Annually, at the end of the year, I assemble the top awards in boxing. Here are my “personal” choices for the year 2024. Also listed are (in order) the runner up’s and a look back at the top winners in each category from the previous four years.
I sincerely respect and openly welcome all opinions of others – thank you!
Respectfully, David Martinez / Boxing Historian
2024 / FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
Oleksandr Usyk (23-0 / 14 by KO)
vs. Tyson Fury (5-18-24) SD-12
vs. Tyson Fury (12-21-24) UD-12
WBA (Super) Heavyweight Champion
WBC Heavyweight Champion
WBO Heavyweight Champion
IBF Heavyweight Champion
RUNNER UP’S
Naoya Inoue
Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Artur Beterbiev
Jesse Rodriguez
PAST WINNERS
Naoya Inoue (2023)
Dmitry Bivol (2022)
Canelo Alvarez (2021)
Teofimo Lopez (2020)
2024 / FIGHT OF THE YEAR
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Serhii Bohachuk (8-10-24) MD-12
RUNNER UP’S
Liam Paro vs. Subriel Matias (6-15-24) UD-12
Raymond Ford vs. Otabek Kholmatov (3-2-24) KO-12
Ekow Essuman vs. Owen Cooper (7-24-24) KO-10
Kenshiro Teraji vs. Carlos Canizales (1-23-24) MD-12
PAST WINNERS
Rafael Espinoza vs. Robeisy Ramirez (2023)
Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano (2022)
Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Brando Figueroa (2021)
Jose Zepeda vs. Ivan Baranchyk (2020)
2024 / KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR
Angelo Leo vs. Luis Alberto Lopez (8-10-24) KO-10
RUNNER UP’S
Naoya Inoue vs. Nery (5-6-24) KO-6
Brian Norman Jr. vs. Giovani Santillan (5-18-24) KO-10
Osleys Iglesias vs. Evgeny Shvedenko (6-6-24) KO-1
Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou (3-8-24) KO-2
PAST WINNERS
Zhilei Zhang vs. Joe Joyce (2023)
Leigh Wood vs. Michael Colan (2022)
Oscar Valdez vs. Miguel Berchelt (2021)
Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz (2020)
2024 / UPSET OF THE YEAR
Bruno Surace vs. Jamie Munguia (12-14-24) KO-6
RUNNER UP’S
Ricardo Fernandez over Alan Garcia (9-20-24) KO-5
Bakhram Murtazaliev over Tim Tszyu (10-19-24) KO-3
Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua (9-21-24) KO-5
Derek Chisora vs. Joe Joyce (7-27-24) UD-10
PAST WINNERS
Joseph Parker over Deontay Wilder (2023)
Dmitry Bivol over Canelo Alvarez (2022)
Mauricio Lara over Josh Warrington (2021)
Robert Helenius over Adam Kownacki (2020)
PROSPECT OF THE YEAR
Moses Itauma (10-0 / 8 by KO) Heavyweight
RUNNER UP’S
Ernesto Mercado (16-0 / 15 by KO) Super Lightweight
Jadier Herrera (15-0 / 13 by KO) Super Featherweight
Osleys Iglesias (13-0 / 12 by KO) Super Middleweight
Andy Cruz (4-0 / 2 by KO) Lightweight
PAST WINNERS
Bakhodir Jalolov (2023)
Keyshawn Davis (2022)
Xander Zayas (2021
Edgar Berlanga (2020)