zatoicchi
27.12.08, 21:32
If it’s judged by the quality of its matches, boxing had a great year in 2008. There are easily a dozen fights that deserve serious consideration for recognition as Yahoo! Sports’ Fight of the Year.
Choosing the top match out of all the great fights that were held in 2008 is no easy matter.
To make my choice, I considered quality of the fighters involved, quantity of sustained action, drama and significance. When it comes to evenly matched candidates, the one in which the fighters are of a higher quality will get the nod, since it’s more difficult to perform against a better caliber opponent.
With that, here is the Elite Eight, my choices as the eight best bouts in 2008:
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8. Rogers Mtagwa vs. Tomas Villa
Date: Nov. 7
Site: Casino del Sol, Tucson, Ariz.
Significance: The bout was the main event of the card on the night that the announcement was made that Telefutura was canceling the “Solo Boxeo” series.
Outcome: Mtagwa won by technical knockout at 1:20 of the 10th round.
The fight: It was a brawl from beginning to end as the featherweights went at it hard. Villa, who was on a 12-fight winning streak, seemed to take control of the fight when he knocked Mtagwa down near the end of the ninth round. Mtagwa barely had enough steam to return to his corner. When the fight resumed in the 10th, Villa raced at him, but Mtagwa fired back and decked him. It was the first of three dramatic knockdowns in the final round that forced referee Rocky Burke to stop the fight and give the win to Mtagwa.
Elite eight bouts (http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AsBCuwCeI9FWZqicRZJNaR6UxLYF?slug=ki-topfights122208&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)
Choosing the top match out of all the great fights that were held in 2008 is no easy matter.
To make my choice, I considered quality of the fighters involved, quantity of sustained action, drama and significance. When it comes to evenly matched candidates, the one in which the fighters are of a higher quality will get the nod, since it’s more difficult to perform against a better caliber opponent.
With that, here is the Elite Eight, my choices as the eight best bouts in 2008:
ADVERTISEMENT
8. Rogers Mtagwa vs. Tomas Villa
Date: Nov. 7
Site: Casino del Sol, Tucson, Ariz.
Significance: The bout was the main event of the card on the night that the announcement was made that Telefutura was canceling the “Solo Boxeo” series.
Outcome: Mtagwa won by technical knockout at 1:20 of the 10th round.
The fight: It was a brawl from beginning to end as the featherweights went at it hard. Villa, who was on a 12-fight winning streak, seemed to take control of the fight when he knocked Mtagwa down near the end of the ninth round. Mtagwa barely had enough steam to return to his corner. When the fight resumed in the 10th, Villa raced at him, but Mtagwa fired back and decked him. It was the first of three dramatic knockdowns in the final round that forced referee Rocky Burke to stop the fight and give the win to Mtagwa.
Elite eight bouts (http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AsBCuwCeI9FWZqicRZJNaR6UxLYF?slug=ki-topfights122208&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)