The 2022 International Boxing News Awards

Welcome to THE FIRST International Boxing News awards!

Fight of the Year: Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano AND Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan:

The first quarter of the year brought our fight of the year winners.

Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano was built to be a historic moment in boxing, bridging the gap between ‘female boxing’ and ‘boxing’. It delivered! Katie won the fight but THAT fifth round had every Taylor fan scared about what could’ve happened. Amanda’s performance was EXCEPTIONAL, but Katie proved WHY she is the greatest of all time.

Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan was set to be a good fight but NO ONE expected THAT. Wood was down HEAVY in the first round and to be honest, didn’t know where he was. Conlan remained on top whilst Wood recovered but it was Conlan’s fight to lose…

Conlan had tired going into the 12th through Wood’s hard work. Wood backed Conlan onto the ropes and a short right hand KO’d Conlan and a flurry of punches sent him through the ropes… it was a scary finish. A true fight of the year with Conlan recovering in full health.

Fighter of the Year (Male and Female)

Dmitry Bivol

The year began with Canelo Alvarez choosing to fight Dmitry Bivol in the hope of becoming a two-time Light-Heavyweight World Champion… that script was well and truly thrown away with Bivol comfortably out-boxing Canelo for 12 rounds winning by unanimous decision.

Another Mexican stood in Bivol’s path for a perfect 2022. Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez came in at 44-0, known for being a hard hitter and a former World Champion himself… Bivol AGAIN done the unthinkable. Another 12-round shut out performance.

Natasha Jonas

Natasha Jonas began the year winning the vacant ‘WBO’ Super-Welterweight title with a second round TKO victory over Chris Namus. An impressive performance but Namus last won a title fight in 2017… the real tests were to come.

If you could call them tests! Patricia Berghult for the WBC title was next. Berghult was competitive at points, but Natasha was too sharp. The same result followed against Marie Eve Dicaire, a closer fight but the decision was the same… a unanimous decision win for Natasha Jonas.

Winning 3 world title fights and 2 unifications in 2022, Natasha Jonas deserves to be our ‘Female Fighter of the Year’!

Honourable mention: Claressa Shields

With two defences of unified titles and becoming undisputed for a third time against Savannah Marshall, Claressa Shields deserves a mention for female fighter of the year!

Prospect of the Year: Adam Azim

WHAT A YEAR for The Superkid, Adam Azim.

Azim has fought 5 times this year and has only gone past the 2nd round once… EVERYONE that has been put in front of him, he has stopped with ease. It doesn’t matter whether they’ve been put in the ring to make him look good or give him rounds, the outcome has always been the same.

His most impressive win was the 2nd round stoppage of Rylan Charlton. Charlton is a tough, durable lightweight who has fought at a level well above Azim… that didn’t matter.

Honourable mention: Junaid Bostan

Juniad Bostan secured 4 stoppage wins in 4 fights in 2022! Under the watchful eye of Grant Smith at Steel City Gym, Junaid has shown his talent in every fight and is quickly becoming a fan favourite!

Performance of the Year: Shakur Stevenson UD Win vs Oscar Valdez

Shakur Stevenson vs Oscar Valdez was a fight many believed could go either way… Valdez was the more experienced fighter but Stevenson, to many, is a GENERATIONAL talent! The fight was for WBO, WBC, and Ring Super-Featherweight titles…

This fight proved Stevenson’s status as a generational talent, dropping Valdez in the 6th round on his way to a UD victory! Valdez is a world class fighter and Stevenson made him look ordinary…

KO of the Year: Joe Cordina KO2 of Kenichi Ogawa

In May, I picked Joe Cordina to win a world title by the end of 2022, but I didn’t expect THAT to happen.

It was one of the most UNBELIEVEABLE KOs! A slight faint with the left hand, then over the top with the right… poetry in motion.

A moment that made the KO even better was long-time friend of Joe Cordina, and Light-heavyweight contender, Joshua Buatsi completely forgetting his commentary duties and jumping onto the canvas to celebrate Cordina’s World Title achievement!

Honourable mention: Joe Joyce KO11 of Joseph Parker.

The Juggernaut continues to make his name know on the world stage! No one has done that to Joseph Parker. Joe Joyce is destined for World honours!

Upset of the Year: Nina Hughes UD Win vs Jamie Mitchell

Honestly one of my favourite stories from the British boxing scene! Nina Hughes dethroning Jamie Mitchel to become the WBA Bantamweight World Champion!

Nina spoke to us about being the underdog both before and after the fight, seeing polls on Twitter that 97% of people thought Jamie was going to win… how wrong they were. Nina overcome a head clash, a cut, and a change of styles because of Jamie targeting the cut!

AND THE NEW!

Rising star: Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez

Jesse Rodriguez could easily have won fighter of the year in 2022! Everyone knew Bam was destined for World honours but to do it so soon, especially in the fashion he did, was unbelievable.

It started in February with a dominant UD performance against Carlos Cuadras winning the WBC Super-Flyweight title. Despite a viral switch-hitting uppercut against Cuadras, Bam’s next performance was the highlight of 2022. A round 8 TKO win against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in San Antonio… NO ONE has dominated Rungvisai like Bam did.

Bam finished the year with a UD win against Isreal Gonzalez on the Canelo vs Gennadiy Golovkin 3 undercard! What a year!

Moment of the Year: The Growth of International Boxing News

This award is more personal for me and my brother at International Boxing News. Our moment of the year was International Boxing News covering Josh Warrington vs Luis Alberto Lopez at the First Direct Arena, Leeds this month.

This wasn’t our first show this year, it wasn’t even our first Matchroom show. In March we both paid a lot of money to travel to Leeds, sit behind the media section, and watch Josh Warrington reclaim his IBF Featherweight Title against Kiko Martinez.

Fast forward 9 months, we have started our own boxing media outlet. Covering Josh Warrington, in Leeds, at the First Direct Arena…

Full circle.