🏆 BEST DAMN BOXING AWARDS LIST PERIOD: Paul Jones Reveals His Complete List of 2018 Boxing Award Winners, Runners-up, and Nominees

9 min readJan 5, 2019

By Dr. Paul R. Jones! | Published: January 4, 2019 | 4:00 PM ET

Each year, I release the names of my annual award winners, given to the world’s best fighters, fights, and moments in the sport of boxing.

This year, I’ve crunched the numbers, made my list, and checked it twice.

Here is my complete list of winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions for 2018:

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, MALE

*‘EASTSIDEBOXING’ FIGHTER OF THE YEAR cruiserweight OLEKSANDER USYK raises the Muhammad Ali Trophy after beating Murat Gassiev in the World Boxing Super Series on July 21, 2018.* Photo © World Boxing Super Series

· OLEKSANDER USYK, Cruiserweight, 🇺🇦 Ukraine — 🏆 WINNER

· Vasyl Lomachenko, Lightweight, 🇺🇦 Ukraine — RUNNER-UP

· Terence Crawford, Welterweight, 🇺🇸 USA — NOMINEE

· Mikey Garcia, Lightweight, 🇺🇸 USA — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION (alphabetical): Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez • Miguel Berchelt • Tyson Fury • Jarrett Hurd • Naoya Inoue • Daniel Jacobs • Anthony Joshua • Wanheng Menayothinn • Jaime Munguia • Regis Prograis • Srisaket Sor Rungvisai • Callum Smith • Josh Warrington • Dillian Whyte • Deontay Wilder

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, FEMALE

*World Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor is my pick for 2018 FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR. Photo © Tom Casino/SHOWTIME*

· Katie Taylor, Lightweight, 🇮🇪 Ireland — 🏆 WINNER

· Claressa Shields, Middleweight, 🇺🇸 USA — RUNNER-UP

· Cecilia Brækhus, Welterweight, 🇳🇴 Norway — NOMINEE

· Mariana Juárez, Bantamweight, 🇲🇽 Mexico — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Rose Volante • Marie Eve Dicaire • Heather Hardy • Alicia Napoleon • Ewa Piątkowska

COMEBACK FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

· Tyson Fury, Heavyweight, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — 🏆 WINNER

· Beibut Shumenov, Cruiserweight, 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan — RUNNER-UP

· Tevin Farmer, Junior Lightweight, 🇺🇸 USA — NOMINEE

· Kell Brook, Super Welterweight, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Devon Alexander • Rob Brant • Nonito Donaire • Kazuto Ioka • Jesús Soto Karass • Manny Pacquiao • Cristofer Rosales

TRAINER OF THE YEAR

· Anatoly Lomachenko, 🇺🇦 Ukraine — 🏆 WINNER

· Derrick James, 🇺🇸 USA — RUNNER-UP

· Ben Davison, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — NOMINEE

· Shingo Inoue, 🇯🇵 Japan — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Teddy Atlas • Dave Coldwell • Buboy Fernandez • Roberto Garcia • Shingo Inoue • Robert McCracken • Brian McIntyre • Eddy Reynoso

WORST DECISION OF THE YEAR

*Thomas Mattice’s split decision win over Zhora Hamazaryan is my pick for the Worst Decision of 2018.* Photo © SHOBOX

· Thomas Mattice sd8 Zhora Hamazaryan — 🏆 WINNER

· Devon Alexander D12 Victor Ortiz — RUNNER-UP

· Donnie Nietes D12 Aston Palicte — NOMINEE

· Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez MD12 Gennady Golovkin — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Deontay Wilder D12 Tyson Fury • Tony Harrison UD12 Jermell Charlo • Travis Kauffman MD10 Scott Alexander

BLUE-CHIP PROSPECT OF THE YEAR

*Emerging knockout artist and showman, Teófimo López — who brought the* *Fortnite dance* *and Heisman pose to boxing — is my pick for Blue Chip Prospect of the Year.* Photo © Mikey Williams/Top Rank

· Teófimo López, Lightweight, 🇺🇸 USA — 🏆 WINNER

· Filip Hrgovic, Heavyweight, 🇭🇷 Croatia — RUNNER-UP

· Shakur Stevenson, Super Featherweight, 🇺🇸 USA — NOMINEE

· Jaron Ennis, Welterweight, 🇺🇸 USA — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Efe Ajagba • Murodjon Akhmadaliev • Conor Benn • Joshua Buatsi • Souleymane Cissokho • Robson Conceicao • Michael Conlan • Daniel Dubois • Luis Feliciano • Ryan Garcia • Joshua Greer Jr • Joe Joyce • Josh Kelly • Vergil Ortiz Jr. • Jason Quigley • Lewis Ritson • Lamont Roach Jr. • Evgeny Romanov • Anthony Sims Jr. • Tony Yoka

BREAKOUT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

· Jaime Munguia, Junior Middleweight, 🇲🇽 Mexico — 🏆 WINNER

· Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Light Heavyweight, 🇺🇦 Ukraine — RUNNER-UP

· José Carlos Ramírez, Super Lightweight, 🇺🇸 USA — NOMINEE

· Josh Taylor, Super Lightweight, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Ivan Baranchyk • David Benavidez • Isaac Dogboe • Charlie Edwards • Reymart Gaballo • Devin Haney • Maurice Hooker • Jarrell Miller • José Uzcátegui • Anthony Yarde

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

· Murat Gassiev vs. Yuniel Dorticos — 🏆 WINNER

· Alex Saucedo vs. Lenny Zappavigna — RUNNER-UP

· Erislandy Lara vs. Jarrett Hurd — NOMINEE

· Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin-II — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: • Danny Garcia vs. Shawn Porter • Sho Kimura vs. Kosei Tanaka • Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Jorge Linares • Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs. Juan Francisco Estrada • Oscar Valdez vs. Scott Quigg • Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury

MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

· Maurice Hooker, Junior Welterweight, 🇺🇸 USA — 🏆 WINNER

· Tevin Farmer, Super Featherweight, 🇺🇸 USA — RUNNER-UP

· Dillian Whyte, Heavyweight, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom\🇯🇲 Jamaica — NOMINEE

· Josh Warrington, Featherweight, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: David Allen • Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez • Rob Brant • