2005 was another year, at least the third in a row, where pro boxing regained some lost ground in terms of general public popularity. I can hear the jackals howling about how the sport is drying up, but that’s caca. Cable giants wouldn’t be shoveling money around for long just to increase a faded market.

Corrales-Castillo I was the Fight of the Year and an all-time classic. One of the most electric fight scenes ever.

Morales-Pacquaio could have qualified for top honors in other years, and right before that Jorge Arce and Hussein Hussein put on a bloody classic of their own. They were the best back-to-back fights I’ve been lucky enough to attend.

If anybody had four big wins over the last 12 month span, they may deserve Fighter of the Year recognition. But none of the top dogs do. I’d be inclined to vote for Jermain Taylor, based on his victories over Hopkins and how far that meant in terms of a career leap. Taylor’s third round stoppage of previously undefeated Daniel Edouard in February helps the case.

It was a very good year. There was heartbreak, but there was much more hope.

Phil Woolever is the Las Vegas correspondent for The Sweet Science. To read more of his work