BOXING NEWS 24/7 has crunched the numbers throughout a whole bunch of fights to determine boxing’s greatest fighters, fights, knockouts, and moments worthy of our annual “ESBY” awards. And, with out additional ado, listed here are our 2024 ESBY Honorees and Nominees:
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, MALE
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🏆WINNER: OLEKSANDR USYK
Ukraine’s OLEKSANDR USYK is again atop our listing because the 2024 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, edging a number of different fighters who made valiant efforts to say this yr’s prime prize. USYK’s storybook 2024 marketing campaign was noteworthy, that includes back-to-back wins over the beforehand unbeaten linear heavyweight champion, TYSON FURY, with the duo placing on a FIGHT OF THE YEAR candidate within the prequel that was chased with a extremely aggressive rematch.
USYK’s successive wins over a former unbeaten heavyweight champ, his willingness to tackle vital dangers in combating a naturally greater and world-renowned fighter, and his legacy play — i.e., having held three (or extra) world titles in two weight courses in a mere 22 fights — established USYK as “THE MAN” at heavyweight, and earned him prime honors on this class.
NOMINEES (in no specific order):
– ARTUR BETERBIEV
– JESSE “BAM” RODRIGUEZ
– DANIEL DUBOIS
– NAOYA INOUE
– SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, FEMALE
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🏆WINNER: GABRIELA FUNDORA
Figuring out our FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR was a troublesome alternative given the distinctive pool of candidates worthy of prime honors in 2024. Nevertheless, GABRIELA FUNDORA edged the competitors by combining a busy schedule with excessive stakes (3 World Title fights), strong competitors, and a legacy play.
Merely put, FUNDORA made the transition from breakout candidate to boxing stardom in 2024, beating a world title challenger (CHRISTINA CRUZ), former world titlist (DANIELA ASENJO), and former unified World Champ (GABRIELA CELESTE ALANIZ) over a 12-month span. The mixed data of her opponents going into their bouts with FUNDORA was spectacular: 37-4-3. And “SWEET POISON” additional cemented her 2024 marketing campaign with a number of historic firsts, changing into (a) the first-ever Undisputed Girls’s Flyweight Champion, (b) boxing’s youngest undisputed champion (22 years outdated), and alongside together with her brother, SEBASTIAN FUNDORA, (c) changing into the primary brother-sister duo to turn into unified World Champions on the similar time.
NOMINEES:
– SENIESA ESTRADA
– SKYE NICOLSON
– KATIE TAYLOR
– CLARESSA SHIELDS
– CAROLINE DUBOIS
– LAUREN PRICE
– BEATRIZ “THE BEAST” FERREIRA
FIGHT OF THE YEAR, MEN’S BOXING
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🏆WINNER: OLEKSANDR USYK SD12 TYSON FURY – I
Though there have been a handful of worthy FIGHT OF THE YEAR candidates in 2024, none have been extra deserving from historic, stakes, and competitiveness standpoints than TYSON FURY VS. OLEKSANDR USYK-I. Billed as ‘RING OF FIRE,’ USYK’s razor-thin cut up determination win over FURY performed out like a modern-day ROCKY IV: ROCKY vs. DRAGO film, that includes over 900 mixed punches thrown, enormous momentum shifts, and a pivotal (scored) knockdown of FURY within the ninth spherical that helped USYK seal the deal. USYK’s triumph produced the primary undisputed heavyweight champ since LENNOX LEWIS (2000), with the Ukrainian claiming WBA (Tremendous), WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring Heavyweight titles. Think about that USYK gained the matchup regardless of his nation being at conflict and that he overtook TERENCE CRAWFORD as No.1 in The Ring Journal’s pound-for-pound rankings shortly after this victory, and it’s a no brainer that this bout earns prime billing on this class.
