Fight of the Year: Barrera versus Morales III The trilogy is complete. It will go down as the third in a series of brutal wars between two warriors whose contempt; anger and disdain for each other only fueled the ferocity of their battles. When it was over both men continued throwing punches but the challenger Marco Antonio Barrera had pounded out an electrifying twelve-round majority decision over Erik "El Terrible" Morales to capture his WBC super featherweight title. Barrera jumped on the champion early and rocked Morales a number of times over the first six rounds, with savage left hooks and whistling uppercuts. Morales finally found the range and rediscovered his rhythm with searing right crosses that tattooed the challenger's skull in the seventh and eighth.

Barrera rallied again in the ninth round and he jolted the champion with hammering left hooks that seemingly insured his second victory in this classic three-part war.

However, the last two rounds were fought on guts and guile, as both men hammered away with sickening accuracy and relentless venom. The crowd at the MGM Grand spent much of the 12th, on their feet, as neither man eased up while they continued to pummel each other with wicked right hands, more lethal left hooks and screaming uppercuts. When it was over Barrera looked exhausted and Morales was bleeding from a broken nose and a badly swollen right eye that was nearly closed.

Honorable Mention: Climbing off the deck to go the distance after being dropping three times in the first round is extraordinary. Somehow being able to salvage a draw after suffering a broken nose and swallowing enough blood to drop an ox borders on the miraculous. Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez retained his WBA and IBF featherweight belts because of guts, will; and judging from the scorecards, perhaps divine intervention in earning a 12-round draw against Manny Pacquiao. The Philippine southpaw sensation Pacquiao landed repeatedly in the first round with withering straight left hands to the chin. The hard hitting challenger floored Marquez three times in the opening stanza, busting him up in the process and breaking his nose while reducing the bottom one-third of his face to ground chuck. Nevertheless, Marquez rallied over the course of the fight to somehow come up with a majority draw. It didn't hurt that there was confusion with the official scoring after twelve sensational rounds that left the 7,129 fight fans at the MGM Grand emotionally drained. Judge Burt Clements scored the bout 113-113, while Guy Jutras had it 115-110 for Marquez, and John Stewart tallied 115-110 for Pacquiao.

Even for the extraordinary boxer considered by many the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound for most of the last ten years there was no exception. A perfect counter left from Antonio "Magic Man" Tarver, delivered with jackhammer authority dropped Roy Jones Jr. from the heights of Mount Olympus and knocked him flat on his back.

It was a simple as Jones missing with his hook and then getting planted by Tarver's searing counter left that landed flush on his jaw. It was like turning out the house lights and the champion was all ready out cold before his body slammed into the sky blue canvas. The four division titleholder hit the deck hard, as his body jackknifed off the ropes and he came to rest in the challenger's corner with his head and left shoulder slamming into the ring apron. Working only on muscle memory, Jones valiantly tried to struggle to his feet but he collapsed again face first as he attempted to rise. Jones staggered to his feet at the count of nine but referee Jay Nady looked into his eyes and then immediately waved off the contest at 1:41 of the second round.

Runner-up KO of the Year: A perfect counter left hook ended the evening early as featherweight Rocky Juarez planted Guty Espadas flat on his back near the close of the second round. For the undefeated Juarez, who has struggled to regain some luster in his career by displaying power it was also the end for a perfect night. The one shot knockout dropped the former WBC featherweight king Espadas like the proverbial sack of potatoes at 2:24 of the second round. With the victory in the scheduled 12-rounder, Juarez retained his lightly regarded WBC Continental Americas featherweight belt. More importantly the stunning KO helps serves notice in the 126-pound division that the former Silver medal Olympian from Houston, Texas is a viable challenger for a major title shot.

Honorable Mention KO's #1-- Hard-hitting Nigerian heavyweight hopeful Samuel Peter (21-0, 18 KO's) made a lasting impression on fans and ring veterans with a devastating second round knockout over Jeremy Williams (41-5-1, 36 KO's) to capture the vacant NABF heavyweight belt. Peter nailed Williams with a savage left hook to the chin and the Long Beach, California heavyweight was out cold before he slammed backwards into the canvas. Williams' head thudded off the floor and both of his hands were locked in a rigid defensive position, as he lay motionless on the deck. Referee Toby Gibson quit his count at four, waved off the contest and quickly removed his mouthpiece. Williams remained of the floor for several minutes before he was finally helped to a sitting position and his stool. The time of Peter's impressive and memorable KO went into the books at 27-seconds of the second round.

Honorable Mention KO's #2-- Former Olympic bronze medallist Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor continued his assault on the middleweight ranking and barely even broke a sweat. The undefeated WBC Continental Americas champion Taylor (19-0, 14 KO's) took less than a minute to flatten Alex Rios (23-5-1, 18 KO's) with a devastating two-punch combination. Taylor caught Rios near the ropes and drilled him with a whip-like left hand to the body and a crushing overhand right to the top of the skull and that was the end of the evening.

