FIGHT GAME Inaugural End of Year Awards
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR - Danny Green
Amongst the long list of high-achieving Australian boxers in 2009, there was one fighter that without a doubt stood head and shoulders above the rest. That fighter was Danny Green; after spending over twelve months in retirement, Green returned to the sport in a very big way when he captured the IBO cruiserweight world title in August in America before scoring one of Australia's most credible victories in the sport when he knocked out four-division world champion and living legend Roy Jones Jr. How's that for fighter that was told to retire in 2006 after losing to Mundine.
Runner-Up: Michael Katsidis
Katsidis started the year low on confidence after losing both of his two fights in 2008 (although to then-world champions Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor). However by the end of 2009, Katsidis has firmly placed himself as one of the top-five lightweights in the world. A workmanlike win over Argentine veteran Angel Ramirez followed by a stoppage over former world champion Jesus Chavez and a points win over former Olympian Vicente Escobedo to win back the WBO interim lightweight world title certainly add an exclamation mark to 2009 for the man they call "The Great".
FIGHT OF THE YEAR - Anthony Mundine vs Daniel Geale,
Wednesday May 27th, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
A fight between the ageing champion turned challenger and the young hungry champion took place when Daniel Geale stepped up to his biggest test yet and defended his IBO middleweight title against former two-time WBA super-middleweight champion Anthony Mundine. Many expected Mundine to be too fast and too strong for Geale; however this wasn't the case as Geale started confidently and scored with early combinations and really put the pressure on Mundine. However, the point of the fight occurred when Mundine scored a flash knockdown in the second, knocking Geale to the canvas.
The crowd were in full voice as both fighters went at each other round after round, not only fighting out the fight of the year but perhaps writing another chapter of one of Australian boxing's classic rivalries. Mundine went on to win a close-split decision; had Geale not been knocked down in the second, he would've retained his title via a split decision. The fight will be remembered for two reasons; the first being that Mundine captured a third world title in second division and the other reason being that for the first time in many years, two of the top ten middleweights in the world came from Australia.
Runner-Up: Solomon Haumono vs Justin Whitehead
Sunday August 16th, Shed 14 Docklands, Melbourne
An absolute barn-burner took place when the unbeaten Whitehead outpointed previously unbeaten knockout machine Solomon Haumono. Despite being a raging underdog, Whitehead boxed brilliantly in the opening rounds, landing his jab at will as he blooded the nose and mouth of Haumono who didnt win any of the first six rounds. The fight really began when the ringside doctor was called in to inspect one of Haumono's cuts. Almost immediately after, Haumono landed a massive right hand on Whitehead who stumbled all over the ring as Haumono stalked, trying to finish the fight. Whitehead miraculously survived the round but was on unsteady legs several times in the closing rounds. Haumono had Whitehead out on his feet on more than one occasion but lacked the killer instinct to finish him off. To his credit Whitehead boxed brilliantly against the heavy favourite and did well to score a split points decision over the big-punching Tongan who lost for the first time in eighteen fights.
KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR - Danny Green TKO1 Roy Jones Jr
Wednesday December 2nd, Acer Arena, Sydney
It may not have been the most devastating knockouts of the year, but the sheer magnitude of not only the fight but the fighter being knocked out made this knockout a can't-miss for Knockout of the year credentials.
Jones' started the fight in typical fashion, peppered his lightning-fast jab towards Green as he danced around the ring. However, with just under a minute and a half past in the first round, Green connected with a solid jab followed by a right hand that floored Jones heavily. Jones somehow made it to his feet by the count of ten but by that stage Green was all over Jones, pummelling the defence-less former champion with barrages of unanswered punches before the referee finally waved off the contest.
Runner-Up: Moses Seran KO1 Adam Wills
Friday November 6th, Parramatta Leagues Club, Sydney
Moses Seran gave the Sydney fight fans an exciting farewell when he knocked out local favourite Adam Wills with a single looping uppercut in the first round of their scheduled six round fight. Wills' head hit the canvas hard and it looked as if he was knocked out cold, however he rose to his feet on very unsteady legs where he was counted out by the referee.
Honourable Mention: Ben Costello KO3 Steve Maxwell
Sunday May 17th, Shed 14 Docklands, Melbourne
This knockout made the list for one reason and one reason only; sheer brutality. Novice fighter Ben Costello was being beat to the punch for the first two and a half rounds by big-punching Victorian welterweight champion Steven Maxwell before Costello landed a massive right hand on the turn which knocked Maxwell out, leaving the Tasmanian based fighter motionless where he was counted out before being attended to by the ringside physician.
UPSET OF THE YEAR – Colin Wilson KO4 John Hopoate
Saturday October 3rd, Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton
Funnily enough, the upset of the year between two Australian fighters happened in New Zealand of all places. Colin Wilson went into the fight against then-Australian champion John Hopoate having won only one of his previous six fights and down on confidence after being knocked out by the big-punching Alex Leapai. The fight looked to be going according to the script when Hopoate dropped Wilson in the early stages, however Wilson turned the tide, dropping Hopoate twice before being crowned the new Australian heavyweight champion in very dramatic fashion.
PROSPECT OF THE YEAR – Will Tomlinson
Like the fighter of the year award, there were many other young prospects that were in contention for this award such as Michael Bolling and Jarrod Fletcher. However, Tomlinson emerged from the pack with his devastating one punch knockout of regarded American Verquan Kimbrough on the undercard of the Green-Jones fight in December.
Tomlinson was very active in 2009, fighting seven times, winning six with all of his victories coming by way of knockout with the other result being a technical draw due to a bad cut suffered in his Australian title challenge against Junmar Dulog. Tomlinson went on to win the vacant title by knocking out former champion Matty Powell in May. Tomlinson also spent time mid-year in the US training with legendary trainer Ismael Salas and WBA featherweight champion Yurokis Gamboa.
COMEBACK OF THE YEAR – Garth Wood
Without a doubt the feel good story of the year, Garth Wood came from relative obscurity and period of eighteen-months without a fight to score three wins over highly rated opponents in The Contender Australia series.
Wood wasn't even part of the original line-up of fighters until former world title challenger Shannon Taylor withdrew from the competition, paving the way for Wood to take his place. In Wood's first fight he did what no other fighter had done when he knocked out former Australian super-middleweight champion Israel Kani in two rounds.
This was only the beginning for Wood as he went on to score a huge upset win over former world-title challenger and knockout artist Victor Oganov, who along with Kariz Kariuki who Wood went on to beat in the final, were the two favourites to win the entire competition. In 2009, the former South Sydney NRL player made the transition from athlete to fighter complete in an impressive display of heart, courage and power.