Bad Left Hook Boxing Awards: 2009 Prospect of the Year
by Scott Christ on Dec 27, 2009 2:54 AM EST
in Boxing Commentary & Opinion
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Boxing prospects are a tricky fig. Some pan out, many do not, and some hit the wall gloriously, flaming out massively before it ever really gets to click. Many even flame out and then rebound, having the strong careers expected of them.
Some of the recent top prospects in boxing have already had their troubles. Joel Julio caved when faced with top opposition, though he remains a bankable fighter in terms of excitement. Amir Khan was iced in 54 seconds by Breidis Prescott, and already has turned his career around enough to become a solid titlist at 140 pounds, looking for a U.S. breakthrough in 2010. My pick for Prospect of the Year is a guy I just can't see failing. He's as can't-miss as they come.
2009 Bad Left Hook Prospect of the Year: Guillermo Rigondeaux
It almost feels unfair to call Rigondeaux a prospect. He's that talented, that accomplished, and that flat-out good. Take a look at his amateur achievements:
- Seven-time Cuban national champion (2000-06)
- 2001 World Amateur Champion
- 2002 World Cup Champion
- 2003 Gold Medalist - Pan-Am Games
- 2005 World Amateur Champion
- 2005 Gold Medalist - World Cup
- 2006 Gold Medalist - Central American Games
- 2006 Gold Medalist - Nations Cup
Saying he dominated as an amateur is an understatement. On May 22 of this year, Rigondeaux finally turned pro, and after some contract disputes about managerial rights, it looks like he's set for the time being. Rigondeaux won four fights this year, three by stoppage, and at 29, is already being slated as a world title challenger in 2010. There's recently been talk of him facing Celestino Caballero, a huge task for anyone, especially a fighter with just four pro bouts.
But if anyone can take a title this early, Rigondeaux can. Sure he'll fight at least a few more times before challenging for a major belt, but keep in mind it took fellow Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa just 14 fights before he challenged for a major title, and Gamboa (good as he was) was no Rigondeaux as an amateur boxer.
Knock on wood and all that, but Rigondeaux is as real as the deal comes.
Honorable Mentions
I have not abandoned my love for Maryland's Fernando Guerrero. Guerrero is one of those guys whose pure athleticism astounds me. He's still pretty raw all things considered, and has a lot to learn yet, but he's made good strides in 2009, getting a couple of hard-earned wins over strong trial horses Gabriel Rosado and Ossie Duran.
Welterweight Mike Jones will finally get a chance to show his stuff on TV on February 27. Reportedly, he'll face Henry Bruseles (fingers crossed). The Philly prospect is the most unfortunately ignored of all the top prospects in boxing.
Here's hoping that the failure to make weight (115) in November was just a blip for the ultra talented Filipino Marvin Sonsona. He'll be moving straight up to 122 pounds next year. He's already a legit contender at all of 19 years old, having won a title in a tremendous fight with Jose "Carita" Lopez in September.
Cuban Erislandy Lara is making fast strides, and has been very impressive in his several TV opportunities. Middleweight Matt Korobov is quietly among the best prospects in the sport, too. He gets his hype, but not quite on the level of some others. I think he's a better prospect than Daniel Jacobs, who is no slouch himself.
Who are some of your favorites?
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He is my favorit also along with Korobov
Middleweight might be interesting before to much longer with some of the new talent on the way up.
I like him more as well. Rigondeaux knows he is better than anyone he will face and just paces himself accordingly. We will not see how great he is until he gets tested by a champ. Lara on the other hand lets his hands go… and that is always fun.
"Boxing is dirty," said Casamayor. " The day I’m not ready to be a dirty fighter is the day I don’t fight anymore because it will mean that I have no heart for it anymore."
Title Schmytle
It’s a fact that Gamboa won the WBA title in his 14th fight(actually only the interim,the full title was in his 15th fight) but come on,he was pretty much handed the belt by being put in with a guy like Whyber Garcia.Did anyone really think Garcia had even a puncher’s chance?No way.It’s not like Gamboa ripped the lineal title off of Chris John or whichever respected fighter holds that distinction.I know SC is just writing the facts but it should have an asterisk beside it saying it was for a BS belt:).I like Gamboa and rate him highly but i can’t say the same for these alphabet crooks and their interim title nonsense.
My Prospects.
I concur with all the guys mentioned by SC,especially Rigondeaux and Korobov.I havent seen Guerrero or Mike Jones yet but have read good things about them.
How’s Abner Mares doing now?I heard he was one of the top prospects a year or so ago.It will be interesting to see how Shawn Porter progresses in 2010 also.