Honorable Mention KO's #3-- In a junior lightweight battle, former 1996 Republic of Georgia Olympian Koba "The Cobra" Gogoladze (12-0, 6 KO's) scored an electrifying second round technical knocked out over Juan "Ringo" Garza (21-2, 18 KO's). The southpaw Gogoladze nailed Garza with a whistling counter right hand to the chin and dropped his opponent in his tracks. Garza, Cadereyta, Mexico flopped forward as his legs gave way and he crumbled to the floor in sections. Referee Bob Brunette quickly waved off the contest at 2:55 of the second round.

Honorable Mention KO's #4-- Victoriano Sosa committed the cardinal error of punching with a puncher and as a result he ended up on the deck three times. Puerto Rico's hard-hitting twenty-three-year-old Miguel Cotto (19-0, 16 KO's) flattened Sosa (37-4-2, 27 KO's) three times with a wicked display of body punches and hammering combinations in the fourth round to score a devastating and overwhelming TKO. Referee Kenny Bayless mercifully called a halt at 2:51 of the fourth round. With the victory, Cotto retained his WBC International super lightweight belt.

Honorable Mention KO's #5-- Just how long has junior middleweight Verno Phillips been around? Well, when Phillips notched his first pro career win, Ronald Reagan was still in the White House. Sixteen years later Phillips was still banging guys out and he set himself up for a title shot after destroying Julio "Cuban Lover" Garcia and scoring a first round knockout. The veteran from Troy, New York dropped Garcia twice in the opening stanza with whip-like right uppercuts to the chin and a volley of leather. Following the second knockdown Phillips unloaded a torrent of shots including two chopping right hands to the head that pinned the defenseless Cuban against the ropes. Referee Jack Reiss wisely pulled Phillips off Garcia and called a halt to the contest at 2:59 of the first round.

Honorable Mention KO's #6-- Quick hands and counter punching ability was the storyline as IBF bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez (32-3, 29 KOs) retained his crown by scoring a brutal knockout over challenger Heriberto Ruiz (31-3-2, 12 KO's) at 2:11 of the third round. Marquez landed the harder and cleaner shots over the first two rounds, however, at the 1:21 mark of the 3rd, Ruiz; Las Mochis, Mexico rocked the champion with a sharp counter right hand to the chin. The punch staggered Marquez, Mexico City, DF, Mexico but he returned to landing long left jabs on Ruiz's chin. With 53-seconds to go in the round, Ruiz connected with a left hook to the body but in dropping his guard, Marquez countered with a picture perfect right uppercut to the challenger's chin. Ruiz collapsed face first to the canvas and he was out cold before he even crashed to the floor. Referee David Hess didn't bother to count but rather immediately waved off the fight and removed the challenger's mouthpiece.

Best Body Shot. It was a hard wicked shot to the 12th rib. The so-called floating rib, that is only attached to the spine and offers little to no protection for the liver. It was the weapon of choice for Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez. Middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins went "Old School" during his record setting 19th title defense and blasted out challenger Oscar De La Hoya with a scalding body shot in the ninth round.

A brutal left hook exploded off of De La Hoya's right flank and dropped him in his tracks. It was similar to using an anvil to collapse the air in box. The former multi-weight world champion crumbled to the canvas, dropping to his hands and knees before collapsing to the floor and rolling in agony halfway under the ropes. Referee Kenny Bayless started his count, but with De La Hoya writhing on the deck, the official waved off the title bout at the 1:38 mark of the 9th round. "I heard him go 'Woooooo.' I knew I knocked the wind out of him," Hopkins said following the stunning knockout.

Honorable mention best body shot. WBC junior welterweight champion Arturo "Thunder" Gatti nearly cut Leonard "The Lion" Dorin in half with a whip-like left hook to the body to score a stunning second round knockout and retain his title. Gatti leaned into the ripping blast that drilled Dorin, who paused for a moment as if he was paralyzed, before crumbling to the canvas on his knees. The blood drained from the challenger's face as referee Randy Neuman counted out the former WBA lightweight champion at 2:55 of the second round.

Best KO on an Undercard: Welterweight Kendall Holt (15-0, 11 KO's) destroyed Gilberto Reyes (8-2-1, 6 KO's) with a classic counter left hook to the chin at 2:23 of the first round. The talented Patterson, New Jersey native Holt caught Reyes with a devastating left hook that froze his opponent for a split second before he crashed face first to the floor. Reyes rolled over on his side and attempted to rise but he spun back face down into the canvas as referee Jorge Alonso reached the magic number-ten.

Honorable Mention. Undefeated welterweight Shamone "The Truth" Alvarez (9-0, 7 KO's) scored a devastating first round knockout over Uganda's Mohammed "Dark Destroyer" Kayongo (11-1-1, 8 KO's), in a scheduled eight-rounder. The southpaw from Atlantic City, New Jersey, Alvarez clipped Kayongo with a clean right hand to the head at the 1:47 mark of the opening stanza. With 49-seconds to go in the 1st, Alvarez drilled the African with a counter right hook to the chin that rocked Kayongo. Moments later, Alvarez nailed Kayongo with a sharp right jab followed by a straight left cross to the chin. Kayongo hit the canvas face first and he was unable to beat referee Ron Cunningham's ten-count. The Alvarez win went into the books as a knockout at 2:30 of the first round.

