Who won and who lost during the last year?
This post originally appeared on Substack by Steve Wellings.
Terence Crawford – 40-0 (31 KO)
There was only one fight for Crawford in 2023, and what a performance. The road has been long and difficult, but crushing generational rival Errol Spence in July earned the three-weight world champion all four belts at 147.
SW classification: feather
Tyson Fury – 34-0-1 (24 KO)
Just one fight for Fury too in 2023. It was just one fight when Francis Ngannou moved on from the UFC to cause the fat, unfocused Fury a surprising amount of trouble. His last proper professional outing was a meaningless third fight against Derek Chisora, and Tyson needs a big 2024 to rekindle the magic. If only a compelling opponent was waiting in the wings…
SW classification: bust
Oleksandr Usyk – 21-0 (14 KO)
Since taking part in two fights in 2018, Usyk has become a once-a-year fighter. This year’s departure was technically a low point. Daniel Dubois may or may not have strayed below the waistline in his Polish encounter, and Usyk ultimately got the job done in nine. The victory kept Usyk undefeated and preserved the fight against Fury. Beating a tough opponent while preserving the mega fight gives you a small check in the box.
SW classification: feather
Anthony Joshua – 27-3 (24 KO)
Rehab was the name of the game for AJ, who notched three wins to help erase the ghosts of Usyk’s back-to-back losses. The final victory over Otto Wallin showed Joshua back to simplistic dominance as he led with the jab and floored the Swede. Unfortunately, the fight that many were expecting had been dramatically derailed just hours earlier.
SW classification: feather
Deontay Wilder – 43-3-1 (42 KO)
Deontay, missing since a quick elimination by Robert Helenius, returned on the ‘Judgment Day’ card in Saudi Arabia and looked like a rookie rather than a chiseled former champion. Joseph Parker made his only annual outing a nightmare when Wilder was beaten in 12 sessions without a clue.
SW classification: bust
Naoya Inoue – 26-0 (23 KO)
Where to start with this absolute phenomenon? As if unifying the entire bantamweight division at the end of 2022 wasn’t enough, Inoue only repeated the trick the following year at super bantamweight. Stephen Fulton was supposed to cause problems with his speed and deception in July. Inoue crushed him in eight. Marlon Tapales held out as long as he could in December before Inoue’s power dropped by 10. They took all four belts. An exceptional display of the complete package.
SW Rating: Boom!
David Benavidez – 28-0 (24 KOs)
While it seems to have been around forever, 2023 could be interpreted as a watershed year for Benavidez. A 12-round points victory over Caleb Plant, followed by a beating of previously undefeated Demetrius Andrade, added two high-profile names to his record and set the stage for a clash with Canelo in 2024. Speaking of who…
SW classification: feather
Canelo Álvarez – 60-2-2 (39 KOs)
Canelo was less seen for most of the year, choosing to ply his trade in early May and September, around the Mexican holidays. First, John Ryder showed off the toughness of him as Canelo enjoyed a routine victory on his return home. Then he was too big and strong for 154-pound king Jermell Charlo, who moved up in weight and attempted to defeat the undisputed super middleweight king. Two fights in one year is fast-paced activity these days. Overall, this kept Canelo in the positive column.
SW classification: feather
Devin Haney – 31-0 (15 KO)
A good year for ‘The Dream’, who defeated Vasyl Lomachenko in controversial circumstances before moving up to 140 and dissecting Regis Prograis. Haney is maturing into a quality champion.
SW classification: feather
Shakur Stevenson – 21-0 (10 KO)
The opposite can be said about Shakur. Once touted as the face of boxing, Stevenson needed a balaclava to escape unnoticed from T-Mobile Arena in November while he stinked Edwin De Los Santos. Despite having a great PR team behind him, no one seems to be able to tell Shakur that it’s time to turn off his phone while he digs deeper holes with tweets full of excuses and complaints. Not even a demolition of Yoshino in April could save his year.
SW classification: bust
Gervonta Davis aka Abdul Wahid – 29-0 (27 KOs)
It appears Davis has only fought once this year, as his two outings were close together. First, an explosion by the overmatched Héctor Luis García, followed by a knockout by Ryan García. Then nothing after that. The victory over Ryan will remain as a legacy of success. Therefore, Tank gets the nod for his efforts.
SW classification: feather
Dmitry Bivol – 22-0 (11 KO)
The best boxer on the planet in 2022 was riding high until… 2023 happened. Not only did a unification against light heavyweight rival Artur Beterbiev not materialize, but not much of it materialized either. The Russian was inactive until the last week of the year, when he beat Lyndon Arthur on points. More effort is needed next year. However, that won’t be difficult to achieve.
SW classification: bust
Errol Spence Jr – 28-1 (22 KO)
It was a horrible year for Errol whose physical and mental deterioration seems to have accelerated. Still showing the effects of a car accident, losing his undefeated record inside the ropes, at least he put up a good fight. However, wandering around the ring, struggling to evade any precise shots from Crawford is not a good look. A rematch is an even worse idea. Spence needs to retire before CTE really kicks in. He has a resoundingly unsuccessful color.
SW classification: bust
Other notable Boomers: O’Shaquie Foster, Zhilei Zhang, Leigh Wood, Emanuel Navarrete, Kenshiro Teraji, Teófimo López.
More notable Busters: Regis Prograis, Juan Francisco Estrada, Josh Taylor, Artur Beterbiev.
News and notes
Kazuto Ioka didn’t get Juan Francisco Estrada for the New Year’s Eve extravaganza, but he comfortably took care of WBA super flyweight business. The Japanese star knocked down Venezuelan Josber Pérez several times en route to a seventh-round stoppage.
Vergil Ortiz Jr returns to the ring on January 6. After the cancellation of the fight with Stanionis and subsequent medical complications, it is Ortiz’s first time in the ring in over a year. Ghanaian Fredrick Lawson, powerful but vulnerable, is the opponent.
Media credits: The Independent, Japan News, DAZN.
