By Jeff Carroll
2022 was a mixed bag for boxing fans everywhere. The year started strong and was filled with promise featuring Fight of the Year contenders like Wood v Conlan, Taylor v Serrano, and Charlo v Castano 2, all in the first half. We also had pound for pound stars in compelling fights, like Spence v Ugas, Canelo v Bivol, and Usyk v Joshua 2. There were captivating storylines in the rise of Bam Rodriguez, the young superstar who had an opportunity and seized it in a way many fighters can only dream of. There was also the rise of women’s boxing, such as the all-female card supporting the undisputed clash of Shields v Marshall, and the unification of Mayer v Baumgardner. However, while 2022 featured a plethora of boxing successes, it will ultimately be remembered for it’s failure to deliver two of the biggest fights in boxing. With that being said, here are the One-Two’s 2022 Year End Awards:
Disappointment of the Year: No Crawford v Spence
Why not start with the bad news so we can end with the good news? The bad news is, after months of negotiations, tantalizing tweets, and promises that “the contracts are basically done”, fans lost out on what would have been one of the biggest fights of the decade: Terence “Bud” Crawford v Errol “The Truth” Spence for the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. There was a lot of blame to go around, with Crawford immediately announcing a (lucrative?) fight against David Avanesyan on BLK Prime PPV, but in the end, boxing boxing’d, and fans we were left questioning if they would ever see one of the most necessary battles in the sport. Runner Up: No Fury v Joshua.
Robbery of the Year: Taylor v Catterrall
Josh Taylor was an -850 favourite coming into his mandatory defence against Jack Catterrall, but when the opening bell rang, he ran into an opponent was much more game than the matchmakers anticipated. Frustrating Taylor with a cagey and aggressive style, Catterrall seemed to stifle any offense the champion attempted to muster, masterfully using his southpaw jab to great effectiveness. After winning many of the opening rounds, Catterrall seemed to put an exclamation point on the victory by dropping Taylor in the 8th. But it was not to be. The final scores were 113-112 Catterrall, 114-111 Taylor and 113-112 Taylor, in what some called “The Biggest Robbery in British Boxing History”. Originally planning to move up to 147, Taylor was haunted by calls of a fix. A police investigation was opened regarding the scorecards and judging. In the end, Taylor vacated the IBF, WBC and WBA belts in order to rematch Catterrall and right a wrong that would have cast a shadow over his entire career. Runner Up: Whyte v Franklin.
Prospect of the Year: Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson
This was a difficult category, as the rising young talent in boxing continues to impress at a variety of levels. There’s Keyshawn Davis, Xander Zayas, Frank Martin, Subriel Matias, Robeisy Ramirez, and David Morrell Jr just to name a few. However, just one seems ultimately poised on the cusp of a breakout, and that’s The Real Big Baby. With his two round demolishment of Jerry Forrest in their December bout, Anderson is just about ready to take on a heavyweight challenge in the top 15 or even top 10, and although is defence is still suspect, his power and his athletic ability are not. The future of the American Heavyweight scene looks very bright at the moment. Runner Up: Keyshawn Davis
Event of the Year: Shields v Marshall
2022 was the year of women’s boxing. That’s how it should be remembered, and although Taylor v Serrano was the better fight, Shields v Marshall was worthy of mention for the historically noteworthy aspect that it was the first all women fight card in the UK, the first female fight to headline the O2 and the most watched female fight in boxing history. It also featured another tremendous bout in Mayer vs Baumgardner, which generated enough buzz and controversy that a rematch is almost guaranteed (should Baumgardner allow it). Shields was able to claim undisputed, again, as well as put to rest any doubts who the true GWOAT is, avenging her only amateur loss. Marshall looked sharp at times, but was completely overmatched by the incredible Shields. Runner up: Usyk vs AJ 2.
Rising Star of the Year: Bam Rodriguez
A definite candidate for Fighter of the Year, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez will surely get that honour in the future. With a massive win as a late replacement over Carlos Cuadras in February, he kicked off a year that saw him knock out the feared Sor Srisasket Rungvisai in June, and then gut out a win against the very game Israel Gonzalez in September. Although he appeared to struggle against Gonzalez, it may have been the result of overactivity, and the fact that Gonzalez was a tougher than expected opponent. Either way, Bam appears poised for great things.
Upset of the Year: Canelo v Bivol
There were many other upsets this year where the odd differential was bigger, but nonetheless, Canelo was a big favourite here (-550 to Bivol’s +400). This isn’t upset of the year because of the odds though, but because of the monumental impact this fight had on the boxing world. Canelo was coming off an undisputed run where he appeared invincible. Not only had he knocked out four out of his last five opponents, he had also already been up to 175 to fight Sergey Kovalev. Canelo, the “Face of Boxing”, was at the top of most pound for pound lists, and wasn’t looking to slow down. Enter Dimitry Bivol, a rather unassuming, but technically proficient Kyrgyzstani, who hadn’t looked particularly spectacular in his previous bouts, having just recently won a narrow decision against the tough but very average Craig “The Spider” Richards. What happened next dramatically altered the boxing landscape, as Bivol thoroughly schooled Canelo, who looked frustrated and bewildered, a sight fans hadn’t seen since his Mayweather fight. Although the cards were closer than they should have been, Bivol easily claimed victory. The scary thought for Canelo is that Bivol could also move down to 168 and rematch him there, claiming undisputed in the process.
Knockout of the Year: Plant v Dirrell
Building himself back from his loss to Canelo the previous year, Caleb Plant was a mission to prove he wasn’t just a paper champion. With a future fight with David Benavidez on the horizon, Plant’s comeback fight against a tough veteran in Dirrell seemed like a good challenge. “Sweethands” had never been known for his power, but under new trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, it seems that Caleb had started to sit on his punches on a little more. This resulted in a vicious body shot – head shot combination that knocked Dirrell out cold. What sealed the deal for KO of the year was the vicious celebration afterward, where Plant, taking a page out of Tito Ortiz’s book, began miming the act of shoveling dirt on the unconscious Dirrell, only to be restrained by the referee, breaking free, and shoveling again. Runner Up: Wood v Conlan
Fight of the Year: Taylor v Serrano
Rare is the event that lives up to the hype. Rarer still is the event that surpasses it. Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano was a fight that had been building for years. Along with Claressa Shields, both Taylor and Serrano were unanimously the top three pound-for-pound fighters on any list. They were also the first female fighter to headline Madison Square Garden. The build-up to the fight was filled with superlatives like “historic” and “groundbreaking”, but once those two women entered the ring, the drama reached a fever pitch. What ensued was a classic for the ages, with the momentum swinging back and forth, Taylor boxing beautifully, Serrano constantly stalking. The final thirty seconds were straight out of Gatti-Ward, with the entire Garden on its feet. Although Taylor eked out the narrowest of victories, there were many questions left unanswered, and a rematch is going to be must-see boxing. Runner Up: Charlo v Castano II
Fighter of the Year: Dimitry Bivol
While his victory over Canelo alone would have been enough to put him in the conversation for Fighter of the Year, Dimitry Bivol was not one to rest on his laurels and instead, chose to face off against former 175 pound titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in November. Ramirez was no small test, undefeated, and often weighing 200+ pounds on fight night, but Bivol proved the Canelo fight was no fluke, using superior handspeed and footwork to nullify any offense the large Mexican tried to muster. It was another textbook boxing display, and Bivol’s reminder to the boxing world that not only was he here to stay, but that at 175, he may be unbeatable. The only challenge remaining is the heavy handed Artur Beterbiev, who at 37, may already be too old to keep with the electric Bivol. Runner Up: Bam Rodriguez