Editor’s note: This is the first in a six-part series. Boxing junkie will reveal one year-end award each day for the next six days, starting with Trainer of the Year today.

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TRAINER OF THE YEAR

TEOFIMO LOPEZ SR.

Teofimo Lopez Jr. made sure with his upset of Vasiliy Lomachenko that dad would get his recognition

This was a tough one.

A strong argument can be made for the talented Derrick James, who guided Jermell Charlo and Errol Spence Jr. to big victories over Jeison Rosario and Danny Garcia, respectively. That would’ve been more than enough to earn Trainer of the Year honors in most years.

However, Teofimo Lopez Jr. made sure this wasn’t like most years.

Many observers believed the gifted 23-year-old had a chance to beat the naturally smaller Vasiliy Lomachenko on Oct. 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. However, most thought he’d have to do it by knockout.

A decision over the boxing savant Vasiliy Lomachenko? Unthinkable. And then it happened.

Lopez outboxed and outworked the No. 1 fighter in the world and then fought off a late rally to win a wide unanimous decision – 119-109, 117-111 and 116-112. And the architect of that effort was none other than his trainer and father, Teofimo Lopez Sr..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaaISwTD9ZY

Lopez and Lopez did brilliant work in the gym and then in ring, which is what dreams are made of. The only thing the younger Lopez failed to do was knock out Lomachenko, perhaps ironically.

That certainly didn’t matter to the Lopez family, who leaped to the top of the boxing world on an unforgettable fall night. The elder Lopez predicted as much.

“He just couldn’t figure out my son,” senior said during the post-fight news conference. “My son was the better man today. We did something that everybody thought we couldn’t do – we out-boxed him.

“You know, we gave him a clinic. You know, and I’m just so glad, man, that everything that I said came into existence.”

Runner up: Derrick James.

Tomorrow: Comeback of the Year