Honorable Mention. Thomas Davis (9-1-1, 5 KO's) derailed undefeated welterweight hopeful Kendall Holt (15-1, 11 KO's) by scoring a dramatic first round knockout over the shell-shocked prospect. Out of action for almost three years with a hand injury, Davis jolted Holt, Patterson, New Jersey early in the 1st, with a sharp left-right combination to the jaw. Holt returned fire and staggered Davis, Weatherford, Texas with a sizzling right cross square on the jaw. At the 1:50 mark of the 1st, despite giving up five-inches in height, Holt nailed Davis with another looping right hand to the face that rocked his opponent. The fight turned at the 1:04 mark of the 1st, when Davis tattooed Holt with a clean straight right hand flush on the jaw. The fighters fell into a clinch but Holt's eyes glazed over and he held on to the lanky Davis. With 29-seconds remaining in the opening round, Davis nailed the flat-footed Holt with a clean straight right hand down the middle. The shot rocketed off Holt's chin and he crashed to the canvas near the ropes. Holt managed to climb off the deck at the count of five but his legs were extremely wobbly, as he staggered awkwardly to his left after the mandatory 8-count. When the action resumed, Davis landed three more telling blows down the middle including another punishing right cross to the chin. Holt crumbled to the floor for the final time, as referee Tim Adams waved off the stunning knockout at 2:59 of the first round of the scheduled eight rounder.

Dropping Weight: Hungry fighters sometimes do the most damage and that was certainly the case with Kelvin "Concrete" Davis. Because of confusion with a contractual discrepancy in the cruiserweight division, Davis had to drop 8 ½ pounds, just 24-hours before challenging Ezra Sellers for the vacant IBF title. Davis managed to scale the Toledo's to make the 190-pound weight limit and then go out to score three knockdowns en route to recording an eighth round TKO over Mr. Sellers.

Trading With A Banger: Sometimes the shot you never see coming is the one that does the most damage. In the case of ex-IBF cruiserweight king Vassiliy Jirov it meant the end of the evening. Trailing on all three judges' scorecards former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer rallied to drop and stop Jirov in nine rounds to resurrect his slumbering title hopes. Despite suffering cuts sustained from head butts to his scalp and right eye, the former 190-pound titleholder Jirov controlled most of the action from the outset in the battle between the two southpaws. With a twenty-nine-pound weight advantage Moorer struggled at times to let his hands go, however, with 1:21 to go in the 9th, and fighting off the ropes the former heavyweight champion caught and rocked Jirov with three right hooks to the face. Both men traded leather in close quarters but seconds later, Moorer nailed Jirov with a stiff right jab followed by a chopping left cross flush on the jaw. Jirov tumbled to the canvas landing flat on his back before floundering to his feet at the count of five. Jirov beat the count but when he was finally upright he careened awkwardly backwards into the ropes. Referee Pat Russell wisely called a halt to the action at 2:08 of the ninth round. A quick look of the scorecards revealed judge Lou Filippo had the former cruiser king winning, 79-71, while Lou Moret had it 78-72, and Raul Caiz tallied 77-73 through the first eight rounds, all for Jirov. The ninth round, however, proved to be another story and Jirov paid the ultimate price of carrying his right hand low against a less than svelte ex-heavyweight champion who can still bang.

Biggest Upset: Boxing's version of the French Foreign Legion pulled off a huge upset and the angriest man in the desert suddenly became Sugar Shane Mosley's banker.

Working behind rapier-like right jabs and whistling left crosses, three-to-one underdog Ronald "Winky" Wright dominated Mosley over twelve rounds to score an impressive unanimous decision and unify the sport's 154-pound titles. Wright controlled the scoring from the outset and jolted Mosley numerous times with jackhammer left hands that rocketed off the WBA & WBC champion's skull. There were no knockdowns in the title fight and little drama when the verdict was finally announced to the 9,017 boxing fans at the Mandalay Bay. Judges Chuck Giampa and Dave Moretti both has Wright winning 117-111, while Paul Smith tallied 116-112, for the defending IBF super welterweight titleholder. The BT scorecard also had Wright on top 116-111, in a bout in which the southpaw neutralized Mosley's superior hand speed and repeatedly landed with hammering left hands.

Runner-Up: Often times a great boxer is the very last to know that his legs are gone, his will for the sport has eroded and his once razor-quick reflexes have been betrayed by time. The fatter the wallet the more difficult it becomes to pay the price to remain on top. The only thing that remains is bravado and on this night, that bluster and pretense was hammered into the pale blue canvas with a sickening thud. Heavy underdog and IBF light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson effectively ended the career of future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. with a devastating overhand right to the jaw and a left hook that landed high on his chest to score a ninth round knockout. Jones was unconscious before he crashed to the canvas and the back of his head slammed against the floor. Sadness swept over trainer Alton Merkerson's face like a man who had been trying to hold back the tide of time, as he scrambled through the ropes to help his fighter. Jones body became rigid as the synapses in brain short-circuited while referee Bill Clancy counted him out, at 48-seconds of the ninth round. Jones would remain on the canvas for close to four minutes, struggling to open his eyes and barley moving.

