2008 End of Year Boxing Awards: Welcome to the Scrappys! (Round One)

Posted by Ryan Bates on 12.30.2008

Who were the best and worst in boxing in 2008? 411mania.com and "3 More Rounds" hands out the first round of SCRAPPY awards to the big winners (and big losers!).



Boxing has always been a sport that defies all odds, and 2008 was no exception. Amidst a tanking economy and the MMA "Tapout-heads" insisting that boxing is dying or whatever (your heavyweight champion still only has four fights!), boxing pulled out the best of the best this year, and recognized they shall be, with the highly-coveted 411mania End-Of-Year boxing awards.

That's right, break out your bow tie and your black boxing trunks; it's time for the 2008 SCRAPPYS!

There are several categories which we need to address over the next two days, so let's not waste any time, and we'll start off with our specialty categories.

In the category of "Biggest Beatdown of the Year" the nominees are: Bernard Hopkins (on Kelly Pavlik), Manny Pacquiao (on David Diaz), and Manny Pacquiao (on Oscar De La Hoya).

And the "Rocky Balboa Award" goes to… MANNY PACQUIAO (ON DAVID DIAZ).



It's pretty serious when you're nominated for this award twice for two separate performances. But it's even more serious when you beat a naturally bigger, taller welterweight from red to blue corner for eight solid rounds, and you can still say, "Well, you think THAT'S bad…" From opening bell to the final wave off, David Diaz was solely and completely at the mercy of Manny Pacquiao's speed. It seemed as if Diaz had leather magnets installed; everything Manny threw hit the mark and hit it flush. I'd love to say Manny had a minor rally, but he never seemed to. It was an open and shut case for Pacquiao all the way, and Diaz looked like he had been run over repeatedly by the world's smallest Mack truck.

At least Diaz showed up to his post-fight press conference.

In the category of "Best Ring Entrance of the Year" the nominees are: Nonito Donaire Jr. and Ricky Hatton.

And the "Naseem Hamed Award" goes to… RICKY HATTON.



Filipino rappers are pretty rare, but come on… can you beat the fat suit?

In the category of "Worst Fighter of the Year" the nominees are: Ty Fields and Sergio Medina.

And the "Thanks, But No Thanks Award" goes to… SERGIO MEDINA.



Ty Fields sucks… so hard. So very very hard. He got got by Monte Barrett. MONTE FRIGGIN' BARRETT. First round KO. That's pretty damn sad.

But at least he didn't throw the fight.

It is marginally possible that we may see Ty Fields again. Not likely, but possible. Sergio Medina needs to stay out of the ring. He needs to stay out of the gym. Frankly he needs to stay out of society. He should hide in a cave somewhere in Argentina with a mountain goat named Lurlene. That's about all the love he'll get from anyone from now on.

In the category of "Worst Pay-Per-View of the Year" the nominees are: "Battle of the Super Powers" – Calzaghe/ Jones and "The Dream Match" – De La Hoya/Pacquiao.

And the "I Want My Money Back Award" goes to… "THE DREAM MATCH."



There's no doubt that both cards were stinkers. The only interesting fight on the Jones card was Figueroa/Augustus, because Augustus decided not to suck as he usually does. I don't even remember the main undercard to that fight. Was it the Zab borefest? Who said he could be main undercard after quitting against Clottey?

While "The Dream Match" on paper looked great, with Juan Manuel Lopez, Victor Ortiz, Danny Jacobs, and those other two guys at the top, it all turned out to one- and two-round blow-outs. HBO was so unprepared for this, that the first 40-minute gap was filled with an introspective on the fight, and the second gap was filled by possibly the most boring fight on the dark undercard. Nobody wanted to see Rojas. Danny Garcia's fight went the distance, and was more exciting than Rojas, show that! Even Roberto Marroquin had a more exciting fight.
Combine that with a $55 bill, and easily we should be demanding at least 75% of our money back.

In the category of "2008's Most Flagrant Display of Quitting" the nominees are: Oscar De La Hoya, Andrew Golota, and Zab Judah.

And the "No Mas Award" goes to… OSCAR DE LA HOYA.



Golota talks big like he's still a viable contender, than quits after the first round against Ray Austin. RAY FRIGGIN' AUSTIN.

But wait – muscle tears and injuries were so painful he couldn't continue. OK, you nutty nutjob, maybe you get a pass this time.

