The Jose Zepeda-Ivan Baranchyk junior welterweight fight was a landslide winner as the Boxing Writers Association of America Fight of the Year. The October classic featured eight combined knockdowns. Zepeda was knocked down twice in the first, once in the second and once in the fifth. Baranchyk was down once in rounds two, three, four and five. Finally, Zepeda ended it at 2:50 of the fifth.

 

“This is very exciting, because I know now that this will be part of boxing history,” Zepeda said. “I’m glad that I was able to be in a fight like that, and I’m happy for me and Ivan, because both of us gave up everything in there. It’s why we’re part of boxing, because we gave it our all. It’s double the pleasure, because it’s Fight of the Year, and I won. I think a lot of good things can happen for me this year, because of that fight. I know fans want to see that fight again. I think our second fight could be even better than our first fight.”

 

Anyone who saw it won’t forget it, and anyone who didn’t see it made sure that they watched it later. “This is great,” Baranchyk said. “I saw the fight one time with my trainer, that was it. I went back over the fight to fix my mistakes to be ready for the rematch. I would like to fight Jose again.”

 

The candidates for Fight of the Year included Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz, Carlos Gongora-Ali Akhmedov, Juan Francisco Estrada-Carlos Cuadras II and Masayoshi Nakatani-Felix Verdejo.

 

The 2020 John McCain-Bill Crawford Courage Award goes to the Magomed Abdusalamov family, who have been taking care of the Russian heavyweight after he suffered severe brain injuries during his fight with Mike Perez on November 2, 2013, at Madison Square Garden.

 

Mark Breland, Prichard Colon, Derrick James and Jose Santa Cruz were the other considerations in that category. 

 

BWAA 2020 Award Winners:

 

Sugar Ray Robinson Award Fighter of The Year 2020 winner: Teofimo Lopez Jr.

 

Nominees: Canelo Alvarez, Gervonta Davis, Tyson Fury, Teofimo Lopez Jr., Errol Spence Jr., Joe Smith Jr.

 

Muhammad Ali – Joe Frazier Award Fight of the Year 2020 winner: Jose Zepeda-Ivan Baranchyk

 

Nominees: Gervonta Davis-Leo Santa Cruz, Carlos Gongora-Ali Akhmedov, Juan Francisco Estrada-Carlos Cuadras II, Masayoshi Nakatani-Felix Verdejo, Alexander Povetkin-Dillian Whyte, 

Jose Zepeda-Ivan Baranchyk

 

Eddie Futch Award Trainer of the Year 2020 winner: Teofimo Lopez Sr.

 

Nominees: Robert Garcia, Sugar Hill, Derrick James, Teofimo Lopez Sr., Eddy Reynoso

 

Cus D’Amato Award Manager of the Year 2020 winner: David McWater

 

Nominees: Keith Connolly, Peter Kahn, David McWater, Rick Mirigian, Eddy Reynoso 

 

John McCain-Bill Crawford Courage Award 2020 winner: Magomed Abdusalamov family

 

Nominees: Magomed Abdusalamov family, Mark Breland, Prichard Colon, Derrick James, Jose Santa Cruz