Hurd, Aleem, Roach Jr. Chosen Among ESPN's Best Of 2017!

A number of Beltway Boxers were selected among the finest moments in boxing by ESPN.com. No locals were chosen at the top of the respective lists but the moments during the year were not overlooked.

Two Beltway Boxers were selected among the top Rounds Of The Year.  IBF Junior Middleweight champion Jarrett Hurd's sixth round of his title defense against former world champion Austin Trout on October 14th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY came in at number five.  This is how ESPN.com's Dan Rafael described the round:

"Hurd, defending his junior middleweight belt for the first time, and former titleholder Trout traded nonstop. They landed head and body shots back and forth, though the heavier hitting Hurd did major damage. He badly hurt Trout with a right hand that nearly dropped him with 30 seconds to go before Trout came back in the final seconds of the action-packed round."

Coming in at number nine was the third round of the January 14th contest between Immanuwel Aleem and Ievgen Khytrov, also held at the Barclays Center.  Here's Rafael's description:

"The unbeaten middleweight prospects put on quite a show, especially in the third round in which they were both in trouble. Aleem blasted Khytrov with a left hook that dropped him hard with a minute left. Khytrov was in bad shape but rallied, badly hurting Aleem and nearly stopping him with a series of shots late in the round. Aleem then got in a few blows, but as the round was ending Khytrov backed him into a corner and had him out on his feet."

Both local boxers won those bouts.  Hurd would stop Trout in the 10th round to make the first defense of his title while Aleem would knock out Khytrov in the sixth round and win the WBC Silver Middleweight title.   The fifth round between heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko on April 29th in London, England took the top spot.

One Beltway Boxer landed among the Prospects of the Year for 2017. That would be Upper Marlboro, MD super featherweight Lamont Roach, Jr. who came in at number 16.  Here is what Rafael said about Roach:

"Roach began boxing at age 9, had an excellent amateur career (including two junior Golden Gloves titles and a national one) and turned pro at 18. Golden Boy has moved him steadily and kept the smooth boxer busy with four fights in 2017. Although not known as a puncher, Roach won two of those fights by first-round KO. He also showed he might become a ticket seller, drawing a good crowd for his first main event in his home region when he headlined on ESPN in November."

Roach (16-0, six KO's) was named the Beltway Rookie of the Year in 2014 and one of the Prospects of the Year in 2016.  He currently holds the WBC Youth Silver Super Featherweight title. 

ESPN's Prospect of the Year is Ryan Garcia, an undefeated junior lightweight from Victorville, CA (13-0, 12 KO's).

We will have our Beltway Boxing Year-End Awards next week.