By David Martinez / dmboxing.com

I have assembled my personal choices in boxing for the past year, 2018, in six major categories.  Picks are solely my opinion, and I sincerely respect and welcome the opinions of others – thank you!

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: 

Oleksandr Usyk (16-0 / 12 by KO) IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO Cruiserweight Champion

1-27-18 / vs. Mairis Briedis (26-0) / MD 12

7-21-18 / vs. Murat Gassiev (23-0) / UD 12

11-10-18 / vs. Tony Bellew (30-2-1) / KO 8

*** Runner Up’s:

Vasiliy Lomachenko (12-1 / 9 by KO) WBA/WBO Lightweight Champion

5-12-18 / vs. Jorge Linares / TKO 10

12-8-18 / vs. Jose Pedraza / UD 12

Naoya Inque (17-0 / 15 by KO) WBA Bantamweight Champion

5-25-18 / vs. James McDonnell / KO 1

10-1-18 / vs. Juan Carlos Payano / KO 1

FIGHT OF THE YEAR:

12-3-18 / Murat Gassiev vs. Yuniel Dorticos / TKO 12  

*** Runner Up’s:

11-3-18 / Miguel Berchelt vs. Miguel Roman / KO 9

9-14-18 / Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Antonio Orozco / UD 12

ROUND OF THE YEAR:

6-30-18 / Alex Saucedo vs. Lenny Zappavigna / Round 4

*** Runner Up’s:

12-1-18 / Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury / Round 12

4-7-18 / Jarrett Hurd vs. Esislandy Lara / Round 12

KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR:

3-24-18 / Dillian Whyte vs. Lucas Browne / Round 6

*** Runner Up’s:

10-7-18 / Naoya Inoue vs. Juan Carlos Payano / Round  1

12-8-18 / Teofino Lopez vs. Mason Menard / Round 1

UPSET OF THE YEAR:

8-5-18 / Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev /  KO 7

*** Runner Up’s:

3-17-18 / Antonio Lozada vs. Felix Verdejo / KO 10

4-15-18 / Christofer Rosales vs. Daigo Higa / TKO 9

PROSPECT OF THE YEAR:

Teofimo Lopez (11-0 / 9 by KO)

*** Runner Up’s:

Murodjon Akhmadaliev (5-0 / 4 by KO)

Giovanni Cabrera-Mioletti (14-0 / 5 by KO)