WORLD BOXING COUNCIL - THE BEST OF 2004 AWARDS

 

FIGHT OF THE YEAR - BARRERA VS MORALES III

Fight of the Year: Barrera-Morales III - 27 votes.

A sensational fight written with golden letters in the pages of boxing history. A fight full of drama, where two great warriors pushed their hearts to the limit.

November 27, 2004, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

Runner up: Gatti-Branco - 3 votes.

Wright-Mosley - 0 votes

 

 

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR - VITALI KLITSCHKO

Fighter of the Year: Vitali Klitschko - 16 votes.

Vitali brought a fresh and revitalized image to the heavyweight division after competing in the “Best Fight of 2003” with Lennox Lewis, and won the vacant WBC title in a dramatic fight against Corrie Sanders. He also made his first world title defense by impressively knocking out Danny Williams, who had knocked out Mike Tyson in July.

 

Runner up: Bernard Hopkins - 12 votes.

Ronald “Winky” Wright - 2 votes.

 

 

KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR - ANTONIO TARVER K02 ROY JONES JR.

Knockout of the Year: Antonio Tarver KO2 Roy Jones - 26 votes.

Antonio Tarver regained the WBC title in a mandated rematch against Roy Jones Jr.. The left hand that landed in the second round gave Tarver the WBC championship, knocking out one of the greatest fighters, Jones.

May 15, 2004, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada.

 

Runner up: Kawashima-Tokuyama - 3 votes.

Gatti-Dorin - 1 vote.

 

 

THE MOST ACTIVE CHAMPION - JORGE “TRAVIESO” ARCE

The Most Active Champion: Jorge “Travieso” Arce - 30 votes.

“Travieso” Arce, who became a celebrity after his participation in the TV reality show “Big Brother - VIP,” made four title defenses of his flyweight championship, including his mandatory defense against Juanito Rubillar in a sensational war in Tijuana, Mexico

 

 

EXEMPLARY BOXER - VEERAPHOL NAKHONLUANG

Exemplary Boxer: Veeraphol Nakhonluang - 25 votes.

Veeraphol won the WBC bantamweight title on December 29, 1998, and has defended it on 14 occasions. Veeraphol is a national hero in Thailand, and represents his country and the WBC in a formidable way inside and outside of the ring.

 

 

BOXING EVENT - BERNARD HOPKINS VS OSCAR DE LA HOYA

Boxing Event: Oscar de la Hoya vs. Bernard Hopkins.

This fight represented the Super Bowl or the World Series of boxing. The eyes of the world were set on Las Vegas, Nevada, where two of the greatest fighters in boxing met in a highly-anticipated fight, which resulted in record-setting gates, pay-per-view sales, and a dramatic, unprecedented knockout of the Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya. Bernard Hopkins retained his title for the 19th time, a record for the division, surpassing the great Carlos Monzon.

September 18, 2004, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada.