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01/19/2008 Archived Entry: "The CBZ 2007 Year End Awards"
The CBZ 2007 Year End Awards
Compiled by J.D. Vena
The degree of interest your typical American boxing fan possesses of boxing’s flyweight division is probably the equivalent to Jacksonville’s interest of their football franchise, the Jaguars. No matter how good they are, it just doesn’t seem to attract fanfare. Only hardcore boxing fans of the United States, knew of more flyweights beyond Vic Darchinyan of Australia and Mexico’s Jorge Arce, who is no longer a flyweight. In fact, unless you live outside of the United States, there has been little opportunity to have known or seen a contest of fisticuffs of flyweights besides Darchinyan. With a sparkling record of 28-0 with 20 KOs, Darchinyan was supposed to give ringsiders the rationale for paying attention to boxers competing around the 112-pound limit.
That was until Philippine slugger Nonito Doanaire stepped into the ring with Darchinyan some months ago in Connecticut. If it was the first time you had actually seen Darchinyan in the flesh, you were certainly wondering why you hadn’t heard of Donaire. Not only did Donaire beat Darchinyan to the punch consistently and keep him off balance, he made the reputedly dangerous Darchinyan look completely unthreatening.
It was as if the southpaw Darchinyan had no ability or sense of mounting an attack of any kind against not only Donaire but any other conventional (right-handed) fighter. Had he ever fought a right hander? Of course he had. In fact, he stopped Nonito’s elder brother Glenn a year prior.
After a few rounds, it was evident that Donaire needed Darchinyan to take a chance or two which would lead to his timely mistake. After Vic winged a heavy overhand left, Donaire swiftly countered with a quick left hook to Darchinyan’s temple.
Fight over, new champion, Nonito Donaire.
Donaire, now 19-1 with 12 KO’s, not only scored what the CBZ staff voted the year’s best knockout, he was credited for upset of the year as well. Who know, should Donaire he win a couple more fights in this sort of lights out fashion or like his eight round dissection of Mexico’s Luis Maldonado this past December, greater honors and rewards could await this inspired Philippine as it has countryman, Manny Pacquiao. What we do know for sure is that Nonito Donaire is another reason why we so-called fanatics of the game should pay more attention to the flyweight division.
CBZ 2008 Year End Awards
Fighter of the Year: Floyd Maywether, Jr.
Runner Up: Kelly Pavlik
Fight of the Year: Kelly Pavlik TKO7 Jermain Taylor
Runner Up: Rafael Marquez TKO7 Israel Vasquez
Knockout of the Year: Nonito Donaire KO5 Vic Darchinyan
Runner Up: Kermit Cintron KO2 Walter Matthysse/ Kelly Pavlik TKO7 Jermain Taylor
Comeback of the Year: Gerry Penalosa
Runner Up: Israel Vasquez
Round of the Year: Round 3 of Israel Vasquez-Rafael Marquez II
Runner Up: Round 1 of Sakio Bika-Jaidon Codrington
Upset of the Year: Donaire KO5 Vic Darchinyan
Runner Up: Daisuke Naito W12 Pongsaklek Wongjongkam III
