2023 Houston Boxing Awards

In 2023 Houston saw two of its boxers engage in two megafights involving three undisputed, four-belt world champions. In a historic first, unified junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo moved up two weight divisions to challenge unified super middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in September. And in December, junior welterweight titleholder Regis Prograis defended his belt against unified lightweight champion Devin Haney.

Unfortunately, both Charlo and Prograis lost their bouts by lopsided decisions, hence taking them out of the running for any of the 2023 awards. Though intriguing, neither fight turned out to be action-packed enough to garner Fight of the Year nor Round of the Year. Charlo and Prograis entered their respective bouts as underdogs but since both lost, Upset of the Year was not for the taking either.

Fortunately, other Houston boxers stepped up with some impressive performances over the course of the year to fill the void of the expectations that the two above-mentioned superfights fell short of delivering.

And the awards go to ...  

Fighter of the Year 

O'Shaquie Foster

Houston saw the crowning of its latest world titleholder when Foster defeated Rey Vargas via unanimous decision to win a 130-pound alphabet belt in San Antonio in February. By year's end, Foster had successfully defended that strap with a heart-stopping, come-from-behind technical knockout over Rocky Hernandez in Cancun, Mexico, in October that also captured the Fight of the Year and Round of the Year awards.Foster essentially beat the tall and lanky Vargas at his own game, scoring two flash knockdowns for which he was denied credit. Vargas' signature mode of offense has always been the double jab-straight right combination which is not surprising since he always sports a significant height and reach advantage over his opponents. But Foster dodged and deflected much of the incoming fire with the shoulder roll, which ironically enough, happens to be Vargas' primary form of defense. When it was Foster's turn to punch, the one-one-two combo included, he found his target more cleanly and frequently than did Vargas. 

Watch highlights of Foster W12 Vargas at: https://youtu.be/bkE1XJqQytY?si=TALqj3XXxG48bUQ0

Photo courtesy of Bobby Benton 

Against Hernandez, Foster had an entirely different dragon to slay. While Vargas was not your typical old-school Mexican fighter, Hernandez was the very definition of one. An aggressive buzzsaw of a brawler, Hernandez applied relentless pressure, forcing Foster to fight every second of every round. It was a grueling slugfest with each fighter taking turns ripping punishing shots to each other's head and torso. Ultimately, Foster proved to have more in both his gas tank and think tank in the championship rounds, After both fighters were seriously hurt in the eleventh round, Foster, aware he needed a knockout, attacked with reckless abandon in the final round, dropping Hernandez twice before the referee had little choice but to intervene.

No matter how Foster's career unfolds, it would be difficult for him to surpass what he did in 2023. In his two outings, he showcased his versatility and mettle. Against Vargas, he displayed a skillset to outbox not only a taller, rangier fighter, but a vastly more experienced undefeated two-division world titleholder. And against Hernandez, Foster showcased his ability to both box and brawl equally adeptly from both the orthodox and southpaw stances. He not only passed a major gut check and chin check, he found the fortitude to rally from behind to stop a tenacious and hard-hitting opponent in a knockdown, dragout war.

Watch Foster TKO12 Hernandez at: https://youtu.be/Xm4PZHj3XlQ?si=WBq1TmQd8sMSgb9Y

Female Fighter of the Year

Marlen Esparza

2012 Olympic bronze medallist Esparza added a third alphabet flyweight belt to her collection in July when she outpointed Gabriela Celeste Alaniz of Argentina over 10 somewhat humdrum rounds. The bout was fought a three-hour drive from Esparza's hometown in San Antonio. 

Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

There's nothing fancy or flashy about Esparza's style - jab, one-two, zip in, zip out. She sticks to the basic fundamentals of the sport and does it proficiently enough to outbox slick and aggressive opponents alike. Such was the case against the combative and come-forward style that Alaniz brought to the table. The Argentine kept the fight competitive but Esparza was usually the first to draw and avoided much of Alaniz's return fire with just enough spring in her step throughout the duration of the bout. No surprises when the verdict was announced. 

Although it was Esparza's lone fight in 2023, unifying three of the four major alphabet belts was significant enough to win her the Female Fighter of the Year Award for the second year running. Perhaps winning a fourth title for the complete unification and undisputed status is in order for 2024.

Watch Esparza vs. Alaniz at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q8mRbzYPW4

Fight of the Year

O'Shaquie Foster TKO12 Rocky Hernandez 

A grueling, bruising firefight broke out in the tranquil tropical paradise of Cancun when Foster made the first defense of his 130-pound alphabet belt. What looked on paper to be a quintessential boxer-versus-brawler matchup quickly evolved into a brutal slugfest with no shortage of action, violence and drama.

Photo courtesy of Hosanna Rull

The more cerebral of the two, Foster attempted to dictate the tempo of the fight from a distance using both the orthodox and southpaw stances. But Hernandez would have none of that. No matter what Foster did to try and keep Hernandez at bay, Hernandez would always find his way into the phonebooth, even if it meant having to absorb serious punishment on his way in. Up close and personal, he unleashed power shots with both fists upstairs and down. Foster proved more than capable at waging war in the trenches and returned fire with gusto and aplomb, but he was clearly more comfortable fighting from range.

With open scoring the law of the land in Mexico, Foster was informed going into the championship rounds that he was behind on the scorecards and needed  the knockout. Upping the already-torrid pace of fight on the eleventh round, he staggered Hernandez with a series of unanswered blows to the head and had him reeling around the ring on shaky legs, Hernandez seemed all but done for when he stormed back with vigor and vengeance and had Foster hurt and covering up against the ropes by round's end.Foster proved to be the one with better recuperative prowess. He resumed his assault in the final round, dropped Hernandez twice and forced a stoppage with 22 seconds remaining on the clock. Had Hernandez simply remained on his feet in the twelfth round, he would have walked away a world titleholder. 

Knockout of the Year 

Jordan White KO1 Eridson Garcia

For some aficionados of the sweet science, this writer included, few if any maneuvers surpass the beauty and artistry of the knockout by way of check hook. Nonito Donaire's short, explosive left that separated Vic Darchinyan from his senses and Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s matador-like master stroke that sent Ricky Hatton crashing face first into a corner were simply poetry in motion.\

Photo courtesy of Hosanna Rull

A check left hook appeared out of nowhere to claim the 2023 Knockout of the Year when White and Garcia squared off in October. What looked to be a routine feeling-out round ended abruptly when White uncorked a short, perfectly-timed lightning bolt of a check hook that nobody, least of all Garcia, saw coming. As Garia stepped in with a lead southpaw left, White checked him with a hook that penetrated his guard through the smallest of openings to catch the tip of his chin and that was that. Timber! It felled Garcia like a lumberjack’s final blow to the base of a giant redwood. He landed flat on his back staring blankly up at the ceiling for the full count and then some. It goes to show that precision, speed and accuracy can result in sensational knockouts as much as sheer brute power.

