Undefeated WBA mild heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) went 2-0 in 2022, as he scored an upset victory over the consensus pound-for-pound finest fighter on the planet Canelo “Saul” Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) in Might, after which dominated former tremendous middleweight titleholder after which unbeaten Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1 30 KOs) in November to solidify his standing as top-of-the-line mild heavyweight fighters, and one of many prime ten pound-for-pound boxers on the planet.
He not solely beat four-division world titleholder Alvarez, who was a five-to-one favourite to win their bout, however he did it with stunning ease en path to a twelve-round unanimous resolution. All three judges scored the combat for Bivol (115-113, 115-113, and 115-113) in a bout that didn’t seem as shut because the scorecards indicated. Bivol wanted to win the ultimate spherical of the combat to keep away from a draw, and in some way, Alvarez gained the primary 4 rounds on all three judges’ scorecards. Alvarez had not misplaced since 2013 (towards top-of-the-line fighters of all time, Floyd Mayweather Jr., who retired with an undefeated report, 50-0, 27 KOs) and was unbeaten in his final sixteen bouts.
Bivol landed virtually twice as many punches as Alvarez and linked on extra jabs and energy pictures. He outworked Alvarez with 5 to 6 punch mixtures and was extra correct along with his punches. Bivol landed double-digit punches in each spherical, whereas Canelo did it in two rounds. His footwork and tight protection (he blocked loads of Alvarez’s punches on his gloves, arms, and left bicep, which was swollen and pink on the finish of the bout) prevented Alvarez from touchdown his energy pictures. Alvarez linked on 84 punches, a profession low for him in a twelve-round bout.
He then cruised to a one-sided twelve-round unanimous victory (118-110, 117-111, and 117-111) over Ramirez, who had scored 5 consecutive knockouts over mild heavyweight fighters. Bivol’s jabs and mixture punches landed at will, and his punching pace and excessive work fee prevented Ramirez from moving into any offensive rhythm. Ramirez additionally didn’t assist himself, as he tried to outbox Bivol as a substitute of brawling with him, regardless of being the larger, stronger boxer.
Bivol efficiently defended his WBA belt for the eighth and ninth time and did it towards two opponents with a mixed report of 101-1-2, 69 KOs. He hopes to combat IBF/WBC/WBO mild heavyweight world titleholder Arthur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs) later this 12 months (assuming he beats former world title challenger Anthony Yarde on January twenty eighth) to unify the division.
Runner Ups:
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (17-0, 11 KOs) obtained three victories in 2022 with wins over WBC tremendous flyweight champion Carlos Cuadras (39-5-1, 27 KOs), former two-time world champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (50-6-1, 43 KOs), and former three-time world challenger Israel Gonzalez (28-5-1, 11 KOs). He knocked Cuadras down within the third-round en path to a twelve-round unanimous resolution in February to develop into the youngest energetic world champion at twenty-two. Rodriguez took the combat on every week’s discover (after Rungvisai couldn’t combat as a consequence of an sickness), moved up two divisions, and fought the very best opponent of his profession. He then scored an eight-round technical knockout over Rungvisai in June and obtained a twelve-round unanimous resolution over Gonzalez in September for 2 profitable world title defenses. Rodriguez introduced in October that he would vacate his tremendous flyweight title and transfer right down to the flyweight division, the place he’ll combat Christian Gonzalez (19-4, 15 KOs) on April eighth for the vacant WBO title.
WBC light-weight world champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs) defeated George Kambosos Jr. (20-2, 10 KOs) twice through one-sided twelve-round unanimous choices in Kambosos’ house nation of Australia in June and October. Haney obtained the WBA/IBF/WBO light-weight title to develop into the eighth undisputed world champion (and the primary undisputed light-weight titleholder) within the four-belt period with the primary victory. He efficiently defended his world titles when Kambosos exercised his rematch clause from the primary bout. Haney is in talks to combat three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) in Might.
Naoya Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs), the WBA/WBC/IBF bantamweight world titleholder and top-of-the-line pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, gained each of his bouts final 12 months by knockouts. He defeated four-division world champion Nonito Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs) in a extremely anticipated rematch from their 2019 Struggle-of-the-Yr through a second-round technical knockout in June. He scored a knockdown within the first spherical. Inoue then obtained an eleventh-round knockout over WBO world champion Paul Butler (34-3, 15 KOs) in December to develop into the ninth undisputed world titleholder (and the primary undisputed bantamweight champion and the primary Japanese fighter) within the four-belt period.