A most unusual year is half over. The coronavirus pandemic brought the boxing world to a halt in March and it has only begun to return in the past few weeks.
Still, some fighters have had enough time – particularly in the first few months of the year – to turn in performances worthy of recognition.
With that in mind, Boxing Junkie presents its mid-year awards in six categories. Here they are.
FIGHTER
Tyson Fury
Slam dunk. Fury and Deontay Wilder fought to a controversial draw in December 2018. The rematch, on Feb. 22 in Las Vegas, wasn’t even competitive. A bulked up Fury, employing a more-aggressive strategy, dominated the then-titleholder from beginning to end. He put Wilder down in Rounds 3 and 5 and finally stopped him in Round 7. Fury just never gave Wilder and chance to unload his big right hand. It was a virtuoso performance in a super fight, which made the accomplishment all the more spectacular.
Runner up: Jeison Rosario
FIGHT
Robert Helenius TKO 4 Adam Kownacki, March 7
Helenius vs. Kownacki was nuts from the opening bell, as most Kownacki fights are. The Polish-American came out firing away, as usual. The thought at that moment: “OK, here we go. How long is Helenius going to be able to survive?” Then, as the fight progressed: “Wait a second, Helenius doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and he’s fighting back.” In Round 4, the Finn put Kownacki down with a right-left combination and then followed with a flurry of hard shots and the fight was stopped. Whew. Crazy. Really fun to watch.
Runner up: Jeison Rosario vs. Julian Williams, Jan. 18
KNOCKOUT
Ryan Garcia KO 1 Francisco Fonseca, Feb. 4
Tyson Fury’s stoppage of Deontay Wilder was the most important knockout so far. Garcia gave us the most spectacular KO. Garcia, the charismatic 21-year-old lightweight contender, had already generated a great deal of intrigue with two early knockouts in 2019. He simply added to the excitement against the veteran Fonseca. A single left hook relieved the Nicaraguan from his senses and took our breath away only 80 seconds into the fight.
Runner up: Fury KO 7 Wilder
UPSET
Jeison Rosario TKO 5 Julian Williams
Williams’ stature going into the Jan. 18 fight was what made Rosario’s thorough victory special. Remember, Williams, the then-junior middleweight titleholder, was coming off a career-defining victory over Jarrett Hurd eight months earlier. He had climbed onto some pound-for-pound lists. And Rosario beat the you-know-what out of him. Rosario hurt Williams about two minutes into Round 5 and followed with a brutal barrage of hard shots that forced the referee to end the fight and give Rosario the title.
Runner up: Robert Helenius TKO 4 Adam Kownacki
COMEBACK
Roman Gonzalez
The former No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound had already won back-to-back fights since he lost consecutive bouts to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017, the second loss being a brutal knockout. Still, many had doubts about whether the 32-year-old Nicaraguan remained an elite fighter. He proved against then-unbeaten junior bantamweight titleholder Kal Yafai on Feb. 29 that he has plenty more to give. He gave Yafai a boxing lesson for eight-plus rounds and then stopped him in Round 9. Vintage Gonzalez.
Runner up: Mikey Garcia UD 12 Jessie Vargas, Feb. 29
BREAKOUT
Joseph Diaz Jr.
Diaz, the former U.S. Olympian, had failed in attempts to win a major title and a secondary one, losing a decision to Gary Russell Jr. and then failing to make weight before outpointing Jesus Rojas, which precluded him from winning the belt. Some wondered whether Diaz would ever get over the hump. And then he did. Then-junior lightweight titleholder Tevin Farmer was one of the hottest fighters around yet an inspired Diaz took him to school, winning a decision that wasn’t as close as the cards indicate to finally claim a belt.
Runner up: Jeison Rosario TKO 5 Julian Williams