Watch White KO1 Garcia at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N13gZWYuKIU

Prospect of the Year

Giovanni Marquez

Photo courtesy of Raul Marquez 

Junior welterweight Marquez had a prolific year, going 4-0 (2 KOs) in 2023 to raise his overall record to 9-0 (5 KOs). Most importantly, he stepped up from the palooka level of competition and began fighting opponents with winning records who came to win and not just for the paycheck. A former National Golden Gloves champion, Marquez, 23, still appears to be finding an identity, looking for a happy medium between the slick, cerebral technician he was in the amateurs and a more fan-friendly, aggressive modus operandi in the paid ranks. Thus far, he has proven adept at both styles but hasn't quite reconciled the two. Judging from his fights at this early juncture in his career, Marquez's forte might well turn out to be exploiting different angles while alternating between precision and volume punching. An orthodox fighter, he often switches to a southpaw stance not just mid fight but mid exchange.  He is trained by his father Raul Marquez, a Showtime analyst, former Olympian and former junior middleweight world titleholder.

Watch Marquez KO2 Strayhorn at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8dFSLHQNs8

Upset of the Year

Marquis Taylor UD10 Yoelvis Gomez

Gomez was clearly the A-side and Taylor the B-side in this encounter. In only his sixth pro fight, Gomez, 6-1 (5 KOs), soundly outpointed grizzled veteran Jorge Cota, 30-4 (28 KOs) whose only losses came against former and future world titleholders. A former amateur standout, he was poised for the fast track onto the world stage. On paper, Taylor, 15-1-2 (1 KO), seemed destined for gatekeeper status. He had a solid amateur background but his dismal 6 percent knockout ratio suggested he couldn't crack an egg in the pro ranks. Moreover, he already had a loss and two draws on his dossier.

Photo courtesy of Gary Simon

When the opening bell sounded, Taylor looked more like a military-trained attack dog than an underdog. Tall and lanky for a junior middleweight at 6’1”, Taylor strategically circled the Cuban southpaw, picked his spots and struck at opportune moments. After a sneaky right dropped Gomez in round 2, the writing was on the wall. Taylor took the fight to Gomez, showing little respect for the Cuban's power and pedigree. Despite sporting a significant height and reach advantage, Taylor willingly engaged Gomez at close quarters and won most of the exchanges by shoeshining the body and clubbing the head with overhand rights. At the end of 10 rounds, Taylor walked away with a unanimous decision and the 2023 Upset of the Year award.

Watch Taylor UD10 Gomez at: https://youtu.be/qlmg8e-ArB8?si=nFfkoI7VqgQsrd-F

Round of the Year

O’Shaquie Foster vs Eduardo Hernandez - round 11

Open scoring in Mexico proved beneficial for Foster in this instance. Although he appeared to be winning the fight, he was down on the scorecards so his corner instructed him to close the show. Foster pounced on Hernandez from a southpaw stance and rocked him with a series of right hooks. A follow-up assault had Hernandez staggering around the ring on unsteady legs. The referee could have stepped in at any time, especially when Hernandez turned his back to Foster. But like a wounded and cornered animal, he struck back with desperation and venom. Punching between Foster's shots, Hernandez cracked Foster on the chin with two consecutive rights. Suddenly, predator became prey and it was Foster’s turn to stagger to the ropes. Hernandez pursued, pounced and pounded away with both fists but Foster also proved dangerous when delirious. With his back against the ropes, Foster punched back and snapped Hernandez’s head skyward with two right uppercuts. The round ended with both fighters in a daze but still raining vicious punches on each.

The more resilient of the two, Foster managed to clear the cobwebs from his head more completely in between rounds and finished the job in the final round. But most of the damage was done in the crazy, tumultuous, rollercoaster of the eleventh round.

Watch round 11 of Foster vs. Hernandez at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Clm9v1UVqk

Comeback of the Year

Jermall Charlo

It defies logic that an undefeated world titleholder would win this award but it is apropos in this case. Middleweight belt holder Charlo made his ring return after over two years of inactivity due to a series of personal problems and injuries against Jose Benavidez Jr; in a 10-round non-title bout fought at 163 pounds. The bout was fought on the undercard of Benavidez's younger brother David's sixth-round TKO victory over Demitrius Andrade.Charlo couldn't have asked for a better opponent than Benavidez to get his groove back. Fundamentally sound, well schooled, fearless and durable, Benavidez let his fists fly with tenacity, returned fire under attack and pressed the action when Charlo slowed down, forcing Charlo to reactivate every offensive and defensive maneuver in his arsenal. But Benavidez, having done his best work at 140 and 147, was severely undersized and  could not seriously hurt Charlo. After 10 rounds of high-level action, the educated big man prevailed over the educated little man. Charlo was awarded the decision and banked a good, robust 30 minutes of much-needed work while Benavidez walked away with a moral victory.

Watch Charlo vs. Benavidez at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=705RzKJswb8

Photo courtesy of Hosanna Rull

The stars seemed to have aligned just right in Charlo’s favor for his bout against Benavidez. Besides having the ideal rust remover for a comeback opponent, two sibling storylines synergized to heighten the demand and profile of two potential big paydays for the Houstonian. Jermall Charlo versus David Benavidez has been a tantalizing matchup floating around the boxing world for the better part of the last half decade; Charlo's victory over Jose Benavidez adds another layer of intrigue to that. And the question of 'can Jermall avenge his twin brother's loss to Canelo' just makes Jermall Charlo versus Saul "Canelo" Alvarez that much more marketable than what it previously was. 

Trainer of the Year

Bobby Benton and Aaron Navarro 

Photo courtesy of Hosanna Rull

Co-trainers Benton and Navarro went 2-1 in world title fights in 2023, manning the corners of O’Shaquie Foster who won and successfully defended a junior lightweight alphabet belt, and Regis Prograis who lost his title, ending his second reign as junior welterweight titleholder. The coaching duo was by far the most prolific and high-profile cornermen in Houston, a long established training Mecca for top-notch fighters from every corner of the globe. Other fighters in the Benton-Navarro corner include Miguel Flores, Eridson Garcia and Raphael Igbokwe. Recognition should also be given to Dwight Pratchet, an integral player behind the scenes in the coaching and conditioning of the fighters in the Benton-Navarro camp.

2022 Houston Boxing Awards

By Peter Lim

Houston fans were treated to two scintillating fights in 2022 involving multiple world titles. As a result, never before has the runner-up position figured so prominently in the Houston Boxing Awards. Both fights were won conclusively and without controversy by the Houston-area fighters. One made history with the unification of all four major belts and crowning of an undisputed champion in the junior middleweight division. The other was equally exhilarating, and although a vacant junior welterweight alphabet belt was at stake, was not quite as magnitudinal as the first. The aforementioned pair of fights dominated this year's awards in the categories of Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year and Round of the Year. 

A new category - Female Fighter of the Year - was included in this year's awards.  

For the first time since the inauguration of the Houston Boxing Awards in 2015, Trainer of the Year was won by someone other than Ronnie Shields.

Noticeably absent from this year's awards was Jermall Charlo who was sidelined in 2022 due to injury. 

And the awards go to ...

Fighter of the Year

Jermell Charlo

Photo by Hosanna Rull

Charlo and Brian Castano proved their elite mettle in their 2021 firefight for the unified and undisputed 154-pound championship. Both displayed equal amounts of heart, punch resistance and abilities to both box and brawl. The fight logically and judiciously ended in a draw.

When the two collided again in the 2022 rematch, Castano was basically the same fighter from a year ago while Charlo upped his game a notch by unveiling a PhD-level ring IQ to compliment his physical prowess. The first six rounds was a continuation of the first encounter with both fighters duking it out on relatively even terms. But Charlo spent the second half of the fight deploying a more cerebral strategy that methodically and gradually dismantled Castano. He smothered and held to disrupt Castano's momentum and circled and ambushed to keep Castano where he wanted him. In the tenth round, Charlo lured Castano into a trap and unleashed a right to the ribcage followed by a compact left hook to the head that penetrated Castano's guard sending him crumpling to his knees. Castano bravely made it to his feet on wobbly legs but a follow-up barrage put Castano down again prompting the referee to step in, call a halt and declare Charlo the victor.

