Top 10 Fight of the Year Candidates so Far (With Videos)

With two months remaining, 2011 has already thrown up a number of thrilling fights—but have any laid claim to the title of Fight of the Year?

It is fair to say that, so far this year, the mega-fights have failed to live up to expectations. Both Pacquiao and Mayweather's fights have failed to live up to expectations, so fight fans have had to look elsewhere for the exciting fights everyone wants to see.

With many thinking that the Alfredo Angulo vs. James Kirkland bout this weekend has all the ingredients to challenge for Fight of the Year, we look at the contenders so far.

Have any been missed out? What have been your favourite fights and rounds of the year so far? Comment below!

10. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs. Sebastian Zbik

We start off with a great fight that some felt was blighted by a controversial decision.

In a toe-to-toe slugfest, Zbik was the faster starter, hitting the Mexican with numerous crisp shots to the head while neutralizing Chavez Jr's offense. After a couple of rounds, Chavez started to connect with solid body shots, slowing Zbik down.

Zbik continued to consistently connect but Chavez hit back, peppering the body of the champion and finishing the fight the stronger.

After 12 rounds of action, most spectators thought Zbik had done enough earlier in the fight to win. However, the judges didn't agree and Chavez won by majority decision.

Despite a decision which was criticized, the fight was excellent with both men showing a lot of heart. This fight might have only just made it onto the list but is well worth a watch.

9. Felix Sturm vs. Matthew Macklin

Another great fight ruined for some by a strange decision from the judges.

British fans were outraged after Macklin appeared to win the fight only to have victory snatched away by the judges in Germany. However, the fight was closer than many wanted to admit.

The decision aside, Sturm and Macklin put on a real show for the fans in the Lanxess Arena.

Mackin started the fight the stronger, hurting Sturm with solid hooks to the champions body. Sturm struggled throughout the early rounds to deal with the pressure being applied by the British fighter.

As the fight went on, the champ began to assert his jab and Macklin failed to keep the pace that he had set out with. Sturm impressed in the 10th, with a huge uppercut that rocked the challenger.

Sturm continued to impress to the final bell, making Macklin miss and finishing with big hits to the head. The fight was so close that a draw would have been a fair result. Whatever the decision one thing is for sure. These two men put on an epic show and a rematch should be made by their promoters.

8. Pawel Wolak vs. Delvin Rodriguez

This fight was made all the more dramatic by the horrible hematoma that developed over Wolak's right eye in the fourth round. By the end of the fight, the eye had been completely swollen shut.

The injury aside, both fighters really brought it. Wolak spending the fight trying to shut Rodriguez down and pressure the Dominican fighter with shots to the body. Rodriguez (the underdog) dealt with it well, fighting on the move and utilizing his jab nicely.

Wolak was the more aggressive but Rodriguez hit the cleaner punches, targeting the swollen eye. The action ran from the first bell to the last. The 10th round (in the video above) was as fast paced as the first, with both men trying to snatch the fight at the death.

The bout was even throughout, with both men throwing a massive number of punches. Neither man could control the fight and most rounds were extremely hard to score. This was reflected in the scorecards, with 2 judges scoring the fight 95-95 resulting in a majority draw.

The draw was really the only fair decision as neither man deserved to lose after the effort they had put in.

7. Miguel Acosta vs. Brandon Rios

2011 has been the year when Brandon Rios announced his arrival in the upper echelons of the sport. This was underlined by his victory over Miguel Acosta, which won him his first world title.

Miguel Acosta hadn't turned up to roll over and started the bout the stronger of the two. He wouldn't let Rios get close and found success with the jab. A right hand at the end of he third appeared to shake Rios, who tried to smile it off.

After a solid fourth, Acosta began to struggle and was floored in the sixth. Rios looked to turn the screw but Acosta proved hard to pin down.

The defining round of the fight came in the ninth as Acosta tried to rally after being knocked down again in the eighth. With Rios looking for the KO and his back to the ropes, Acosta traded with him, surviving the round. 

Unfortunately for the Venezuelan, his defense failed him in the 10th, when he could resist no longer and succumbed to a combination while trapped in the corner.

Rios's victory was made more impressive by the revelation after the fight that he had broken his right hand in the eighth round.

6. Orlando Salido vs. Juan Manuel Lopez

One of the upsets of the year also produced one of the fights of the year.

Coming off of a loss to unbeaten Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa, Orlando Salido was seen as a strong fighter that Lopez could knock out.

Team Lopez had seriously underestimated the Mexican, though. Throughout the fight Salido was able expose the frailties in Lopez's defense. Time and time again Lopez was hit by Salido's right, a punch he found hard to pick for the whole fight.

After a competitive four rounds, Salido took control in the fifth with another huge overhand right sending Lopez crashing to the floor. From here, Salido and Juanma traded blows with Lopez desperately trying to get back into the fight.

Salido refused to be deterred and opened up a flurry that the referee decided was too much, calling off the fight at 1:30 in the eighth round.

5. Akira Yaegashi vs. Pornsawan Porpramook

Strawweight fights often fly under the radar of boxing fans, but the little guys sure know how to tear it up. This was the case last weekend, when Akira Yaegashi of Japan defeated Thailand's Pornsawan Porpramook.

