Beltway Boxing 2009 -- Prospect Of The Year!

This was a tough choice as well. However, recent developments (that will be explained near the end of this post) made this choice a little easier.

Digital’s Choice for Prospect of the Year is:

Mark “TNT” Tucker, light heavyweight, Eldersburg, MD (13-0, seven KO’s).

Tucker is a strong example of what a prospect is in boxing – a boxer who has made substantial progress from his first year to the second year. In 2008 – Tucker’s rookie year – the won-loss record of his opposition in his six bouts was 18-29. In 2009 – the won-loss record of his opposition was 119-60-8.

The 22-year-old made a substantial leap in his career by battling foes who were shop worn but had been, at the very least, fringe contenders during their career. Some of the wins may have been closer than he and his fans would like – especially the victories over Ross Thompson (who did battle for a world title) and George Armenta. But Tucker’s impressive victories over the likes of Richard Stewart, Juergen Hartenstein, Rubin Williams and his USBO Light Heavyweight title win over Jim Strohl proved that the talent is definitely there.

The next step for Tucker is to let the rest of the boxing world in on what the Beltway already knows – Tucker is a prospect to watch.

The Beltway Boxing Fan’s Choice for Prospect of the Year is:

Scott “Cujo” Sigmon, super middleweight, Bedford, VA, (7-1, three KO’s)

Sigmon is not the most polished boxer that Beltway Boxing Fans have ever seen, but he is rapidly becoming one of its most popular and talked about, by virtue of his eight-vote win over Mark Tucker in the fan’s poll.

What Sigmon does show in the ring is a great deal of heart and toughness. After only eight bouts, Sigmon has already advanced to eight-round competition and performed well, winning a tough eight-round unanimous decision over Toris Brewer and stopping Nick Schelich in the third. How far will Sigmon progress in his career? That will be interesting and fun to watch.

Other Prospects Deserving Consideration:

James “Keep ‘Em Sleepin’ Stevenson, welterweight, Baltimore, MD (12-0, 10 KO’s)

Stevenson took a safer route in his 2009 campaign, fighting journeyman veterans that enabled him to show his skills and win three regional titles. After winning his first eight bouts by knockout, Stevenson proved he can be a distance boxer with tough eight-round unanimous decision wins against Manuel Guzman and Martinus Clay. This year will be a pivotal one for Stevenson, who will be called upon to step up the level of his competition.

Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell, heavyweight, Brandywine, MD (15-0, nine KO’s)

The former Michigan State University football star continued to display his aptitude for learning the sweet science. Mitchell, a Golden Boy Promotions signee, took his talents on the road in three successful bouts on the West Coast. Near the end of the year, Mitchell performed very well in a significant bump in competition with great wins over Jermell Barnes and Zack Page.

There is also a growing fan base for Mitchell, who sold more than 400 tickets to his bout in DC on October 24. Talent plus fan base usually equals success for heavyweights and it will be interesting to see if Mitchell can put his name into the hat of successful American heavyweights as the next decade begins.

Cecil McCalla, middleweight, Baltiimore, MD, (9-0, six KO’s)

McCalla, without much fanfare, grew steadily in 2009, beginning with two victories in a week’s time in January. The spring saw McCalla win twice against classy veterans Anthony Little and John Mackey. June saw McCalla end his year with two knockout wins over Eric Burke and Jorge Barajas. McCalla might have received more consideration if he was able to compete more in 2009, but he is the sleeper of the Beltway prospects.

"Vicious" Julius Kennedy, middleweight, Windsor Mill, MD (7-1, three KO's)

Another boxer that did great things under the radar. All Kennedy did was go 4-0 in 2009, including a six-round majority decision win over Aaron Pryor, Jr. in Pryor's home state of Ohio. Kennedy showed solid power in some of his bouts and tried to make noise in the area by calling out Jessie Nicklow. That could be a strong bout in 2010.

Why are Fernando Guerrero and Tim Coleman not listed here?

Here's where we talk about recent developments. When we started the look back at 2009, both boxers were considered to be just prospects. In December, two of the major governing bodies came out with December rankings and both men landed their names in them.

Guerrero is now ranked 11th by the WBO at middleweight and Coleman is ranked 15th by the IBF at junior welterweight after winning the USBA title in 2009. Coleman is now looking at an IBF Title Eliminator against former WBO champ Kendall Holt in February.

Both men are no longer prospects, they have crossed the line to contenders.