I’m from the UK and a couple of guys i rate highly over here are:-
1/ Kell Brook (welterweight,20-0(13),23 yoa).His power has improved and he has demolished everyone in his last 4 fights since winning the British title.Reminds a bit of Naseem Hamed and from the same Ingle gym in Sheffield but i actually think he is more skilled than Naz,though probably doesnt have quite as much power,P4P.
2/ Nathan Cleverly (light heavyweight,18-0(8),22 yoa).Has a fight lined up for the European title early next year.Improved power as shown by his recent KO streak.Good chin,combination puncher(uppercut is probably his best punch) with a good dig to the body.Started out at the Calzaghe gym so has had plenty of sparring sessions with Joe and Calz himself has spoken highly of him.Style is somewhat similar to Joe’s but he doesn’t slap as much(no offense Joe).
3/ James DeGale (super middleweight,5-0(3),23 yoa,Olympic Gold medalist).I don’t care much for his cocky attitude but he is talented and is reportedly a very hard worker in the gym and on the road(trainer Jim McDonnell comments on this in Boxing Monthly this month) which we all know counts just as much as having the skills.
Greta picks, Matt. I for one am not high on any of the Cubans.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 27, 2009 9:58 AM EST up reply actions
A few of them should be really good
But it’s quite possible that the best one over the long haul is fighting out of Ireland. Luis Garcia is a beast, and unlike the ones in the US, he’s only 21 years old. But he has a lot more rough edges to patch out, and I’m already hearing rumors about him having trouble maintaining his motivation.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Don't forget about Frankie Gavin
I like Cleverly a lot though. Brook is decent, but I don’t feel like he has star upside. Clev I feel like could be a star if his chin doesn’t get in the way.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
im gonna go out on a limb and courage tshabalala. 72-1 with 72 first round ko’s in the amateurs..cant beat that. wait…what year is it?
seriously though, Rigondeaux is too easy a pick so i’ll go with my philly boy, Danny Garcia.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
@mikefareri on twitter.
Ha, but not that other Philly guy who just got clocked. Tyson something or another.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 27, 2009 9:58 AM EST up reply actions
Tyrone Brunson
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Brunson's a bum
Never a prospect.
(I mean I know you guys know, just wanted to say it again.)
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
by Scott Christ on Dec 27, 2009 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
Brunson has some pop but that’s about it. Much like my buddy, Tshabalala.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
@mikefareri on twitter.
by sonofapsycho on Dec 27, 2009 11:50 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Actually, the Courage-Wilson fight was an all-time woody popper. Man, that was some brawl and that’s the fight that deatroyed Learry Merchan’t prediction that Courage woule be the next Tyson…uh huh. Uh oh.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 27, 2009 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
i was actually there. it was at the blue. courage got hosed there at the end of the 3rd. he should have been awarded a ko. courage’s rep was destroyed when he was ko’ed by a fat and sloppy brian scott even before the wilson fight.
i thought courage was going to be great as well. he and ike ibeabuchi are 2 guys i will never get over what huge disappointments they were.
"Newspapermen ask dumb questions. They look up at the sun and ask if it is shining."
-Sonny Liston
@mikefareri on twitter.
by sonofapsycho on Dec 27, 2009 5:30 PM EST up reply actions
Not too sure
I could go with Fernando Guerrero, Beibut Shumenov or Daniel Jacobs. In terms of who has the most potential? Not 100% sure. Could go with Jacobs, N’Jikam, Rigondeaux, etc.
But in terms of the prospect most likely to become a real star, I’m gonna go with Saul Alvarez.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
And a few others deserving of shout outs who haven't been mentioned yet
Shawn Porter
Kubrat Pulev (his competition so early has been insane)
Antonio DeMarco (who had a fabulous year)
David Lemieux (maybe the most exciting prospect)
Mlungisi Dlamani
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
neat ones.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 27, 2009 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
I really want Porter to move down in weight if he can. He is a decent boxer but he will get eaten alive at his size if he sticks around at 154. He’s officially listed at 5’7" (170 cm) and thats fairly generous.
by Waldo Rastel on Dec 27, 2009 2:38 PM EST up reply actions
They say he's trying to move down to welter
Andre Berto is another recent example of someone who was a small middleweight as an amateur and has made it down to welter.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Good. He has a bunch of talent with a decent amount of power. Hopefully the weight loss doesn’t sap either of his good characteristics.
by Waldo Rastel on Dec 27, 2009 9:12 PM EST up reply actions
Canelo
Saul Alvarez had a good 2009 year on welterweight, to me he was a better pick than Marvin Sonsona taking on better quality fighters. He’s also 19 and should be getting a title shot soon.