Round eight has to go down as one of the rounds of the year. Porpramook called for Yaegashi to come at him, and wasn't disappointed.

The man from Thailand ate huge combinations but refused to flinch taunting Akira and taking huge punches for his trouble, before coming back with some hard shots of his own, almost flooring Yaegashi.

Ultimately the referee decided that Porpramook had taken enough punishment for one night and stopped the fight 2:38 into the 10th round.

The finish was somewhat disappointing as Porpramook still seemed to have some fight left in him. Hopefully a rematch can be made and these two warriors can go at it again.

4. Robert Guerrero vs. Michael Katsidis

You have to give credit to Michael Katsidis, every year the Australian seems to crop up when looking at fights of the year. If you haven't already, then look up his fights with Juan Manuel Marquez, Juan Diaz and especially Graham Earl for proof.

Earlier this year, Katsidis took part in another war, this time with Robert Guerrero. Guerrero got the better of the opening round, with Katsidis struggling to find his range. This had all changed by the second though, when Katsidis looked to be on the edge of putting 'The Ghost' down.

Instead of this, Guerrero fought back and the two engaged in a bloodthirsty brawl. In the fifth, Katsidis looked to be out on his feet as Guerrero went in for the kill. Katsidis's face was bleeding heavily and the fight looked to be almost over.

Katsidis had been in tougher spots before and rallied. By the eighth the Aussie was right back into the fight, coming out on top of exchanges with both men swinging for the fences. After being (unfairly in my opinion) warned for low punches, Katsidis was docked two points.

In the end Guerrero was a worthy winner of a thrilling war. With all three judges scoring heavily in favour of the American.

In what has the potential to overshadow Angulo-Kirkland this Saturday, Katsidis faces Scotland's Ricky Burns in what should be an unmissable encounter.

3. Marcos Maidana vs. Erik Morales

Before the fight people questioned whether it should have even been sanctioned—Morales was in danger. Maidana was possibly the hardest hitting light welterweight around, and Morales hadn't had a significant victory since beating Manny Pacquiao all the way back in 2005.

After the fight, people were singing an entirely different tune. Despite the fact that Morales lost the fight, no-one was in any doubt that 'El Terrible' was back.

Many feared the worst for Morales when, in the opening round, he had his vision severely impaired by swelling almost closing his right eye.

Maidana sensed a victory and took the fight to Morales, throwing a large number of ferocious punches. The Mexican absorbed the best that Maidana could throw at him, and shot sharp, clean punches straight back at the favourite.

Morales refused to let the Argentinian control the fight, and only as the fight reached the final rounds did Morales look to tire.

There would be no fairytale ending for Morales, though, as Maidana rightly won the fight with a majority decision.

This was truly a fight for the boxing romantic, with the 34-year-old Morales showing the heart and skill that won him so many fans years before. Maidana might have expected a big name victory over a faded legend, but what he got was all out war.

2. Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. vs. Jorge Arce

A definite candidate for fight of the year is May's barnstormer between the veteran Jorge Arce and Puerto Rican titleholder Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.

Featured on the undercard of the Pacquiao vs. Mosely 'superfight', Arce and Vazquez easily outshone the snoozefest that followed them.

Both men came out throwing punches from the opening bell. Arce shaded the first three rounds with the more telling blows but, just as he was opening up a lead, a crashing left hook sent him to the canvas.

Arce wouldn't let the knockdown phase him, though, and the next five rounds were too close to call as both men brawled toe-to-toe with each other.

While Vazquez still landed some solid shots, Arce started to get the upper hand in the 10th round. In the 11th, a straight left from Arce looked to stun Vazquez.

The fight ended when Vazquez Sr. wanted to see no more harm done to his son and threw in the towel with only 2:05 left in the final round. Wilfredo would have had to do something very special to have won the fight in those 2 minutes, but it was a shame that he wasn't allowed to finish this epic battle.

Arce has since defended his title against South African Simphiwe Nongqayi. Vazquez has also recorded a win since the loss, taking only three rounds to knock out journeyman Roberto Leyva.

1. Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto

Without doubt my fight of the year so far is Victor Ortiz's decision victory over then-unbeaten Andre Berto.

Fighting for Berto's WBC strap, the two men fought at breakneck speed from the first bell. Berto was the first to go down, having to take a knee in the first under huge pressure from Ortiz. The Haitian responded immediately, sending Ortiz stumbling backwards in the second with a thumping right to the chin.

The sixth round is one of the most dramatic of the year. The pace had not let up from the start, but Ortiz was beginning to look the stronger. Then Berto hit him with an overhand right that nearly took Ortiz's head off.

With resiliency that few thought Ortiz had in him, he got up, and seconds later on wobbly legs sent the KO hunting Berto down, going on to win the fight.

The fight had you on the edge of your seat from the get-go and will not be forgotten in a hurry. Both men left it all in the ring and both should be proud of their performances.

Since the fight, the fighters have had differing fortunes. Berto rebounded from the loss to defeat Jan Zaveck, when the Slovenian title holder retired after the fifth round. Ortiz stepped up to face pound-for-pound contender Floyd Mayweather.

The strange knockout in that fight has done a lot of damage to Ortiz's reputation. A rematch with Berto for the IBF belt would surely be an attractive prospect for both men, and I'm sure there won't be many fans complaining.