2013 Breakout performance of the year award

2013 Breakout Performance of the Year in Boxing:

Every year in the sport of boxing, a handful of fighters put together that special kind of performance that vaults them onto a different level. In 2013, several boxers had such breakout performances in the ring. These types of performances varied greatly from highlight reel knockout wins to dominant skilled boxing exhibitions. Without further adieu, here are the breakout performances of the year.

2013 Boxing Breakout Performance(s) of the Year – Sergey Kovalev vs. Gabriel Campillo and Nathan Cleverly

Entering 2013, not much was known about Sergey Kovalev. He had a glossy record but had faced very limited competition. However, his performances against Gabriel Campillo and Nathan Cleverly left many thinking Kovalev may be a budding superstar in the sport.

Campillo was considered a major step up in competition for Kovalev when they met in January. Campillo, a slick southpaw, was coming off a very controversial loss to then Light Heavyweight titlist Tavoris Cloud in his previous bout. The prevailing thought was that Campillo’s skill and experience may be too big a step for the much more inexperienced Kovalev.

It was not the fact, however, that Kovalev defeated Campillo whichwas a huge surprise. Instead it was how Kovalev just destroyed someone who at the time was considered to be among the top Light Heavyweights in the world. Kovalev hurt Campillo with almost any punch that landed and put him down twice in the third before the bout was stopped.

Later in the year, Kovalev would challenge Nathan Cleverly for Cleverly’s WBO Light Heavyweight Championship. Cleverly was an accomplished boxer known for his high work rate in the ring. Many inside the sport thought his style would give Kovalev fits.

Again, it wasn’t the fact that Kovalev defeated Cleverly that opened many people’s eyes. It was how Kovalev won that surprised so many. He dominated a very skilled boxer from the onset of the bout and turned up the tempo in third landing thunderous shots on Cleverly. Cleverly would be floored twice in that round and stopped a round later.

These two performances in 2013 by Kovalev were very impressive. He displayed solid boxing skills and raw power that vaulted him from relative unknown to star status in the blink of an eye. As far as breakout performances for 2013, Kovalev’s stands out from all others.

—> Check out all of our 2013 boxing awards!

2^nd Place – Mikey Garcia vs. Orlando Salido

Mikey Garcia was seen as an emerging star when he challenged veteran Orlando Salido for Salido’s WBO Featherweight Championship. Salido was supposed to give the young star a real test and posed a legitimate threat to Garcia’s unblemished record. However, that would not be the case as Garcia would announce his arrival on the big stage.

Salido is a world class fighter and is known for giving anyone who steps in the ring with him a very tough fight win or lose. However, Garcia made Salido look very pedestrian. Garcia was in control from the opening bell. He used angles to hit Salido at will and dropped him four times during the course of the bout. In addition, Salido could never find the target and looked silly at times winging punches that were easily avoided by Garcia.

Due to an accidental head butt, Garcia would end up winning by a technical decision. The manner in which he dominated such a tough world class fighter was a real shock and a true breakout performance in 2013.

Others Receiving Votes

Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Nonito Donaire

Nonito Donaire entered his fight with Guillermo Rigondeaux coming off a string of impressive wins that vaulted him towards the top of most pound for pound lists. Rigondeaux entered the fight with a deep amateur background but had not faced anyone near the caliber as Donaire as a pro. The prevailing thought was that Rigondeaux may test Donaire with his boxing skill but ultimately Donaire would find a way to prevail with his power shots.

Rigondeaux, however, proved to be a very skilled counterpuncher and master defensive fighter. Donaire found Rigondeaux a near impossible target to hit. When Donaire did open up, Rigondeaux would find a way to land clean before retreating out of harm’s way. Though many fans did not like the manner that Rigondeaux fought, it was very effective and earned him a decision victory over one of boxing’s top fighters.

Adonis Stevenson vs. Chad Dawson

In the sport of boxing, it can take just one punch to make the leap from contender to champion. And with a single left cross in Round 1 to the side of Light Heavyweight Champion Chad Dawson’s head, Adonis Stevenson announced his arrival as an elite fighter in the sport.

It was not a surprise that Stevenson knocked Dawson out. Though Dawson was favored, Stevenson was known for his big punch and given a legitimate punchers chance in this fight. But it was a surprise that it happened so quickly and so emphatically. In a little over a minute, Stevenson went from fringe contender to the Light Heavyweight Champion of World with one single punch.

Terence Crawford vs. Breidis Prescott

This is a primary example of a fighter seizing the moment. On about 10 days’ notice, Terence Crawford agreed to substitute in for Khabib Allakhverdiev and face Breidis Prescott in an HBO televised bout. Though undefeated, Crawford was unknown even to the most diehard boxing fans having fought previously on small shows and deep on undercards.

During the course of his ten round domination of Prescott, Crawford went from unknown to budding star. His boxing skills proved to be superb as he effectively used angles to set up his punches. He showcased his hand speed in landing dazzling combinations to the head and body of Prescott.

Crawford also exhibited excellent defensive skills as Prescott found it very difficult to land any clean shots. It was a true breakout performance by Crawford and one which would put his days of being buried deep on undercards to rest.

Ruslan Provodnikov vs. Timothy Bradley and Mike Alvarado

Ruslan Provodnikov entered his bout against Timothy Bradley with the reputation of being a crude brawler. The prevailing thought in the sport was that Bradley would box circles around Provodnikov for 12 rounds and make Provodnikov look silly.

However, Provodnikov somehow managed to lure Bradley into more of a slugfest. In addition, Provodnikov proved to have very subtle skills that showed he was much more than a crude brawler. The fight was a battle of skill and will. In the end, Bradley got the decision is a fight of the year candidate but Provodkivov’s stature rose tremendously in defeat.

Provodnikov next faced Mike Alvarado. Alvarado was coming off a career best performance against Brandon Rios in which he boxed more than he slugged in the past.

However, once again Provodnikov found a way to lure his opponent with better boxing skills into more of a slugfest. And this was Provodnikov’s fight all the way. He brawled smartly with Alvarado and proved to be just too relentless. Alvarado would wisely retire on his stool after the 10^th round giving Provodnikov a career best win. By defeating Alvarado, Provodnikov proved that he could be victorious on a world class level.