2017 Boxing Awards
Welcome to our 2017 Boxing Awards!
Here are the categories:
Boxer of the Year
Fight of the Year
Breakout Star
Who’s Next
Participating in the 2017 FGB Awards – Boxing edition are Duan, GG, and Robert Silva.
Boxer of the Year
Duan: Anthony Joshua
Joshua is the biggest star in the world of boxing right now and he changed the entire landscape of the sport in 2017. He main-evented two of the biggest attended fights in history back-to-back with one of them being a genuine heavyweight classic. AJ has more than lived up to the sky high expectations that were set when he took gold in London.
Duan’s previous winners:
2016: Vasyl Lomachenko
2015: Canelo Alvarez
2014: Sergey Kovalev
2013: Timothy Bradley
2012: Carl Froch
2011: Andre Ward
2010: Sergio Martinez
2009: Amir Khan
2008: Manny Pacquiao
Robert: Vasyl Lomachenko
In the history of boxing, never has an elite fighter made all of his opponents quit on their stool. In all three of his fights in 2017, Vasyl Lomachenko made all three of his opponents quit in their corner. It’s one thing to make Jason Sosa and Miguel Marriaga, two solid but not great fighters quit. It’s another to have legendary Cuban boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux quit. He dominated the Cuban legend in a performance on the level of Roy Jones over James Toney and Floyd Mayweather over Diego Corrales. It was that magnificent that like of Jones and Mayweather in their primes. There is no one on the horizon in Lomachenko’s weight class that can even win a round against him, never mind a fight against him. Not only is Lomachenko my 2017 fighter of the year, he’s, in my opinion, the best fighter in the planet.
Robert’s previous winners:
2016: Terence Crawford
2015: Canelo Alvarez
2014: Sergey Kovalev
2013: Danny Garcia
GG: Vasyl Lomachenko
The pick is between who both of my co-writers of this piece selected. There are easy arguments to be made for both guys and I thought hard about both. But I’m leaning Lomachenko. Much in the same way Floyd Mayweather made fights about him being so good, rather than necessarily who he was fighting, you watch Lomachenko to watch his mastery of the sport, as well as to see if anyone can touch him. And he even gave himself a cool-ass nickname. If he can continue to make guys quit in their corner, NoMasChenko is going to stick.
(By the way, Terence Crawford and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai are two guys who could’ve won this as well. This was a great year for this award.)
GG’s previous winners:
2016: Andre Ward
2015: Gennady Golovkin
2014: Sergey Kovalev
2013: Floyd Mayweather
2012: Nonito Donaire
2011: Andre Ward
2010: Sergio Martinez
2009: Manny Pacquiao
2008: Manny Pacquiao
Fight Of The Year
Duan: Anthony Joshua Vs Wladimir Klitschko
It’s a fight that can stand alongside the great heavyweight title bouts of yesteryear. Also, a fitting farewell for the great Ukrainian and the ushering in of a new era in heavyweight boxing.
Duan’s previous winners:
2016: Jamie Conlan vs Anthony Nelson
2015: Dave Ryan vs John Wayne Hibbert 2
2014: Tommy Coyle vs Daniel Brizuela
2013: Timothy Bradley vs Ruslan Provodnikov
2012: Brandon Rios vs Mike Alvarado
2011: Erik Morales vs Marcos Maidana
2010: Mikkel Kessler vs Carl Froch
2009: Bernard Dunne vs Ricardo Cordoba
2008: Tie between Antonio Margarito vs Miguel Cotto and Steve Cunningham vs Tomasz Adamek
Robert: Anthony Joshua Vs Wladimir Klitschko
In a year that saw so many incredible fights, Anthony Joshua’s win over Wladimar Klitschko was the most important because it not only ended the Klitschko era, it began a new chapter in Heavyweight boxing history in front of 90,000 fans. The fight was a series of ebbs and flows. Joshua controlled the early rounds, dropping Klitschko with a multi punch combination in the fifth round. However, Klitschko got up and staggered Joshua several times to end the round. Then, in the sixth round, Klitschko dropped Joshua with a devastating combination. Joshua was both exhausted and hurt. Joshua survived Klitschko’s onslaught and by round nine, was beginning to once again dominate the fight. In the 11th round, Joshua landed a spectacular uppercut that dropped Klitschko. After Klitschko got up, Joshua bombarded him with devastating body blows and combinations, forcing the referee to stop the fight. The most important and action packed Heavyweight title fight in almost 20 years had to be my choice for fight of the year.