Moving up 2004 #1: Miguel Angel Cotto-Controlled fury is perhaps the best way to describe Puerto Rico's newest boxing sensation. Firing wicked combinations and scoring with heavy hands, Cotto was simply sensational in destroying Kelson Pinto in six rounds to capture the vacant WBO junior welterweight crown. Cotto was equally impressive in his first title defense to register a sixth round TKO over hard-hitting Randall Bailey.

Moving up 2004 #2: Juan Diaz-- Right up until the bell sounded for the first round it appeared as if the youngster was being force fed to a Mongolian lion. However, that all changed when the challenger Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz dazzled the WBA lightweight king Lavka Sim with blistering combinations and ripping body shots that would have short circuited most mortal men. The stoic world champion; whose real name is Lkhagva Dugarbaatar and actually hails from picturesque Ulan Bator, Mongolia, ended up on the business end of Diaz's ruthless attack for twelve searing rounds and it finally cost him his crown. Diaz captured the WBA lightweight title and the hearts of boxing fans with a commanding performance to hammer out a decisive unanimous decision on all three judges' scorecards.

Moving up 2004 #3: Kermit Cintron-- A little fear mixed with respect and crushing combinations hailed the arrival of boxing's newest welterweight sensation. Kermit "Killer" Cintron jumped the always dangerous Teddy "Two Gun" Reid at the opening bell and never eased off his attack in scoring a searing and memorable technical knockout. The transplanted Puerto Rican and former college wrestler dropped the veteran twice before the contest was eventually halted by referee Tim Adams at 56-second mark of the eighth round, after Cintron continued to hammer away at the defenseless Reid. With the victory, Cintron was awarded the WBO interim crown and also the NABF welterweight belt. The bout was a brawl from the outset and Reid lost two points on fouls for hitting on the break and also punching after the bell. Nevertheless, the emotional Cintron was able to keep his composure and continued to let his hands go in pounding out the very impressive victory.

Worst Decision of the Year--Muskegon, Michigan (L.C. Walker Arena)-- : It was a bad night for just about everyone in Michigan with the exception of Courtney Burton. The Michigan fighter benefited from questionable calls from the referee and a hometown decision to score a ten-round split decision over showboating journeyman Emanuel Augustus. Granted Augustus' theatrics, gyrations and Jorge Paez impersonations were at times difficult to appreciate. Nevertheless, he did clearly land the cleaner, harder punches far more often than his opponent did, however, when it was over it was Burton's hand that was raised. Judge Jack Richards scored it 94-98 for Augustus. But…and this is a big but, Judge Robert Paganeli tallied an amazing 99-90 for Burton, while Judge Ed Mosley had it 97-92, also for the local fighter. The BT scorecard had Augustus winning 97-92, with Burton only capturing the fifth and the ninth rounds. Factor in that referee Dan Kelley seemed out of his depth for most of the evening and you had the makings for a classic bad decision.

Worst decision Runner Up #1--Sault St. Marie, Michigan (Kewadin Casino)-- : Rico Hoye scored an unpopular 12 round split decision over former world champion Montell Griffin in an IBF title eliminator. Granted it was a lackluster encounter that was akin to watching a tactical lawn mowing match, but at least the officials owed it to the public to get it right. The Detroit native Hoye (18-0, 14 KO's) was largely ineffective over the twelve round distance and struggled to pull the trigger or simply let his hands go against his shorter opponent. The ex-WBC light heavyweight king Griffin (46-5, 30 KO's), seemingly out landed Hoye by an easy two-to-one margin with the naked eye. It definitely didn't help Griffin's cause that he calls Las Vegas, Nevada via Chicago, Illinois home. Perhaps it was some old White Sox's Tigers grudge that spilled over but once again there's another rank odor that is drifting out over Lake Michigan and following yet one more bad decision heading in all directions. Judge Gary Merritt scored the contest 115-113, for Griffin. However, both Dan Grable and Bill Paige tallied 116-112, for Hoye. That would mean that Hoye defeated Griffin eight rounds to four, in a fight in which he hardly fired and landed legitimate punches.

Worst Decision of the Year Runner-up #2--San Antonio, Texas (SBC Center)-- : Don't ask junior featherweight contender Jorge "Baby Face" Lacierva (26-5-5, 18 KO's) about Texas justice in the near future unless you are prepared to withstand a torrent of curses. The Mexican Lacierva dominated local Texas boxer Armando Guerrero (20-3-6, 11 KO's) over the distance with precision shots and whistling combinations but had to settle for a ten-round majority draw. Judge Roy Ovalle scored the bout 96-94 for Guerrero, while Anthony Townsend tallied 95-95 a draw. Judge Joel Elizondo apparently was the only gentleman paying attention and he gave the nod to Lacierva 97-93. The BT scorecard had Lacierva winning easily 98-92. Hanging Judge Roy Bean was unable to be reached for comment because he was probably busy spinning in his grave.

Worst Decision of the Year Runner-up #3--Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis Convention Center)-- : Fighting in a state renowned for beautiful blondes, hockey mania, and no boxing commission, undefeated local hero Matt "The Predator" Vanda kept his dubious and questionable record intact by scoring a 10-round split decision over hard luck junior middleweight Sam Garr. The durable Garr was the busier fighter and repeatedly landed the cleaner and harder shots in a highly spirited bout, nevertheless, two out of the three officials saw otherwise. Judge Vern Sweeney had it 97-95 for Garr, but Butch Anderson tallied 97-95 and Jack Hayden had it an amazing 97-93, both for Vanda. The BT scorecard had Garr the easy and clear winner 99-91, nine rounds to one, in a fight that wasn't difficult to score.

