Mark E. Ortega
December 19, 2013
I've always wondered why boxing outlets never appoint a Rookie of the Year. To determine rookie status, a fighter must have turned professional in 2013. But, like in baseball, where if you didn't reach a certain amount of plate appearances, for this award you could qualify if you fought twice or less total in years previous.
With that in mind, I thought I would designate my own Rookie of the Year for 2013, adding a couple of honorable mentions.
2013 Rookie of the Year - Jose Ramirez (7-0, 5 knockouts)
If this race were based solely on ability and future potential, fellow Top Rank stablemate Felix Verdejo would have probably edged lightweight Jose Ramirez out. I took into account more than just talent, and Ramirez has more than a slight edge in other areas.
In November, Ramirez closed the year by headlining a card in Lemoore, Calif., which isn't far from his home in Avenal. At just 6-0, Ramirez sold the place out nearly a month in advance. A former 2012 US Olympian, Ramirez is the first of that Olympic class to really capture a buzz the way he has. Ramirez is a Mexican-American who has the potential to capture both the Mexican and Mexican-American fan bases, something Oscar De La Hoya could never do. He's a humble kid with a good team behind him, and he's already got as many national sponsors as any fighter out there.
Ramirez also brings it in the ring. He's got a fan-friendly style that will make him a household name. There's a reason Bob Arum has this kid up on the dais for every major card he fights on. Top Rank has a lot of belief in the 21-year old kid, and for good reason. It sounds like they will take it a bit slow with Ramirez, which is acceptable given his age. But don't be surprised if he's the talk of the sport in 2015 or 2016.
Ramirez already has a bout scheduled in 2014, a Feb. 1 six-rounder against TBA in Laredo, Tex., that will be televised by UniMas' Solo Boxeo.
Runner-Up: Felix Verdejo (9-0, 6 KOs)
Felix Verdejo already has the pressure of carrying Puerto Rican boxing for the next several years as several of his compatriots have fallen flat in taking the torch from Miguel Cotto. Verdejo is a can't miss blue chipper who fought eight times in 2013, appearing on the pay-per-view undercard of Pacquiao-Rios last month with a number of fights in his native Puerto Rico to boot.
The people at Top Rank gush at every mention of Verdejo, who at 20 years old will have big shoes to fill once Cotto hangs them up. Like Cotto, he's a tremendous body puncher. It's only a shame Top Rank doesn't have as many TV dates as they used to, and Verdejo will be relegated to untelevised undercards on HBO or televised bouts on Solo Boxeo unless something changes soon. HBO should get in on the ground floor with him and televise his first real test, whenever that may be. He will probably be moved a little quicker than Ramirez, as his skills were a little more advanced coming out of the 2012 Olympic games.
Verdejo has a fight in the books early in 2014. He'll be on the Jan. 25 untelevised undercard of Mikey Garcia against Juan Carlos Burgos, which will take place on HBO with Bryant Jennings-Artur Szpilka in the co-feature.
Honorable Mention: Vasyl Lomachenko (1-0, KO)
Yes, Lomachenko only had one fight in 2013, but it came against the best foe of the bunch as he stopped Jose Ramirez (no relation to our Rookie of the Year) in the fourth round of his debut, which was seen on the Timothy Bradley-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view undercard in October.
At 25, the Ukrainian is one of the most celebrated amateur boxers of all-time as he is a two-time gold medalist. Bob Arum and his matchmakers are keen on getting him a title shot immediately, targeting old workhorse Orlando Salido in the early part of the year. Lomachenko is easily the furthest along of any fighter who turned pro in 2013 or in late 2012, and he could very well be the most talented of the bunch. That he's a few years older than the rest doesn't hurt him too much, as he's still in his mid-twenties and already on an advanced course.
The featherweight Lomachenko is in a weight division that could heat up immediately if fellow Hall of Fame amateur Guillermo Rigondeaux decides to move up. Though the fight may not be exciting, it is one of the most intriguing fights out there for both. Many believe it is Lomachenko who poses the biggest threat to Rigondeaux's unblemished run, and it is hard to argue against.
Honorable Mention: Callum Smith (9-0, 7 KOs)
Smith had two pro bouts under his belt entering 2013, and he quickly became the best of the Smith brothers in terms of potential as he wrapped up 2013 by winning all 7 fights this year by knockout, including six in a row where his opponent didn't make it out of the first round.
Smith's level of competition wasn't spectacular, until October. It was then he met former title challenger Ruben Acosta, a huge step up, and stopped him in six. It was good to see him go rounds with an experienced foe and stay focused and determined to get the stoppage.
Just 23 years old, the super middleweight has to bide his time while Carl Froch, George Groves, and James DeGale sit atop the division in the country.
Honorable Mention: Joseph Diaz, Jr. (8-0, 6 KOs)
The first Golden Boy fighter to appear on the list, Diaz was busy in fighting seven times in 2013. Diaz got the right mix of opponents and nearly all of his fights were televised thanks to the numerous TV slots Golden Boy has with Showtime Extreme and Fox Sports 1 slots to fill with young fighters.
A 2012 US Olympian from South El Monte, Calif., the 21-year old junior featherweight is in a really deep division, particularly in the United States. Fellow unbeaten fighters Jessie Magdaleno and Roman Morales are a few years ahead of him in experience and just as young. If Golden Boy takes it slow with him, they could really develop the fan-friendly fighter into a solid fighter and perhaps a future champion.
Honorable Mention: Errol Spence (10-0, 8 KOs)
I neglected to include Spence on this list at first because I thought he had fought more than twice in 2012 and therefore didn't qualify. Truth be told, Spence had as good of a "rookie" year as anybody, fighting eight times and is already into the eight-round territory of his career. Spence just last week dusted off Pipino Cuevas Jr. in a round after getting extended the eight-round distance in winning a wide decision over Emmanuel Lartey a few months prior.
The 23-year old Desoto, Tex., native is coming into his own in a welterweight division that his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, is extremely deep in. It will be very interesting to see who GBP's matchmakers put him in against in 2014 as they continue to develop him and try and challenge him, because he had no trouble in 2013 at all.
Honorable Mention: Damien Hooper (6-0, 6 KOs)
Hooper first caught my eye in the 2012 Olympic Games as he outpointed Marcus Browne of the US before eventually falling to the eventual gold medalist, Egor Mekhontsev. As a pro, the 21-year old light heavyweight from Australia has mostly been very impressive. Hooper went down briefly in a November fight before stopping his opponent in the following round.
A number of Australian colleagues of mine, such as matchmaker Brock Ellis, have informed me that as talented as he is, he's troublesome outside the ring. His brother's death at the end of 2012 was very hard on him, understandably. Hopefully he stays on the right path as word is he's given some of the top pros in the country their fair share of trouble in sparring.
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