The Most Memorable Boxing Moments in 2015

After over half a decade of waiting, boxing fans finally got the bout they had been clamoring for in 2015, as Floyd Mayweather at last faced Manny Pacquiao in the ring. It wasn't much of a fight, but it was certainly the most memorable boxing moment of the year. 

Miguel Cotto and Saul Alvarez added a new chapter to the great Puerto Rican-Mexican boxing rivalry, and Gennady Golovkin made his pay-per-view debut. The colorful Tyson Fury capped off an outstanding year for British boxing by taking Wladimir Klitschko's heavyweight crown. 

Not every memorable moment from 2015 was a great one. But in boxing, fans have always had to accept the lows alongside the highs. 

This March clash between light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev and former champion Jean Pascal set the tone for what was an outstanding year in the 175-pound division. This wasn't the best light heavyweight fight of 2015. Pascal's unanimous-decision victory over Yunieski Gonzalez and Andrzej Fonfara's war with Nathan Cleverly were both better. 

But Kovalev's Round 8 TKO of Pascal was more high profile, and it was an extremely compelling bout in its own right. Pascal showed tremendous heart to come back from a brutal pounding early and turned it into a shootout in the middle rounds.

Ultimately, Kovalev's patient and relentless offense was too much. Pascal protested, but referee Luis Pabon's stoppage in the eighth was entirely justified. Pascal was getting hit by clean shots in the corner, from one of the most dangerous punchers in the world. 

Pacal's decision over Gonzalez was also one of the worst of 2015. In a just world, the two would be rematching in early 2016. 

But that doesn't mean we won't be anxiously tuning in to see Pascal take another crack at Kovalev on January 30. 

Ricardo Mayorga is unquestionably one of the most colorful figures in boxing history. His press conference antics have always seemed more appropriate for professional wrestling than the sweet science. 

But at one point, he was a relevant boxer. And Shane Mosley was one of the sport's greatest stars in the previous generation. The September 2008 clash between the two was a terrific fight. 

However, their rematch last August was a sideshow. And with potential pay-per-view sales looking less than promising, the ridiculous final press conference shown here was a last attempt to draw interest. 

A warning to those clicking the video: Some of the language is not safe for work. To my eyes, the entire confrontation looks entirely staged. 

This certainly won't be my favorite memory of either man. But it will be one of the most vivid. 

Mosley won the fight by Round 6 KO, not that very many people cared. 

Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Adrien Broner has developed into one of boxing's bigger attractions over the past few years. He shows enough brilliance in the ring to interest even the most cynical boxing purists and has mastered the sort of self promotion on social media that draws in the more casual fans. 

His show-business friendly personality has obviously created opportunities for him that other, equally talented fighters just don't receive.

Shawn Porter, by contrast, is a fighter that boxing's lunch-pail crowd can rally behind. He's a smart, physical athlete who outhustles opponents and beats them up. 

Porter's June 20 showdown with Broner demonstrated the potential of Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champion's series, bringing together two of the most high-profile young fighters in the sport.

It also played out according to script, with Porter simply outworking a very lazy Broner. Still, Broner's Round 12 knockdown of Porter did, once again, show his undeniable talent.  

With the long-awaited clash between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fast approaching, HBO pulled out all the stops on April 18, presenting a terrific, two-site doubleheader. At the University of Texas in Arlington, undefeated Terence Crawford fought for the vacant WBO light welterweight title against Thomas Dulorme. 

There was no world title on the line at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York, but the clash between Ruslan Provodnikov and Lucas Matthysse was still one of the year's most highly anticipated fights. Both men have routinely been mentioned in the same sentences with the words "Fight of the Year."

Crawford continued his march toward pound-for-pound status. Dulorme fought him on very even terms for most of the first half of the fight, until Crawford adjusted to him and took over. In Round 6, Crawford knocked down Dulorme three times to force a stoppage.

In Verona, Provodnikov and Matthysse slugged it out for 12 brutal rounds. Matthysse fought the smarter tactical bout, using a good jab and just enough movement to land the better damage from the outside. But Provodnikov was relentless and put in punishing work to Matthysse's body. 

The evening's broadcast was the start of an amazing five-week stretch of boxing that included Bryant Jennings' game attempt to win the heavyweight crown from Wladimir Klitschko, Mayweather's showdown with Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez's three-round stoppage of James Kirkland and the first of two 2015 cards featuring middleweight knockout artist Gennady Golovkin and flyweight superstar Roman Gonzalez.

