Rob Lancaster, Sky Sports
A year can certainly be a long time in boxing.
Back in December 2008, Floyd Mayweather was enjoying his retirement, Ricky Hatton was still hoping to be the pound-for-pound king and Amir Khan was facing a make-or-break year after his shock loss to Breidis Prescott.
Fast forward 12 months and Mayweather is back in the ring and set for the mother of all showdowns with Pac-Man, who hammered the poor Hitman.
Khan came through his acid test to become a world champion, while David Haye also got his hands on a major belt after overcoming the odds.
The future also looks bright on the home front, with the likes of Kell Brook, Kevin Mitchell, Rendall Munroe and Nathan Cleverly seemingly set to take the next step in 2010.
The past 12 months have once again provided plenty of highlights. Check out skysports.com's highs and lows of 2009 and share your thoughts on the past year using the feedback box below...
Fighter of the Year - Manny Pacquiao
What more can you say about the Filipino sensation? Having sent Oscar de la Hoya into retirement in 2008, Pacquiao has recorded victories over Ricky Hatton and Miguel Angel Cotto in the past 12 months. It seems to be a case of the bigger they come the harder they fall against Pac-Man, who became a champion at two more weights. The Hitman simply ended up getting hit, Pacquiao needing less than two rounds to KO the Brit, while Cotto was given a heavy beating before the fight was stopped. His blurring hand speed and high work rate has made him a modern-day legend of the sport and the only way his stock can rise any higher is by putting a first loss on Floyd Mayweather's unblemished record.
British Fighter of the Year - David Haye
Just as in the Bible, David managed to topple Goliath, albeit with a carefully thought-out plan rather than a slingshot of furious blows. Having missed out on the chance to fight Wladimir Klitschko due to injury, Haye turned his attentions to Nikolai Valuev, a 7ft Russian affectionately known as the 'Beast'. Many thought the size of the task was too much for the Londoner, who had spent almost his entire pro career at cruiserweight. But, following the wise words of trainer Adam Booth to the letter, Haye kept out of range of his giant opponent. At one point it looked like he might even stop the cumbersome Valuev in the last before settling for a points success that made him Britain's newest heavyweight champion of the world.
Fight of the Year - Rogan v Sexton I & II
Martin Rogan and Sam Sexton treated us to not one but two domestic classics in 2009. On both occasions it was Sexton who came out on top, though not before he had been pushed all the way by the cabbie from Belfast. Rogan went into the first bout as the Commonwealth champion and had the contender in trouble early on, only for some reason to let him off the hook rather than finish the job. He paid the price as Sexton recovered and eventually won in the eighth with the Irishman unable to see out of his left eye. The second bout saw Rogan hurt again, this time a nasty cut from an accidental clash of heads hampering his attempts to win back the belt. He was pulled out of the bout by the sixth after running out of steam.
Rising Star(s) - Kell Brook/Andre Ward
With an unbeaten 20-fight record at the age of 23, Brook seems to have the world at his feet. The latest boxing prodigy to emerge from Sheffield, the welterweight was named as Young British Boxer of the Year by the Boxing Writer's Club. Only injury hampered his progress in 2009, with his fight with Michael Jennings delayed. Brook will hope to make up for lost time when the two meet in February at Wembley Arena.
On the other side of the pond, Andre Ward went from national secret to internatonal star when he handed Mikkel Kessler just a second loss. The 25-year-old enjoyed a stellar amateur career - at one stage going unbeaten for six years - and looks set to translate that success as a pro. He's won all 21 of his contests so far and is seen as a serious contender to win the Super Six World Boxing Classic, a round-robin event for some of the world's best super-middleweights. Kessler will certainly vouch for the American's skills after losing on points in November.
KO of the year - Hatton laid out
If it does happen to be his last fight, a second-round KO at the hands of Pacquiao is hardly a fitting finale to Ricky Hatton's fine career. Returning to the scene of his only other defeat, the Mancunian was sensationally flattened by Pac-Man, laid out on the canvas at the MGM Grand Casino having felt the full force of a left hand which left him seeing stars. The measure of the impact had family and friends at ringside fearing for his health, let alone his boxing future. The dramatic finish left the Hitman pondering whether the time was right to call it quits. He still hasn't made up his mind yet.
Trainer of the year - Freddie Roach
For the second successive year Roach gets the honour, no real surprise considering the continued success of his fighters. Pacquiao is the star name in his stable but the American has also worked wonders with Amir Khan since the Brit's decision to become a member of the Wildcard Gym. Khan arrived with mental and technical issues following his stunning loss to Breidis Prescott. In the four fights since he started working with the 49-year-old, the Bolton boxer has managed to beat a ring legend in Marco Antonio Barrera and then become a world champion who defended his title in just 76 seconds.
Comeback of the Year - Floyd Mayweather Jnr
Pretty Boy will make no bones about the reason he returned to the ring - money. Mayweather Jnr ended a 21-month retirement from the sport this year to dismantle Juan Manuel Marquez over 12 rounds in Las Vegas. Many thought the lengthy lay-off and the calibre of his opponent would cause the former Olympic bronze medalist problems. Instead, Mayweather simply toyed with his Mexican rival, showing he had lost none of his skills in his time away. Next up is a mega fight with Pacquiao, one he is adamant he will win. Love him or loathe him, boxing is definitely better off with Mayweather in it.
Shock decision of the year - Fury for McDermott
It seems there were only two people who thought Tyson Fury had done enough to get the decision, and the English heavyweight title, from John McDermott - Tyson himself and referee Terry O'Connor. Those watching at ringside or live on Sky Sports must have believed the much-hyped Fury was about to suffer his first professional defeat when the final bell sounded. Instead official O'Connor not only gave him the verdict but scored it 98-92, making Fury the winner by six rounds. McDermott stated afterwards, "I'm a nice man. What did I do wrong?". It wasn't the first time he has suffered either, having been robbed of a win in his first bout with Danny Williams in 2008.
Gone but not forgotten
Arturo Gatti - Italan born but raised in Canada, 'Thunder' will always be remembered for his trilogy against Mickey Ward. An old-fashioned brawler, Gatti was loved by the crowds but lacked the defensive skills required to mix it with the very best. After a TKO loss in 2007 to Alfonso Gomez he retired in the dressing room having won 40 of his 49 fights. On July 11, 2009 Gatti was found dead in a hotel in Brazil.
Vernon Forrest - Forrest enjoyed a successful amateur and pro career, the highlight of which was a pair of wins over Shane Mosley. He was a world champion at welter and light-middleweight and having made his debut in 1992, didn't suffer his first loss until being stopped inside three rounds by Ricardo Mayorga 11 years later. After being beaten in the re-match, 'The Viper' took a break from the sport but returned to rule the world again, his last fight seeing him regain the WBC light-middleweight title. Tragically, at the age of 38, Forrest was shot dead after being robbed at gunpoint at a gas station.
Darren Sutherland - The Irishman seemed destined for a successful career as a professional having done so well as an amateur, including two gold medals at the EU Championships and a bronze at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he lost to eventual winner James DeGale in the semi-finals. He was unbeaten after four pro fights - all won by KO - and was seen as a boxer with real potential. It came as a huge shock then when Sutherland was found dead in his flat in Bromley by his promoter Frank Maloney.
Ricky Hatton? The Hitman says he's getting the itch back, but will we really see him in the ring again? Having stepped up his work as a promoter since his second-round loss to Pacquiao, Hatton seemed to have donned the gloves for the last time. But, while his weight may have risen since, so too has the desire for at least one more fight, meaning one of the biggest names in the sport over the past decade could be set to return in 2010.
Source: skysports.com
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