Further a field, Erik Morales returned and put in a spirited performance against powerful but crude Marcos Maidana, Juanma Lopez loses his undefeated record against Orlando Salido. and the acheivement of the season has to be Bernard Hopkins defeating Jean Pascal to become the oldest ever Boxing champion in December when he defeated the 28 year old Jean Pascal in the Bell Centre Montreal, his own backyard.
Boxing returned to terrestrial TV when Hennessey Sports staged Dereck Chisora vs Tyson Fury for the British and Commonwealth title. Interestingly enough the last terrestrial live boxing broadcast was Carl Froch vs Jean Pascal back in 2008 also promoted by Hennessey Sports.
Unfortunatally though poor judging decision's have been cropping up this year. Matthew Macklin lost his WBA title challenge against in Germany against Felix Sturm. Although you will probably have to send your opponent out on a stretcher just to get a draw in Germany. Cuban excile Erislandy Lara losing against over paid and over hyped HBO house fighter Williams. Lara landed 42% of his punches and Williams landed 19%.
Lucas Matthysse had a unfortunate year. He was defeated by Don King's Devon Alexander and former Welterweight king Zab Judah, both conscious decisions in my eyes and it could be argued that he was on the wrong end of a home town decision.
Boxing has lost some great warriors over the past season. Former British Champion Gary Mason who's only defeat was against Lennox Lewis, was struck down off his bicycle by a careless driver and later died from his injuries.
Former world welterweight champion Virgil Akins passed away and the first Indigenous Australian to win a world title Lionel Rose was laid to rest after suffering a stroke several months previous and failing to recover from infection.
While the previous fighters were fantastic for the sport no one transended the British public like Henry Cooper, who passed away after a long illness.
In the modern sport of boxing there is countless distasteful remarks such as Mike Tysons infamous "My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want his heart! I want to eat his children! Praise be to Allah!" Or David Haye's little know insult before he fought Jean Marc Mormeck saying he would "Beat him like Rodney King". This was continued with the lack of respect shown towards Wladimir Klitschko before his unification bout.
Cooper was a gentleman in and outside the ring, though his only down fall in the ring was that he cut like a hot knife through butter. Outside the ring, Cooper was a marketers dream and a charitable man.
Cooper detested racism and he was one of the first celebrity sponsor of the Anti-Nazi League, a largely left-wing campaign against far-right groups which were agitating against immigration. He was also active in charity events often appearing for no or a nominal fee.
There will never be another sportsman like him in the UK who transended the sport of boxing and influenced a generation of young men.