With Gennady Golovkin and David Lemieux fighting a middleweight unification bout in October and Miguel Cotto defending the lineal championship against Saul Alvarez in November, Daniel Jacobs' December clash with Peter Quillin was a bit of an overlooked bout at 160 pounds. 

But for serious fans, it was one that you didn't want to miss. The undefeated Quillin is a former WBO middleweight champion. Jacobs is a former amateur standout who has overcome cancer while also developing into one of the top 160-pound professionals on the planet. 

Bragging rights for Brooklyn were on the line in this one, and of more value than Jacobs' WBA "regular" world title. 

Jacobs hurt Quillin early and poured on the aggression, never giving Kid Chocolate time to recover. The Round 1 KO gives Jacobs the best single victory of anybody in the middleweight division. 

Nobody will be overlooking him when they talk about the middleweight division in 2016. 

Serious boxing fans had been waiting years for Roman Gonzalez to finally get a slot on U.S. television. Fighters in the lowest weight classes never get the love they deserve in the U.S. 

But Gonzalez is the kind of special talent that demands attention. He entered 2015 an undefeated, three-division world champion, 41-0 with 35 knockouts. 

After a stay-busy fight in his native Nicaragua in February, Gonzalez finally got the spot he deserves on premium cable in May, sharing a bill with emerging superstar Gennady Golovkin. Gonzalez did not fail to impress, knocking out former champion Edgar Sosa in just two rounds. 

It was the start of what would become "The Year of Chocolalito." After Floyd Mayweather retired in September, Gonzalez emerged as a consensus, pound-for-pound No. 1. 

Make no mistake: This fight was absolutely terrible. It was probably the worst heavyweight championship fight since the seven-foot Nikolai Valuev edged the 46-year-old Evander Holyfield by majority decision in December 2008. 

But this had major historical significance. Klitschko was among the longest-reigning heavyweight champions in history and, alongside his older brother, Vitali, has dominated the division in this century. 

And ugly or not, Fury does deserve some credit for executing a smart, focused game plan against the aging Klitschko. He had the crisper jab and the busier movement. He controlled the tempo and consistently initiated the exchanges. 

The change at the top of the heavyweight division at least brings new excitement. With Klitschko toppled from his pedestal, the space opens for many exciting potential matchups featuring younger stars. 

If nothing else, Fury's in-ring, off-key victory rendition of Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" will be very hard to forget. 

Despite being the sport's most avoided fighter in recent years, middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin has still managed to develop into one of boxing's biggest stars. GGG's wrecking-machine style has allowed him to attract fan attention, regardless of opponent. 

In Golovkin's own words, he brings "The Big Drama Show."

After David Lemieux captured the vacant IBF middleweight title in an all-action war with Hassan N'Dam in June, he quickly did what no previously belt-holder at 160 pounds had been willing to do: He signed for a fight with Golovkin. 

The date was set for Golovkin's pay-per-view debut, and HBO sweetened the pot by once more pairing the Kazak star with flyweight sensation Roman Gonzalez. 

Gonzalez turned in a brilliant stoppage of tough, former champion Brian Viloria. Golovkin methodically tore down Lemieux and finished him inside of eight rounds. 

Golovkin and Gonzalez will both factor in some of the biggest moments of 2016. 

The November clash between Miguel Cotto and Saul Alvarez will always be remembered as part of the great Puerto Rican-Mexican boxing rivalry. But it was a compelling matchup in its own right, featuring an aging legend in Cotto against an emerging superstar in Alvarez. 

The pay-per-view was made even more memorable by Francisco Vargas' thrilling, come-from-behind knockout of WBC super featherweight champion Takashi Miura, my own choice for 2015's Fight of the Year. 

Cotto fought a brave and intelligent fight against Alvarez but simply could not overcome the younger man's size advantage. Alvarez also used good head and shoulder movement and was able to negate Cotto's famous left hook while landing the heavier shots. 

The victory made Alvarez the lineal middleweight champion. Fans will now anxiously hope for a unification bout between Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin in 2016. 

After five years of on-again, off-again negotiations, boxing fans finally got the fight they had been clamoring for during 2015. In May, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao finally met each other in the ring. 

It was billed as "The Fight of the Century," but in truth, it wasn't much of a fight at all. 

Nevertheless, it was an unforgettable boxing moment. Las Vegas' McCarran Airport was packed tighter than Route 495 on a Holiday weekend with private jets. An endless parade of celebrities turned out. 

For younger fans, it was an overdue reminder that no cultural event grabs the attention of the masses like a prizefight between the right stars. 

There's been plenty of chatter in recent years about the "death of boxing." But observers have been ringing that bell for centuries, and sooner or later, they always end up premature in their assessment.