2008-09 Grimson Award: Best Punching Power/Most Destructive Fighter

[Merlin401]

No one did anything too spectacular this year as far as punching power is concerned so this is a little bit of a reputation award more than anything

Nominees

Derek Boogaard
Struggled this year with injuries and playing time but we know what he is capable of from his past two years in the league. Fighters seem to shy away from trading with him, knowing what might be in store. Only one victim this year: TKO of Andre Roy

Wade Belak
Never known as a power puncher per se, but he turned in a hell of a season and ended with a monstrous punctuation mark: Knocking out half of the two-headed monster that has ruled the fight landscape for a decade, Donald Brashear. A few weeks prior he also scored a TKO of Cam Janssen so he deserves the nomination.

Colton Orr
Orr, like Boogaard, had a sub-par year in the power department only scoring one TKO victim (a revenge knockdown of Mike Rupp). But we know the right hand still has the ability to Fedoruk someone at any moment and its only a matter of time.

Eric Godard
Godard got two of the biggest destructive moments of the year when he punctuated the series with Colton Orr with a TKO win in fight III. Also, he earlier in the season single-handedly beat the two-headed rookie monsters of Mitch Fritz and Steve MacIntyre. The power was most evident in the latter, in which he left MacIntyre with a fractured eye socket!


My Pick

A shout out to Mike Commodore who knocked down all three people he fought (one ended up being a double minor but it was clearly a fight and a TKO). Thats like a 70s season fight-card of Clark Gillies or something!

Anyway I digress: I would say Boogaard and Orr have more power than anyone in the league. But results are results and those two had little of them in this department this year. So I'll buck the trend and pick Eric Godard who made two of the biggest splashes of the year. Expect to see the "past winners" of this award show many Orr's and Boogaard's for years to come however!

Past Winners

2003-04: -
2005-06: Derek Boogaard
2006-07: Derek Boogaard
2007-08: Colton Orr

[JKidd]

Eric Godard without question. He wasn't just out to be THE man this year, he wanted to do it without leaving a doubt... and he did it by leaving a wake of destruction behind him.

[stevecanuck16]

Orr and Boogaard have more punching power than Godard, but Godard has the path of destruction to take the award this year.

[DARCY T]

donald brashear

[OneilltheGiant]

Orr for me still has the best single punch in the league...

[Isles4life]

Originally Posted by stevecanuck16

Orr and Boogaard have more punching power than Godard, but Godard has the path of destruction to take the award this year.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts. He might not actually be the most powerful puncher, but he was definitely the most destructive this season against some really tough opponents.

[Grittzkey]

Went with Colton.

[pesadillamal]

I'll give Godard his due here. He had a great year and deserves it.

I think Orr lost some weight last offseason and he was really trying to work on his game, which may have cost him a little bit of power. Really, it is very hard for him to land a clean right because most opponents spend most of their time trying to avoid or tie up Orr's right. The only fight that makes me think he lost a little power was the Fritz fight. A very underrated fight IMO because you rarely see guys that size going toe2toe, but Orr landed a few very clean bombs, one right on the jaw, and Fritz didn't go down or stop throwing even. Hopefully he KOs a couple next year wherever he is playing.

[T800m101]

I'm going with Godard. He broke MacIntyre's face and dropped Orr.

And I think this poll should be called the Tony Twist award.

[ewen21]

I object to this being named the 'Grimson Award'

[Blouin]

Gotta go Godard on this one, exciting fighter

[BStreetBullies]

Godard once again. Ask Big Mac about him...

[Boogeyman2383]

Originally Posted by jkidd

Eric Godard without question. He wasn't just out to be THE man this year, he wanted to do it without leaving a doubt... and he did it by leaving a wake of destruction behind him.

Still the massive right hand from Derek Boogaard scares the majority of fighters,

[FlagsFan]

Voted for the wrong guy on accident, but my real choice was Godard.

[Killah_punk]

Breaking Big Mac's face is impressive. Godard gets my vote.