**********'s Best of 2004

[borikua]

Fighter Of The Year: Glen Johnson
Tough to argue against the rugged Johnson, who this year, dispatched of Clinton Woods in England, knocked Roy Jones Jr. stiff and slightly edged out Antonio Tarver. "The Road Warrior", should never be called journeyman again. Champ or 2004 Fighter Of The Year will do just fine. Honorable Mention: Diego Corrales, Winky Wright and Marco Antonio Barrera

Trainer Of The Year: Daniel Birmingham
Longtime trainer of Winky Wright gets the goods this year. Other than Wright's two victories over Mosley, young upstart Jeff Lacy captured the IBF super middleweight title in October and defended it in November. Honorable Mention (in order): Orlando Cuellar and Joe Goossen. Dishonorable Mention: Alton Merkerson (Roy Jones Jr. and Ezra Sellers were each knocked out twice in 2004) Norman Stone (Ruiz's performance only improved once Stone was banished from the corner)

Fight Of The Year: Marco Antonio Barrera Vs. Erik Morales III
In a year stacked with action-packed candidates, the rubber match between future Hall Of Famers Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales gets the ever so slight nod over the Trinidad-Mayorga slugfest. Barrera-Morales IV has a nice ring to it...expect it to happen in 2005. Honorable Mention (in order): Felix Trinidad Vs. Ricardo Mayorga, MannyPacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez, Ebo Elder Vs. Courtney Burton, Bruseles Vs. Negron, Scott Pemberton Vs. Omar Sheika II, Diego Corrales vs. Acelino Freitas

Round Of The Year: Felix Trinidad Vs. Ricardo Mayorga, ROUND 1

You could feel the electricity in the air as the bell for round one was about to ring, officially ending Puerto Rican legend Felix Trinidad's two year retirment from boxing. Trinidad came out on shaky legs and was having a hard time avoiding Mayorga's punches. Mayorga was having his way with Trinidad until he decided, much to the delight of the crowd, to put his hands down and chin out to take three of Tito Trinidad's trademark left hook's. Although Mayorga danced after eating breakfast, lunch and dinner it didn't take long for Trinidad to start putting his power shots together stunning Mayorga to the point he was nearly out on his feet as the bell sounded. Honorable Mention: Johnson-Tarver Round 12, Elder-Burton Round 12, Wright-Mosley I Round 12. Barrera-Morales III Round 11

Knockout Of The Year: Antonio Tarver KO2 Roy Jones Jr.
"You got any excuses tonight Roy? Got any excuses?" Those were the words of Antonio Tarver approximately five minutes before one perfectly placed overhand left counter shot turned Superman into Clark Kent right before our eyes. Honorable Mention: Kofi Jantuah KO 1 Marco Antonio Rubio, Samuel Peter KO Jeremy Williams, Arturo Gatti KO2 Leonard Dorin, Rafael Marquez KO4 Heriberto Ruiz, Glen Johnson KO9 Roy Jones Jr., Kermit Cintron KO's Elio Ortiz

Worst Decision Of The Year: (tie) Rico Hoye Over Montell Griffin and Courtney Burton Over Emmanuel Augustus
Both were flat out robberies that the Michigan State Athletic Commission, the laughing stock of boxing commissions, should be ashamed of. If their officials are unable to determine the difference between a majority and split decision, how are they to be expected to appoint suitable judges and ref's? Honorable Mention: Matt Vanda Over Sam Garr, Lamon Brewster Over Kali Meehan, Oscar De La Hoya Over Felix Sturm, Michael Katz not coming to **********.com.

Worst Referee Of The Year (tie): Robert Gonzales ref for Rocky Juarez-Zahir Raheem and Dan Kelley for Courtney Burton-Emmanuel Augustus

Upset Of The Year: Danny Williams KO4 Mike Tyson
Honorable Mention: Yamplier Azcuy KO 1 Juan Carlos Gomez, Lamon Brewster TKO's Wladimir Klitschko, Glen Johnson KO's Roy Jones Jr.

Comeback Of The Year: Felix Trinidad
Honorable Mention: Kostya Tszyu, Marco Antonio Barrera Dishonorable Mention: Rid**** Bowe

Prospect Of The Year: Mike Arnaoutis
Honorable Mention: Chad Dawson, Paul Malignaggi

[borikua]

Most Over-Protected Boxers Of 2004: (tie) Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe Honorable Mention or America's Most Overprotected: Jermain Taylor, Arturo Gatti

Too Many Excuses Tonight Award: Team Wladimir Klitschko after loss to Lamon Brewster Honorable Mention: Roy Jones Jr.

I've fallen and I can't get up : Jeremy Willliams and Roy Jones Jr Honorable Mention: Wladimir Klitschko

The I've fallen enough, so I'll give up: Acelino Freitas

Promoter Of The Year: HBO

Honorable Mention: Showtime

Matchmaker Of The Year: HBO
Honorable Mention: Sean Gibbons

Network Executive Of The Year: Xavier James... **********.com always told you someone was getting screwed at HBO. Honorable Mention: Bob Yalen, only because he couldn't macaroni the girl himself.

The Whatchoo Talkinbout Willis Award: Kerry Davis....Earlier this year the HBO suit told **********'s G. Leon, "I wouldn't say Al Haymon and I are friends, he's not someone I'd consider a friend."

Manager Of The Year: Bernard Hopkins (subject to the result of his ongoing litagation with DKP) Honorable Mention: Al "HBO Fighter" Haymon, who this year alone managed to secure relationships with Antonio Tarver, Floyd Mayweather Jr., as well as a slight interest in Jermain Taylor. He also got Vassiliy Jirov, the B player of the bout, $300,000 to fight Joe Mesi in a co-feature in Las Vegas. Imagine what Jirov would've got had Kerry Davis considered Haymon a friend.

Most In Need Of A New Cell Phone: Al Haymon. Can you hear me now Al? I wonder, if HBO will be able to fit one more phone in their new budget?

Worst Decision By A Boxing Manager: By FAR it's Shelly Finkel for not placing a rematch clause in the Tyson-Williams contract. After Williams knocked Tyson out, Finkel played a role in helping Williams secure a $1.8M payday against Finkel's other major heavyweight player, Vitali Klitschko. Honorable Mention: Tank Tankanow for convincing Jose Antonio Rivera to turn down two significant six figure paydays against Ricardo Mayorga and Zab Judah in less than a week this past April. Rivera hasn't fought at all this year, all he had to do was accept the biggest payday of his life to try to take his career to the next level. The Mayorga fight even would have been a non-title bout, meaning Rivera could have lost but kept his WBA regular title. Since then Mayorga has made more than $1M, while Zab Judah is scheduled to again fight for the real welterweight championship of the world on February 5.

[QueenCity]

I have to say that I agree with most, if not all of these selections

[bpapa420]

I hate the fact that johnson is fighter of the year. He beat 1 good fighter, and 1 overrated bum

A journeymen should not be fighter of the year.

[Guest]

The only thing with a list like this is that it doesn't take into account the global (ie. non-US) picture.

Someone on another thread said that if you don't make it in America you're nobody in boxing, and that's fair enough.

BUT - one serious addition to this list I would add would be for KO of the year. Unfortunately it's way past my bedtime and I can't remember the exponents for the life of me tonight but I'm sure a fellow Limey will read this and help me out. I won't even give any clues, you'll know who I'm talking about. One of them had just one name. Takaloo. That's it. Knocked out by....? Was great because...?

[Guest]

Wayne Alexander! That's the one! Nearly turned Takaloo's head 180 degrees in a come-from-behind KO.

Can I hear any UK brothers in the house? Reprazent!

[jack_the_rippuh]

It's looks like I bet against the wrong mon..

[lapulapu]

East Side Boxing's List is far better than **********'s Best.