With the win, Charlo retained his three 154-pound alphabet belts while seizing Castano's one, becoming one of three undisputed champions to hold all four major belts in 2022; Devin Haney is the unified champion at 135 and Naoya Inoue at 118. (Josh Taylor previously held all the belts at 140 but vacated three of the four over the course of the year.) Besides clinching the top award locally, Charlo also became a frontrunner for Fighter of the Year worldwide.

Runner up

Regis Prograis

Photo by Hosanna Rull

Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) captured a vacant alphabet belt in November with a disciplined and workmanlike knockout win over Jose Zepeda (35-3, 27 KOs) to embark on his second reign as a 140-pound world titleholder. In what was supposed to be an almost 50-50 matchup between two hard-hitting and iron-chinned southpaws, Prograis comprehensively and systematically broke Zepeda down and eventually stopped him in the eleventh round with a prudent mix of tactical boxing, power punching and cunning. Zepeda remained dangerous throughout but Prograis' defense and punch resistance allowed him to absorb Zepeda's punches well and avoid being hit by more than one or two shots at a time. It was a career-best and possibly a career-defining win for Prograis who briefly held another version of the title in 2019.

Earlier in the year, Prograis also stopped Tyrone McKenna (23-3-1, 6 KOs) of Northern Ireland in the sixth round in Dubai.

2021 winner: Jermall Charlo

Female Fighter of the Year

Marlen Esparza

Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

Like her male counterpart Jermell Charlo, Esparza (13-1, 1 KO) also made history in 2022 by unifying the female flyweight world championship for the first time. Esparza, 33, successfully defended her alphabet belt and added another to her name by defeating Naoka Fujioka (19-3, 7 KOs) of Japan via lopsided 10-round decision in San Antonio in April. Esparza returned to the ring with both belts on the line in August to defeat Eva Guzman (19-2-1, 11 KOs) of Venezuela, also by decision. As her record suggests, Esparza, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, does not pack much punching power but makes up for it with technical savvy and ring IQ.

Fight of the Year

Jermell Charlo TKO10 Brian Castano

Photo by Hosanna Rull

The magnitude of this victory is further amplified considering it was a rematch of the 2021 Fight of the Year that ended in a draw. Charlo spent the first half of the rematch slugging it out on even terms with Castano much like he did in the entirety of their first encounter. But at the halfway mark of the rematch, he transformed himself from trigger-happy cowboy to cool and calculated assassin. Like a matador, he deliberately slowed the action to throw Castano off his game and dictate the tempo instead of bullheadedly locking horns with Castano at every turn. When Castano tried to initiate an exchange, Charlo would spin out, glide away or hold to kill the action. He would still engage Castano but only on his own terms.

The end was sudden, unexpected and brutal. By refusing to fight Castano's fight, Charlo forced Castano into taking more risks and making more mistakes. Unable to make his own adjustments to Charlo's new adaptation, Castano continued pressing forward with reckless abandon. In the tenth round, Charlo had Castano where he wanted him and detonated a right to the body, left to the head. Castono found himself on the deck not knowing what hit him. He beat the count but virtually everyone, including Castano himself, knew the fight was essentially over at that point. Charlo's follow-up assault that ended the fight for good was a mere formality.

Whether it was scripted by trainer Derrick James or improvised mid-fight, Charlo's bait and switch tactic at the midway point that turned the tables of the fight will go down as one of the shrewdest battlefield strategies in the playbooks of the sweet science. 

Runner up

Regis Prograis TKO11 Jose Zepeda

Photo by Hosanna Rull

Forget the fact that this fight was for an alphabet belt. This was a genuine high-quality matchup between two battle-tested, cream-of-the-crop 140-pound southpaws renowned for their formidable punching power, punch resistance and aggressiveness. The showdown had all the makings for Fight of the Year but it ultimately was won by brain as much as brawn, with Prograis reading Zepeda's style and body language and capitalizing on his flaws more effectively than vice versa,

Prograis was first to the draw more often, got the better of most of the exchanges and was the more elusive of the two. Although he pulled comfortably ahead after 10 rounds, the heavy-handed Zepeda had his moments in every round as he jolted Prograis with his fair share of power punches. The accumulation of Prograis' shots gradually began to take a toll on Zepeda and he became an easier target as the fight wore into the late rounds. Sensing the time was ripe for the kill, Prograis turned up the heat in the eleventh round and soon caught Zepeda with a huge overhand left that sent him reeling to the ropes. Prograis pounced on his trapped and injured prey with a two-fisted assault that sent Zepeda flailing to the canvas, prompting the referee to waive the bout over without a count.

2021 winner - Jermell Charlo D12 Brian Castano

 Knockout of the Year

Jermell Charlo TKO10 Brian Castano

Over the course of 21 rounds in two fights, Charlo and Castano clobbered each other with everything they had. Both fighters were rocked, shaken and buzzed by each other's blows but each seemed to have sufficient durability to withstand the other's power, shake off the ill-effects and return fire with a vengeance. The first fight ended in a draw with both camps having a credible case to make that they deserved the victory. That all changed abruptly in the tenth round of their rematch when a perfectly-executed, precision-perfect body-head combination by Charlo ensured that this time around, the result was definitive, conclusive and concussive. 

Charlo's window of opportunity to land that combination lasted no longer than a fraction of a second but he took it. Right to the body, left to the head and that was it. Game over. Neither punch would have caused much damage individually but the combined effect of both was devastating. It was eerily reminiscent of the right to the body, left to the head that Mike Tyson used to stop Razor Ruddock in 1991. What made the knockout even more impressive was the fact that the fight-ending left hook was partially blocked by Castano's glove before making contact with his head. In addition, Castano had always displayed a sturdy chin and had never been in serious trouble before. 

Regardless of what Charlo does from here on out, he will have one of the weirdest knockout reels ever. Prior to knocking out an iron-chinned Castano with a partially-blocked shot, he deflated Jeison Rosario with, of all things, a jab to the body that was, guess what, also partially deflected. In 2019, Charlo began his victory celebration a tad prematurely after pummeling Tony Harrison to the canvas only to discover that the referee had not yet halted the fight; he stopped Harrison for real shortly after realizing his mistake. In 2017, Charlo stunningly froze Erickson Lubin stiff for the full count with a strange hook-uppercut hybrid that merely clipped Lubin on the chin. And in 2016, Jermell's mandatory challenger Charles Hatley almost started a riot when he unceremoniously gatecrashed his identical twin Jermall's post-fight interview with a shove, mistaking him for Jermell. Charlo made Hatley pay 11 months later by violently knocking him out in the sixth round.

With that said, in addition to Knockout of the Year, if there was an award for the most misleading stat in boxing, Charlo's unimposing 51 percent knockout rate has to be the undisputed winner by leaps and bounds.

2021 winner - Efe Ajagba KO3 Brian Howard

Prospect of the Year

Austin Williams, 13-0 (9KOs)

Photo by Peter Lim

Southpaw middleweight Williams went 4-0 (2 KOs) in 2022 including wins over two previously-undefeated fellow prospects. Most impressive was his first-round TKO over Chordale Booker (17-1, 7 KOs) in April. In that fight, Williams demonstrated both his ability to beat his opponent to the punch with his reach alongside a skillset to dominate exchanges at close quarters. Williams ended the year with a lopsided 10-round decision win over undefeated but untested Simon Madsen (13-1, 10 KOs) of Denmark.

A late convert but fast bloomer to the sweet science who first laced on a pair of gloves at the ripe old age of 18, WIlliams took to boxing like a fish to water. A former basketball player, he emigrated from court to ring after falling short of making the starting lineup on his college hoops team. In a brief amateur career, he succeeded in winning an open division national title before joining the pro ranks in 2019. Even before turning pro himself, WIlliams was entrusted as a coach, doing everything from conducting beginners classes for kids to training full-fledged professionals. Most recently, he was deemed knowledgeable and articulate enough to serve as a guest commentator and analyst for DAZN.

2021 winner - Darwin Price

Comeback of the Year

Miguel Flores

Photo by Hosanna Rull

It is rare for a fighter to win Comeback of the Year on the strength of a draw but featherweight Flores deserves this honor considering the slump from which he was coming back and the big-name opponent he was up against. Flores (25-4-1, 12 KOs) seemed like the perfect comeback opponent for former three-division titleholder and future hall-of-famer Abner Mares (31-3-2, 15 KOs) after a four-year layoff. In his last three fights, Flores was 1-2 against a caliber of opposition ranging from A-plus to D-minus. In 2019, he fought gallantly in a unanimous decision loss to four-division titleholder and Mares' arch rival Leo Santa Cruz. In his next fight, Flores was brutally stopped by southpaw contender Eduardo Ramirez in a fight he took on 10-day's notice. In what was supposed to be a stay-busy fight in 2021, Flores was gifted a split-decision victory against Diuhl Olguin who had a losing record of 15-17-4 (10 KOs) in his hometown at the Toyota Center. Olguin has fought 13 times since without a win, dipping to 15-29-5 (10 KOs). On paper at least, Flores was custom made for Mares to return to action against.

But somebody forgot to send Flores the memo that he was merely supposed to be the fall guy. Mares started aggressively punching in sharp, fluid combinations like he hadn't accumulated any ring rust from his four-year absence. But Flores took his best shots well and returned fire with gusto like the young, hungry prospect he was before several derailments he encountered in his 13-year career. After eight rounds of spirited back-and-forth action, Mares seemed to run out of gas allowing Flores to finish strong in the last two rounds.The draw was probably a fair verdict but no one would've raised an eyebrow had Flores' hand been raised at the end of the night. Most significantly, though, Flores, 30,  regained a measure of relevance on the world stage.   

2021 winner - Marlen Esparza

Upset of the Year

Adrian Taylor SD8 Efetobor Apochi

Photo by Peter Lim

For the second year running, cruiserweight Apochi came up at the short end of Upset of the Year by split decision. Despite losing his last fight, albeit barely, Apochi was statistically a clear favorite against Taylor. Although both fighters entered the ring with relatively even records, Apochi (11-2, 11 KOs) had a superior level of opposition. The Houston transplant from Nigeria had previously stopped fighters with 14-0, 10-1 and 11-2 records. His only loss was a razor-close split decision to fellow-undefeated Brandon Glanton (13-0, 11 KOs) last year. 

Taylor (13-1-1, 5 KOs), on the other hand, was still fighting four- and six-rounders mostly against fighters with losing records. His best win came via split decision against an 8-1 fighter, he fought a 9-1 fighter to a draw and lost a four-round decision to a 3-6 journeyman. In addition, Apochi had stopped every fighter he had defeated while Taylor had a subpar 36 percent knockout rate.

Still, Taylor managed to edge Apochi via an eight-round split decision for the upset, sending him back to the drawing board. At age 35 and 0-2 in his last two fights, time might be running out for Apochi to regain a semblance of the promise he had in 2020 when he walked away with the Prospect of the Year award. 

2021 winner - Brandon Glanton SD10 Efetobor Apochi

Round of the Year

Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano, round 7

Round 7 of Charlo vs Castano II was neither very action-packed nor dramatic. But it was pivotal. It was the round in which Charlo flipped a switch and turned the tide on what was, up till then, an evenly-contested shootout and a continuation of their first fight that ended in a draw. Almost on cue, at exactly the halfway point of the fight, Charlo did an about-face in his game plan, not by stepping on the gas but down-shifting a gear or two. Rather than frenetically trading punches with Castano, Charlo settled down, played defense and capitalized on Castano's mistakes to methodically dissect and dismantle the tough and aggressive Argentine. That change of tactic paid dividends in the tenth round when it created the opening for the body-head combo that ended the fight.

2021 winner - Brandon Glanton vs Efetobor Apochi, round 10

Trainer of the Year

Bobby Benton and Aaron Navarro

Photo by Hosanna Rull

Co-trainers Bobby Benton and Aaron Navarro last won this award in 2019, but had to share it with co-winner Ronnie Shields in a tie. This year, they stand alone atop the podium. Together, Benton and Navarro devised an astute game plan for Regis Prograis and steered him through 11 rough-and-tumble rounds against the ever-dangerous Jose Zepeda to regain a portion of the junior welterweight crown. Their main rival, Shields, was left out of the running due largely to middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo being inactive in 2022 due to injury. (Jermell Charlo is trained by Derrick James of Dallas) Besides Prograis, Benton and Navarro also serve as chief seconds to Comeback of the Year recipient Miguel Flores.

2021 winner - Ronnie Shields

R.I.P. Maurenzo "Toughie" Smith, 1978-2022

Photo by Hosanna Rull

2021 Houston Boxing Awards

 By Peter Lim

Despite Covid-19 and its variants still running rampant, the sport of boxing worldwide registered a relatively clean bill of health in 2021, displaying formidable punch resistance against the pandemic's onslaught. Granted, the sport saw its share of cancellations and postponements but it was a minor setback compared to the battering the virus has wreaked upon many other sectors of the global economy. Virtually every world titleholder - from 105-pound Seneisa Estrada to 277-pound Tyson Fury - defended their belts in 2021.

Houston proved to be a microcosm of the worldwide boxing scene with the vast majority of its active boxers at every level fighting at least once in 2021. The recipient of the Comeback of the Year award managed to secure three fights during the year. It is a testament to the dogged determination and dedication these ring warriors have for their brutal but beautiful craft. 

And the awards go to ...

Fighter of the Year 

Jermall Charlo 

Photo courtesy of Hosanna Rull

Jermall Charlo wins the top award on the strength of his lopsided title defense against a game but outclassed Juan Macias Montiel in June at the Toyota Center. Coming off his career-best performance against Sergiy Derevyanchenko last year, the undefeated Charlo entered the fight a heavy favorite.

Montiel’s record was mixed; he had stopped all 22 of the opponents he had beaten but had four losses to his name.  In his only other outing against an elite fighter, he was thoroughly dominated and blasted into oblivion by Jaime Munguia in two rounds in 2018. 

Although Charlo fell short of knocking Montiel out, he did everything else expected of him. He dictated the tempo and outmaneuvered Montiel every step of the way with his superior skillset. The hometown favorite was first to the draw from the outside, and when the battle went into trenches, he landed the first and last blows in most exchanges.

