throughout the bout. In the sixth round, Meza Clay dropped Herrera with an overhand right-left hand combination, but Herrera was not badly hurt. It was caused more by the relentless pressure from Meza Clay than any particular punch. Herrera rallied late in the round, however, as he finally forced Meza Clay to back up in what proved to be a tremendous round. Meza Clay was pulling away in the middle rounds largely because of his nonstop punching, but Herrera came back to badly rock Meza Clay with a huge right hand with 30 seconds left in the ninth round. Meza Clay retreated to the ropes, and Herrera was all over him. Meza Clay was in massive trouble but continued to punch as they closed the round in an extended and hellacious exchange. Promoter and former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson was sitting in with the Fox Sports 1 announcers losing his mind during the round, finally saying, "I had no idea this fight would be so exciting!" The fighters continued to let it all hang out in the 10th round, and with Herrera, who was cut over his right eye, finally beginning to wilt, referee Rick Steigerwald jumped in to stop the bout after Meza Clay connected on one final right hand that rocked Herrera. It was a fantastic fight.

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Jose Lopez W8 Roberto Castaneda (Aug. 16 at Caguas, Puerto Rico):

Putting the controversy of the majority decision scoring aside -- there were accusations of manipulated scorecards -- this was a wild junior featherweight slugfest, especially in the early rounds. The two traded big shots and were repeatedly wobbled like drunken sailors in an old-fashioned shootout that featured a ridiculous five knockdowns in the first round, seven overall in the first three rounds and a deluge of power shots throughout the fight as both guys showed immense courage. Referee Roberto Ramirez was a busy man as Lopez dropped Castaneda and then got dropped four times, all in the opening round. Lopez caught Castaneda with a right hand and dropped him in the second round. In the third round, Lopez rocked Castaneda and dropped him for the third time with a right hand early in the frame. And if all the knockdowns and slugging weren't enough, Castaneda also lost a point in the third round for hitting Lopez behind the head. This was simply a surreal, toe-to-toe brawl.

Travis Dickinson TKO6 Matty Clarkson (May 17 at Leeds, England):

Dickinson, defending his English light heavyweight title, and Clarkson put on an exciting, brutal fight filled with hard punches in which they combined for six knockdowns, with Dickinson down four times and Clarkson twice. Dickinson dropped Clarkson with a right uppercut less than a minute into the fight, and the action continued throughout. By the end of the first round, Channel 5 broadcaster Dave Farrar was on the money when he said, "Already this has the feel of a mini-classic." Clarkson was down again in the second round from a left hook, and Dickinson suffered a flash knockdown in the third. The brutal fifth round, the best of the fight, was a big one for Clarkson, whose body attack dropped Dickinson three times and put him on the verge of an upset win. But Dickinson, his face showing the agony he was in, also landed big shots. "Absolutely extraordinary action here," cried Farrar down the stretch of the fifth round. They continued to fire away in the sixth round, and, when Dickinson landed a combination that rocked Clarkson, who had bad swelling on the right side of his face and under his left eye, referee Michael Alexander jumped in with 20 seconds left. It was a poor stoppage, but it was one hell of a fight.

Robert Guerrero W12 Yoshihiro Kamegai (June 21 at Carson, California):

[+] EnlargeRobert Guerrero
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Yoshihiro Kamegai, left, never stopped coming forward against Robert Guerrero in their fast-paced and violent welterweight bout.
Fighting for the first time in 13 months since being wiped out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a welterweight world title fight, Guerrero was matched with Kamegai in what many expected to be an easy victory for him on the comeback trail. As it turned out, it was anything but. Somebody forgot to tell Kamegai he was not supposed to be competitive. Although there was little drama and no knockdowns, it was a bloody, high-contact fight. Guerrero was never in serious trouble, but Kamegai pushed him very hard as they both showed incredible heart and will in a brutal fight. They traded fierce shots on the inside in the sixth round, and Guerrero was getting the worse of it when their heads collided, causing a terrible cut over Guerrero's left eye. It was a mess for the rest of the fight, but Guerrero fought through the injury and continued to pour it on, snapping Kamegai's head back with straight left hands. In the end, they combined to throw an astonishing 1,913 punches, according to CompuBox statistics, and kept a frenetic pace for the entire exciting fight.

Robert Stieglitz D12 Felix Sturm (Nov. 8 at Stuttgart, Germany):

Two of Germany's most popular fighters were looking for a big fight since Sturm was coming off losing his middleweight title and Stieglitz had lost his super middleweight belt two fights earlier. They met in a big-money super middleweight fight that ended in a draw, but not until they had delivered a whale of a show -- a surprise because neither is known as an action fighter. But they were on this night as the bout was close and action-packed throughout. Stieglitz was more aggressive and threw a lot more punches, but Sturm was accurate with his combinations and connected frequently, including with several powerful uppercuts. A draw seemed perfectly legitimate, and, given how good the fight was, a rematch would be welcome.

Rodrigo Guerrero TKO7 Daniel Rosas (Feb. 15 at Tapachula, Mexico):

Guerrero, a former junior bantamweight world titleholder, and Rosas engaged in a violence-filled battle that ended in a mild upset as Guerrero simply wore down Rosas. Guerrero started fast, dropping Rosas hard in the first round. Rosas, who suffered a deep cut in his right eyebrow, got himself together and fought back for a strong third round. There were numerous brutal exchanges in which both men took punishment. In the seventh round, Rosas was fading, his eye was bleeding and he was taking a pounding when the referee stepped in to stop an unanswered assault from Guerrero.
 
What's up Bobby!

Another year of boxing, a bit disappointed with 2014. Hopefully 2015 comes on strong

. Lol I remember when I used to make this thread NT years are like dog years
 
Happy new year fellas. Hopefully we get awesome fights this year.
 
What's up Bobby!

Another year of boxing, a bit disappointed with 2014. Hopefully 2015 comes on strong

. Lol I remember when I used to make this thread NT years are like dog years

My dude Jay :pimp: Happy New Year bud (and to all the NT Boxing regulars/newcomers from '14)!

I remember Amo starting it wayyyyy back when :lol: 10+ years strong visiting this thread :pimp:

Yea, '14 was so disappointing which is why I never really posted much towards the end. That, plus my new wife kinda curbed my Saturday nights so I ended up watching tapes or YT :lol:

IMO, for this year to be a success, 80% of those big fights we could see need to be made as well as matching PBF/Manny. That's how bad it was last year.
 
As long as MayPac is made in May or September, everything else will be icing.
 
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Some news & notes to freshen everyone up on some fighters:

James Portland ME [via mobile]

Any ideas on what Robert Guerrero has next? I saw the tweet to you, despite all the crap he took for the Floyd fight I love watching the guy fight
Dan Rafael, King Fight Freak (12:00 PM)

I am not sure what he is doing next. He has only fought once since the Floyd fight but he said to expect something big, so, hopefully, we'll see him in an interesting fight before too long.

James Portland ME [via mobile]

Do you see Froch - Chavez Jr being done for March and is it PPV? I would gladly buy if they put up a solid undercard
Dan Rafael, King Fight Freak (12:01 PM)

I don't see Chavez doing anything until the legal issues with Top Rank are settled, which, as far as I know, are most definitely not as of yet.

Jaireezy818 Los Angeles [via mobile]

Is there any progress on the Canelo vs Cotto fight in May ?
Dan Rafael, King Fight Freak (12:07 PM)

As both sides continue to say the are working on it. But until it's done it's not done.

G (Flatbush, Brooklyn)

Now that Kiko Martinez has moved down in weight, do you see him as a possible opponent for Randy Caballero down the road? I think that would be an entertaining fight and a good test for Caballero.
Dan Rafael, King Fight Freak (12:09 PM)

Depends on what the Caballero team wants to do. He has a fight scheduled but after that a Caballero-Martinez fight would be pretty interesting to me.

Mr. Sammy (New Orleans)

You think if Tarver/Haye is remotely possible for this year?
Dan Rafael, King Fight Freak (12:11 PM)

Tarver is calling him out but I have not seen or heard a peep from Haye on his interest so who the heck knows?

The Trap [via mobile]

When do you think we will see Andre Ward back in the ring? Do you think that his first fight back will be a tune up or a fight to regain recognition?
Dan Rafael, King Fight Freak (12:12 PM)

Right now it's the same as before -- legal issues over his promotional contract, which has been ruled valid multiple times. So he is sitting until something changes or they make a deal or a buy out.

Max (San Diego) [via mobile]

Any word on how Brook is doing after being stabbed?
Dan Rafael, King Fight Freak (12:15 PM)

Supposedly he is fine and supposed to be back in March.

Paul (Boston) [via mobile]

What's next for Peter Quillin?
Dan Rafael, King Fight Freak (12:23 PM)

Perhaps attending Andy Lee's next fight for a look at the belt he threw away, along with a $1.4 million-plus payday?
 
Would like to see GGG fight a big name this year. Doesn't have to be the biggest name, but a better caliber guy than he's fought thus far.
 
Would like to see GGG fight a big name this year. Doesn't have to be the biggest name, but a better caliber guy than he's fought thus far.

I think he's bound to face Andy Lee this year. I'm kind of interested in seeing him fight Abraham, it should be realistic.
 
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I don't wanna see Terrence Crawford and Manny. I don't want to see anybody vs. Manny or Floyd. I hope they either fight each other or get KO'ed their next fight. Tired of seeing those dudes getting matched up with the youngs fighters and new faces. Let some new fighters build their legacy. Or let 140 and 147 be crazy until the next reigning champs come along.

Besides that there's so many good fights to be made at almost every single weight class if fighters and promoters just stop ***********. Hopefully they get it right this year.
 
Lomachenko would cruise to a decision against Walters. "Axe Man" don't want that fight from a technical standpoint.
 
Adrien Broner looking like Gerald Levert.

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