Lou Eisen’s Top Ten Fights of 2014

By Lou Eisen

2014 featured some incredible fights that will live on in the memories of hardcore boxing fans for many years to come. The sheer excitement in the lower weight classes more than made up for any lack of real movement in the heavyweight division. The top ten fights of 2014 as chosen by me, featured sustained, heart-pounding action that had the fans on their feet from the first round on! The featherweight division right now may be the most talent-laden division in boxing. The junior-welterweight division is extremely strong as is the middleweight division with so many great fighters in the mix. Here are ten fights that I felt stood out in 2014 in terms of the thrilling, back and forth non-stop action that each of these bouts provided.

Number Ten: Carl Froch vs. George Groves super middleweight rematch, on May 31st at Wembley Arena, U.K.

Froch & Groves truly despise each other. Froch won their first match by a controversial ninth round stoppage. The rematch was ferocious with Groves controlling the early rounds. Then in round eight, Froch landed a right hook for the ages, knocking Groves out cold. Lots of back and forth action and a great finish all adds up to a scintillating fight!

Number Nine: David Lemieux vs. Gabriel Rosado in middleweight bout at Barclays Arena in Brooklyn , NY on Dec. 6, 2014.

Lemieux brutalized Rosado in every round with thundering hooks to the body and vicious, short shots and uppercuts upstairs. Lemieux broke Rosado’s left orbital bone in the third round along with his nose. Rosado hung in there and did his best but it was just not good enough as he took a frightful, career-ending, unmerciful beating. Referee Steve Willis wisely stopped the fight in the tenth round. This bout was action packed to the max!

Number Eight: “Irish” Andy Lee vs. Matt Korobov at middleweight on Dec. 1, 2014, in Las Vegas.

This was the feel good fight of the year. After dropping the first five rounds to Korobov’s superior boxing techniques, Lee rebounded to score a dramatic and unexpected come from behind TKO over the heavily favored Korobov in round six. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. This fight was always one punch away from ending throughout.

Number Seven: Nicholas Walters vs. Nonito Donaire on Oct. 18, 2014 at StubHub Center in Carson City for the world featherweight title.

This fight had the fans whetting their appetites in anticipation. It lived up to it’s billing and then some! Walter’s was just emerging on the international scene with a reputation as a fearsome puncher. Donaire did his best, and even managed to wobble Walters with a wide counter left-hook early on. Donaire, coming up from the super bantamweight division, was unable to follow up on his dynamite-laden hook as the round ended. It was all Walters after that. He pummeled Donaire into a bloody, staggering pulp and dropped him heavily to the mat in rounds three and finally, in round six. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. stopped the bout at the 2:59 mark, awarding Walters a TKO win and the WBA super world featherweight title. A new star took his shining spot among the boxing firmament. Walter’s staggering two-fisted power makes him a serious threat to every man he faces in the squared circle.

Number Six: Heavyweights Bermane Stiverne vs. Chris Arreola on May 10, 2014 in Los Angeles.

It was thought that the rematch would be a better fight than the original and it was, for Bermane Stiverne. He dominated the heavily outgunned Arreola for the first five rounds, giving Arreola the worst beating of his career. Stiverne was just too strong overall and hurt Arreola with every power shot he landed. Then in round six, Stiverne dropped Arreola hard to the canvas. Arreola arose only to be dropped again by a shot that left him a bloody heap on the mat, dazed and unable to rise. Referee Jack Reiss wisely stopped it at the 2:02 mark of round six.

Number Five: Omar Narvaez vs. Naoya Inoue on Dec. 30, 2014 in Japan – super flyweights

This fight was a coming out and blowing out party for the young Japanese sharpshooter Naoya Inoue, in only his eighth pro fight. Lighter weight fighters often mature much quicker than their heavier counterparts. Inoue need less than two round to drop Narvaez to the mat four times and end his reign as the WBO world super flyweight titlist. This fight was a lot of fun while it lasted.

Number Four: Junior-welters Lucas Matthysse vs. John Molina on April 26, 2014 at StubHub Center, Carson, Cali.

This fight was a brutal slugfest from the opening bell. These two battle hardened warriors used each other’s heads for batting practice. This bout was fought at very close quarters with neither man taking a single step backward. Molina shocked the crowd by dropping Matthysse to the mat twice. Matthysse had a cut over his left eye from a head butt in round three. Matthysse’s resilience and power finally won out as he dropped Molina twice before stopping him at 22 seconds of round 11. This was a thrill-a-minute fight and a huge test off wills which Mathysse passed with flying colors!

Number Three: Lightweights Terence Crawford vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa on June 28, 2014 in Omaha, Nebraska.

This fight was supposed to have been a competitive fight and it was for the first four rounds with Gamboa using his amazing hand speed and educated feet to control Crawford early on. Then in round five, the roof caved in on Gamboa as Crawford started to unload his heavy artillery. Gamboa’s balance was rather suspect to begin with, forcing him to absorb the champs heavy bombs flush on the chin. Crawford dropped his Cuban foe once in rounds five and eight and twice in round nine before referee Genaro Rodriguez wisely stopped the brawl at 2:53 of the ninth round, earning Crawford an impressive TKO win in a heart-pounding war of attrition!

Number Two: Orlando Salido vs, Terdsak Kokietgym on Sept. 20, 2014 in Mexico.

This fight was an all out, toe-to-toe war. Both warriors came off the canvas multiple times to continue fighting with untold ferocity. Salido hit the deck three times. However, he dropped Kokietgym four times with the last knockdown being a classic one-punch KO for Salido at 16 seconds of round 11, helping him to capture the WBO super featherweight world title. This was a fantastic fight in terms of thrills, spills, and wills to win! Is Salido ever in a boring fight? I think not!!! This fight could have gone number one if not for our next fight.

Number One Fight for 2014: Francisco Rodriguez vs. Katsunari Takayama on August ninth, 2014 in Mexico.

This was by far the most action-packed and exciting fight of the year. These two guys let it all hang out over twelve savagely furious rounds with each man trapping the other along the ropes and scoring heavily with blistering two-fisted combinations. This was a close fight and could have gone to either man but in the long run, the unstoppable train of pain that was 21 year-old Francisco Rodriguez kept elevating his game in every round, to win the IBF/WBO world minimum weight title in Monterrey, Mexico with his relentless, unbeatable 12 round overwhelming two-fisted attack against Katsunari Takayama. Rodriguez was a whirling dervish of leather for all three minutes of all twelve rounds, dishing out unspeakable punishment to Takayama and taking as much if not more in return. Rodriguez’s young age, limitless stamina and ability to constantly up the level of his attack is why he won an exciting, wide, unanimous decision victory. This fight was thrilling and breathtaking in every round, which is why it is number one on my list.

Fan’s Dream Fight For 2015: WBA super world featherweight champ Nicholas Walters versus WBO world featherweight titlist Vasyl Lomancheko. This would be a title unification bout for the ages featuring two of the most exciting young fighters in all of boxing today, with the winner to get Leo Santa Cruz!