Erislandy Lara vs. Jarrett Hurd wins 2018 Fight of the Year award

Last April’s junior middleweight title unification between Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd has won the Boxing Writers Association of America’s award for Fight of the Year, beating out fellow contenders Wilder-Ortiz, Lomachenko-Linares, Saucedo-Zappavigna, and Canelo-Golovkin II for the honor.

Lara-Hurd had just about everything you’d want in a fight: high skill, a lot of action, big drama, and a ton of heart. Lara and Hurd battled back and forth, tooth and nail, for 12 full rounds before Hurd ultimately landed a shot in the 12th round that put Lara on the canvas.

Lara would make it to his feet in a huge display of guts and will, and even fought back to the final bell, but that knockdown would make the difference on the scorecards, with official judges turning in two scorecards of 114-113 Hurd, and one scorecard of 114-113 for Lara. The fight was just that close.

With the win Hurd took home both the IBF and WBA world titles, and since went on to take a softer touch in Jason Welborn last December. But if by any chance you didn’t get to see the Lara-Hurd fight, it’s definitely one worth going back to watch.