By Jake Donovan

BoxingScene.com only began recognizing this category since 2012, in part due to the growing rivalry between HBO and Showtime.

In order for there to be a rivalry, there has to be competition. For the longest time, HBO was head and shoulders above the rest of the field, but Showtime closed the gap considerably in recent years, perhaps more accurately right around the time Golden Boy Promotions first began funneling its fighters across the street upon the expiration of its output deal with HBO.

The result was Showtime claiming top honors in this category in each of BoxingScene’s first two years showcasing the category.

Was 2014 a three-peat? Not quite, as the network fell far enough behind to barely make honorable mention.

Does that mean HBO won? Given that 2014 has been largely viewed as the year that wasn’t, the truth is that this category – much like most others – is wide-open for the taking.

For example, a new kid on the block – beIn Sports Español – quickly emerged as a cult favorite, replacing A Wealth of Entertainment (AWE – formerly WealthTV) as the sport’s hidden gem for the best action to be legally viewed (read: no need for illegal streams) by stateside fans.

Telemundo enjoyed its highest boxing ratings ever in 2014, and now a second straight year in which its numbers were on the rise since changing formats to three four-week “seasons from its previous one Friday-per-month presentation.

UniMas continues to be hit or miss, but managed to develop several future stars over the past 12 months. Included among the lot is rising Puerto Rican lightweight Felix Verdejo, who pulled in strong ratings for the network in multiple appearances on the year.

So who won? Read on, as BoxingScene.com officially kicks off the 2014 Year-End Awards season.

2014 NETWORK OF THE YEAR: HOME BOX OFFICE (HBO)

OK, so boxing in the way of stateside viewing continues to roll like a Presidential election, where in modern times a Democrat or Republican continues to be the only likely choice to land the job. With Showtime all but removing itself from the mix following a subpar 2014, the path was wide open for HBO to zoom in and reclaim the lead.

The cable moved back in front. Whether or not significant improvements were made is open for debate (for example, its overall ratings are down for at least the third straight year). However, its lead in the sport was undeniable in 2014, with the network claiming the entire Top 10 – in fact, the top 13 - among the most viewed fights of the year.

Sergey Kovalev ended the year as the recognized best light heavyweight in the world, even in the absence of an originally targeted showdown with lineal light heavyweight king Adonis Stevenson. The unbeaten knockout artist from Russia scored three big wins on HBO, including arguably the most anticipated non-PPV fight of the year in dismantling Bernard Hopkins in November.

Hopkins’ return to HBO marked the official return of Golden Boy back on the network’s airwaves, a rebuilding of the bridge that was nearly torched by the company’s mass defection two years prior. Also included among the mass transfer was the announced return of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (though still yet to officially fight on HBO/HBOPPV since 2012) and the introduction of resurgent middleweight David Lemieux as a potential future star given his strong performance – in the ring and the ratings – in his network debut on Dec. 6 in Brooklyn, New York.

Kovalev was one of several 2014 Fighter of the Year candidates to have exclusively performed on HBO in 2014.

Also included is a strong contender for the award, Nebraska’s Terence Crawford, who played a major role in the network bringing its cameras to Cornhusker State for the first – and second - time in its 40-year history with his two hometown showcases. The two bouts combined for 22,000 fans in attendance - a Fight of the Year contender in his 9th round knockout win over Yuriorkis Gamboa in June; and his 12-round boxing lesson served to Ray Beltran in claiming recognition as the World lineal lightweight champion.

HBO has now become middleweight headquarters.

Gennady Golovkin scored a highlight reel knockout over Daniel Geale in July, followed by a two-round blitzing of Marco Antonio Rubio in October. The wins took place on opposite ends of the U.S., with Kazakhstani developing as a reliable draw on both coasts. His popularity has already prompted HBO to bring its cameras to Monte Carlo for his next fight, which takes place in February.

Also entering the middleweight mix – in addition to Golovkin, as well as Lemieux’ network debut – is Miguel Cotto, a long time established favorite though from lower weight classes. The Puerto Rican boxing superstar announced his return to the top in grand style, scoring a career-defining 10th round stoppage win over Sergio Martinez in June to claim the World lineal middleweight championship, in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden live on HBO PPV.

The network also reestablished its presence in the heavyweight division, managing to capture World heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko in a flattering light. The long-reigning champ scored a spectacular 5th round knockout of top-rated Kubrat Pulev this past November in Germany, one of several trips beyond North American borders made by HBO, which presented boxing action from three separate continents – North America, Europe and Asia.

Manny Pacquiao reestablished himself as the second-best fighter in the world and the second-biggest draw among stateside fans with wins over a pair of previously unbeaten fighters, Tim Bradley and Chris Algieri. The former was revenge for a disputed decision nearly two years prior, while Algieri landed the November fight with Pacquiao thanks to a major upset win over Ruslan Provodnikov in June.

All of the aforementioned action took place on HBO and its PPV arm.