What Montiel lacked in finesse, he made up for in grit and guts. Alternating between orthodox and southpaw, Montiel found sporadic success in the trenches with multi-punch flurries upstairs and down but they were too few and far between to stymie Charlo’s momentum or even win any rounds decisively. 

Charlo might not have scored the knockout that most predicted but it was still a commanding enough performance to beat out his twin brother Jermell and Marlen Esparza for Fighter of the Year.

2020 winner: Tie between Jermall Charlo and Jermell Charlo

Fight of the Year

Jermell Charlo D12 Brian Castano

Photo courtesy of Hosanna Rull

The stakes could not have been higher in this July shootout at the AT&T Center in San Antonio; Charlo was putting his three alphabet belts on the line and Castano his one for the undisputed and unified junior middleweight championship of the world. What transpired in the ring not only lived up to its hype but surpassed it. Every round was competitive, many too close to call but none were lacking in action.

Going into the fight, Charlo was perceived to be the better boxer and Castano the fiercer brawler but Charlo showed he knew his way around deep in the trenches and Castano proved unexpectedly competent on the chess board.

Taller and rangier, Charlo favored the circle-and-ambush strategy, moving around the ring, shifting directions, snapping with the jab and stepping in with power punches and combinations at opportune moments. But the cagey Argentinian knew a thing or two about the space-time continuum and repeatedly timed Charlo with lead rights to close the distance and unload follow-up volleys up close and personal.   

Up close and personal was where Castano more comfortable but Charlo held his own on the inside as he shoulder rolled with the punches and returned fire with ferocity and precision. Particularly potent was Charlo's counter left hook that rocked Castano on several occasions. 

At the end of ten frenetic rounds, the fight was declared a draw with Charlo winning on one judge's scorecard, Castano on another and the each boxer winning six rounds apiece on the third. Although the fight failed to produce a unified champion as expected, it churned out more than its fair share of thrills and suspense to win Fight of the Year.

2020 winner: Jermall Charlo W12 Sergiy Derevyanchenko

Knockout of the Year

Efe Ajagba KO3 Brian Howard

Photo by Peter Lim

Going into the fight, everyone knew that any time Ajagba landed that sledgehammer of a right hand, it would be lights out for the hapless recipient. But two rather nondescript previous opponents had proven elusive enough to avoid a direct hit and last the distance with power-punching Nigerian.

Ajagba spent the first two rounds prodding and probing with his left jab to create openings for his moneymaker shot. When Ajagba unleashed his right, he rocked and rattled Howard even if it was just a grazing or partially-blocked blow. The writing was on the wall.

In the third round, Ajagba fired off a missile of a right as Howard was winging a left hook. It landed flush on the ear sending Howard crumbling face first to the canvas where he remained unconscious in a contorted position for the full count and the some. The savage and sudden conclusion was simply a shoo-in for Knockout of the Year.

Unfortunately, Ajagba couldn’t ride the momentum the Howard knockout into his next fight when he stepped up his level of opposition against Frank Sanchez. Ajagba was dropped in the seventh round en route to losing a 10-round unanimous decision for his first career defeat.

2020 winner: Jermell Charlo KO8 Jeison Rosario

Prospect of the Year

Darwin Price (18-1, 11 KOs)

Photo courtesy of Darwin Price

It might seem peculiar that a fighter with a knockout loss as recently as December 2019 would take home this award. But upon further inspection that blemish becomes far less incriminating, looking more like a positive instead of negative; Price had won every round on every scorecard against Malik Hawkins before succumbing to a knee injury in the sixth round. 

In October Price entered the ring a slight underdog against the highly-touted and previously-undefeated Jean Carlos Torres (19-1, 15 KOs). Price, a former national amateur champion, seamlessly assumed the role of  matador against the hard-charging Torres all night. Gliding fluidly around the ring, he sidestepped Torres' attacks while utilizing his longer reach to spear Torres from the outside with stiff jabs and straight rights. When Torres closed the distance, he was met with jolting right uppercuts, one of which resulted in a knockdown in the third round. So thorough and methodical a beating Torres was taking that his corner decided to spare him further punishment and capitulated before the start of the seventh round.

Price was also a candidate for Comeback of the Year and Upset of the Year but was edged out by Marlen Esparza and Glanton W10 Apochi respectively. For Prospect of the Year, the lanky junior welterweight beat out streaking upstarts Eridson Garcia and Austin Williams on the strength of the overall quality of his opposition.

2020 winner: Efetobor Apochi

Comeback of the Year

Marlen Esparza 

Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions

In 2019, flyweight Marlen Esparza suffered a ghastly gash on her forehead from a headbutt en route to her first professional defeat to Seneisa Estrada. The bleeding was so profuse it affected Esparza's vision causing the fight to be stopped in the ninth round with Estrada declared the winner via technical decision. It was a bitter loss considering there was no love lost between Esparza and Estrada who was moving up a weight division to fight Estrada for an interim title.

But the 2012 Olympic bronze medalist got right back on the saddle as soon as the cut healed with a four-fight win streak, the third resulting in a world-title belt she wrested from Ibeth Zamora Silva via unanimous decision in June. In December Esparza successfully made her first defense the belt by outpointing Anabel Ortiz and cementing her claim for Comeback of the Year.

2020 winner: Regis Prograis

Upset of the Year

Brandon Glanton SD10 Efetobor Apochi

Photo by Peter Lim

Coming into the fight, Efetobor Apochi (11-0, 11 KOs) vs. Brandon Glanton (13-0, 11 KOs) might’ve seemed like a dead-even matchup on paper. But upon closer scrutiny of their respective histories, Apochi had to be the favorite. He had a long international amateur career plus an impressive knockout victory over fellow undefeated prospect Deon Nicholson. Glanton, on the other hand, was a former college football player, a late convert to the sweet science and was still at the stage of his career of fighting opponents from Palookaville. 

Despite the disparity in experience and education, it was the supposedly less-seasoned Glanton who displayed the better fundamentals which ultimately tipped the balance in this closely-contested firefight. “Bulletproof” proved an apt nickname for Glanton as he kept his chin tucked, knees bent and gloves firmly shielding his chin and ribcage throughout. Apochi, on the other hand, fought complacently with head high and hands low for much of the bout.

For 10 rounds, the two evenly-sized cruiserweights engaged in a scintillating back-and-forth battle that was fought with both brain and bravado. Apochi assumed the role of boxer-puncher as he chipped away at Glanton's fortifications with his jab to create openings for power shots while Glanton was the banger-boxer who hid behind a tight guard while blasting away with counters from both fists with decapitating intentions. It was Glanton who was landing the cleaner punches on account of his better defense.

A pivotal moment came at the end of round six when Glanton landed a thunderous left hook followed by an overhand right that dropped Apochi along the ropes. Apochi appeared out on his feet as the ropes held him up but was spared further punishment as the bell rang. To his credit, he shook off the cobwebs regained his composure in between rounds and never strayed from his game plan. He even staggered Glanton with a clubbing right at the end of the tenth but failed to capitalize.

As the adage goes in boxing, in a razor close fight the fighter who scores the knockdown wins the fight and such was case in this fight as Glanton was declared the victor via split decision. With the win, Glanton emerges from obscurity as a force to be reckoned with in the division while Apochi saw his stock dip, losing not only his undefeated record but his 100 percent knockout rate.

