I saw the Emmys this weekend and got inspired. No, it wasn't a vision of someday having red carpet host Billy Bush, well equipped with that entertainment reporter fake laugh, ask me what designer I'm wearing. It was more about end-of-the-season awards.
It's hard to believe the long and winding road is coming to an end. Eight months ago, our Friday Night Fight crew set forth on a mission and never looked back. We provided the broadcasts and you the fans provided the love. Lots of love.
Reports of boxing's death are greatly exaggerated. The viewers proved that once again. As we wrap up with our season finale this week, Friday Night Fights is about to set ratings records. We had more viewers this year than any other for ESPN boxing. For that, we owe all of you a big thank you.
Two weeks ago, I recapped Wednesday Night Fights with my end-of-the-year awards. It was a list that brought about great debate and many memorable moments. Now with 30 different Friday Night Fights and two Contender specials to choose from, surely the following list will elicit even more varied opinion.
Remember, bouts from Wednesday Night Fights aren't included in this list. And one other note: With the unpredictable Emmanuel Augustus fighting this week in our co-feature, and the tremendously impressive unbeaten Allan Green in the main event, there is the possibility the awards could have some last-minute candidates.
Without further ado, here they are, the FNF Year-Enders.
FNF Fighter of the Year
Nominees: Delvin Rodriguez, Sergio Mora, Edner Cherry, Anthony Peterson
The Winner: Edner Cherry
Comments: It was a very tough choice. Everyone on this list went 2-0 on FNF this year, but Cherry gets the nod because of the two spectacular TKO wins that turned around his career. The Florida lightweight came back after a close loss to Armando Santa Cruz. He TKO'd the undefeated Monty Meza-Clay. He then took on former lightweight world title challenger Daniel Alicea and destroyed him with only one good arm. Cherry deserves a title shot in the near future and don't be surprised if he pulls an upset to claim a belt. Delvin Rodriguez deservedly received many votes from the FNF crew for this award. Sergio Mora clearly impressed us. Mora is undoubtedly one of the best TV fighters around and will indeed be getting a shot against a big name. Anthony Peterson used FNF as a platform to place himself among the best prospects in the sport. He had his first 12-round fight on our air and then a masterful second-round KO win.
Honorable Mention: Edison Miranda, Alfonso Gomez
FNF Knockout of the Year
Nominees: Alejandro Berrio, Jason Litzau, Edison Miranda
The Winner: Jason Litzau
Comments: I have two simple rules on a Knockout of the Year award: it has to be a knockout that levels the victim instantly ending the fight, and you have to want to watch it over and over again on TiVo and each time you do you can't stop yourself from going "OOOHHHHHH" and "AAAAHHHHHH." The 126-pound Litzau did that this summer in 109-degree heat in Rincon, Calif. Litzau is a polarizing figure in the sport whose loud mouth and brash style leave no middle ground. But no matter whether you love him or hate him when he clocked Nicky Bentz with that right hand in the first round, you had to be impressed. Berrio made the list for the way he finished off Yusaf Mack. Berrio kissed Mack on the head before he floored him with two uppercuts. Edison Miranda was sensational in becoming the first person to stop longtime contender Howard Eastman.
Honorable mention: Emmanuel Augustus TKO10 Jamie Rangel, Anthony Peterson KO2 Jose Soto, Sam Peter KO1 Julius Long, Allan Green TKO5 Tony Bonsante, Delvin Rodriguez TKO3 Luis Hernandez
FNF Ugly Moment of the Year
Nominees: Joe Mesi comeback, IBF/Florida judges
The Winner: Controversial decision for IBF title
Comments: Here's the deal There are people in boxing I really respect who felt Juan Urango won the IBF junior welterweight title fairly. The problem is all of them either promote Urango, are on the Florida commission or are associated with the IBF. It was a lackluster fight when the likable south Florida-based power puncher won the title belt against Australia-based Tunisian Noufel Ben-Rabah, and that only added to the controversy.
Urango barely landed any effective punches. Ben-Rabah simply hustled around the ring staying away, darting in and out, and using ring generalship to clearly win enough rounds to get the decision.
There are different ways to be effective in the ring. Willie Pep was effective in a way Joe Frazier could never be. On this night that was the case. I thought Doug Fisher from MaxBoxing.com had the best summary of the evening when he reflected on the fight, noting that there is a harmful trend in boxing in which judges are rewarding aggression of any form, even if it is completely ineffective.
