The best fighter with the best year. Basically, if you throw out all past history and started over this year, who would have been ranked on top?
Nominees
Wade Belak, Nashville (11 fights)
Key Wins: KO'd Brashear, edged Boogaard twice, TKO'd Janssen, beat Hordichuk
Key Losses: One loss to Boogaard
Derek Boogaard, Minnesota (9 fights)
Key Wins: Edged Shelley, Ivanans, Hordichuk, one win vs. Belak
Key Losses: Edged out twice by Belak
Donald Brashear, Washington (11 fights)
Key Wins: Bloodied Shelley, killed Cote, Brookbank
Key Losses: The Huge Knockout loss to Belak
Eric Godard, Pittsburgh (21 fights)
Key Wins: Tuned up MacIntyre, beat Fritz, Got the better of a 4 fight series with Orr (including a TKO), Fight of the Year candidate beating Cote,
Key Losses: Lost to
Jody Shelley and got edged by
Wade Brookbank
Georges Laraque, Montreal (9 fights)
Key Wins: TKO of Shelley, easily beat Gratton, Peters, lesser fighters
Key Losses: Edged out by Fritz, lack of activity
Colton Orr, NY Rangers (18 fights)
Key Wins: Two edges over Godard, revenge TKO of Rupp, edged out Fritz, great draw with Brashear
Key Losses: Two losses to Godard + 1 TKO, loss to Rupp
My Pick
I still rank Laraque #1 but ignoring all past history I believe that
Wade Belak had the best year. Congrats on making it all the way back to the top.
Previous Winners
2003-04:
Matt Johnson
2005-06:
Georges Laraque
2006-07:
Derek Boogaard
2007-08:
Georges Laraque