NOMINEES:
– SEBASTIAN FUNDORA SD12 TIM TSZYU
– ARTUR BETERBIEV MD12 DMITRII BIVOL
– ANGELO LEO KO10 LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ
– EKOW ESSUMAN TKO10 OWEN COOPER
– JESSE RODRIGUEZ KO7 JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA
– FABIO WARDLEY SDRAW12 FRAZER CLARKE – I
FIGHT OF THE YEAR, WOMEN’S BOXING
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🏆WINNER: KATIE TAYLOR UD10 AMANDA SERRANO – II
Selecting KATIE TAYLOR’s shut however controversial determination win over AMANDA SERRANO (scorecards: 95-94 [thrice]) as Girls’s Boxing’s FIGHT OF THE YEAR was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. Merely put, TAYLOR and SERRANO placed on one other fashionable basic, impressing everybody from die-hard followers to boxing casuals with their gutsy efficiency. Within the course of, the duo shattered the report books and catapulted Girls’s Boxing to a brand new stratosphere from visibility, fiscal, and efficiency standpoints. Relating to viewership, the duo smashed present field workplace numbers with 74M dwell world viewers tuning into the matchup (per Netflix), making it one of many Prime 5 most streamed U.S. sports activities occasions ever and essentially the most watched ladies’s sports activities occasion in U.S. historical past. Relating to funds, TAYLOR and SERANO earned the most important particular person (champion/challenger) and collective paydays in Girls’s Boxing historical past. Contemplating the excessive stakes (4 World Titles on the road) and the mixed punch output of those fighters (over 1200 punches per COMPUBOX regardless of combating with 2-minute rounds), it’s simple to see that TAYLOR vs. SERRANO – II was in a category by itself.
NOMINEES:
– NATASHA JONAS SD10 MIKAELA MAYER
– ERIKA CRUZ SDRAW10 NAZARENA ROMERO
– SENIESA ESTRADA UD10 YOKASTA VALLE
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
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9 March 2024
Image By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing.
Anthony Joshua celebrates his win with Chairman of Basic Authority for Leisure Turki Alalashikh.
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🏆WINNER: TURKI ALALSHIKH
Saudi adviser on the Royal Courtroom, TURKI ALALSHIKH, and his RIYADH SEASON imprint completely obliterated the competitors on this class, serving because the proverbial 800-pound gorilla that took the boxing world by storm in 2024. By throwing (as TYSON FURY put it) a “S**t Ton” of cash at boxing’s vanguard to assist clear up the competitors downside plaguing the game, “HIS EXCELLENCY” satisfied many otherwise-reluctant fighters and promoters to take extra dangers with fan-friendly matchmaking. The game benefitted significantly from his efforts, with ALALSHIKH incomes excessive marks for spearheading a seismic shift within the boxing energy construction.
NOMINEES:
– TOP RANK (BOB ARUM)
– MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS (MVP)
– QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS (FRANK WARREN)
– GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS (OSCAR DE LA HOYA)
– PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS (HAYMON BOXING)
– MATCHROOM BOXING (EDDIE HEARN)
KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR, MEN’S BOXING
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🏆WINNER: OSLEYS IGLESIAS KTFO1 EVGENY SHVEDENKO
Unbeaten Cuban sensation OSLEYS IGLESISAS’ chilling 1st spherical KTFO of former breakout candidate EVGENY SHVEDENKO in a June Tremendous Middleweight showdown earned our vote because the 2024 KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR. The slender southpaw’s sneaky proper hook to SHVEDENKO’s temple within the opening stanza not solely stopped the Russian in his tracks, however the spectacle of SHVEDENKO thrashing in regards to the canvas post-knockout gave off palpable horror film vibes. Given the stakes (IBO World Tremendous Middleweight title) and suddenness of IGLESISAS walk-off KTFO, this highlight-reel KTFO stood out as greatest at school amongst a crowded area of deserving candidates.
NOMINEES:
– BRIAN NORMAN JR. KTFO10 GIOVANI SANTILLAN
– LUCAS BAHDI KTFO6 ASHTON SYLVE
– GERVONTA DAVIS KTFO8 FRANK MARTIN
– JESSE RODRIGUEZ KTFO7 JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA
– EKOW ESSUMAN KTFO10 OWEN COOPER
– ANGELO LEO KTFO10 LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ
– DANIEL DUBOIS KTFO5 ANTHONY JOSHUA
– FABIO WARDLEY KTFO1 FRAZER CLARKE – II
– NAOYA INOUE KTFO5 LUIS NERY
KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR, WOMEN’S BOXING
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🏆WINNER: CLARESSA SHIELDS KTFO2 VANESSA LEPAGE-JOANISSE
4-division World Champ CLARESSA SHIELDS moved as much as Heavyweight in July to face WBC Heavyweight titleholder VANESSA LEPAGE-JOANISSE, and the Michigan native wasted little time in mowing down LEPAGE-JOANISSE within the Motor Metropolis. Shields’ ultimate knockdown of LEPAGE-JOANISSE, courtesy of a heavy right-hand headshot, was our decide for KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR. The magnitude of the second, coupled with the extent of competitors posed by LEPAGE-JOANISSE (a fighter whose solely loss had come to former World Champ ALEJANDRA JIMENEZ, who abruptly retired in 2022 amid controversy), was sufficient to separate SHIELDS’ knockout from the pack.
