Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano received such a big deal for the April 30th IRC in New York for the title of the lightweight title that could barely live up to the over-the-top expectations. Madison Square Garden was sold out and the fight was portrayed in some quarters as a female version of the epic March 8, 1971, men’s heavyweight title at The Garden between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
I don’t know how These two women more than expected and clearly deserves to be the 2022 Yahoo Sports Women’s Boxing Contest of the Year.
It was a terrific back-and-forth action between two very skilled boxers who fought with heart, grit and grit in a jaw-dropping show. When it was done, there is controversy that it won because most women did.
All of them knew that they had seen something so special and historic. It was a wonderful fight and he was prostrated in the course of the year’s struggle.
The men’s boxing fight of the year
Michael Conlan and Leigh Wood turned into an amazing fight on April 12th in Nottingham, England, for the WBA featherweight title. Conlan Wood had dropped in first, the first to hint that this night would be special. They went at it brutally, and in the 11th, Sylva got even a knock on the count when Conlan dropped it.
Conlan was ahead of all three scores heading to the final, but Wood made the books academic when he knocked Conlan out of the ring 12 to round out and win by KO.
Special lightweight on Sept. 4 between Edwin De Los Santos and Jose Valenzuela at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles was like something out of a Rocky movie. Both were knocked down in Round 2, and De Los Santos dropped Valenzuela again in Round 3 to win a surprising KO round.
As good as it was, it wasn’t enough to catch Wood-Conlan. The Wood-Conlan fight took place in 12 rounds of violence between a pair of skilled fighters.
This makes him the 2022 Yahoo Sports Male Fight of the Year in boxing.
KO of the Year
There are always many knockouts in a given year, but if you saw Isaac Cruz’s KO of Eduardo Ramirez on Sept. 4 Cruz dropped Ramirez early in the second with a big left. When Ramirez got up, Cruz checked him and caught him with a crushing left hook, connected with a right hand that put Ramirez down and ended the fight immediately.
It was an easy choice for the 2022 Yahoo Sports KO in boxing.
Prospect of the Year
First criteria: I only consider as Prospect Fighters of the Year those who have fought fewer than 20 times by the end of 2022 who are under the age of 25 and who have never fought for a world title. So someone like Jaron Ennis, a great prospect, doesn’t determine that he’s 29-0.
People: This option pushed to me: The lightweight Keyshawn Davis is already close to the field of the world cup and he had only seven for punches. He is extremely smart in the ring and has every skill a fighter could ever hope for. He is in a high division with a great weight that has slowed down his progress to the championship a bit, but I have no doubt that Davis will hold the world title someday.
Without a doubt, Davis is the 2022 Yahoo Sports Male Prospect of the Year in boxing.
Women: This is a two-horse race between Gabriela Fundora and Caroline Dubois, sister of Daniel Dubois, former Yahoo Sports Prospect of the Year, who holds the secondary heavyweight belt title.
I think Fundora, the 20-year-old sister of Sebastian Fundora, has the edge here. He is 9-0 with four bouts and is still growing in his body. It’s the V-9 South that can box and punch. When he adds some muscle and grows into his gangrene, it will be legitimately dangerous.
For that, Fundora is the 2022 Yahoo Sports Female Prospect of the Year.
Instructor of the Year
Joseph Benavidez Sr. he teaches his son David Benavidez as well as the rising prospect Diego Pacheco. David is already a world champion and could take the next step to superstar status in 2023 when he fights right. But David was well-educated and clever, and he trusted his teacher.
I also have Derrick James, who led Jermell Charlo to the undisputed super welterweight title, and coaches Errol Spence. James is up there with the greats like Freddie Roach, Stephen “Breadman” Edwards and a few others, but I think it’s going down a little bit this year because the fighters aren’t competing equally.
So Jose Benavidez Sr. is the 2022 Yahoo Sports Trainer of the Year for boxing.