Fight of the Year: Teddy Reid versus Elio Ortiz We know, we know, it wasn't a marquee match-up but it was a memorable and remarkable war that took place as part of the undercard of Acelino Freitas' slugfest with Jorge Barrios, last August in Miami. "Two Gun" Reid provided his own firepower in defending his NABF welterweight belt. The hard-hitting Reid dropped challenger Elio Ortiz five times and was rocked himself, before finally finishing off the Venezuelan banger via a TKO at 2:55 of the fourth round. Both fighters teed off throughout the abbreviated encounter with merciless shots, however, when Reid floored Ortiz twice in the fourth round with scorching right hands to the head, referee Bill Connors finally called a halt to the mayhem. Get a tape of the fight!

Honorable Mention: Heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko Last June in Los Angeles, the loser was cheered, the winner was booed, and blood flowed for most of the night. When it was all said and done it was a helluva a heavyweight championship in the City of Angels. WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis retained his crown by scoring a bloody and grueling sixth round TKO over unheralded underdog Vitali Klitschko. Lewis ripped Klitschko's left eyebrow wide open in the second round but the challenger continued to nail the out of shape titleholder with wicked shots until the fight was eventually halted on the advice of Dr. Paul Wallace. The left side of Klitschko's face was reduced to ground chuck by a series of three brutal gashes over, under, and below his damaged eye. Despite the skill of veteran cutman Joe Souza, Klitschko's left eye continued to bleed and after six grisly rounds his face resembled a crimson mask. Klitschko was leading on all three judges' scorecards, but Dr. Wallace advised the referee Lou Moret to halt the carnage. Klitschko vehemently protested the stoppage but there was no escaping the fact that the heavyweight champion had turned his face into a bloody pulp.

Runner up: Manny Pacquiao TKO 11 Marco Antonio Barrera One of the most feared featherweights of his generation, Barrera spent most of the evening eating leather before his cornerman and brother Jorge Barrera climbed into the ring and mercifully ended the beating, in this non-title fight. The southpaw IBF junior featherweight king Pacquiao kept Barrera on the business end of his shots from the second round on and repeatedly scored with wicked combinations. Just as stunning as Barrera's defeat was Pacquiao's commanding and impressive performance. The native of General Santos City, in the Philippines, was remorseless and continuously beat Barrera to the punch with exceptional hand speed and accuracy. Fighting in front of 10,127 fans in the Alamodome, Pacquiao dropped Barrera in the third round with a straight left cross to the chin. The all out assault continued until Pacquiao floored Barrera again in the 11th, with a searing three-shot combination that ricocheted off the featherweight star's skull. Two more riveting blasts to the body drove Barrera to the canvas for the second time. Barrera was able to beat the count but within seconds Pacquiao pinned the Mexican legend on the ropes and landed a volley of scorching blasts. Barrera's older brother could no longer endure watching the punishment and climbed atop the ring apron. Referee Laurence Cole immediately called a halt to the fight at 2:56 of the eleventh round.

Runner up 1A: Arturo Gatti-Mickey Ward III: All you need to know is that it was a war. And that they gave everything they had, and in the end they had nothing left to give. In the history of sports there have always been a number of outstanding rivalries that allow us to mark the passage of time and the milestones our own journey. There's the Red Sox versus Yankees, USC versus Notre Dame, and Alydar versus Affirmed. In boxing, fights are measured against Zale vs. Graziano, Ali vs. Frazier, and Mike Tyson versus his own soul. Add to that list of Hall of Fame rivals the names Gatti and Ward. Alone they were two competent, hard working blue collar boxers. However, put them in the ring together three times and the bravery, courage, and pure guts they displayed borders on Homeric Poetry. The trilogy is now complete. Despite fighting most of the night with a broken right hand and surviving a sixth round knockdown, Arturo Gatti rallied to score a commanding ten round unanimous decision over the valorous and vanquished Mickey Ward.

Round of the year: 12th round - Toney vs. Jirov: With his right eye swelling shut, Jirov came out firing in the 12th, and opened strong with another salvo of punches before pinning Toney against the ropes. The challenger continued to roll away from shots but Jirov landed while smothering Toney's blows. Toney remained poised and with 1:53 to go in round, he nailed the champion with yet another punishing right hand to the face. Toney followed up with three more ripping right hands as he slid along the ropes and continued to score. At the 1:43 mark, Toney set his feet, and hammered Jirov with a screaming right hand to the head. Jirov rocked back on his heels but dropped his hands even further as he tried to outmuscle the challenger. Fighting out of the corner and on the ropes, Toney nailed the champion with three consecutive left hooks just above the belt line. The blows almost caught Jirov in the back as he continued to swing and miss. Toney increased the leverage with each shot and the blood seemingly drained from the champion's face. Jirov's hands dropped, Toney slid along the ropes, and then he unloaded three more ferocious withering blows that caught the champion square in the face. Jirov staggered forward and Toney hammered him with a crushing right uppercut to the jaw. The effect was if he had been hit by a waffle iron and Jirov tumbled face first to the deck. After crashing to the canvas, Jirov struggled to his feet with blood trickling from both his eyes and out of his nostrils. He staggered to an upright position and managed to remain vertical for the last few moments of the contest. With the crowd standing and cheering, Toney raised his gloves in victory.

Knockout of the year: Corrie Sanders KO 2 Wladimir Klitschko: A totally beatable thirty-seven-year-old southpaw Corrie Sanders captured the WBO heavyweight belt by scoring a stunning second round knockout over the man many figured to eventually defeat Lennox Lewis. The South African Sanders dropped the 6-foot-7, 240-pound Klitschko with two straight left hands to the face with 35-seconds remaining in the first round. Klitschko struggled to his feet at the count of seven with a blood streaming from a cut over his left eye. Moments later, Sanders unloaded another quick volley of punches that floored the WBO titleholder to his knees for the second time but the champion was able to survive the opening round. Klitschko seemed composed while sitting on his stool between rounds as his corner took their sweet time to stem the flow of blood from his left eye; however, he was unable to survive another three minutes. The 6-foot-4, 237-pound Sanders drove Klitschko to the deck with another compact left cross to the chin seconds into the second round. Klitschko staggered to his feet at the count of three but after careening across the ring, Sanders dropped him for the final time with a searing left hand to the jaw. With many of the 11,500 shocked German fight fans standing, the native of the Ukraine tumbled to the deck for the fourth and final time and veteran referee Genaro Rodriguez immediately waved off the contest at 2:37 of the second round.

Honorable mention: Courtney Burton KO 8 Angel Manfredy: Live by the sword die by the sword. It may be an old maxim but it was true in America's Heartland where long time contender and former champion Angel Manfredy was carried out on his shield. Lightweight Courtney Burton registered a stunning upset by scoring a knockout over Manfredy at 2:59 of the eighth round. Burton effortlessly switched stances throughout the bout and dropped the former WBU super featherweight titleholder late in the 7th, with a sizzling left hook to the chin. Manfredy was able to beat the count but he still appeared shaken while he sat on his stool between rounds. Burton continued his attack in the 8th, and once again late in the round rocked the IBF's number-three lightweight contender with a volley of shots including a left uppercut square on the chin. Manfredy began falling back into the ropes just as Burton landed one final scorching left hook that dropped the veteran for the final time. Referee Bill Paige pulled Burton off the vanquished tattooed fighter as Manfredy was counted out while mumbling to himself and gesturing with his right glove but still unable to rise. The only thing that was working for Manfredy was muscle memory and a heart too big for his own chin.

Runner up: Rocky Juarez KO 10 Antonio Diaz. Midway through the 10th round, Juarez simply turned out the lights. Fighting near the corner, Juarez scored with a solid combination and then a chopping right hand to the jaw that rocked Diaz slightly back on his heels. Diaz attempted to return fire with his hands held dangerously low and his exposed chin within easy striking range. Juarez responded by clocking Diaz with a savage jackhammer left hook that caught him square on jaw. There was an audible groan from the Houston fight fans as the punch landed and Diaz dropped like he had been hit by howitzer. He slammed straight back into the blue canvas in a spread eagle pose that left little doubt that the night was finally over. The referee quickly rushed to his side and removed his mouthpiece as Diaz remained almost motionless on the floor for several seconds. To his credit, Diaz valiantly tried to get up but the veteran official kept him on the deck while medical help scrambled over the ropes. Diaz remained on the deck for more than a minute before he was allowed to get up and then he was helped to his stool.

