2020 in boxing has truly been amazing! In one of the biggest upsets of the year, Kyrgyzstan-born boxer Dmitry Bivol defeated world number one Canelo Alvarez to extend his 20 light-heavyweight fights unbeaten run. Fans also witnessed Oleksandr Usyk retain his spot as world heavyweight champion after defeating London-born Anthony Joshua for the second time in just 10 months.
There have been so many other wonderful fights this year and more lined up, and with the year ending, we want to look at three of the best boxers of the year. If you want to enjoy the thrills of boxing as a fan and as a punter, you need access to the best boxing betting tips. It'll guide you through making accurate and successful wagers.
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The Top Three Boxers of 2022
If you ask people who their top three boxers in 2022 were, you'll probably get a different list from them. However, here, our list is curated based on four factors: the official results at the moment of writing, their performance in fights and the manner in which they won, their past wins and titles, and finally, their number of fights against quality opposition.
Now that we've seen the criteria, let's go straight into it! Here are the three fighters that took over boxing in 2022.
3. Terence Crawford
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Terence Crawford gained popularity for his ring IQ, fast hand skills, punching power, and counter strikes. He has won world titles in Lightweight, Light welterweight, and Welterweight.
Despite not facing any serious top-level opposition so far in his career, Crawford still has an impressive record of being undefeated in 38 fights, with 29 ending in knockouts. As of June this year, Crawford was the first male boxer in 17 years to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF titles (the four major world boxing titles).
Due to his performance in fights, undefeated status, and multiple titles, Terence Crawford is undoubtedly one of the most popular boxers now, so it's no surprise he sits at third on our list.
2. Canelo Alvarez
Before his surprise loss to Dmitry Bivol in May, Alvarez was the number one boxer in the world. The four-weight and undisputed super middleweight champion has an impressive fight-win catalogue that has seen him defeat the likes of Joe Saunders, Caleb Plant, Daniel Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin, Shane Mosley, Sergey Kovalev, and Amir Khan.
His loss to Bivol was only the second of his career following an MD loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013. However, Canelo came back to winning ways in mid-September after defeating Russian-born Gennady Golovkin thereby retaining his WBC, WBO, IBF, and WBA (Super) middleweight titles. This further improved his stance as one of the most famous boxers and a top figure in boxing in 2022.
1. Oleksandr Usyk
Oleksandr Usyk being the best boxer in 2022 isn't a fact that's up for discussion. Since winning gold at the 2012 Olympics in the heavyweight category, Usyk has been on a perfect run. He became an undisputed cruiserweight champion in only 16 fights and has built a reputation for defeating fighters on their home ground.
The Ukrainian-born star did it with Murat Gassiev in Russia, Mairis Briedis in Latvia, Tony Bellew in the UK, and heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in the UK. He went on to win his return fight with Joshua in Saudi Arabia. Usyk is one of the most popular boxers now and remains undefeated in 19 fights.
The Bottom Line
Boxing is a sport of so many surprises. This year has proven that with so many unexpected fight results. World number one Canelo Alvarez lost to Dmitry Bivol earlier in May, and UK heavyweight specialist Anthony Joshua lost his second fight with Oleksandr Usyk barely a year after the first.
But with the year rounding up, we looked at the top boxers of 2022. Terence Crawford comes in third place, with Canelo Alvarez dropping to second after his defeat to Bivol in May. Oleksandr Usyk tops our list after an impressive heavyweight run that saw him defeat Anthony Joshua twice.