SWEET SCIENCE 2011 YEAR IN REVIEW

 

 

The year of 2011 was a mixed bag for the sweet science. Although some of the bigger events of the year let fans down there were also some very exciting bouts. This article takes a look back at some of the ups and downs of the year.

Klitschkos Stay Atop Heavyweight Division

2011 saw the most hyped heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko met way back in 2003. Unfortunately the fight did not live up to the hype when Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye squared off in Hamburg, Germany this past July. After two years of on and off negotiations and trash talking from Haye, when he stepped into the ring Haye was reluctant to trade with Klistchko and ended up getting dominated for an easy points win for Wladimir. This was supposed to be a career defining fight for Wlad, his toughest challenge ever, but it turned out to be not very competitive at all. Older brother Vitali fought twice in 2011, his second fight of the year against a game but overmatched Tomasz Adamek who he TKO’ed in ten rounds. There’s a few young guns climbing the ranks-Robert Helenius and Seth Mitchell are two men to watch next year-but no one could compete with the brothers in 2011. Chalk up another year of the K brothers solidly in control of the the heavyweight division.

Andre Ward Wins Super Six Tournament

The Super Six Tournament finally reached its conclusion at the end of the year with Andre Ward defeating Carl Froch in dominating fashion by unanimous decision. This was a long time coming for Ward, who had a lot to prove to the sport and to himself. At this point he’s the man to beat in the super middleweight division.

Mayweather and Pacman Keep Winning, Keep Avoiding Megafight Showdown

The #1 and #2 ranked pound for pound fighers by RealCombatMedia, respectively, both continued their winning ways in 2011. Floyd defeated Victor Ortiz in a bizarre match that saw Ortiz intentionally foul Mayweather, then Mayweather retaliate with a one two combo that knocked Ortiz out. Some saw Floyd’s retaliation as a sucker punch, others saw it as a lack of mental concentration by Ortiz. Many fans were disappointed in how the bout ended but whatever the case may be it’s clear that ‘Money’ Mayweather is still the most skilled fighter in the game.

Manny Pacquaio notched an easy victory against an over the hill Shane Mosley earlier in the year then scored a controversial decision in his rubber match with Juan Manuel Marquez at year’s end. Many fans, this writer included, thought that Marquez won their third meeting with his effective counterpunching, footwork, and ability to control the range of the fight. Others saw Pacman’s more aggressive style and greater offensive output winning the fight.

For these two fighters the most significant fight of the year was the one that didn’t happen. 2011 was another year in which Floyd vs Manny, the biggest fight in the sport, didn’t get made. Although there’s speculation that the two will meet in 2012, Floyd is about to start a three month jail term and Bob Arum is talking about any option but Floyd for Manny’s next fight. Hopefully with all the money to be made this fight happens sometime next year.

Hopkins Defies Father Time, Ends the Year in Bizarre Fashion

Bernard Hopkins defied father time for one more year, defeating Jean Pascal in a rematch of their first fight in which B-Hop lost on points. The victory re-vitalized his career since he was coming off a lackluster performance against Roy Jones Jr. in 2010 and a relatively inactive 2009. However, Hopkins last fight of the year resulted in a bizarre and controversial ending. Facing Chad Dawson, the fight was called to a stop in the second round when Dawson lifted Hopkins off the canvas and slammed him to the ground. Hopkins cited a shoulder injury and could not continue. Initially ruled a win for Dawson, the bout was later changed to a No Contest. It remains to be seen whether the two will meet again but it’s likely that we’ve not seen the last of Bernard.

Amir Khan Gets Derailed by Lamont Peterson

Golden Boy Promotions have been grooming Amir Khan to be one of the next superstars of the sport and there was even talk of him fighting Mayweather next year, but the Amir Khan Express got derailed in a big upset by Lamont Peterson. Peterson applied pressure and volume to give Khan one of his toughest challenges to date. Peterson’s gritty determination coupled with some rather surprising point deductions resulted in the biggest win(by decision for Peterson) of his career. Khan has expressed willingness for a rematch with Peterson, although Peterson is also being talked about as a potential opponent for Pacquaio. Khan is still a rising star but Peterson definitely exposed some flaws in his game. Khan needs to bounce big with some big wins in 2012 to be considered among the elite.

Martinez Still the Boss of the Middleweights

Sergio Martinez continued his winning ways with victories over Serhiy Dzinzirk and Darren Barker, but big fights eluded him during 2011. He’s looking to make a fight with one of the other big names in the division, with Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. and Andy Lee being the two of the biggest names he could fight.

Donaire Climbs P4P Rankings

Nonito Donaire had a spectacular year, scoring what many consider Knockout of the Year when he dispatched Fernando Montiel with a lightning quick left hook counter in the second round of their fight. He also scored a victory against Omar Narvaez. Although that win wasn’t near as impressive as the one against Montiel, Donaire has catapulted himself towards the top of the P4P rankings and if he keeps it up, he could even give Manny a challenge as the best fighter to hail from the Philippines.

Wrapping Up

2011 saw plenty of other significant fights, too many to recount here. Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto put on the fight of the year in an action packed slugfest. Miguel Cotto got his revenge against Margarito two plus years after their first bout. Jermain Taylor made his return to the ring after two years off and could be a force to reckon with again. As 2011 draws to a close and we kick off 2012 kick off there are many fights to look forward to. Here’s to a great year of boxing in 2012!