Controversial Round of the Year- 2nd round Joe Calzaghe vs. Byron Mitchell. Fighting in front of his countrymen, WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe scored a debatable second round technical knockout over former two-time world titleholder Byron "Gator" Mitchell. The challenger Mitchell floored Calzaghe for the first time in his professional career with a roundhouse right cross to the jaw early in the second round. Calzaghe was up quickly and within seconds he had knocked down the challenger with a winging left hook to the chin. Mitchell fell face first partially through the ropes but was able to beat the count from the referee Dave Parris of London. Calzaghe continued firing leather and caught the challenger with a torrent of wide sweeping punches. Nevertheless, Mitchell countered with two clean shots that thudded off Calzaghe's profile. The champion unloaded a flurry of mostly unanswered blows that seemingly drove Mitchell reeling once more back into the ropes. It was obvious the Mitchell was hurt, however, before he could deliver any type of return fire the referee Parris suddenly stopped the contest. Mitchell and his trainer Al Bonanni attempted to protest the sudden ending to the bout but they were quickly overruled and Calzaghe had notched his 14th successful title defense.

Upset of the year: Ricardo Mayorga TKO 3 Vernon Forrest: A unification welterweight title clash produced the major upset of the year as the rugged Nicaraguan WBA champion Ricardo "El Matador" Mayorga dropped and stopped the prohibitive favorite and previously undefeated WBC titleholder Vernon "The Viper" Forrest in three electrifying rounds. The wild swinging brawler Mayorga forced the issue in an exciting contest from the opening bell, winging right-hand bombs as he went after the poised and polished Forrest. Scoring a disputed knockdown at the end of the first round; the free swinging Mayorga and the skilled Forrest, engaged in a dramatic shootout over the next two rounds. A crunching right hand to the temple of Forrest knocked the WBC crown from his head and into the hands of Mayorga at 2:06 of the 3rd, as the wild slugfest suddenly ended.

Biggest Stones of the Year ESPN's Max Kellerman & Brian Kenny: The irrepressible co-hosts for ESPN 2 Friday night fights stuck by their guns and refused to cave from their initial remarks that Forrest won his rematch with Mayorga on points. Call it journalistic integrity or cajones, but they were well-needed voices in the boxing wilderness this past year.

Referee of the Year: Dr. Lou Moret: The California based official consistently made the right calls in the ring, including perhaps the biggest fight of the year when he was masterful in handling the bombs away bout between Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko. Along with Dr. Paul Wallace, Moret finally stopped the bloody bout saving Klitschko's left eye from any further damage after six gruesome rounds.

Worst scorecard of the Year: Judge Walter Cavalieri: Working on just five days notice, late replacement Luis Alberto "El Demoledor" Perez, captured the IBF junior bantamweight title back in January, in a battle of southpaws by scoring a 12-round split decision victory over the champion Felix Machado. Making his fourth title defense, Machado ended up looking like ground round after fighting the last four rounds of this grueling fight with a totally closed right eye. Referee Kenny Chavalier deducted a point from Machado's score in the in the fifth round for a low blow and that foul had a large impact on the outcome of a brutal fight. Judge Tammye Jenkins scored the bout 114-113, while Paul Artist tallied 115-112, both for the challenger Perez. However, the third official Mr. Cavalieri had the contest 117-110, in favor of Machado. Either he wasn't paying attention or he was inept. Simply brutal!

Trainer of the Year: Freddy Roach: The forty-three-year-old owner of the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California had a great year by anyone's standards. A disciple of the late legendary trainer and Hall of Famer Eddie Futch, Roach was instrumental in a several key performances this past year. Roach was pivotal in getting James Toney to work and listen in the gym, as he prepared his complex but talented boxer for his two big wins over Vassiliy Jirov and Evander Holyfield. Roach was also the man in the corner that plotted the strategy and called the shots for Manny Pacquiao's 11th round TKO upset over the once invincible Marco Antonio Barrera's in November. Factor in his work with the Klitschko brothers, Juan Lazcano's inspiring WBC world title elimination victory over Stevie Johnston and his development of Brian Viloria and Bernard Dunne and Roach is a well deserving choice. Adding to the mix, Roach got Mike Tyson in shape for his first round TKO over Clifford Etienne. Do you know what it is like to get Tyson to do roadwork at 5 AM?

