What was the Boxing Fight of the Year in 2009?
Boxing had a lot of ups and downs in 2009. Amongst the ups were many great, scintillating fights that kept fans on the edges of their seat in eager anticipation of what would come next. In fact, the year started off strong with great fights like Andre Berto vs. Luis Collazo and Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz and then ended strong as well, going out with a bang provided by Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez. But were any of these battles the 2009 Fight of the Year and if not, what was?
2009 Fight of the Year in Boxing: Bernard Dunne vs. Ricardo Cordoba
If you haven’t seen this fight yet, then it’s time to head over to You Tube and catch it in its entirety. A battle for the WBA super bantamweight title, Dunne won by dramatic TKO in the 11th round. He put Cordoba down to the canvas in the third round with a left hook and was winning the brutal exchanges in the 4th round but then was sent to the canvas twice in the 5th, being badly hurt in the process. As the crazy back and forth battle progressed, Dunne put Cordoba down three times in the 11th stanza before the fight got stopped. Once again, if you haven’t seen it, head to You Tube and settle in for a great bout.
2009 Fight of the Year Runner Up – Juan Diaz vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
Any questions about whether Juan Manuel Marquez to swim at the lightweight waters with a young, hungry and active fighter were put to bed in this barnburner of a brawl. Diaz came out the aggressor, and the slow starting Marquez was forced to adjust in the only way he knew how, launching his own lethal combinations. The two men went back and forth but as the night progressed Marquez’s superior precision and power won the day, as he stopped Diaz in the 9th round.
2009 Fight of the Year Third Place – Paul Williams vs. Sergio Martinez
You can’t blame the fighters for each surviving a tough, competitive fight and being taken to the scorecards only to have a questionable decision get read. It’s not that it’s a problem that Williams won, it’s the fact that the cards said Martinez never had a chance. Regardless, it was a fantastic back and forth battle, that saw each man go down in the first round. Williams of course had the superior work rate, while Martinez landed the harder, crisper and cleaner shots. The two should look to a rematch at junior middleweight, where titles can be at stake.
Other Fight of the Year Candidates: Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto; Victor Ortiz vs. Marcos Maidana; Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rogers Mtagwa; Luis Carlos Abregu vs. Irving Garcia; Andre Berto vs. Luis Collazo; Juan Urango vs. Randall Bailey
Make sure you check out the rest of the 2009 Boxing Awards from ProBoxing-Fans.com. It’s the best way to recap the entire up and down, crazy year in boxing. And if you agree or disagree with any of the recipients, let us know in the comments!
