There are five world champions being considered for the ‘2024 Fighter of the Year’.
Heading the list is WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF and IBO World Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk, 23-0 with 14 stoppages, from Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine.
Usyk defeated WBC World Heavyweight Champion ‘The Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury twice, 34-2-1 with 24 stoppages from Morecambe, UK. In June, Usyk united and defeated WBC champion ‘The Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury by split decision. In the rematch in December, he won by unanimous decision over Fury.
WBC, WBO, IBF, WBA and IBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev, 21-0 with 20 stoppages in Khasavyurt, Russia, unified the title in October. He defeated previously undefeated WBA and IBO champion Dmitrii Bivol, 23-1, by 12 stoppages in Tokmak, KYRG, by a contested decision. In January, he stopped Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith, 29-1, in Liverpool, UK.
WBA and WBO Super World Cruiserweight Champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, 47-1 with 30 stoppages, from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. He won the WBA title, defeating previously undefeated Arsen ‘Feroz’ Goulamirian, 27-0, in Yerevan, Armenia, in March. In November, he defeated WBO champion Chris ‘The Gentleman’ Billam-Smith 20-1 from Bournemouth, UK.
WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, 62-2-2, with 39 stoppages, from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. In May, he defeated previously undefeated Jaime Munguia, 43-1, of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. In September, he defeated previously undefeated Edgar ‘The Chosen One’ Berlanga, 22-1 with 17 stoppages, of New York, NY.
IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO super bantamweight champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue, 28-0 with 25 stoppages from Yokohama, Japan. In June, he stopped Louis Nery, 35-2, with 27 stops of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. In September, he stopped TJ Doheny, 26-4, of Portlaoise, Ireland, and Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia.
There you have it, five nominees for the ‘2024 Fighter of the Year.’ Usyk and Beterbiev lead the list. Ramirez, Alvarez and Inoue follow.