NOMINEES:
– CRIS CYBORG KTFO1 KELSEY WICKSTRUM
– ELIZABETH OSHOBA KTFO10 MICHELA BRAGA
– CHELSEY MAE ANDERSON KTFO6 HANNAH TERLEP
– ELLE BROOKE TKO3 ANDREA JANE BUNKER
– BREE HOWLING KTFO1 NOEMI BOSQUES
TRAINER OF THE YEAR
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🏆WINNER: FREDDY FUNDORA
Coaching one World Champion is hard sufficient, however coaching a brother-and-sister tandem of World Champs, who earned titles in the identical yr, is sort of unattainable to drag off. Nevertheless, that is exactly what coach FREDDY FUNDORA pulled off in 2024 along with his record-breaking son, reigning Unified Junior Middleweight World Champ, SEBASTIAN FUNDORA, and daughter, reigning Undisputed Girls’s Flyweight Champion, GABRIELA FUNDORA. This noteworthy achievement set the elder FUNDORA other than the sphere because the TRAINER OF THE YEAR.
NOMINEES:
– YURIY TKACHENKO
– MARC RAMSAY
– ROBERTO GARCIA
– SHINGO INOUE
– BRIAN “BOMAC” MCINTYRE
COMEBACK FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
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🏆WINNER: SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
Our decide for COMEBACK FIGHTER OF THE YEAR was easy: SEBASTIAN FUNDORA.
After practically a yr outdoors of the ring (51 weeks) and coming off a devastating knockout loss to BRIAN MENDOZA in 2023, FUNDORA crammed in on 12 days’ discover for the injured KEITH THURMAN in March and pulled off one of many yr’s largest upsets, ending the undefeated reign of former WBO World Tremendous Welterweight Champ, TIM TSZYU. FUNDORA outpointed TSZYU in a bloody slugfest, which many hailed as an on the spot basic and FIGHT OF THE YEAR candidate. With the win, FUNDORA etched his title in historical past books, changing into one-half of the primary brother-sister tandem to concurrently maintain world titles and the tallest fighter to win a 154-pound World title. Taken collectively, the “THE TOWERING INFERNO” was our consensus decide for COMEBACK FIGHTER OF THE YEAR.
NOMINEES:
– CALLUM SMITH
– MIKE TYSON
– OLIVER McCALL
– CHEVELLE HALLBACK
MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
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🏆WINNER: BRIAN NORMAN JR.
Regardless of a report of 26-0 with 20 knockouts, BRIAN NORMAN JR. has inexplicably flown underneath the radar of most boxing followers and pundits. Nevertheless, the Georgia native made his presence felt on the EMANUEL NAVARRETE vs. DENYS BERINCHYK undercard in Might, giving fellow under-the-radar badass GIOVANI SANTILLAN a thumping over 10 rounds in his hometown. NORMAN JR. Manhandled SANTILLAN down the stretch, closing the present with a KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR candidate.
NORMAN JR.’s explosive energy, penchant for risk-taking, and highway warrior mentality made him a lock for our MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR honors.
NOMINEES:
– MARTIN BAKOLE
– JULIAN SMITH
– JOSE VALENZUELA
– RICARDO SALAS RODRIGUEZ
– RENE TELLEZ GIRON
UPSET OF THE YEAR
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🏆WINNER: BRUNO SURACE KO6 JAIME MUNGUIA
One matchup was an outlier amongst boxing’s laundry listing of upsets in 2024: BRUNO SURACE’s Sixth-round knockout of JAIME MUNGUÍA.
In a surprising upset, the prohibitive underdog, SURACE, stopped MUNGUÍA with a vicious knockout on Munguia’s house turf (Tijuana, Mexico). What made SURACE’s one-punch KTFO so wonderful was threefold: First, MUNGUÍA was a whopping -4000 favourite going into the bout; second, MUNGUÍA, identified for his sturdy chin, had by no means been stopped as a professional, whereas SURACE boasted an anemic 19% profession KO ratio; and third, SURACE was being crushed like a drum for many of the struggle (even downed in spherical 2), earlier than the Frenchman landed his fight-altering proper hand on MUNGUÍA’s chin to shock the boxing world. Regardless of MUNGUÍA receiving an admittedly fast rely, SURACE’S skill to show his combating sliders all the way in which up for Munguia and money in on a golden alternative made him our decide for the UPSET OF THE YEAR superlative.