Worst of the Worst: Junior welterweight Nick Casal (2-0, 2 KO's) needed to just forty-four-seconds to drop Tim Crane (4-14, 4 KO's) three times and score a victory. A product of the dubious Midwest circuit, Crane may well be the worst looking boxer that this publication has seen in 13 years. Adorned with homemade tattoos, a soft body and a paper-thin chin, Crane has now lost seven straight fights from knockouts. He hit the deck when touched with the first punch from Casal at the ten-second mark, then crumbled to the floor again in the very next exchange without being hit. Seconds later, Dr. Crane kissed the canvas for the final time from a phantom left hook to the chops. If a cartoon could be disgraceful…this was it.

Heavy Hands: Undefeated La Habra, California super middleweight Librado Andrade.

Longest Time Between World Titles: Set against the backdrop of the Missouri Southern State University campus, veteran banger Verno Phillips captured the IBF junior middleweight championship that was vacated by Winky Wright, and recorded a sixth round technical knockout over Carlos Bojorquez. The thirty-four-year-old Phillips was initially set to battle Kassim Ouma but when he was injured in training; Bojórquez filled the bill as a late replacement. The former WBO junior middleweight champion in the mid 1990's, Phillips made the most of his opportunity by jumping on Bojorquez early and eventually hammering him into submission with a punishing attack to the head and body. Faster hands proved to be the difference throughout the fight and late in the sixth round Phillips began teeing off against Bojorquez, rocking him with a digging left hook to the belly. Just before the bell, Phillips dropped Bojorquez with another riveting left hook to the body followed by a searing right hand to the side of the face. Bojorquez crumbled to the canvas but was able to rise at the count of six. However, when he returned to his corner, he signaled that he had enough and his trainer Willie Silva waved off the fight. The victory for Phillips marked his first world title in more than nine years and went into the books as a sixth round TKO.

Biggest Disappointment: Wladimir Klitschko is a robotic four-round heavyweight with no stamina and a bad chin. What could go wrong? Despite taking a fearful pounding for the first four rounds and getting dumped once, Los Angeles heavyweight Lamon Brewster rallied to upset Klitschko with two whip-like left hooks to the jaw and ultimately drop and stop the former Olympic star at the end of the fifth. Brewster drove Klitschko into the ropes with two hammering hooks and referee Robert Byrd issued a standing 8-count to the Ukrainian heavyweight. Just before the bell, Brewster clipped his opponent with another volley of shots and Klitschko dropped face first to the canvas the victim as much to exhaustion as to leather. Byrd struggled to help the 246-pound Ph.D. off the deck and to his corner, as the European leviathan struggled to regain his senses and his balance. After looking into fallen heavyweight's eyes, the veteran official wisely waved off the remainder of the scheduled 12-round encounter. Klitschko's tank was empty, his hopes and dreams dashed and Brewster was the new WBO heavyweight champ.

Even Steven Draw Time: Standoff, stalemate, or dead heat. Take your pick, because all three describe what occurs when middleweights Daniel "The Haitian Sensation" Edouard and Dorian "Quiet Storm" Beaupierre face off against each other. Perhaps it is time for Edouard and Beaupierre to move on to other opponents. If they don't, well, their careers seemed to have become stuck in neutral. They fought two hard fought ten-round draws with each other in just 42 days.

Heavyweight Brawl of the Year--Los Angeles, California (Staples Center)--: In terms of boxing strategy or tactics it wasn't Ali versus Frazier. Hell, it wasn't even Frazier squaring off with George "Scrap Iron" Johnson. Rather, it was two guys in the parking lot exchanging haymaker head shots until someone had the common sense to ultimately stop it. If referee Jon Schorle hadn't finally called a halt to the carnage, you half expected to see six squad cars from LAPD's Ramparts Division show up and throw both guys in jail. They could have held this fight in an alley. With blood streaming from Corrie Sanders' face and his left eye a grisly wound, the South African's took four more hammering shots to the head, as he stood motionless pinned against the ropes before Schorle halted the butchery at 2:46 mark of the eighth round. When it was over, Vitali Klitschko had captured the vacant WBC version of the heavyweight championship by shaving Sanders' IQ and reducing him to a gory pulp before 17, 320 paying customers in the City of Angels.

Best Small Arena Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California: The old Olympic at 18th and Grand in LA has seemingly been around forever and it still is a great place to see boxing. It was also a perfect evening on March 25th, when a night that had started out with title dreams rapidly turned sour, as Israel "Magnifico" Vazquez dominated and then captured the vacant IBF super bantamweight title by scoring twelfth round TKO over southpaw Jose Luis Valbuena. Early in the 12th, a thundering right cross followed by a whip-like left hook to the jaw put the battered Valbuena on the deck for only the second time in his ten-year pro career. Seconds later, Vazquez ripped into Valbuena with two more searing right hands to the mouth that sent the Mexican super bantamweight reeling into the ropes. Veteran referee Dr. James Jen Kin managed to pull the hammering Vazquez off the defenseless Valbuena and save him from any further punishment at 34-seconds of the final round of the IBF title contest.