Prospects.
Thanks Ted.
Yeah i’ve heard about Garcia.He’s training with Glenn McCrory at the moment,is he not?McCrory seems like a good fella but is inexperienced as a trainer so i can see Garcia looking for Freddie Roach or another top trainer to coach him as he looks to step up.As far as Kell brook goes,to be honest he is the top UK prospect in my mind.The main worry about him for me is that he has gone of the rails a bit in the past(was stabbed outside a nightclub i think) and he is known to blow up between fights so i just hope the committment is there.That was quite a few years ago nopw though and i think he has maturing as he is getting to his mid-20’s(as you do).We also dont know about his chin yet because no one has been good enough to tag him really cleanly.I just love his ability to slip punches with minimal movement and then counter with solid power punches.He also has that excellent jab and i really think if he is guided correctly and kept on the straight and narrow,he will go far.
I rate Gavin though not as highly as Degale.He has good counterpunching ability but i just wonder if he has the speed of punch and footwork to get to the top.I hope he does and i would have him at no.4 for my UK prospects.You know more so than i do Ted that it is hard to say how these 5-0 prospects are gonna go.Its still a bit early to say-unless your last name is Rigondeaux!:).
I would have had Darren Sutherland at no.3 above Degale had he not taken his life tragically earlier in the year.RIP Darren.
G'Day Matt
Yeah Darren woulda’ been a star for sure. Sad stuff indeed mate.
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
Alvarez vs Brook
Just looking at Saul Alvarez’ record on Boxrec,i havent seen him fight yet but had heard of him.He and Kell Brook are both young guns at the same weight.Maybe a future fight for me to look forward to down the line,hopefully.
I should have mentioned the UK guys, too, but it just slipped my mind at 3am. My favorite three in order are Cleverly, Gavin and Brook.
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
Down Under prospects
Lenny Zappavigna - 22 yr old Sydney light welter – 22-0 15 KO’s IBF Pan Pacific champ – just made his US debut, winning all six rounds against Sergio Macias, gave away 8lbs in that fight. Very aggressive, with a maturity that belies his age. Holds a win over ex world champ Gairy St Clair.
Will Tomlinson - 23 yr old Sydney super feather – 10-0-1 10 KO’s. Just KO’d Verquan Kimbrough in 3 on the RJ-Green card. Fast, aggressive combination puncher.
Rest of the world: Nathan Cleverly (if a British and Commonwealth champ can be called a prospect) Clev fights Italian Antonio Brancalion in Italy for the Euro title in Jan. No doubt he’ll be on a search and destroy KO mission. Danny Jacobs is being brought along nicely, Matt Korobov looks impressive, Canada’s David Lemieux is an exciting prospect too.
"Anytime you go thirty rounds with a guy, try to kill each other, and have the utmost respect for each other, no one understands that, but guys who have been to war understand it." - Micky Ward on Arturo Gatti.
it is indeed
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 29, 2009 7:00 PM EST up reply actions
I go back and forth on this, but I’m not totally down with ranking a Cuban like Rigondeaux as “prospect of the year.” For the same reason why it was weird for Ichiro or Hideo Nomo to win ROY in baseball or for Soviet defectors to win ROY in hockey back in the day.
The awards pertain to league, not to the sport itself. Rigondeaux is a professional prospect. Nomo was a Major League Baseball rookie. Plenty of famed amateurs, defecting Soviets and Japanese imports have been duds, too, so I think it’s still very worthwhile to recognize the special ones.
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
by Scott Christ on Dec 28, 2009 12:39 PM EST up reply actions
No doubt. I’m just saying, putting Rigondeaux in the same category as someone like Danny Jacobs and comparing them is a little bit weird. It might not be apples and oranges, but it’s at least apples and pears. Rigondeaux would probably have gone pro long ago if not for the political situation in Cuba.
Demetrius Andrade
needs to be mentioned. Ive seen this kid fight live twice. He is beyond fast, tall and strong. Picks his opponents apart and knows how to set up punches. Throws his power with his hips and has very fast feet. Got screwed over at the olympics.
Also Edwin Rodriguez warrants mention
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 29, 2009 7:00 PM EST reply actions
I always have a hard time calling a 28 year old Cuban with 400 amature fights a “propsect.” Yet, they often hit the road like an amature andnever fulfill their potential. G o figure, though I have my theories which are not unlike those of Teddy Atals.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 29, 2009 7:03 PM EST reply actions
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