Glanton-Apochi was a strong candidate for Fight of the Year but was edged out by Charlo-Castano on the magnitude that it was a world championship unification bout.

2020 winner: Eddy Valencia W8 Pablo Cruz

Round of the Year

Brandon Glanton-Efetobor Apochi, round 10

Photo by Peter Lim

Almost every round in this action-packed shootout could conceivably be a candidate for Round of the Year but the tenth round trumps the rest on the closeness of the fight and how crucial it was to the outcome; a little more urgency and a punch or two more would have altered the result. Having suffered a sixth-round knockdown, Apochi was a behind on the scorecards and needed a knockout, or at the very least, knockdown to secure a victory. The Nigerian pecked away with his jab to set up power shots while Glanton continued to do what had worked for him all night - keep his chin down, gloves up and hammer away with both fists.

In the final moments of the fight, Apochi landed a chopping right to the jawbone that buckled Glanton's knees and sent him reeling backwards. But instead of pouncing on his buzzed opponent, the Apochi opted to step back, admire his work and gloat, allowing Glanton to finish the fight on his feet and win the fight via split decision. As it turned out, had Apochi scored a knockdown for a 10-8 round, he would have avoided his first career loss. 

2020 winner: Jermell Charlo vs. Jeison Rosario, round 6

Trainer of the Year

Ronnie Shields 

Photo by Peter Lim

Ronnie Shields was the only trainer to have a fighter win a world title fight in 2021 when Jermall Charlo dominated and outpointed Juan Macias Montiel at the Toyota Center in June. Shields has been Charlo's chief second since the two division world titleholder turned pro in 2008. Besides Charlo, Shields also cornered for Erislandy Lara (1-0), Guillermo Rigondeaux (0-1) and Efetobor Apochi (1-1) in 2021.

Honorable mention in this category goes to co-trainers Bobby Benton and Aaron Navarro. The Benton-Navarro team cornered for the Regis Prograis (1-0), Darwin Price (2-0) and Eridson Garcia (2-0) in 2021.

2020 winner: Ronnie Shields

2020 Houston Boxing Awards

 By Peter Lim

Photos courtesy of Hosanna Rull

Covid-19 dropped boxing to its knees with a sucker punch in 2020 forcing the sport to take a prolonged respite in a neutral corner for much of the year. Down but not out, the sweet science came storming back with a vengeance by mid-year. What the pandemic depleted in quantity of bouts was adequately compensated for by the quality of fights that did take place. All prominent Houston area boxers fought at least once in 2020 and, as the following awards will reveal, most acquitted themselves well on the world stage.

For the first time in six years, the race for Fighter of the Year deadlocked in a tie. Guess what? The co-winners also happen to share identical DNA and those genes proved dominant enough to procure the Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year and Round of the Year awards.

Prospect of the Year is always a highly competitive category in a boxing Mecca like Houston and this year was no different. Comeback of the Year and Upset of the Year were weak categories this year simply because there were so few fights from which to select. Trainer of the Year was a no-brainer.

And the awards go to:

Fighter of the Year

Tie: Jermall Charlo and Jermell Charlo

Both twins, 30, turned out impressive performances on the same night but trying to determine which was better was like comparing apples to oranges since each was noteworthy for different merits. At 160, Jermall (31-0, 21 KOs) passed his sternest test to date with a clear but hard-fought victory over a talented and tough-as-nails Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Jermell (34-1, 18 KOs) unified three of the four major 154-pound titles by stunningly knocking out Jeison Rosario with, of all things considering the weapons in his arsenal, a jab to the body.

Besides reaching the finish line in unison for the 2020 top award, the twins are also just about neck and neck in terms of overall achievement at this juncture of their careers. But two things stand out that are too irresistible to not compare and contrast - their jabs and their highlight reel knockouts. Again, it's like apples and oranges.

Left Jab: When a fighter scores knockdowns against not one but three different opponents in world title fights with his jab, that's no fluke; it's one serious weapon. That's exactly what Jermall did against Cornelius Bundrage, Wilky Campfort and Julian Williams.  When a fighter not just knocks down but knocks OUT a double world titleholder with a double jab - first to the head then to the body - it's not just a serious weapon, it's seriously insane. But that's exactly what Jermell did to Rosario.

Highlight Reel KOs: Jermall's seemingly impossible and unprecedented 2016 catch-and-counter maneuver - blocking an incoming shot with the right glove and countering with the right uppercut - that sent Julian Williams crashing face first was simply a stroke of genius. By contrast, Jermell's upstairs-downstairs jab that deflated Rosario alongside the hybrid right hook/uppercut that froze Erikson Lubin in 2017 were simply freak-of-nature knockouts. Does that make him the evil twin genius? 

2019 Winner: Jermell Charlo

Fight of the Year

Jermall Charlo W12 Sergiy Deveryanchenko

The scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112 were fair but they failed to reflect the competitiveness of the scintillating battle at the highest of skill sets. The taller, rangier Jermall controlled the action from range but not by much, as Deveryanchenko was able to catch Jermall with hard jabs and counter punches. When Deveryanchenko managed to close the distance he got the better of the exchanges, but also not by much, as Charlo showed proficient and ferocious infighting ability. Both fighters were visibly rocked but displayed the aplomb and punch resistance to shake it off and storm back.

At the end of the day, it was Jermall's superior combination punching that tilted the balance. Jermell unleashed three or four shots at a time while Deveryanchenko was limited to one or two. And by mixing long and short punches in rapid-fire sequence, he dictated the price of real estate and kept the cagey Russian guessing all night. 

It was a bold statement-making victory for Jermall. The 12 grueling rounds with Deveryanchenko was a precious mettle detector - gut check, chin check and IQ test rolled into one -  and Jermall registered gold and platinum on all counts. But most importantly, Jermall had convincingly defeated a fighter that both Gennady Golovkin and Danny Jacobs barely squeaked by.   

2019 Winner: Josh Taylor MD12 Regis Prograis

Knockout of the Year

Jermell Charlo KO8 Jeison Rosario

Jab to the body, jab to the head is one the most basic combinations taught to all beginners. it is typically used in the amateurs to score points and in the pros to set up the straight right. Rarely is the reverse sequence - jab to the head, jab to the body - ever utilized in either the amateurs or pros. And almost never does it result in a clean knockout. But that's how Jermell retained his one alphabet belt while seizing two from Rosario.

Jermell scored knockdowns in rounds one and six, both with left hooks to the head. Rosario rose from the first without trouble and on shaky legs from the second, but still comfortably beating the count. Early in the eighth round, Charlo pumped a double jab, first to the face then to the body, the latter of which was partially deflected by Rosario's elbow. Rosario hit the deck like he was struck by a cannonball, writhing in agony and gasping for air for the full ten count and then some. 

The knockout was not only devastating and conclusive but atypical and bizarre.

2019 Winner: O'Shaquie Foster KO8 Jesus Bravo

Prospect of the Year

Efetobor Apochi (10-0, 10 KOs), cruiserweight

When Apochi moved to Houston from Nigeria to train under Ronnie Shields in 2017, he knew he needed to hit the ground running. He began boxing at 19 and turned pro at the ripe old age of 29. With no time to lose, he embarked on a frenetic fight schedule averaging a fight every three months from 2017-2019, stopping every opponent along the way. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic presented a massive speed bump in his race up the ranks curtailing him to just one fight in 2020. But it was televised on Fox Sports and Apochi made the most of it; he dropped Joe Jones (11-3, 8 KOs) three times en route to a third-round TKO, raising his record to a perfect 10-0 (10 KOs).