Bloodiest Fight of the Year: After twelve tough rounds both guys ended up looked like ground chuck but that's to be expected anytime the fighter nicknamed "Thunder" climbs through the ropes. Arturo Gatti captured the vacant WBC super lightweight championship by hammering out a hard fought unanimous decision over Italy's durable Gianluca Branco. Making his first ring appearance since his victory over Mikey Ward in June 2003, Gatti continued to land the harder and cleaner shots throughout the fight, including a tenth round knockdown over Branco that helped seal the win. At the conclusion of the bout Gatti's left eye was almost totally closed and Branco's profile looked like he had been hit with a waffle iron; his right eye was bleeding and there were several large ugly knots over his left eye. Neither man was ready for modeling assignments or an appearance in GQ.

Honorable mention Bloody Fight of the Year: Stepping up in weight following a disappointing loss to 154-pound champion Winky Wright, bloody Angel Hernandez lost a eight round technical decision to ranked middleweight contender Raymond "Hallelujah" Joval, in a scheduled ten-rounder. Hernandez suffered numerous cuts around his both eyes from head butts and sharp right hands before veteran referee Bobby Ferrera eventually halted the carnage. Making his first appearance in an American ring in eight years, Joval from Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, reduced both of Hernandez's eyes to gory slits. Joval sported a dyed blonde hair braid around the circumference of his shaved skull and when the fighters traded shots on the inside, his head continuously came in contact with Hernandez's damaged eyes. The crown was reminiscent out of something from the motion picture "Shaka Zula" and it was surprise that the Arizona fight officials let Joval wear his hair in such an unusual and dangerous manner. Judge Joe Garcia scored the bout 77-75 for Hernandez, however, he was overruled by Gerald Paultz and Brish Wilson, who both had Joval the victor, 77-74.

Knocked Silly: Confusion and two stunning left hooks to the jaw made for a quick night in Sin City East. Boxing's version of the Renaissance man; accomplished musician and jazz trumpeter Tokunbo Olajide captured the USBA junior middleweight belt by scoring a second round knockout over Larry Marks. The hard-hitting Olajide dropped Marks with two clean left hooks to the head in the second round. Marks was able to beat the count, however, still somewhat dazed and apparently confused the veteran boxer took a knee at the eight-count and was promptly counted out by referee Tony Orlando.

Most Tattoos: Minnesota middleweight Matt Varda is boxing's newest version of the Illustrated Man, replacing Johnny Tapia.

Mike Tyson's last loss--July 30, 2004, Louisville, Kentucky (Freedom Hall): The train wreck that was "Iron" Mike Tyson's career has been derailed for the final time. The guy with the blasting caps in both hands was an unheralded 13-to1 English underdog named Danny Williams, who detonated any plans of a comeback for the former heavyweight champion by scoring a brutal fourth round knockout. After winning the first three rounds, Tyson caught an unanswered volley of more than a dozen brutal headshots from the bigger and heavier Williams late in the fourth. The final punch was a thundering right hand to the face that Tyson caught with his glove but nonetheless drove the ex-champion backwards, as he jackknifed off the ropes and collapsed to the canvas. With blood trickling down his right eye, Tyson sat motionless on the floor with his right arm draped over the third strand. It appeared as if the thirty-eight-year-old former legendary champion could have possibly beaten the count, but as he staggered to his feet referee Dennis Alfred counted him out at 2:51 of the fourth round. The only people more stunned by Tyson's knockout were the army of bankruptcy attorneys, judges, advisers, promoters and fans who had naively hoped that the youngest man ever to win the heavyweight crown was taking the first step in resurrecting his turbulent career.

That scenario called for the Williams' fight to be the first in a series of three contests that would help propel Tyson to another title shot and make him financially solvent after burning through $300 million dollars in nineteen years.

Best Late Substitute: San Diego junior middleweight Eddie Sanchez got the call and he answered with both hands. Working on just seven hours short notice; Sanchez filled in for Joachim Alcine, who had failed his pre-fight physical and the San Diego banger proceeded to outhustle and outpoint top ten contender J.C. Candelo, over the 12-round distance to score a unanimous decision.

Trainer of the Year Dan Birmingham: The little known Mr. Birmingham was the key architect in Winky Wright's two impressive victories over future Hall of Famer Shane Mosley in 2004. Birmingham also played an instrumental role in training Jeff Lacy to a world title. With Birmingham in his corner, Lacy went on to score an 8th round TKO over Syd Vanderpool to win the vacant IBF super middleweight title, and a 12-round unanimous decision over Omar Sheika in his first title defense.

Best Comeback Rally: NABF titleholder Scott "The Sandman" Pemberton was forced to climb off the canvas before scoring a brutal and thrilling 10th round TKO over Omar Sheika, in a super middleweight war. The fight was a rematch of Pemberton's grueling and controversial twelve round split decision win over Sheika. However, this time around more leather landed, as both men exchanged wicked blasts throughout the contest.

