For the sport of Boxing in Ontario, and for a number of Canadian Professional Boxers based out of, or born in Ontario, 2009 was undoubtedly a roller coaster ride of a year. With highs that have no limits, like Troy Ross becoming “The Contender” Cruiserweight Champion, on a boxing reality show with Tony Danza and Sylvester Stallone, televised on a major U.S. TV Network. To lows like Manitoba’s Arthur “The Bear” Cooks leg snapping in a Heavyweight Title Fight at Casino Rama in his bout with Undefeated Ontario Heavyweight, Canadian Champion Greg Kielsa. With even more highs from Ontario’s Troy Ross as he closed out 2009 with a devastating 1st round KO in Montreal, officially going 6 - 0 on the year, with 4 KO’s!!! To lows like overseas controversies including IFBA and WIBA Super Bantamweight Champ “Bad News” Brown in Korea, and former Canadian Heavyweight Champ “Big” Ray Olubowale in Germany, or how about Canadian Bantamweight Champ Andrew Kooner’s 1st round loss on a cut in the UK..? 2009 definitely had it all, including its share of controversy, adversity, and successes for the fighters from Ontario...

Troy Ross obviously leads the pack when it comes to Fighter of the Year candidates in Canada from Ontario, and stands with a solid enough record this past year, to be placed alongside Jean Pascal who was not only crowned WBC Light Heavyweight Champion in 2009, but also made 2 successful defences while scoring 2 KO’s in his 4 wins this past year; and IBF Super Middleweight Champion Lucien Bute who won both of his world title defences in 2k9 with 2 huge, 4th round KO’s while leapfrogging his way to the #1 Ranked Contender for The Ring magazine’s vacant Lineal World Title! Regardless of where Ross gets ranked P4P in Canada for his performances this year, one thing is for certain, Troy Ross is truly the Real Deal, and this guy needs a world title shot in 2010... No Doubt!

Steve “The Canadian Kid” Molitor began his crusade towards re-establishing himself amongst the world best at 122lbs in 2009. Molitor went 3-0 this year albeit versus non-title competition; however, the real story behind Molitor in ‘09 was more than anything, who would corner the kid on his way back up to the top? After parting ways with Bute’s long time trainer Stephane Larouche, who watched on from the corner in 2008 as Molitor saw his dream of becoming a Unified World Champ disintegrate at the hands of Celestino Caballero, it was eventually Molitor’s former trainer Chris Johnson, the man who took Steve to the top the 1st time around, who would return to the fold in what would become a rebuilding year for “The Canadian Kid”... All questions currently surrounding Steve Molitor after the wildest part of his roller coaster ride in 2009; will now likely be answered in 2010 when Molitor is expected to get his opportunity at redemption, and another world title shot himself!

A couple of Undefeated Heavyweights made some waves in 2009, as both Greg Kielsa and Neven Pajkic kept their zero’s intact. Kielsa went 3-0 (1 no contest) with 2Ko’s and 1 Canadian Title defence! While Pajkic spent 2009 going 2-0 with 1Ko on a year that saw numerous fight announcements for Pajkic, only to see the fights eventually cancelled. Pajkic however will kick off 2010 by being in the Main Event at The Hershey Centre in Mississauga on January 16th versus a tough as nails Mexican in Benito Quiroz 5-1, 5Ko’s! Look for even more explosives in the Heavyweight Division from current CAM Champion “Big” Ray Olubowale, as after spending an extensive amount of time revamping himself as a fighter under Syd “The Jewel” Vanderpool’s guidance for most of 2009, Ray has informed FightNews Canada that he has now teamed up with Everton McEwan, who is no stranger to working with Champions (having guided Syd Vanderpool to a world title shot and a victory over Glen Johnson) and the 6’ ft 7” big man is still looking for his rematch with Greg Kielsa in 2010 for the Canadian Heavyweight strap! All eyes in the Heavyweight Division in Canada will undoubtedly be on this trio from Ontario in the coming year, as a mandatory Heavyweight Title defence approaches...

Prospect of the year honours however could go to any number of Ontario fighters based on what went down in 2009. Tebor Brosch, who could also be consider for the comeback of the year award in Canada for this past year of competition, is coming off two major upsets in Quebec and went 3-0-1 with 2 Ko’s in ‘09, including a huge 2nd round stoppage over Benyamine Besmi who was 10 -1, in only the 2nd round. Tebor Brosch has definitely established himself as a tough competitor having had a stand-out year in 2009 to say the very least...

Another couple of young fighters from Ontario who had stand-out years are Tony Luis and Logan McGuiness. Tony Luis had another undefeated year in 2009 going 4-0 with 2Ko’s. Luis’ opposition was well placed for the 21 year old who delivered in impressive fashion in ’09, as Luis continues quietly climbing up the rankings in Canada sporting an 8-0 record with 2 Ko’s. All the while Logan McGuiness has been a busy young man himself recently, racking up 5 wins with 2 Ko’s and testing himself in deeper water having no difficulties with an 8 rounder late in the year improving to 9-0, 4 Ko’s. McGuiness will also see action in the 1st card in Ontario in 2009 at The Hershey Centre in Mississauga, and is set to face Harrison King McBain!