Robert’s previous winners:
2016: Francisco Vargas vs Orlando Salido
2015: Krzysztof Glowacki vs Marco Huck
2014: Lucas Matthysse vs John Molina
2013: Timothy Bradley vs Ruslan Provodnikov
GG: Anthony Joshua Vs Wladimir Klitschko
It’s pretty rare that we all agree on something as subjective as fight of the year, but in this case, we agree. There were two fights that felt huge and delivered. This was the first. The second was Triple G vs Canelo. But for whatever reason, when a fight ends in a draw, you feel deflated. So I’m going with the fight that left me elated, rather than deflated. Duan told me about Big Josh very early on so thanks to him, I’ve been able to follow him closely and what a joy it’s been to do so.
GG’s previous winners:
2016: Andre Ward vs Sergey Kovalev
2015: Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura
2014: Terence Crawford vs Yuriorkis Gamboa
2013: Timothy Bradley vs Ruslan Provodnikov
2012: Juan Manuel Marquez vs Manny Pacquiao IV
2011: Juan Manuel Marquez vs Manny Pacquiao III
2010: Amir Khan vs Marcos Maidana
2009: Juan Diaz vs Juan Manuel Marquez
2008: Antonio Margarito vs Miguel Cotto
Breakout Star
Duan: Ryan Burnett
Burnett, just 18 fights deep into his pro career this year, won his first and second world titles. He’s an exceptional talent and at only 25 years old, the biggest bouts still lie ahead for the Belfast bantam.
Duan’s previous winners:
2016: Anthony Joshua
2015: Tyson Fury
2014: Carl Frampton
Robert: Anthony Joshua
With his incredible win over Wladimar Klitschko in front of 90,000 people, Anthony Joshua proved to be the most exciting heavyweight since Mike Tyson. Klitschko and his brother had dominated the division since Lennox Lewis retired in 2004. Joshua’s knockout of Klitschko put that reign to an end. It also began what could be a new exciting era in Heavyweight boxing. Joshua and fellow titleholder Joseph Parker are close to a deal to fight each other this spring. The winner will hopefully fight WBC champ Deontay Wilder. Finally, the Heavyweight division is alive and thriving. And there’s potential for Joshua to become the next, great star in the historic division.
Robert’s previous winners:
2016: Errol Spence
2015: Deontay Wilder
2014: Nicholas Walters
GG: Sri Sor Rungvisai
I remember being surprised when I heard that Chocolatito was defeated. And then when I saw they were fighting again, someone told me not to be surprised if it happened again. Low and behold, Rungvisai beat the guy who many thought was the best pound for pound fighter in the world, again. If that’s not the definition of breakout, I’m not sure what is.
GG’s previous winners:
2015: Roman Gonzalez
2014: Terence Crawford
Who’s Next?
Duan: Joshua Buatsi
Light heavyweight is loaded with talent at the moment. I see it becoming the hot division over the next few years and Buatsi will be the guy to keep an eye on. He has a ton of talent, is a natural puncher and is only scratching the surface of his potential. Obvious comparisons will be made to Anthony Joshua at this stage in his development and I think, on a smaller scale, Buatsi can be to 175 what AJ is to heavyweight.
Duan’s previous winners:
2016: Michael Conlan
2015: Callum Smith
2014: Anthony Joshua
2013: Vasyl Lomachenko
2012: Khalid Yafai
2011: Canelo Alvarez
2010: Carl Frampton
Robert: Errol Spence
On May 27, Errol Spence went to Kell Brook’s backyard in Sheffield, England and thoroughly dominated him, including breaking one of Brook’s eye sockets to win the IBF Welterweight title. Spence didn’t fight again in 2017 because no one at the 147 pound division wanted to fight him. Next month, he will easily defeat Lamont Peterson before finally getting the super fight he deserves: either against the very reluctant Keith Thurman or the man I most want him to fight: the former Undisputed JR Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford. I predict Spence defeats both men to carry the torch left behind by Floyd Mayweather. To be the next great star in the Welterweight division, the most storied division in the history of boxing.
Robert’s previous winners:
2016: Jermall Charlo
2015: Errol Spence
2014: Roman Gonzalez
2013: Keith Thurman
GG: Gary Russell Jr.
He’s probably best known for losing a fight. In 2014, he lost a majority decision to Lomachenko. But that was over three years ago, and since then he’s gone 4-0 with three KOs. He simply needs to be more active, but he’s yet another fighter in a smaller weight class who can continue making his name with some big wins in 2018.
GG’s previous winners:
2016: Claressa Shields
2015: Anthony Joshua
2014: Nicholas Walters
2013: Ruslan Provodnikov
2012: Floyd Mayweather’s record (predicting Mayweather would lose in 2013)
2011: Miguel Cotto
2010: Amir Khan