Ring Doctor of the Year: Dr. Margaret Goodman: Nevada's red headed fight doctor was raised around the sport and she has consistently made the right choice in stopping fights, and more importantly at the right time. Goodman has always shown compassion in the ring while also giving boxers a chance to win bouts. It was Goodman's call when Joel Casamayor won the IBF elimination contest after nailing Diego Corrales with a wicked shot to the jaw that destroyed his mouthpiece and caused serious cuts in his mouth. The injury compelled Goodman to stop the bout after six outstanding rounds in which both fighters hit the deck. It was a tough call with Corrales still in the fight but swallowing his own blood.

Cutman of the Year: Joe Souza: Souza is renowned among boxing insiders for his talents at closing wounds and keeping boxers in fights. His best work was in a losing performance, as he managed to patch Vitali Klitschko up long enough to allow him to continue for another four gory rounds after suffering a brutal cut across his left eyebrow in the second stanza.

Best fights fans: Manchester, England: Ricky Hatton's posse turns out by the thousand to cheer their warrior on to victory. The trade off is warm beer.

Worst decision of the Year: Injin Chi versus Michael Brodie: Fighting for the vacant WBC (common admit it, you knew the WBC was involved) featherweight title, Chi and the hometown hero Brodie battled over 12 very hard fought tough rounds in the working class town of Manchester, England. The fight was initially scored a majority decision for Chi, but the verdict was altered to a majority draw 30-minutes later when WBC President Jose Sulaiman (you saw that coming, right?) determined that there was an error in the scoring of one of the cards. Thanks amigo.

Worst professional boxing debut: Tonya Harding: The former "Bad Girl" of figure skating (we can't believe we're writing this) lost a 4 round split decision to Samantha Browning. Just what the sport needed.

Worst trunks: Sharmba Mitchell: We should retire this award and call it the Mitchell House of Haute Couture. Mitchell showed up for two fights this past year wearing what appeared to be a jock strap and a multi-colored lampshade around his waste. Apparently the former WBA 140-pound champ likes to make a strong fashion statement.

Worst Haircut: Kermit Citron: The Reading, Pennsylvania banger via Puerto Rican is a talented fighter with power in both hands but the shaved head with the red and blue decals makes him look a 147-pound stop sign.

Jorge Paez Award: Jorge Paez: In February, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, an unintentional blow from Silverio Ortiz Ley knocked out Paez, while the referee was separating the fighters. Ortiz was declared the winner via a 7th round TKO. The state boxing commission later ruled that the correct call would have been to decide the outcome of the fight by going to the scorecards. Paez was ahead on the cards and was declared winner of the bout by a split decision score of 57-56, 57-56 and 56-57. This of course doesn't make up for the time Paez showed up at the Great Western Forum in a white wedding dress.

Time to step away: Evander Holyfield: Enough said.

Best new old sound from your television set: Al Bernstein: The erudite and knowledgeable Bernstein returned as Steve Albert's sidekick for ShowTime's boxing cards in 2003.

Resolute Boxing Excellence: HBO's Jim Lampley: Flat out this guy is a Hall of Fame announcer. Lampley is the point of the spear for their outstanding broadcasts but from the fighter profile packages, to the bouts and the post-fight interviews the HBO production team shines like a beacon. As viewers we have come to expect excellence and they always deliver.

Gone but not forgotten: Kid Gavilian, Manuel "Speedy" Fernandez, Bill Cayton, Del Flanagan, Rudy Cervantes, Larry Rozadilla, Albert Finch, Alaxander Mirshnichenko, Joe Daszkiewicz, Harvey Brummett, Harry "The Kid" Matthews, Norberto Longo, Tony Alongi, Desi Shanley, Paul Pender, Alexander "Fabela" Chavez, Ray Lunny, Jr. and Laszlo Papp.