A dark horse as a prospect of the year in 2009, yet likely one of the top prospects in the entire country, Jason “Friday the 13th” Douglas quietly went undefeated this year with 2 wins, 1 by KO. Douglas previous to ‘09 had only fought in the U.S. but this year Jason Douglas fought every round on Canadian soil. Douglas also had his share of ups and downs with a number of his fights being last minute cancellations. Definitely look for a busier “Friday the 13th” to have an impact on Canadian Boxing in the coming year!

Also, notably this year former NHL Tough Guy, and former Toronto Maple Leaf, Nathan Perrott took his best swing at the sweet science in 2009. After kicking off his Boxing career in Philadelphia with a 4th round stoppage victory, Perrott returned to Philadelphia and was stopped in the 1st round. Perrot was dropped 3 times in the 2nd fight, but didn’t quit, showing the heart that landed him in the NHL in the 1st place.

Winnipeg’s WBC Super Featherweight Champion, Olivia Gerula without a doubt was Canada’s female Fighter of the Year in ’09, going 3-0 while winning a WBC World Title and making her 1st successful defence fighting every contest in her opponents back yard!!! But Gerula wasn’t the only Canadian Female touring the world looking to make history this past year. Ontario’s Lisa Brown began her 2009 campaign with a solid 3rd round KO in a double world title fight in Trinidad, securing her the top contender status at 122lbs by both the WBA and WBC. But Lisa lost that status when she made the temporary leap to 126lbs and fought for the IFBA Featherweight Title in Korea. Though even the Korean Press concurs that Lisa won the fight in the ring, Brown unfortunately lost the fight on the cards and in the official record books, and may have lost her mandatory title shots in the process. “Bad News” has a positive outlook though and has told FightNews Canada that she plans to return to 122lbs next year, not only to defend the 2 world titles she still currently owns, but Brown still also wants her shots at the other 2 big world title belts at Super Bantam and is looking to try and win those as well in 2010!

There indeed were a number of great female fights in 2009 both in Ontario, as well as outside the country involving Ontario Female Fighters! Included in the mix of top female fighters in ’09 would have to be the successful return to the ring for Hamilton native, former WBC Lightweight Champ Jessica Rakoczy who went 2-0 with 1KO this year. “Lethal” Lindsay Garbatt also had an impressive 2009, going 2-0 with 1 very massive KO versus Maureen Shea; rocketing Garbatt up in the world rankings! Top world ranked fighters Sandy Tsagouris and Jeannine Garside also had undefeated years in 2009, both going 1-0 on the year.

Women’s Boxing has yet to reach the highs that the men’s fights have, but the announcement that Female Boxing will now be a medal event for the 1st time ever at the next Olympic Games may very well be the biggest news in Female Boxing in 2009, aside from the unbelievable year Olivia “The Predator” Gerula put together that is..., and with Canada having at least 3 future Gold Medal hopeful’s racking up victories in the Ams already in ‘09, look for Women’s boxing to finally start getting closer to the attention it deserves in the coming year in Canada... No Doubt!

Look for added growth from the grassroots up on the men’s side in Ontario in 2010 as well, as two new huge expansions into training fighters at all levels in Ontario were added in 2009. Possibly Canada’s best kept secret in the corner of Canadian Boxing, world class trainer Richard Lewis, alongside a group of owners that includes Tyler Buxton of Buxton Promotions, opened World Class Boxing and Fitness near the west end of the GTA in Pickering in 2009. The brand new well equipped facility, alongside the proven old school meets new school training methods of Richard Lewis, promise great things out of the WCB gym. While in the North end of the GTA in North York, the famous Grant brothers, based primarily out of Montreal, Otis, Howard and Ryan, opened up a state of the art facility of their own in 2009! Fully equipped with a cage for MMA training as well as some of the best trainers in Canada when it comes to boxing, the Grant brothers are a very welcomed presence in the growing combative sports market in Ontario!

The roller coaster year of 2009 was a historical year in the sport of Pro Boxing in Canada for a number of reasons. Up in the clouds Lennox Lewis was inducted into the Hall of Fame this past year; many great Canadian Boxers fought for and defended World Championship Titles all over the globe, and many more made it onto Boxing’s top networks and PPV outlets, including a few HBO and ESPN trips north of the border. Success no doubt surrounded Canadian Boxing this year. While on the down side, the sudden and still unexplained loss of Canada’s favourite modern day blood and guts warrior, Arturo “Thunder” Gatti sent shock waves through the entire boxing world in 2009, and leaves us all, to this very day, with many questions left unanswered as to what truly happened to Arturo in Brazil? What is for certain is that 2010 will answer many of the questions posed in rollercoaster year of 2009!

If you wish to contact the author of this article, email John Robbins at FightNews Canada