At 5-foot-11, Apochi is a tad on the short side for a cruiserweight by today's standards. But guess what? His role model just happens to be Mike Tyson who, at that same height, not only dominated but almost decapitated many a taller and longer man. Not only does Apochi's body type resemble Iron Mike's, his peekaboo, bob-and-weave style is eerily reminiscent of the man he grew up idolizing. As his record suggests, Apochi packs numbing power in both fists but he can also box effectively if he so chooses.

Tyson was the youngest boxer to capture a heavyweight title and he dominated the division with crushing brutality. Apochi aspires to follow in his footsteps in the cruisers, but from the opposite end of the age spectrum. 

2019 Winner: O'Shaquie Foster

Round of the Year

Jermell Charlo vs. Jeison Rosario, round 6

Jermell scored a flash knockdown in the opening round and was clearly the more educated fighter of the two. But what Rosario lacked in finesse, he made up for in aggression and moxie. He applied suffocating pressure, punching with wicked intentions from both sides upstairs and down from rounds two to six. But just before the bell ending round six, Jermell countered a Rosario charge with a perfectly timed check hook to the chin that turned his legs into spaghetti as he crumpled to the canvass. 

The punch seemed to snap Rosario's will power and sap him of his punching power as he visibly faded in the seventh round. Jermell dramatically ended the fight with the double jab for Knockout of the Year in the eighth round. But that likely wouldn't have happened without the momentum-changing sixth round, 

2019 Winner: Efe Ajagba vs. Iago Kiladze, round 3

Comeback of the Year

Regis Prograis

Returning to action after his loss last year to Josh Taylor (2019 Fight of the Year), Prograis (25-1, 21 KOs) scored a third round TKO over previously undefeated Juan Heraldez (16-1-1, 10 KOs) at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Prograis would've liked to have fought a bigger name for his comeback but after negotiations fell through with Maurice Hooker (twice) and Pablo Cesar Cano, he had to settle for the unheralded Heraldez. Nevertheless, it was a resounding win in front of a global audience on the Davis-Santa Cruz undercard.

2019 Winner: Miguel Flores

Upset of the Year

Eddy Valencia W8 Pablo Cruz

Valencia (16-5-6, 5 KOs) outpointed Cruz (20-3, 6 KOs) in an entertaining give-and-take shootout in Mexico on Dec. 9. Cruz entered the ring riding a six-fight winning streak while Valencia had lost three of his last five fights. Cruz started strongly but Valencia, a southpaw, gradually figured him out and timed him with the cleaner, sharper punches for most of the rounds.

Cruz, a right hander, had outpointed Diuhl Olguin, also a right hander, 11 days prior to fighting Valencia, leaving himself little to no time to make adjustments for a lefty. In addition, Cruz actually turned himself left-handed in the gym to spar with stablemate Miguel Flores who was preparing to take on southpaw Eduardo Ramirez on the Dec. 5 Spence-Garcia undercard. To say that Cruz might have spread himself too thin in the weeks leading to the upset is probably an understatement. But then again, we're talking about an Energizer Bunny who recently fought on a Saturday night in San Antonio and then ran a full marathon the following Sunday morning in Houston.  

2019 Winner: Xu Can W12 Jesus Rojas

Trainer of the Year 

Ronnie Shields 

Shields was the only Houston-area trainer to have been in the corner of the winner of a world title fight in 2020. He had a major supporting role in the Fighter of the Year, Fight of the Year and Prospect of the Year awards. Add Erislandy Lara, who was 1-0 in 2020, into the mix and Shields wins the award by a virtual shutout.  

2019 Winner: (Tie) Ronnie Shields and co-trainers Bobby Benton and Aaron Navarro

2019 Houston Boxing Awards

By Peter Lim


Photos courtesy of Hossana Rull


Houston area boxers went 4-2 in world title fights in 2019. The fourth largest city in the country began the year without a world titleholder but ended with two, both of whom share identical DNA. One regained the world title he controversially lost last year with a sensational late-round KO in the rematch and the other was awarded an alphabet belt without a fight, the result nonsensical, off-the-cuff policy changes by the sanctioning body.

2019 also saw last year’s Fighter of the Year win a world title but lose it later in the year in a title unification bout that was named Fight of the Year. Comeback of the Year was atypically awarded to a fighter on the strength of his performance in loss in a world title fight. And for the second year running, Trainer of the Year went to the same co-winners in a tie.

And the awards go to:

Fighter of the Year: Jermell Charlo

Jermell Charlo went 2-0 (2 KOs) in 2019 edging out his twin brother for the top award on the strength of his electrifying 11th-round knockout of Tony Harrison to reclaim his 154-pound alphabet belt in the highly-anticipated rematch. Harrison had wrested the title from Charlo via controversial unanimous decision in last year’s Upset of the Year. The momentousness of the grudge match was further heightened by the urgency with which Charlo scored the knockout.

Except for a flash knockdown Charlo (33-1, 17 KOs) scored in the second round, the fight played out like a continuation of the first fight. Charlo loaded up with haymaker rights and wide left hooks while Harrison (28-3, 21 KOs) boxed behind a high guard and periodically caught Charlo coming in with stiff one-twos.

In the eighth round, Charlo began working his jab overtime which gradually chipped away at Harrison’s defense and created openings. Harrison defiantly showboated each time he got nailed by a power punch, a telltale sign he was buzzed.

In the eleventh round, with the fight dead even, Charlo buckled Harrison’s knees with a left hook and followed up with a right hand-left hook that dropped Harrison. Harrison beat the count only to be bombarded by a double-fisted barrage that dropped him against the ropes. Harrison struggled to his feet but the writing was on the wall. Charlo quickly pinned him against the roped and unloaded with both hands prompting the referee to intervene and call a halt.

Earlier in the year, Charlo blasted out Jorge Cota in three rounds. Cota was a last minute replacement for Harrison who pulled out due to an ankle injury. That fight was inconsequential save for the fact that it was a strong contender for Knockout of the Year.

2018 Winner: Regis Prograis

Fight of the Year: Josh Taylor MD12 Regis Prograis

It’s seldom that a superfight exceeds its hype but Taylor-Prograis sure did. Not only did the fight win the Houston Fight of the Year award, it made the shortlist for most worldwide FOTY lists.

It couldn’t get more high stakes than this. Both Taylor and Prograis had won 140-pound alphabet titles in the semifinals of the WBSS tournament and the RIng Magazine title was on the line in addition of their respective belts. For the winner loomed a lucrative super showdown loomed against Jose Ramirez, holder of the remaining two belts, for the undisputed championship.

The two southpaws dispensed with any feeling out process and let their fists fly with wicked intentions from opening to final bell at the 02 Arena in London. But it was more than a Gatti-Ward-like slugfest. Both fighters showed their versatility and IQ, deploying jabs, combinations, counter punches and slick defensive skills.

For 12 action-packed rounds both fighters ripped murderous punches at each other upstairs and down, shots that had dropped or stopped their respective previous opponents. That there were no knockdowns was a testament to each fighter’s tank-like punch resistance. Prograis had a slight edge early on while Taylor found his groove in the middle rounds. The already-torrid pace was taken up a notch in the championship rounds, each fighter trying to pull ahead at the finish line.