NOMINEES:
– RICARDO FERNANDEZ KO5 ALAN GARCIA
– DANIEL DUBOIS KO5 ANTHONY JOSHUA
– LUCAS BAHDI KO6 ASHTON SYLVE
– ANGELO LEO KO10 LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ
– RICARDO FERNANDEZ KO5 ALAN GARCIA
– DENYS BERINCHYK SD12 EMANUEL NAVARRETE
– STEED WOODALL TKO6 LERRONE RICHARDS
BREAKOUT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
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🏆WINNER: MOSES ITAUMA
Twenty-year-old badass MOSES ITAUMA took the Heavyweight division by storm in 2024, combating 4 instances, together with a knockout win over former world title challenger MARIUSZ WACH. He additionally secured and defended a minor WBO title and closed out the yr with 4 consecutive knockouts.
Taken collectively, the thrill ITAUMA brings to the Heavyweight ranks, coupled along with his youth, expertise, and consistency, gave the UK native the sting in receiving our BREAKOUT
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR award.
NOMINEES:
– RICHARD TORREZ JR
– CHARLES CONWELL
– ANDY CRUZ
– DIEGO PACHECO
– JADIER HERRERA
– TROY ISLEY
– LINDOLFO DELGADO
– JUSTIS HUNI
– ADAM AZIM
– ERNESTO MERCADO
– XANDER ZAYAS
– HAMZAH SHEERAZ
PROSPECT OF THE YEAR, MALE
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🏆WINNER: ABDULLAH MASON
Undefeated light-weight prospect ABDULLAH MASON took house our PROSPECT OF THE YEAR award after combating 5 instances in 2024 and profitable all by knockout. Contemplating his busy schedule and penchant for KOs, MASON was our clear alternative for this honor amongst a gifted prospect class.
NOMINEES:
– CURMEL MOTON
– JOHNNY FISHER
– JOEL IRIARTE
– ALOYS YOUMBI
– YOENIS TELLEZ
– DARIUS FULGHUM
– EMILIANO VARGAS
PROSPECT OF THE YEAR, FEMALE
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14 December 2024
Image By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing.
Beatriz Ferreira celebrates her win.
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🏆WINNER: BEATRIZ FERREIRA
The self-proclaimed “BEAST”, BEATRIZ FERREIRA, began the yr as an rising prospect, however ended it as a reigning and defending World Light-weight Champion. FERREIRA’s skill to dominate the competitors and rapidly ascend to champ standing cemented her as our decide for PROSPECT OF THE YEAR honors in Girls’s Boxing.
NOMINEES:
– SUMIRE YAMANAKA
– SARAH LIEGMANN
– ELIZABETH OSHOBA
– KRYSTAL ROSADO-ORTIZ
– CHE KENNEALLY
WORST DECISION OF THE YEAR
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🏆WINNER: IDOWU RASHEED TECHNICAL DRAW 2 (KO2) BASTIE SAMIR
This yr’s WORST DECISION got here in a matchup between Nigerian IDOWU RASHEED and Ghanaian puncher BASTIE SAMIR for a vacant UBO African Gentle Heavyweight title. Within the second spherical, RASHEED knocked SAMIR out chilly — and I imply chilly. The bout was rapidly waived off by the referee, with SAMIR even receiving medical consideration within the ring post-knockout. However moments later, the struggle was inexplicably declared a TECHNICAL DRAW by the ring announcer, presumably because of illegitimate claims that SAMIR was hit with an unlawful blow.
Luckily, the UBO cleaned up this mess by declaring RASHEED the rightful winner by knockout and recognizing him because the UBO Champ after reviewing the struggle. However for the painful incompetence displayed by these officers, we bestow our most notorious award: WORST DECISION OF THE YEAR.
NOMINEES
– RANDY LEON LOAIZA MDRAW10 MISAEL CABRERA URIAS
– ROBSON CONCEICAO SD12 O’SHAQUIE FOSTER
– CESAR MATEO TAPIA MDRAW10 ENDRY SAAVEDRA
– RICHARDSON HITCHINS UD12 GUSTAVO DANIEL LEMOS
– ARNOLD BARBOZA JR. SD10 SEAN MCCOMB
– TEOFIMO LOPEZ UD12 JAMAINE ORTIZ
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Concerning the Writer:
Paul R. Jones! is a longtime boxing author and ringside photographer for Boxing Information 24/7. His articles, pictures, and commentaries have appeared on many on-line shops (similar to Boxing Information 24, Spherical by Spherical Boxing, Boxing Insider, and Medium.com), in addition to in print and scholarly journals.
Observe him on Twitter and Instagram @boxingepicenter. E-mail or ship him a tip at prjones1@hotmail.com.
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