Sheika floored Pemberton midway through the second round with a whip-like right hand to the chin followed by a searing left hook to the jaw. Pemberton hit the deck hard on the seat of trucks but managed to beat the count and survive the round. Both men continued to unload jackhammer shots but it was Sheika's heavy artillery that proved to be the difference and in the sixth round. Sheika scored with a laser-like volley of unanswered blows to the head would have driven Pemberton into the first row, but he was saved by the ropes and given a standing eight-count by referee Gary Rosato. The thirty-seven year-old Pemberton managed to will himself back into the fight with precision punches, while Sheika repeatedly fired wide sweeping shots and eventually began to tire. Pemberton rocked Sheika, a number of times during the ninth round with galvanizing straight right crosses that almost leveled the banger from Patterson, New Jersey. Sheika managed to answer the bell to open the 10th, but early in the round, Pemberton caught him with a half dozen searing shots to the face that drove him half way across the ring and to the canvas. Sheika struggled to his feet on unsteady legs and almost immediately Pemberton clocked him with another scorching right hand to the jaw. Moments later, Pemberton drilled Sheika with two more rights to the face and he careened backwards across the ring. The referee Rosato had finally seen enough mayhem and he wisely stopped the contest with Sheika effectively out on his feet and propped up against the ropes. The New England hero Pemberton was carried aloft on the shoulders of his cornermen, as the Connecticut fight fans celebrated the Massachusetts' boxer's sudden and dramatic victory. The official time of the TKO went into the record books at 1:43 of the 10th, of the scheduled twelve rounder.

Best Comeback Rally Runner-up: With blood pouring from his right eye and his head the size of a pumpkin, southpaw lightweight Ebo "The X-treme Machine" Elder staged one of the dramatic victories of 2004 by scoring a twelfth round TKO over Courtney Burton. The defending NABO lightweight titleholder Elder appeared as if he was in danger of being stopped on cuts late in the bout, however, he rallied to drop Burton twice in the final frame with savage straight left hands to the face. Following the first knockdown Burton appeared almost out on his feet from sheer exhaustion, nevertheless, the Michigan lightweight was ready to continue following a mandatory eight-count. Seconds later, Elder drove Burton back into the ropes with a volley of shots including a jackhammer straight left hand square on the chin. Defenseless while pinned in a sitting position on the second strand, Burton caught one more wicked shot to the head before tumbling to his side beneath the ropes. Referee Jerry Cantu immediately waved off the bout at the 2:10 mark of the final round. Bleeding badly from his face, Burton remained on the canvas for several frightening moments before he was helped to his stool and the sanctuary of his corner. With both of his eyes swollen shut, Elder celebrated the stunning and brutal victory in prayer for both himself and his vanquished opponent.

Best Comeback Rally Honorable Mention: Behind on all three judges' scorecards after suffering three knockdowns, super middleweight Christian Cruz (10-1, 7 KO's) flattened previously undefeated Enrique Ornelas (19-1, 13 KO's) to register a stunning ninth round knockout. After slipping to the canvas following a wild off-target right hand late in the fourth round, Cruz was charged with his first knockdown. However, with 1:50 to go in the 6th, Ornelas, La Habra, California jolted Cruz with two solid left hooks to the jaw and another hook to the midsection. Cruz's back leg went out from underneath him, as he retreated and he hit the deck on one knee for an eight-count. Cruz finished out the round bleeding from the nose and with referee Raul Caiz Jr. paying a visit to the Sacramento boxer's corner to check on his condition. Ornelas continued to unload heavy artillery and with 42-seconds remaining in the 7th, he drilled Cruz with a whistling counter right hand flush on the jaw. The blast dropped Cruz in his tracks and he dejectedly sat on the floor with his hands on his knees taking yet another mandatory eight-count from the referee. Ornelas, seemed well on his way to another victory; however, with 1:16 to go in the ninth round, Cruz caught his opponent with a perfect counter right hand square on the chin. The shot leveled Ornelas, who crumbled to the canvas and ended up in a sitting position on the floor. Ornelas struggled to his feet at the count of five but he still seemed shaken following the sudden knockdown. With 27-seconds remaining in the 9th, Cruz blasted Ornelas with another hammering right hand to the head. Ornelas' legs wobbled and he dropped his gloves but he managed to remain upright. However, Cruz nailed him again with yet another rocketing right hand flush on the jaw that drove Ornelas back into the corner. Referee Caiz Jr. wasted no time and immediately called a halt to the fight, at 2:30 of the 9th round despite Ornelas' protests.

Best Brawl: In a fight that featured so many head butts it looked like a NFL game, Puerto Rico's Daniel Santos retained his WBO junior middleweight belt by recording a ninth round split decision over Antonio "El 7 Mares" Margarito. After numerous accidental and seemingly intentional skull-cracking moves by both fighters, Margarito's right eyebrow had almost disappeared in a deep bloody half-crescent slash. The fight was halted after Margarito answered the bell to open the tenth round and the ringside doctor determined that the challenger could no longer continue. The verdict went to the judges with Samuel Conde scoring it 86-85 and Rocky Young 87-84, both for Santos. Judge John Stewart, however, gave the edge to Margarito 86-85. The BT scorecard also had Margarito winning 5 rounds to four, 86-85, in a bout in which he seemingly landed the harder and cleaner shots but eventually ended up losing. The savage nature of the gash left the doctor and the referee with little choice and the bout was called off in the opening seconds of the round. The verdict went to the scorecards and Santos managed to hold on to his WBO belt. Margarito had won the battle but had lost the war.