Ironically, it was defense that ultimately tipped the balance in such a heated battle. Prograis held his gloves low while Taylor made himself a difficult target with a high guard. Prograis often made Taylor miss with zippy head movement but rarely made him pay. Taylor caught many incoming blows on his arms and gloves and returned fire with counters. Most significantly, he often killed Prograis’ offensive momentum with should blocks.

The scores were tallied at 117-113, 116-112 and 114-114 for Taylor. But it was one of those spectacular fights in which it was difficult to declare a loser.

2018 Winner: Jared Hurd SD12 Erislandy Lara

Knockout of the Year: O’Shaquie Foster KO8 Jesus Bravo 

It couldn’t have been a more picturesque and decisive one-punch knockout. And the pull-counter maneuver Foster used to deliver the shot couldn’t have been more textbook or surgical.

A switch-hitter, Foster (17-2, 10 KOs) alternated between right-handed and southpaw to tactically circle and stab Bravo (19-2, 17 KOs) with left and right jabs. In the seventh round, Foster began engaging Bravo on the inside, emboldening Bravo to come forward and let his fists fly.

But it was a trap; as Bravo became more aggressive, he was opening himself up to counter punches. Late in the eighth round, Foster baited Bravo into throwing a one-two, took half a step back and fired a perfectly-timed straight right. Like a sniper’s bullet, it caught Bravo smack on the point of his chin separating him from his senses before he hit the canvass. Bravo had never previously been stopped.

2018 Winner: Jermall Charlo KO2 Hugo Centeno

Prospect of the Year: O’Shaquie Foster

In 2019 junior lightweight Foster went 3-0 (2 KOs) against opponents with a combined record of 63-15-5, which included the Knockout of the Year award.

Foster (17-2, 10 KOs) began the year with a homecoming fight stopping Fatious Fassinou in the third round in his native Beaumont in February. He ended the year winning a 10-round unanimous decision over Alberto Mercado.

Sandwiched between those two bouts, Foster, 26, stole a page from Evander Holyfield’s playbook with the Knockout of the Year over Jesus Bravo. Luring Bravo in, Foster made Bravo miss by talking a half step back and exploded with a counter right to the chin that dropped Bravo face first for the full count. It was eerily reminiscent of Holyfield’s KO of Buster Douglas in 1990.

2018 Winner: Efe Ajagba

Comeback of the Year: Miguel Flores

At first glance, it would be difficult to justify awarding Comeback of the Year to a boxer who went 1-1 (1 KO) in 2019, especially since it was on account of his loss. But Flores (24-3, 12 KOs) beats out all other candidates for this award after taking into consideration the near-rock bottom abyss from which he was coming back from and the elite caliber of the fighter to whom he lost.

After winning the 2016 Prospect of the Year award, Flores had a disastrous 2017. His status dipped from undefeated to having two back-to-back stoppage losses on his record. First he was TKOed in his hometown by Dat Nguyen, an inactive and unheralded 19-3 fighter. Later that year, he was stopped controversially on cuts to Chris Avalos despite dropping Avalos and winning every round prior to the ruling.

Hampered by several fights that fell through and an ankle injury, Flores only managed to notch two wins against journeymen in the two years following the Avalos loss. But a glimmer of hope flickered midway through the year when he was offered a stepping-stone role against future hall of famer Leo Santa Cruz for a vacant 130-pound alphabet belt on the co-main event of Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz II.

A former world titleholder at 118, 122 and 126 pounds, Santa Cruz (37-1-1, 19 KOs) was expected to steamroll through Flores for his fifth world title in four weight divisions. But Santa Cruz had his work cut out for him as a determined Flores fought with brain, brawn and bravado. Strategically alternating between boxing and brawling, Flores forced Santa Cruz to dig deep into his reservoir of experience and guile to win a unanimous decision. It was more a testament to Santa Cruz’s talent and pedigree than an exposé of Flores’ shortcomings.

Despite adding a third “L” to his record, Flores’ strong showing against such a decorated fighter on such a big stage did more to raise his profile and stock than any number of wins against obscure opponents in equally obscure locales.

2018 Winner: O’Shaquie Foster

Upset of the Year: Xu Can W12 Jesus Rojas

Their pre-fight records said it all: Can was 15-2 (2 KOs) and Rojas was 26-2 (19 KOs). An unknown boxer from China with a less-than impressive record, Can was supposed to be a stay-busy fight, an easy defense of Rojas' alphabet featherweight belt. Even less impressive than Can's overall record was his dismal 12 percent knockout rate.

But what Can lacked in power, he more than made up for in volume punching and uncompromising tenacity. Cheered on by a sizable contingent of Chinese fans at The Toyota Center, Can turned himself into the Energizer Bunny, throwing punches in bunches, forcing Rojas to constantly set and reset, for the entirety of the fight. Rojas stood his ground well and returned fire with gusto but it was Can who usually got in the first and last blows of the exchanges. At the end of the torrid battle, Can won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 118-110.

Can’s subsequent title defenses - TKO6 Shun Kubo (13-1, 2 KOs) and W12 Manny Robles (18-0, 8 KOs) - suggest his upset of Rojas was no fluke. Might he be one of those Rocky Balboa stories who was plucked from obscurity for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and made the most of it? What Can does in the 2020s will answer that question.

2018 Winner: Tony Harrison W12 Jermell Charlo

Round of the Year: Efe Ajagba vs. Iago Kiladze (round 3)

It seemed like just another routine day at the office for the streaking heavyweight Ajagba (12-0, 10 KOs) who had connected fluidly with jabs and straight rights, one of which dropped Kiladze in round two. Kiladze (26-5-1, 18 KOs) was 0-4-1 in his last five fights.

Ajagba, 25, appeared to have Kiladze out on his feet in the third round as he continued to spear the Georgian with ramrod rights. As Ajagba continued to press the action, Kiladze, out of nowhere, unleashed a desperation right to the chin that dumped the 6-foot-6 Nigerian heavily to the canvass for the first time in his career. Dazed but unfazed, Ajagba got to his feet and jabbed and moved to make it out of the round.

Ajagba shook off the cobwebs to continue to dominate and eventually stop Kiladze in the fifth round. But that shocking, near-disastrous third round was his sternest gut and chin check at this juncture in his promising career.

2018 Winner: Jared Hurd vs. Erislandy Lara (round 12)

Trainer of the Year: (Tie) Ronnie Shields and co-trainers Bobby Benton/Aaron Navaro

For the second year running Trainer of the Year ends up as a tie between Shields and the team of Benton and Navarro.

Shields went 2-0 in world title fights, both with the same fighter. In June, Jermall Charlo (30-0, 22 KOs) won a near shutout decision against Brandon Adams at the NRG Arena. Charlo returned to action in December dropping Dennis Hogan twice en route to a seventh-round TKO. Shields was also in Efe Ajagba’s corner for the Round of the Year award.

Co-trainers Benton and Navarro were 1-2 in world title fights in 2019. Regis Prograis wrested a 140-pound alphabet belt from Kiryl Relikh via sixth-round TKO in April. Prograis subsequently lost the belt to Josh Taylor in the Fight of the Year in October. Benton and Navarro were also in the corner of Miguel Flores when he fell short of winning a 130-pound belt against Leo Santa Cruz in November. Benton and Navarro also co-train the 2019 Prospect of the Year O’Shanique Foster and Comeback of the Year Miguel Flores.