When 2022 ends, sports illustrated looking back With the themes and teams, storylines and throughlines that shaped the year.
As always, the year of boxing was filled with spectacular moments, stellar performances and the emergence of new stars. sports illustrated Best choice for 2022.
Click here for Male Fighter of the Year and Fight of the Year SI picks.
Female Fighter of the Year: Katie Taylor
Taylor continued her campaign as the best female fighter in 2022.
Ed Mulholland/Matchroom
Taylor’s meteoric rise in the Pro ranks came last April when she defeated longtime rival Amanda Serrano, slightly surpassing Serrano in an electric performance. so far MSG headlines — Taylor survived a blow from midfield slugger Serrano and recovered in the final round to take the win. The victory over widely recognized pound-for-pound top 3 fighter Serrano cemented Taylor’s position as the top female boxer. Taylor picked up her second win in October, defending her £135 title with a one-sided win over mandatory challenger Karen Her Carvajal. At 35, Taylor still holds the top spot.
Prospect of the Year: Frank Martin
Prospect It may be a subjective term, but I’m saying Martin deserves it here, having never won as many as minor titles, and having qualified for the first 12-round fight at the end of the year. It was a year ( that’s all It is the work of the promotion company of Errol Spence. In January, Martin stopped veteran Romero Duno. In July, he knocked out a skillful veteran at Jackson Marinez.In December, Martin faced Michelle Rivera. In a top prospect fight, a type of matchup that rarely happens in boxing, Martin dominated, knocking Rivera down in the seventh round and winning by wide decision. With speed, power and rapidly developing skills, his 27-year-old Martin will be a contender in the lightweight division next year.
Trainer of the Year: Bob Santos
The man behind Hector Luis Garcia? Santos. A cornerman for Alberto Puelo? Santos. The man who mentors Carlos Adames? Santos. No trainer has had a more impressive year than Santos. Santos is a boxing enthusiast who has overseen the rise of Dominican top fighters and emerged as one of the sport’s top tacticians in 2022. Garcia will win the £130 title from Roger Gutierrez later that year Earlier, he surprised many with his biased decision victory over Chris Colbert. Puello defeated Botilzon Ahmedov to win one of the vacant 140-pound belts for Josh Taylor, while Adams won the interim 160-pound title with a knockout win over Juan Macias Montiel. Santos also acts as a co-trainer for 168-pound competitor David Morrell.
KO of the Year: Lee Wood vs. Michael Conran
Perhaps there was a more eye-catching knockout than Michael Conlan’s finish in the final round at Lee Wood last March. It was a pastured left hand that caused him to fall out of the ring. But Wood’s dramatic KO of him wasn’t just his one punch. It seemed unlikely as Wood trailed on the scorecards and needed something big in the final minutes to get the win. And it was inevitable: a loss would not only have Wood lost his 126-pound title, but it might also have cost the 33-year-old Wood the chance to compete at the championship level. delivered a signature performance and a chilling finish that propelled him into the bigger battle of .
Upset of the Year: Dmitri Bivol vs. Canelo Alvarez
Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision on May 7.
Ed Mulholland/Matchroom
Alvarez and Bivol, both undefeated title holders when they met last May, looked like fighters going in two different directions. Alvarez was a hot athlete who just won the 168-pound belt in his four he was 11 months old. Bivol has lost some of his early career momentum after a more than expected competitive win over Craig Richards and a lackluster performance against Umar Salamov. rice field.
Against Alvarez, he took control of the fight and regained it with a decisive win less competitive than the scorecards. Alvarez had previously knocked out Sergey Kovalev in 2019 at 175 pounds. A physically strong Bivol used his superior size to push Alvarez back. Highly athletic, Bivol used his superior athleticism and footwork to stay outside the range of Alvarez’s biggest shots, limiting Alvarez to averaging seven landing punches per round. The technically proficient Bivol used a superior jab on his shot and his edge with his 32 punches to secure a career-defining win, according to CompuBox.
Men’s Breakout Boxer of the Year: Jesse Rodriguez
Earlier this year, Rodriguez was a little-known £112 prospect. Rodriguez, known today as “Bam”, holds the 115-pound title, has a career at his level of Fighter of the Year, and is widely regarded as one of the top fighters in boxing. Rodriguez seized the opportunity in February when he agreed to face Carlos Cuadras and stepped in to replace Srisaket Sorumvisay. Against the established veteran, Rodriguez dominated and dropped Cuadras in the third round for a decisive victory. In June, Rodriguez faced off against Sor Rungvisai in the eighth round, stopping one of the top hitters in the super flyweight division. In September, Canelo He Alvarez vs. Gennady Rodriguez blew out former title challenger Israel Gonzalez at his event, where he will be the co-main of Golovkin’s expected showdown. Rodriguez is down to 112 pounds for his next fight.
Women’s Breakout Boxer of the Year: Evany Bridges
Bridges was seen as nothing more than a gimmick when he made his UK debut in 2021, losing to Shannon Courtenay in his first world title attempt. But the Australian-born Bridges has built on the strength of his performances, capping off his 21-year run with two victories, including a decisive victory over Maria Cecilia Roman last March, earning him the bantamweight title. won the title of In December, Bridges defended her title, knocking out countrywoman Shannon O’Connell in the eighth round.
Bridges leaned into her perception. After O’Connell called her a “sneaky stripper,” Bridges used it as a hashtag in the days leading up to the fight: “blonde bomber” regularly wears lingerie to lose weight. Measure and direct supporters to her OnlyFans page with interviews. But the 36-year-old Bridges proved she was more than her charm, and she capped off her 22 years as the top her fighter in the 118-pound division.