Best Job by a Spoiler: Journeyman Emanuel Augustus is to boxing what extended fresh air is to you T-bone. In short, he is a spoiler. Austugus' twelve round unanimous decision over Alex Trujillo bordered on an extended con by one of boxing best grifters. With little more than a .500 record, Augustus repeatedly outhustled, outboxed, faked, feinted and beat the ninth-ranked lightweight Trujillo to the punch over the entire distance. When it was all said and done, Augustus did just about everything to Trujillo except put a whoppy cushion on his stool and pull down his trunks. The "House of Mirrors" act started in the first round didn't stop until Augustus' hand was raised in victory. Augustus pulled off the win on all three judges' scorecards, 119-108, 118-109 and 117-110. As for the talented Trujillo's performance, well, what do you say to a guy who just got his pocket picked in front of thousands of witnesses?

Worst Beating of the Year: At times it was like watching a huge catapult flatten a stone wall. It wasn't particularly artistic or appealing just very effective. WBC heavyweight champion Vitali "Dr. Iron Fist" Klitschko successfully defended his crown by dropping courageous challenger Danny Williams four times before referee Jay Nady eventually waved off the one-sided action at 1:26 of the eighth round. The six-foot-seven-inch heavyweight champion Klitschko cut Williams' right eye in the first round and that bloody wound would plague the British challenger for the remainder of the fight. Williams struggled to see Klitschko's long robotic shots and he was driven into the deck in the first, third and seventh rounds prior to the final knockdown. Midway through the 8th, Klitschko caught the challenger with a wicked four-shot volley including a double right uppercut and a searing right cross to the chin. Williams crashed to the canvas flat on his back coming to rest partially underneath the ropes on the ring apron. The bloody Williams valiantly struggled to his feet at the count of nine but the veteran referee Nady had seen more than enough and he called a halt to the carnage.

Biggest Stinker of the Year: John Ruiz is to heavyweight boxing what ptomaine poisoning is to a family picnic. Put him in the ring with the equally lackluster Fres Oquendo and there will be a long line of volunteers to sample Aunt Tilly's warm decaying potato salad. The uninspired duo grappled, wrestled, waltzed, hugged, and headlock their way through ten poisonous rounds before Ruiz finally scored a eleventh round TKO over the upright but equally unimpressive Mr. Oquendo.

Getting the Thumb: It was a night in which the "Quiet Man" hit the deck twice and his manager/trainer got chased. Nevertheless, John Ruiz retained his WBA version of the heavyweight title by scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over former Polish thumb breaker Andrew Golata. Set against the backdrop of four ugly heavyweight bouts in Madison Square Garden, in which the only truly impressive performance was by referee Randy Neuman, well, it was business as usual in the moribund division. Over the course of the evening the ringside microphones also picked up Ruiz's trainer Norman Stone's profanity laced tirade directed at the veteran referee. Stone's language was so incendiary it would have gotten him kicked out of any Major League Baseball game after ten-seconds. Mr. Stone exited cursing and swearing when Neuman finally had him removed from the corner during the eighth round. Like a baseball manager, the impassioned Stone watched the rest of the fight in his boxer's dressing room on a close circuit television.

Referee of the Year: Randy Neuman, enough said.

Broken Hearts: There is nothing sadder for a true sports fan than to see his hero's skills erode before his very eyes. It can happen in one night, in one game or one searing moment. In the case of the forty-two-year-old former four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield it has been a long slow dance on the killing floor. More than four years removed from his last significant victory over John Ruiz, for the vacant WBA heavyweight title and eight years since his stunning eleventh round TKO over Mike Tyson, Holyfield the magnificent and legendary champion is but a distant memory. What remains is a boxer that can only fight one minute of each three minute round. Simply put, he is a fighter who can't let his hands go. And when he does see an opening where to strike he simply can't pull the trigger. The heart is still willing and that extraordinary body that allowed Holyfield to capture headlines for fifteen plus years is still there but his reflexes are shot. He is a bow without an arrow.

Quote of the Year: "I'll fight any man in the world," Glen Johnson said after knocking out Roy Jones Jr. "I'm not the best. I'm just the guy willing to fight the best."

Gone but not forgotten: Ralph Citro, 78, former boxing record keeper and cutman, Tybius Flowers, 34, former welterweight boxer, (homicide), Carlos Meza, 26, Colombian boxer (skull fractures and fluid on the brain after being knocked out in the ring), Jack Ryan, 23, former lightweight boxer, (injuries sustained in boxing match), Luis Villalta, 35, Peruvian lightweight boxer, (injury sustained from boxing match), Jimmy McLarnin, 96, former legendary Hall of Fame welterweight champion, Al Gavin, 70, legendary cutman and Scott "Pink Cat" Walker, 34, former welterweight.