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If Usyk competed more than once in 2021, he might have wrested the top spot from Alvarez, but he'll have plenty of opportunities to win the award in 2022. Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), of Ukraine, owes Joshua a rematch in the first half of 2022, and if he wins, a matchup with Tyson Fury for the undisputed championship could follow later in the year. There were plenty of other boxers who made noise in 2021, and Usyk is chief among them. In selecting the "best of" in boxing for 2021, it was far and away the most stacked category. Canelo is one of the best pound for pound boxers I’ve ever seen … “You may have your bread and butter, like, ‘hey, I’mma box,’ but I’ve never seen it work when you have a pure boxer,” Ward said. Plant told ESPN he doesn't understand why Alvarez got upset with the use of that word when Alvarez used it with Demetrius Andrade at the news conference following Alvarez's most recent fight in May. He’s got to hit him in the ring now, and Canelo knows it’s coming. Had a slow start, but got into a rhythm in the second round and didn't look back.
Fury, just like he did in the second fight, marched forward and winged bombs. That fight, at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, broke the boxing indoor attendance record in the U.S. The pro-Canelo crowd smashed the previous record of 63,352 for the heavyweight championship rematch between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks at the Superdome in New Orleans on September 15, 1978. It was just another nugget of history that did not go unnoticed by Alvarez. The pair of wins over previously undefeated opposition makes Alvarez the unquestioned 2021 men's fighter of the year. In a year littered with upsets, none was more shocking than Kambosos' convincing decision win over Lopez. Amid all the violence, it appeared Gonzalez clearly won, but the judges had other ideas and awarded Estrada the victory via split decision to even the series. After all, Lopez was coming off a clear decision win over Vasiliy Lomachenko in October 2020. But Kambosos didn't buy the hype, and delivered the performance of a lifetime. Most surprising of all, Usyk buckled Joshua numerous times and appeared to be on the brink of scoring the stoppage in the waning seconds of the fight. The biggest of all, however, may have come in May when Canelo Alvarez failed in his bid to become WBA light heavyweight champion against Dmitry Bivol.
Bivol was in control from the opening bell as he used his superior size, range and jab to retain his light heavyweight title. A fight with Bivol, ESPN's No. 2 light heavyweight, would be Alvarez's second at 175 pounds. Nearly eight-and-a-half years and two weight classes later, the future Hall of Famers met for the second time, and somehow they eclipsed their brutal first fight. September 2022 First fight May21 Plant September! If Anderson can land a fight or two with a gatekeeper in the first half of the year, the Fury sparring partner could be ready for a top-10 opponent by the fall. Even though Fury was in control by Round 11, the knockout had context and consequence well beyond the highlight reel. But just like Wilder had in Round 3, Fury survived and wrested control for good in Round 6. Wilder absorbed a hellacious beating, but displayed a never-say-die attitude in line with his desire to never have the towel tossed in on his behalf. While other fighters also had really good years -- more on that below -- Serrano's big performances also reached a wide audience. The win against Gutierrez was particularly convincing, as Serrano looked like she'd barely been touched while Gutierrez's face was swollen and beat up.
Sure, Kambosos was rated in ESPN's top 10 in his decision, while Sandor Martin, Mauricio Lara and Kid Galahad weren't. Fury has one fight remaining on his deal with Top Rank. This time, there could be no controversy, real or imagined, as Fury sent Wilder out on his shield to conclude one of the greatest heavyweight title trilogies of all time. One round later, Fury pinned Wilder in the corner and connected on a loaded-up right cross that sent Wilder crashing to the mat in a heap. If one of those guys gives me the opportunity I’m definitely taking it,” said Charlo. But I did get the vaccination and I’m vaccinated because I don’t want this moment to slip by. I don't do this to be famous or to get attention. Usyk rose to the occasion and completely dominated Joshua in London to claim three heavyweight world titles. The third meeting between Fury and Wilder wasn't just a slam-dunk for the best fight of 2021; the October showdown will go down as one of the greatest fights in the storied history of the heavyweight division.