As promised, here are the categories and candidates for the first annual Boxing Along The Beltway Year-End Excellence Awards! Here is the way YOU can be a part of this process:
1. This post and the next three after this one (scroll down) list a total of nine categories and who I feel should be considered the top candidates for those awards. Write-in selections can be included, provided they fit the criteria of the category.
2. Please make ONE selection per category per ballot. You can send in more than one ballot. I would appreciate it if you can make all your selections on one ballot.
3. You will not be able to post any comments or votes on the blog. Send your ballots to this email address: beltwayboxing@hotmail.com Voting begins TODAY and will continue until Friday, December 29.
4. There will also be an "Unofficial Official" award done purely for fun. For this, you will create the name of the category and the recipient for the award. Have fun with this award but try not to be hateful.
An example of an "Unofficial Official Award" would be: Most Exciting Boxing Area: The Beltway.
Folks, please try to take this venture as seriously as possible. This may be the only way our Beltway Boxing community will be honored for what they do. They deserve the support and the opportunity to know that you appreciate what they do. I could have selected these awards myself, but I think we have a big enough and informed enough community to choose this. If we don't honor our own, who will?
Let me add a disclaimer: All boxing people listed in categories are listed in ALPHABETICAL ORDER. They are not ranked by me in any way. Records are not listed purposely. I don't want to influence voting in ANY way. All events listed in categories are listed in CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. If you want information about a certain boxer, bout or moment, feel free to check the archives here.
With that said, this post will have the first three categories: Ready? Here we go!
CATEGORY NUMBER ONE: ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Given to the Beltway Boxer who has made the biggest impact in their first year of competition. Candidates in this category started their pro career between November 2005 and November 2006.
Top Candidates:
“Big” Phillip Brown
Nick “Flash” Collins
Andrew “Doo Man” Farmer
Horace “The Reason” Grant
Jessie “The Beast” Nicklow
Juan Carlos Robles
“Money” Mike Sawyer
Thomas “KO” Snow
Willie “For Real” Williams
CATEGORY NUMBER TWO: PROSPECT OF THE YEAR
Given to the boxer voted most likely to be a future title contender.
Top Candidates:
Ishmail “The Arsenal” Arvin
Ty Barnette
Tim Coleman
Tony “Cyclone” Cygan
Andrew “The Doo Man” Farmer
Jarell Mason Jackson
Henry “Hurricane” Mayes
Jessie “The Beast” Nicklow
Mike “The Persecutor” Paschall
Tyrell Samuel
Thomas “KO” Snow
CATEGORY NUMBER THREE: PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
The boxing victory that gave the biggest boost to that boxer's career and the Beltway Boxing community.
Top Candidates:
Eric Aiken wins NABA Featherweight title with seventh-round TKO over Darby Smart, January 20
Tony Thompson wins Maryland State Heavyweight title with fourth-round TKO over Brandon Cabell, January 26
Lamont Peterson wins WBC Americas Junior Welterweight title with 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Leo Moreno, February 17
Henry Buchanan wins Tri-State Cruiserweight title with first-round TKO over Lloyd Bryan, March 3.
Eric Aiken defeats former IBF Bantamweight champion Tim Austin by sixth-round TKO, April 1
Sharmba Mitchell defeats Jose Luis Cruz by 10-round unanimous decision, May 3
Eric Aiken wins IBF Featherweight title via eighth-round DQ over Valdemir Pereira, May 13
Anthony Peterson wins NABO Lightweight title with unanimous decision over Adan Hernandez, June 16
Tony Thompson wins WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight title with unanimous decision over Dominic Guinn, June 28
Emmanuel Nwodo wins USBA Cruiserweight title with third-round TKO over Chris Thomas, July 1
Henry Buchanan wins quarter-final bout in Showtime Super Middleweight Tournament bout with 10-round unanimous decision victory over Lucas Green Arias, July 28
Send ballots to beltwayboxing@hotmail.com
About Me
- Gary Digital Williams
- BATB is "The place to go if you want to know about any upcoming show or results, from amateur to the pros, in Virginia, Maryland and the District." -- Thom Loverro, The Washington Times. I've covered the Boxing scene in the Washington, DC/Baltimore area for 36 years. I was inducted into the Washington, DC Boxing Hall of Fame in November, 2009. I am also a feature writer for Fightnews.com. I was the play-by-play announcer on the TV series "Boxing Spotlight" which highlighted pro boxing along the Beltway. I have also appeared on numerous radio stations across the country talking about the sport. You can hear my audio commentaries, interviews and play-by-play calls by downloading the free Boxing Along The Beltway Podcast Network on Spreaker.com, IHeartradio.com, Stitcher.com,Tunein.com, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts and Spotify! I'm also proud to say that I am in my 26th year serving as the public address announcer for Coppin State University Eagles Men's and Women's Basketball! I also cover boxing and the Washington pro football team for the Washington Informer Newspaper!