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The London Ex-Boxers Association held their annual awards dinner Sunday (Feb 19) night at the Connought Rooms at Great Queen's Street, London.
IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods was awarded the Dave Crowley Memorial Belt and named the Fighter of the Year for 2005 in front of several hundred members of the British boxing fraternity.
One of only two 'big three' world champions in the British Isles, Woods is a deserving winner after finally becoming a world champion at the fourth time of asking by destroying big-punching Rico Hoye to take the title. He then outboxed former champion Julio Gonzalez in September in an impressive first title defense.
Woods said: "A big thank you to everyone who voted for me. This is a fantastic belt, really magnificent, I will treasure it. It really means a lot to me to be voted the best of the year by fellow boxing people."
However, the Sheffield champion hastened to add that his night was nearly marred by former world middleweight champion Alan Minter, who was asked to say a few words about Woods's award but, instead, decided to snub the Sheffield fighter.
Woods said: "Minter stood up and went on a rant about his son's (Ross) career and then started talking about his own fights. That would be fine under different circumstances - I think Ross is an improved fighter and Minter is a former world champion - but it wasn't his moment, it was mine. He didn't mention me once in a speech which was supposed to be about the winner of the Fighter of the Year!"
An angry Woods added: "Every time I meet Minter all he can say is how fighters today are crap compared to him and his era. He said to me once that he'd have knocked out Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones in three rounds each. He doesn't have a good word to say about any fighters who followed him, unless it is his own son. He's a very a bitter old man."
Also at the gala event, Stoke-on-Trent's Pat Brogan, the former fighter turned matchmaker, trainer and promoter was awarded the Al Phillips Trophy for Services to Boxing.
Brogan, who continues to be involved with the game for a fourth decade, said: "It was great to be given something by your peers in the game. This meant a lot to me, to be recognised by my peers."
IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods was awarded the Dave Crowley Memorial Belt and named the Fighter of the Year for 2005 in front of several hundred members of the British boxing fraternity.
One of only two 'big three' world champions in the British Isles, Woods is a deserving winner after finally becoming a world champion at the fourth time of asking by destroying big-punching Rico Hoye to take the title. He then outboxed former champion Julio Gonzalez in September in an impressive first title defense.
Woods said: "A big thank you to everyone who voted for me. This is a fantastic belt, really magnificent, I will treasure it. It really means a lot to me to be voted the best of the year by fellow boxing people."
However, the Sheffield champion hastened to add that his night was nearly marred by former world middleweight champion Alan Minter, who was asked to say a few words about Woods's award but, instead, decided to snub the Sheffield fighter.
Woods said: "Minter stood up and went on a rant about his son's (Ross) career and then started talking about his own fights. That would be fine under different circumstances - I think Ross is an improved fighter and Minter is a former world champion - but it wasn't his moment, it was mine. He didn't mention me once in a speech which was supposed to be about the winner of the Fighter of the Year!"
An angry Woods added: "Every time I meet Minter all he can say is how fighters today are crap compared to him and his era. He said to me once that he'd have knocked out Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones in three rounds each. He doesn't have a good word to say about any fighters who followed him, unless it is his own son. He's a very a bitter old man."
Also at the gala event, Stoke-on-Trent's Pat Brogan, the former fighter turned matchmaker, trainer and promoter was awarded the Al Phillips Trophy for Services to Boxing.
Brogan, who continues to be involved with the game for a fourth decade, said: "It was great to be given something by your peers in the game. This meant a lot to me, to be recognised by my peers."
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