It says a lot that HBO managed to reinforce its stance as the industry leader despite three major stars – Andre Ward, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Mikey Garcia – only featuring two total fights between them on the year, and none since March 1.

Twelve months ago, these pages noted HBO’s 2013 campaign as one where the network was left to make lemonade . One year later, enough changes were made to advance past the rest of competition to gain recognition as BoxingScene.com’s choice for 2014 Network of the Year.

RUNNER-UP: beIn Sport Español

A more consistent schedule would have made the network a runaway favorite for this category, one that would have served major notice to HBO and Showtime. The fact that it can even compete with the two deepest pockets in the industry says volumes of what the network provided in 2014.

Basically absorbing whatever relevant boxing content once appeared on Azteca TV, beIN Sport Español came out of nowhere to serve as boxing fan’s pleasant surprise on a number of Saturdays.

Even when live boxing isn’t available, the network can be relied upon to relive great/memorable moments from the not-too-distant past. It also presented two live corkers, including the front-runner for Fight of the Year, with Francisco Rodriguez Jr. barely outlasting Katsunari Takayama over 12 brutally delicious rounds in an unforgettable strawweight title unification bout.

The other Fight of the Year entrant came in September, when veteran trialhorse Orlando Salido became a titlist in two weight classes following a 10th round knockout of Terdsak Kokietgym in a war that featured seven total knockdowns.

Other events on the year included: Jhonny Gonzalez pummeling countryman and faded former multi-division champ Jorge Arce on an Oct. 4 show supported by rising contender Adrian Estrella battering Celestino Caballero into retirement; Roman Gonzalez joining Alexis Arguelllo as Nicaragua’s only three-division champs following a 9th round knockout of World flyweight king Akira Yaegashi in their September 6  tape-delayed edition from Japan.

OTHER NETWORKS RECEIVING CONSIDERATION (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

BoxNation – To repeat what was said a year ago, any network that is solely dedicated to boxing will forever have a spot reserved on this list. ‘Nuff said.

Fox Sports 1 – The network still has a long way to go before gaining respect as must-see TV for boxing fans. Expanding its horizons beyond dealing with just one promoter was a great start. Golden Boy was the primary content provider, which produced an occasional gem (including the resurrection of Rocky Juarez) but a lot of stinkers. Helping out tremendously was the inclusion of Iron Mike Productions, with its August 8 edition featuring a Fight of the Year contender (Monte Meza-Clay KO10 Alan Herrera) and Sammy Vasquez establishing himself as a young star on the rise in a thrilling knockout win over James Stevenson.

NBC Sports Network – Easily the weakest among the three years the network has entered the fight game (at least since changing names). Main Events’ deal with NBCSN ran out towards year’s end, and it showed as the final few cards reeked of screwing the pooch. But the April 4 show – featuring Curtis Stevens’ final-round rally in a controversial 10th round stoppage of previously unbeaten Tureano Johnson, and Steve Cunningham’s off-the-canvas upset win of unbeaten heavyweight Amir Mansour – was arguably the best card of 2014. Mansour’s 7th round drilling of Fred Kassi in August is in the hunt for Knockout of the Year. Even if most of the rest of the year was unforgettable, highlights like that keep the network in the discussion

Showtime – As the network thrived from its relationship with Golden Boy (and Al Haymon) in the past two years, it suffered tremendously by the promotional company’s implosion in 2014. Far more showcase bouts came of the year, which lacked the sustained drama that overloaded the final four months of Showtime’s unforgettable 2013 campaign. Still, no cable network offers more boxing content, not just in terms of shows offered, but also each edition of Showtime Championship Boxing enjoying a lead-in of fights offered on SHO Extreme to truly kick off fight night in style. For that, it remains on the list, but is very much on the clock in 2015.

Telemundo – The super flyweight tournament was as entertaining as it was an effective marketing tool. Its first entry – Jonathan Vidal’s 8th round knockout of Juan Kantun in July – registered as the highest-rated live boxing match in Telemundo history, with the July 18 show outperforming ESPN2 and Fox Sports 1 that evening. Overall, the three separate four-weekend blocks continue to resonate with viewers, with interest captured and maintained rather than waning from month to month.

BOXINGSCENE.COM 2014 AWARDS SEASON
Network of the Year: HBO
Comeback of the Year: To be announced Sunday, 12/28/14
Event of the Year: To be announced Monday, 12/29/14
Prospect of the Year: To be announced Tuesday, 12/30/14
Upset of the Year: To be announced Wednesday, 12/31/14
Knockout of the Year: To be announced Thursday, 1/1/15
Round of the Year: To be announced Friday, 1/2/15 (along with Robbery of the Year)
Robbery of the Year: To be announced Friday, 1/2/15 (along with Round of the Year)
Fight of the Year: To be announced Saturday, 1/3/15
Fighter of the Year: To be announced Sunday, 1/4/15

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox