Gennady Golovkin - Ring Magazine fighter of the year.

[MDPopescu]

You guys think Kov above Stevenson?

Steven stopped the best guy in the division, then he beat on a legit contender and stopped him and he annihilated a former champ who is better than almost anyone on Kov's resume, and that's not even Stevenson's best win in 2013. He also avenged his only loss.

Noway is Kov above Stev

Well, Stebenson can fight either at 168 or at 175... "Make" him call Golovkin at 168 or Kovalev at 175... At see what happens...

[Foreign Soil]

You guys think Kov above Stevenson?

Steven stopped the best guy in the division, then he beat on a legit contender and stopped him and he annihilated a former champ who is better than almost anyone on Kov's resume, and that's not even Stevenson's best win in 2013. He also avenged his only loss.

Noway is Kov above Stev

Cleverly beat Bellew, though it was close
Campillo beat Cloud in almost everyone's eyes
Dawson one-punch KO was a good result but who knows what he had left going into that fight.
Sillakh KO 2 is also a good result but anyone with an intelligent thought would know his chin wouldn't hold out.

All in all, the results are about even. Not sure how anyone can put down Kovalev and in the same breath rate Stevenson's year that much higher.

[bojangles1987]

You guys think Kov above Stevenson?

Steven stopped the best guy in the division, then he beat on a legit contender and stopped him and he annihilated a former champ who is better than almost anyone on Kov's resume, and that's not even Stevenson's best win in 2013. He also avenged his only loss.

Noway is Kov above Stev

Kovalev annihilated the guy who dominated Cloud, and annihilated the guy who beat Bellew. Dawson was coming off a weight-drained career ruining beating. If you want to pretend he was still the same Chad Dawson, you can if you want, but it's only because of the Dawson fight that there's any argument about Kovalev and Stevenson.

It's very arguable who had the better year. You can't talk up Stevenson's year and not put Kovalev right up there.

[Weebler I]

You guys think Kov above Stevenson?

Steven stopped the best guy in the division, then he beat on a legit contender and stopped him and he annihilated a former champ who is better than almost anyone on Kov's resume, and that's not even Stevenson's best win in 2013. He also avenged his only loss.

Noway is Kov above Stev

No, I have Stevenson just ahead but there's an argument for Kovalev (see Foreign Soil's post).

What I was really concurring with in bojangles post, was that Kovalev had a better year than Golovkin.

[The Big Dunn]

I voted for stevenson on the NSB poll. I don't think GGG should've won but if the fans voted him it is what it is.

[MDPopescu]

I voted for stevenson on the NSB poll. I don't think GGG should've won but if the fans voted him it is what it is.

I suspect it was a tribute to Emanuel Steward's legacy... He did a really good job with Adonis...

[TBear]

The Ring failed the credibility check again.

[jas]

The fact that Rigo was not even a choice in the poll questions the poll's credence, legitimacy, and highlights its ridiculousness.

[Weebler I]

The fact that Rigo was not even a choice in the poll questions the poll's credence, legitimacy, and highlights its ridiculousness.

Agree, but it's not like he would have won anyway, it's the fans choice and Rigo is not a fan favourite.

I don't think anyone should take too much from this other than to acknowledge the boxing public loves Golovkin.

[Citizen Koba]

You guys think Kov above Stevenson?

Steven stopped the best guy in the division, then he beat on a legit contender and stopped him and he annihilated a former champ who is better than almost anyone on Kov's resume, and that's not even Stevenson's best win in 2013. He also avenged his only loss.

Noway is Kov above Stev

This has been gone over plenty - the resumes are actually pretty similar, and there was a lotta discussion even before the Stevenson fight that Dawson mighta been shot - year+ lay-off bad loss etc.

Cloud had already been exposed as just a very basic boxer by Bhop and Campillo who Kovalev destroyed. So Campillo is better than Cloud, and woulda been recognised as such without all the robberies on his record.

Cleverly beat Bellew although in a close fight.

And Sillakh I think most would accept is a bigger scalp than Boone.

The difference is that especially to US audiences Dawson and Cloud still represented the cream of the division - in reality both were coming off significant losses and Cloud especially was just never as good as advertised. Both these guys got a large part of their reputation from beating older guys like Glen Johnston and being most familiar to US audiences.

Not only that but (Dawson aside) Kovalev looked so much more devastating getting his wins. Myself, I put them about equal - but I can see the argument for both - and have both ahead of GGG.