1 Leigh Wood W KO 12 Michael Conlan
Bookended by two of the most dramatic moments of the yr, the March struggle between featherweights Wood and Conlan was the variety of struggle you present newcomers to the sport in the hope they’ll stick round. It all started with Conlan registering an enormous knockdown in spherical one with an almighty left hand, after which the Irishman went on to supply some of the best boxing of his profession. That was till Wood caught up with him, nonetheless, and completed the struggle fairly spectacularly in spherical 12, sending Conlan out of the ring with a straight proper cross.
2 Sivenathi Nontshinga SD 12 Hector Flores
The excellent mix of high-octane motion and tight scorecards, this September struggle at light-flyweight between Nontshinga of South Africa and Flores of Mexico was nip and tuck from first bell to final. Held in Hermosillo, Mexico, a fairly becoming backdrop, Flores recovered from a second-round knockdown to push Nontshinga onerous all through, but it nonetheless wasn’t fairly sufficient to cease the South African taking a cut up determination and heading house with the vacant IBF light-flyweight belt.
3 Kenshiro Teraji W TKO 7 Hiroto Kyoguchi
Light-flyweights Teraji and Kyoguchi met at Tokyo’s Saitama Super Arena in November and collectively confirmed that there isn’t any larger sight than that of fighters in the decrease weight lessons rattling by way of their punch repertoires at breakneck pace. With momentum shifts in abundance, Teraji and Kyoguchi not solely delivered a struggle for the ages however, in spherical 5, additionally gave us arguably the spherical of the yr. That spherical, a microcosm of the struggle, noticed each fighters harm earlier than rallying again fairly extremely.
4 Sebastian Fundora W RTD 9 Erickson Lubin
Known as the “Towering Inferno”, Sebastian Fundora is a 6’5 southpaw super-welterweight whose model and dimensions make him a nightmare for anybody to struggle. In April, nonetheless, he nearly met his match in the type of Erickson Lubin, who, after being floored himself in spherical two, got here again to badly harm and drop Fundora in a wild and eventful spherical seven. Yet, in the finish, it was Fundora who prevailed when Lubin retired on his stool after 9 rounds.
5 Jermell Charlo W KO 10 Brian Castano II
Charlo and Castano met for the first time again in 2021 and each got here away disillusioned when the struggle was declared a draw after 12 rounds. Eager to repair that, they reconvened in May of this yr and this time left nothing to probability, with each males combating more durable than earlier than and Charlo, specifically, dominating some meaty exchanges earlier than dropping Castano twice in the tenth spherical. The win settled their rivalry and in addition confirmed Charlo’s place at the prime of the super-welterweight tree.
6 Joe Joyce W KO 11 Joseph Parker
Although he had a plan, and though he confirmed a outstanding quantity of braveness and sturdiness on the night time, heavyweight Joseph Parker was nonetheless unable to make a dent in Joe Joyce when the pair locked horns in September. Instead, Joyce, as is his customized, set his radar on Parker from the very first bell and simply continued marching ahead undeterred till, in spherical 11, he ended issues with a surprising left hook.
7 Fernando Martinez W UD 12 Jerwin Ancajas
No stranger to entertaining fights, skilled Filipino Jerwin Ancajas was concerned in not one however two of them in 2022, each towards the identical opponent: Fernando Martinez. The pair met for the first time in February and this struggle, the higher of the two, ended with Martinez, an unbeaten Argentinean, taking the unanimous determination after 12 rounds of nonstop motion. Martinez then managed to repeat the trick in the October rematch, beating Ancajas as soon as once more by determination to retain his IBF super-flyweight belt.
8 Jai Opetaia W UD 12 Mairis Briedis
The often-ignored cruiserweight division has thrown up some basic slugfests lately and July’s battle between Opetaia and Briedis in Australia was, because it turned out, a welcome addition to this pattern. With no worry of travelling, Briedis, the champion, took his title to Opetaia’s house nation solely to then go away with out it after 12 stirring rounds of motion which noticed the Latvian eventually meet his equal in the physicality stakes and Opetaia, beforehand unknown, come of age on the massive stage.
9 Andy Ruiz W UD 12 Luis Ortiz
A enjoyable brawl between heavyweight contenders, the outcome of this September struggle in the end hinged on Andy Ruiz’s skill to safe three knockdowns en path to the ultimate bell. The first two knockdowns occurred in the second spherical, when Ruiz dropped Ortiz with a giant proper hand, and the equally pivotal third knockdown arrived in the seventh, when a extra cuffing proper hand this time did the harm. Each of these flashpoints tipped an in any other case back-and-forth contest in Ruiz’s favour and Ortiz, although he had his moments, was in the finish left questioning what may have been.
10 Dmitry Bivol W UD 12 Saul Alvarez
While maybe not the most action-packed struggle of the yr, the May conflict between Bivol and Alvarez was definitely one of the greatest, each in phrases of its magnitude and the expertise exhibited by Bivol, the victor, on the night time. Deemed an upset by most, Bivol was nearly as good as punch-perfect in Las Vegas and Alvarez, regardless of his star attraction and his prior success in decrease weight lessons, discovered this newest step as much as light-heavyweight a bridge too far.
British Fight of the Year
1 Leigh Wood W KO 12 Michael Conlan
2 Joe Joyce W KO 11 Joseph Parker
3 Jordan Gill W KO 9 Karim Guerfi
4 Josh Warrington TKO 7 Kiko Martinez
5 Chris Billam-Smith W UD 12 Isaac Chamberlain
6 Denzel Bentley W UD 12 Linus Udofia
7 Josh Taylor W UD 12 Jack Catterall
8 Sam Gilley TKO 9 Drew Brown
9 Tyler Denny W UD 10 River Wilson-Bent
10 Ijaz Ahmed D 12 Quaise Khamedi
Female Fight of the Year
1 Katie Taylor W SD 10 Amanda Serrano
2 Claressa Shields W UD 10 Savannah Marshall
3 Delfine Persoon W UD 10 Elhem Mekhaled
British Female Fight of the Year
1 Claressa Shields W UD 10 Savannah Marshall
2 Ebanie Bridges W UD 10 Maria Cecilia Roman
3 Sandy Ryan W UD 10 Erica Anabella Farias
Female KO of the Year
Savannah Marshall KO 3 Femke Hermans
Female Prospect of the Year
Ellie Scotney
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