Zab Judah still tries to be gangsta, trying to be all iced out for his press conferences, talking big trash, and then Joshua Clottey puts the stomp on him and makes him stop in round nine.

But wait – that is a pretty nasty cut Clottey landed with a right, and he's granted Judah a potential rematch. OK, you goonie bird, maybe you get a pass this time.

Oscar De La Hoya continued to tell how great he was, how he would avenge the fallen Mexican fighters (by beating up on the naturally tinier Filipino), and how he was a true Mexican boxer and would not be satisfied without a knockout, then gets beat down corner to corner and quits on his stool after the eighth round.

But wait – oh… no… there's no excuse. His face was swollen, but he's not the first boxer to have that. Um… yeah, no, he just quit. And didn't show up to the post-fight press conference.

Hail the mighty Mexican warrior, indeed.

In the category of "2008 Fighter Most in Need of Retirement" the nominees are: Oscar De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, and Roy Jones Jr.

And the "Stick a Fork in Him, He's Done Award" goes to… OSCAR DE LA HOYA.



He's done, and he doesn't admit failure. He's not the "Golden Boy" anymore.

The sad thing is that he'll come back. He shouldn't but someone will convince him to do it again.

In the category of "Most Poorly Promoted Fighter of the Year" the nominees are: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andre Ward.

And the "Step It Up, Soldier Award" goes to… ANDRE WARD.



While Lil' Junior does need to step it up, and soon, he's not poorly promoted. In fact, his promotion is genius because there are still people out there that think that Junior can be a champion like his father. Poor deluded souls. For Junior to be a champion like his father, he would need talent like his father.

Andre Ward has talent. Hell, the kid has a gold medal from the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. He's got talent in spades.

WHERE IS HE? Why are we not seeing this kid on TV? Why are we not seeing him go after some straps, or at least some decent names? Ward is 17-0. A good record for someone who's been pro a few years. Not for someone who's been pro since December of 2004! His biggest name on his record is Jerson Ravelo, who he TKO'd in eight for the NABO super middleweight strap he has now. His most recent fight was on December 13th. Why didn't anyone know the NABO super middleweight champion was fighting? The last time I argued this point was a few years ago, and I made my case that Francisco Bojado was the biggest waste of talent in boxing. I may have to change that stance if Ward's people don't step it up soon.

In the category of "Worst Referee of the Year" the nominees are: Joe Cortez and James Jen-Kin.

And the "Pink Slip Award" goes to… JOE CORTEZ.



God, where do I begin? Soto/Lorenzo comes to mind right away. How about Calzaghe/Hopkins? The list goes on and on and on. But really, who lets a fighter spurt blood while they themselves dab their fat little foreheads on a clean white towel in the corner? "Fair but Firm" my ass.

In the category of "Worst Decision of the Year" the nominees are: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr./Matt Vanda I, Kendall Holt/Demetrius Hopkins, and Humberto Soto/Francisco Lorenzo I.

And the "WTF? Award" goes to… oh… well, we have an overwhelming write-in winner! The "WTF? Award" for worst decision goes to OSCAR DE LA HOYA, IN HIS DECISION TO FIGHT MANNY PACQUIAO.



File this one under "B" for "Backfire."

In the category of "Most Deplorable Moment in Boxing in 2008" the nominees are: Sergio Medina throwing his fight against Juan Manuel Lopez, Sergio Medina lying about death threats forcing him to throw the fight against Juan Manuel Lopez, Floyd Mayweather vs. The Big Show, or Arthur Abraham's brother kicking Edison Miranda in the ring after he was knocked out.

And the "Milana Dravnel Award" goes to… SERGIO MEDINA LYING ABOUT DEATH THREATS FORCING HIM TO THROW THE FIGHT AGAINST JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ.



It's pretty sad when you get caught throwing a fight, which is clearly what Sergio Medina did. There were times where he fell without even being hit. So how do you make the most despicable thing in boxing even slimier?

You tell the Argentinean press that you received death threats, possibly from your opponent's camp, that if you didn't throw the fight, they'd kill you!

Because it's not like people can't go back and fact-check these things, contact Lopez's camp, contact other people, the police, etc. You're so trustworthy now; we just have to believe this too, right?

Again, cave in Argentina, mountain goat named Lurlene. Go. Now.

Freshen up your outfits... tomorrow the real meaty Scrappys go out, including Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year!