Aus-Boxing End of Year Awards for 2014

 
Nigel Benn Fighter of The Year: Lucas Browne

 
With the bulk of Australia’s premier fighters losing at some point in 2014, the selection of Lucas Browne as the Fighter of the Year came down to consistency. Browne, 35, had a signature twelve months, becoming the first Australian heavyweight to win the Commonwealth title in over a hundred years, as well as picking up the WBA Inter-Continental and WBC Eurasian Pacific baubles along the way.

 
Impressive performances against Eric Martel Bahoeli, Andriy Rudenko and a routine stoppage over the durable Chauncy Welliver have lead many within the industry to the belief that Browne is indeed the consensus best heavyweight Australia has to offer.

 
Two of Browne’s three wins came abroad, which makes for impressive reading given his ability to rebound from adversity in both the Bahoeli and Rudenko fights. Although he is not as technically sound as other Australian fighters, he has at times shown he is more than just a one-punch knockout artist.

 
Everlast Australia Prospect of the Year: Kye MacKenzie

 
Over the past twelve months, fast rising super featherweight Kye MacKenzie made a statement. MacKenzie, 22, fought a remarkable eight times, winning all of them by knockout. Along the way, MacKenzie flattened formerly world rated Matt Garlett and scored highlight reel knockouts over Waylon Law and John Ford.

 
If that wasn’t enough, MacKenzie closed out a marquee year with an impressive one-sided stoppage over Clive Atwell, who was one fight removed from an admirable challenge against WBC featherweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez, before disposing of previously unbeaten Krishneel Mudaliar in a singular round. Understandably so, there is a real buzz presently surrounding MacKenzie, who will look to push towards world honours in 2015.

 
HK Clothing Fight of the Year: Waylon Law vs. Nathaniel May

 
Fight of the Year honours generally consist of multiple knockdowns and competitive brutality over a sustained distance. But what made the frenzied battle between Waylon Law and Nathaniel May so unique, was the fact that it took place over six lively rounds and there were no knockdowns scored.

 
Their six round fight from Eatons Hill was so unrelenting that it appeared to be a lock for Fight of the Year in as early as February, immediately after the fight took place.

 
In Law, 22, and May, 19, we saw two audacious youngsters who were willing to throw everything on the line for the national viewing audience on Fox Sports. Because of this, we saw a fight that to this day is eagerly anticipated for a rematch.

 
View the fight highlights here.

 
‘Champion: The Journey of Sakio Bika’ Knockout of the Year: Mark Flanagan (KO 1 vs. Andy Green)

 
In 2014, we witnessed more than a handful of legitimate contenders for Knockout of the Year.

 
We saw Kris George score a minor upset when he iced local rival Ozan Craddock with a lunging right hand, talented super featherweight prospect Valentine Borg lost his unbeaten record courtesy of an immaculately timed counter uppercut from Joebert Delos Reyes and David Aloua sent shockwaves through the local industry with his highlight reel knockout over Brad Pitt.

 
But what made Mark Flanagan’s spectacular knockout over the previously unbeaten Andy Green so special was the fact that he did it in concussive style, as well as it being a singular right hand.

 
The Perth-based Green and Townsville product Flanagan traded verbal insults all the way through their intense build ups for their ten round non-title fight. Ultimately, Flanagan had the last laugh, ended proceedings with only seconds to go in the first round.

 
Watch the brutal knockout here.

 
Everlast Australia Performance of the Year: Sam Soliman (vs. Felix Sturm)

 
Few fighters are afforded the fairytale win that Sam Soliman was granted this past May. Having spent years in relative anonymity, Soliman finally secured the breakout fight he needed, a rematch with IBF middleweight champion Felix Sturm.

 
Stripped of his initial win over Sturm due to an overturned drug test, Soliman, 40, left no doubt in the return fixture, pummelling Sturm for the best part of twelve rounds to win the coveted IBF middleweight strap. Sturm looked puzzled throughout as he clearly had no answer for the overwhelming pace set by the likeable Australian.

 
As promised, Soliman frustrated the heavily backed Sturm, schooling the German in front of an adoring home crowd to capture an unlikely world championship in the latter stages of his career. While Soliman courageously lost his title in his first defence, nobody can dispute the legitimacy of the twelve round boxing lesson he gave to Felix Sturm in Krefeld.

 
Boxa Upset of the Year: Robert Powdrill KO1 Damien Hooper

 
Unbeaten in the paid ranks, Damien Hooper had shown glimpses of genuine world class potential in his previous nine fights as a professional. With few local opponents willing to face Hooper, it came as no surprise that no betting outlet was putting up odds for his fight against late replacement Rob Powdrill.

 
Powdrill, 30, a respected kickboxer was given little acknowledgement going into his twelve-round WBC Eurasian Pacific title fight with Hooper. In some ways, it was understandable – given his modest 3-1 record at the time – which consisted of zero knockouts.

 
But in truly remarkable circumstances, Powdrill threw out the script, knocking Hooper out with a looping right hand that landed right on the button. Even more amazing, it took place inside of the first thirty seconds of the very first round.

 
Watch the one punch knockout here.

 
MCN Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Comeback of the Year: Anthony Mundine

 
When former welterweight titlist Joshua Clottey handed Anthony Mundine a one-sided beating in Newcastle in April, many believed it was curtains for the controversial Rugby League convert.

 
Beaten, humiliated and with very few credible options, Mundine took the hardest fight available in unbeaten WBC Silver super welterweight titlist and European titleholder Sergey Rabchenko. Backed by the influential Ricky Hatton and with a tonne of confidence, Mundine entered their November tussle as an overwhelming 5/1 underdog.

 
However, Mundine pitched a vintage performance, surviving some shaky moments to outscore and dethrone the unbeaten Belarusian in what was arguably one of the greatest performances of an incredible career. The win granted Mundine some extra WBC affiliated silverware, as well as WBC #4 world rating.