HBO Boxing's 5 Most Memorable Moments of 2011

HBO Boxing has brought fans many solid fights, upsets and knockouts this year, with some living up to the hype and some exceeding it.

Those aren't the only moments that should be remembered, but they make up most of the best moments of HBO Boxing in 2011. 

This is the first of a two-part series featuring the most memorable moments of the sports television series that has been around for more than three decades.

The other will feature the least memorable moments of the series and the more negative things that have happened over 2011.

For now, we'll focus on the positive. These are the Top Five most memorable moments.

No. 5: Nick Charles Calls Final Fight Before Passing Away at the Age of 64

American sportscaster Nick Charles made a final appearance on HBO After Dark on the night of March 26, 2011—just three months before cancer took his life five days before his 65th birthday.

Boxing fans got a chance to hear Charles, who was the first sports anchor for CNN in 1980, during a featherweight bout featuring Mikey Garcia and Matt Remillard.

He was in the final stages of his illness in June before passing away on June 25.

No. 4: Nobuhiro Ishida Gives James Kirkland His First Career Loss

James Kirkland went into his bout with Nobuhiro Ishida as an undefeated favorite and future title challenger but came out of it with a first-round knockout loss on his record.

Kirkland had two return bouts after being released from a near-two-year prison sentence for a firearm charge.

He defeated both of those opponents by a quick knockout.

With only eight knockout victories to his credit, not many expected Ishida to walk through Kirkland the way he did.

There were doubters about the come-forward style of Kirkland, and they got their answer quickly.

Thirty seconds in, Kirkland was knocked down by a left hand from the Japanese boxer.

Kirkland got up on wobbly legs and was knocked down by a flurry soon after.

He got up again but was dropped for the third and final time with a devastating right hand.

No. 3: Nonito Donaire Emerges as Top 5 Pound-for-Pound Boxer with KO of Montiel

The two pound-for-pound stars of the flyweight and bantamweight division met up in February of 2011 to determine who really deserved Top Five pound-for-pound recognition.

Nonito Donaire had been knocking everyone out and hadn't lost since 2001 in his second professional bout.

Montiel had only lost two bouts by close decisions.

The matchup wasn't as even as expected, after Donaire put Montiel down on the canvas with a left hook en route to a second-round KO.

No. 2: Victor Ortiz Upsets Andre Berto in One of the Best Fights of 2011

Andre Berto and Victor Ortiz both had a lot to prove going into their bout from March.

Berto had been criticized for not taking that next big step, while Ortiz still had the label of a "quitter" on him from his 2009 loss to Marcos Maidana.

Both boxers answered a lot of questions as they traded knockdowns over 12 rounds in one of the leading candidates for 2011's fight of the year.

Berto was dropped in the very first round and appeared to be close to being stopped before returning the favor to Ortiz in Round 2.

Round 6 featured both boxers getting dropped in one of the most memorable rounds in recent history.

Ortiz continued his attack throughout the second half of the fight and out-worked his opponent to seal the deal.

The boxer known as "Vicious" would emerge victorious, winning a clear, unanimous decision and earning a fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in September.

No. 1: Bernard Hopkins Becomes Oldest Boxer to Win a Major World Title

Bernard Hopkins only had one thing on his mind going into the rematch with Jean Pascal, and that was to solidify his legacy by breaking George Foreman's record of being the oldest boxer to ever hold a major world title.

He did it in exciting and decisive fashion over 12 rounds to win a unanimous decision and take the IBO and WBC light heavyweight titles out of Pascal's hometown in Quebec, Canada, on May 21.

After a controversial draw ruled in the first fight from last December, many thought Hopkins was robbed of one of the most important fights in his career and demanded a rematch.

The 46-year-old fought through being hurt several times in the bout but was more intelligent, experienced and craftier than his opponent, out-boxing him for the majority of the bout.

Hopkins earned the distinction as the oldest boxer to win a world title and immediately set up a fight with Chad Dawson in October on HBO PPV.