Who are the contenders for “Fighter of the Year?”

As we close out the year, who are the contenders for “Fighter of the Year?” Let’s just look at Ring Magazine’s champions.

First and to no one’s surprise, IBF, WBA and WBO world super bantamweight champion “The Monster” Naoya Inoue, 31-0 (27), of Japan, who is scheduled for his third fight of the year in December against WBC silver champion (in 2004) David “Alan Picasso Romero” Picasso, 32-0-1, of the Mohamed Arena, Mexico, 32-0-1.

He knocked out the WBO Eastern champion, Ye Joon “Troublemaker Pacquiweather” Kim, 21-3-2 in January. In May, he came off the canvas in the second round before stopping San Antonio’s Ramon “Dinamita” Cardenas 26-2. In September, he defeated former IBF World Super Bantamweight Champion Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev, 14-1, of Uzbekistan.

On the undercard of Inoue’s card is IBF and WBC world bantamweight champion Junto “Big Bang” Nakatani, 31-0 (24), also from Japan. He is in with Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez Reyes, 20-0 (18), from Tijuana.

In February, he knocked out Mexico’s David “El General” Cuellar Contreras 28-0. In June, he stopped Japan’s Ryosuke Nishida, 10-0.

Newly crowned WBC World Light Heavyweight Champion David “The Monster Bandera Roja’ Benavidez, 31-0 (25), of Miami, FL, in February, as WBC Interim Champion, came off the canvas in the eleventh round and defeated Cuban David “Osvary” Morrell, 11-0, of Minneapolis, MN-7, stop, of the month, 7-7, the UK.

IBF and WBO World middleweight champion Zhanibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly, 17-0 (12), of Kazakhstan, stopped anauel ngamisingue, 14-0, of Congo and France in April. In December, he is scheduled to fight former Ibo Super Welter Welter Champ, Esslandy “The American Dream” Lara, 31-3-3, of San Antonio, TX.

Former IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 35-0 (31), of Philadelphia, PA, stopped Eimantas Stanionis, 15-0, of Lithuania in April. In October, he stopped Uisma Lima, 14-1, of Angola.

WBO World Welterweight Champion and three-division champion Devin “The Dream” Haney, 33-0 (15), of Las Vegas, NV, defeated Jose Carlos Ramirez 29-2 in May. In November, he won his current title by defeating Brian Norman, Jr., 28-0, of Conyers, GA.

WBC world lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, 24-0 (11), of Houston, TX, stopped Josh “Paddy” Padley 15-0 in February. In July, he defeated Mexico’s William “Camaron” Zepeda 33-0.

WBO world featherweight champion Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza, 28-0 (24), of Guadalajara, MEX, stopped Edward “Kid” Vazquez, 17-2, of Ft Worth, TX in May. In November, he stopped Arnold “Ami” Khegai, 23-2-1, of Ukraine.

Pham, TX, Martinez, 18-0, Argentina.