There are five world champions that are being considered for the “Fighter of the Year 2024”.
Heading the list is the WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF, and IBO World Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk, 23-0 with 14 stoppages, from Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine.
Usyk defeated WBC world heavyweight champion “The Gypsy King” Tyson Fury, 34-2-1 with 24 stoppages, of Morecambe, UK, twice. In June, Usyk unified, defeating WBC champion “The Gypsy King” Tyson Fury by split decision. In the rematch in December, he won by unanimous decision over Fury.
WBC, WBO, IBF, WBA, and IBO lightweight champion Artur Beterbiev, 21-0 with 20 stops in Khasavyurt, Russia, unified the title in October. He defeated previously undefeated WBA and IBO champion Dmitrii Bivol, 23-1, with 12 stops in Tokmak, KYRG, by a contested decision. In January, he signed Callum ‘Mundo’ Smith, 29-1, in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
WBA and WBO Super World cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez, 47-1 with 30 stoppages, from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico. He won the WBA title, defeating unbeaten Arsen “Feroz” Goulamirian, 27-0, in Yerevan, Armenia, in March. In November, he defeated WBO champion Chris ‘The Gentleman’ Billam-Smith, 20-1, from Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, 62-2-2, with 39 stops, from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. In May, he beat undefeated Jaime Munguia, 43-1, of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. In September, he defeated Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga, 22-1 with 17 stopups, of New York, NY.
IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO super bantamweight champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue, 28-0 with 25 stops from Yokohama, Japan. In June, he stopped Louis Nery, 35-2, with 27 stoppages, of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. In September, he signed TJ Doheny, 26-4, of Portlaoise, Ireland, and Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia.
There you have it, five nominees for the “2024 Fighter of the Year”. Usyk and Beterbiev lead the list. Ramirez, Alvarez and Inoue followed.