The sight of Joe Mesi looking mediocre against Stephane Tessier made me feel awful. He would have toyed with Tessier before the now infamous brain injury. I like Joe very much, as I think most fans do, but to sit through that performance and then question Joe afterward was very uncomfortable. I wish the best for Joe Mesi and I don't want to see him in a spot like that again.
Honorable Mention: Alonzo Butler being awarded a KO win after he clearly bumped Terry Porter through the ropes. It should have been a no-contest when Porter couldn't continue after hitting his head on the concrete.
FNF Prospect of the Year
Nominees: Andre Berto, Ray Whitfield, Patrick Lopez, Anthony Peterson, Lamont Peterson
The Winner: Anthony Peterson.
Comments: Anthony separated himself from the pack this year with two wins on FNF, including his first ever 12-round fight and a monstrous second-round KO win. The power-punching younger brother of Lamont Peterson is on a collision course for a world title and will be a star in this sport. Lamont is right there also, a little slicker, a little more patient, but still in line for future success. "Sting" Ray Whitfield had two very nice performances on FNF. He will likely be a player on our air in 2007. Patrick Lopez is a fan-friendly fighter who gives you the sense that he has bad intentions on every shot he throws. Andre Berto is going to be a pay-per-view star. (Remember I said it.) Berto has the complete package.
Honorable Mention: Leon Bobo, Alonzo Butler
FNF Shocker of the Year
Nominees: Dale Brown upset, Edison Miranda KO
The Winner: Dale Brown upset
Comments: Dale Brown is an elite cruiserweight. He has fought for the world title four times. Many believe he got robbed of the IBF belt when he went 12 hard rounds with O'Neil Bell in 2005. On June 30, he stepped into the ring on FNF for what appeared to be nothing more than a stay-busy fight while he lined up his next title shot. Instead, Colorado-based journeyman Shane Swartz started fast and caught a lucky break. Actually, it was a lucky clash. A cut opened up that caused the fight to end early and go to the scorecards. Shane's early action gave him the technical decision win and one of the biggest upsets of the year. Edison Miranda's TKO of Howard Eastman stunned the majority of fight fans. Many thought Miranda had a padded record and that his KO power was a product of weak opposition. That is not the case. He is for real and will now fight for a middleweight title.
Honorable Mention: Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Mike Marrone getting rocked and barely hanging on to defeat Midwestern journeyman opponent Zack Page.
FNF Studio Guest of the Year
Nominees: Ricky Hatton, Winky Wright, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini
The Winner: Ricky Hatton
Comments: Another very tough choice. All the candidates were very strong, even the honorable mention guys. But to me, Hatton is amazing when he joins us. For a current world champion to have such a deep and thorough understanding of the sport beyond his own interest is impressive. Hatton has historical knowledge as well as a keen eye for in-fight analysis. He is a credit to the sport and to himself. Obviously, Brian Kenny has a lot to do with the fact that all of these guests perform so well but some are better than others and Winky and Ray Mancini proved that. Winky was open in discussing all aspects of the Jermain Taylor fight. But what really impressed me was how honest he was with straight answers on the controversial Joe Mesi situation which was unfolding in front of our eyes the night that Winky was in studio. Many fans on Internet message boards loved Ray Mancini and we agree.
Honorable Mention: Smokin' Joe Frazier, Diego Corrales, Wladimir Klitschko
FNF Venue of the Year
Nominees: Seminole Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, Fla.; Uniprix Stadium, Montreal; The Harv at Mountaineer, Chester, W. Va.; Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, R.I.
The Winner: Montreal's Uniprix Stadium
Comments: There is not even a close second. This is like Ron Turcotte on Big Red coming down the Belmont stretch.
Get to a calendar, find the date for the 2007 Montreal Grand Prix in early June and make travel plans. The open-air Uniprix Stadium features 10,000 fight fans, fireworks, Harley Davidson ring entrances, local fighters with talent, top contenders going at it, and the finest collection of ring-card girls that has ever been assembled. The event on June 23, 2006 was a spectacle to behold. The fans there couldn't get enough. The whole weekend was one big sports party, and FNF played a major role in that. We will be back and we can't wait.
The Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Fla., has become one of the finest and most consistent fight facilities in the country. The folks connected to The Harv at Mountaineer Racing and Gaming in Chester, W. Va., should be proud of their FNF event. A huge crowd came out and made it special. They are smart and energetic fight fans. It's a hidden gem. Ten thousand fans coming out after a blizzard caused a state of emergency in Rhode Island put the Dunkin' Donuts Center and all those Peter Manfredo faithful on the list.
Honorable Mention: FedEx Forum, Memphis; Club Cinema, Pompano Beach, Fla.; Arco Arena, Sacramento
FNF Swing Fight of the Year (4-6 rounds)
Nominees: Marquez-Grajeda draw, Patterson-Rudolph draw
The Winner: Marquez-Grajeda
Comments: Roderick Grajeda hadn't fought in nearly two years and had been homeless. Joaquin Marquez was 2-0 after an amateur career that included a win over Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward. Marquez went for the KO right away. It looked as if Grajeda wouldn't survive. Not only did he survive, he fought back. It was a classic back-and-forth battle. It ended up a draw.
Jamar Patterson and Sheldon Rudolph also finished up on Friday Night Fights with a thrilling draw. It was the kind of fight that reminds us why you can be just as entertained watching two no-names as you can watching two champions. Guts and effort count for so much, and these two had plenty.
Honorable Mention: Verquan Kimbrough W4 Marty Robbins
FNF Fight of the Year
Nominees: Ibragimov-Austin draw, Gomez-Feliciano draw
The Winner: Ibragimov-Austin
Comments: It was a heavyweight title eliminator and for once, there was some action between top big men.
Ray Austin seemed to be more primed and ready for this fight than for any other. Sultan Ibragimov was hyped as the next great one and had shown moments of such promise. He also showed enough flaws to make this exciting.
They traded knockdowns, they brawled, there were strategy, intrigue, head games, controversy and momentum shifts. It was our fight of the year and according to those TV ratings I mentioned earlier, one of the most-viewed boxing events in the history of ESPN.
Alfonso Gomez and Jesse Feliciano cannot make a bad fight. This was their third meeting and it was a war. It was the kind of fight that made you say both of these guys need to take some time away from the ring. That's how brutal the exchanges were.
Honorable Mention: Edison Miranda TKO Howard Eastman, Isaac Hlatshwayo SD12 Nate Campbell
FNF Ridiculous Moment of the Year
Nominees: Hector Alatorre's custom trunks, Nate Campbell mistake
The Winner: Hector Alatorre's custom trunks
In a sport where you think you have seen it all, you always seem to see something new. Hector Alatorre came to the ring wearing custom-made SpongeBob Squarepants trunks. If you have children or have even watched the wildly popular cartoon for a minute, then you surely know how utterly ridiculous the marriage of pro boxing and SpongeBob is.
As for Nate Campbell, my heart breaks for him. He was defeated by Isaac Hlatshwayo in a well-contested and very important 12-round fight. The problem was that Nate misunderstood the ring announcer and thought that he had won. Campbell busted into celebration and it wasn't until a few minutes later that he was informed he had actually lost. That's cruel.
Honorable Mention: California commissioner entering the ring while the fight was still going on.
Final note: I want to thank the entire FNF crew for all its hard work. We are blessed to have some of the top professionals in sports TV working on this show. Without them, we couldn't have brought you these memorable moments.
I salute Shannon Bentz, producer Rob Beiner, coordinating producer Matt Sandulli, boxing programmer Doug Loughery, director Rick Beczynski, tech manager Wayne Nelson, producer Brien McDonald, producer Brian Zwolinski, Mike Mascaro, Russ Whinnem, Lance Palmieri, technical director Roger Grimm, David McCoy & The Boys, Lance Gordon, Matt Mills, John McCann, Todd Andrews, Rocky Rude, Craig Puckett, Fred Clow, Saul Avelar, Bob Canobbio, Brian Adams, Joe Carnicelli, Nick Canobbio, Dale Stewart, Dave Raffo, Dennis Allen, Mike Steinberg, Brian Dwyer, Chris Trinidad, Scott Katz, Chris Duffy, Aladdin Freeman, John Brister and the incomparable duo of Brian Kenny and Teddy Atlas.
Joe Tessitore is the blow-by-blow announcer on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights."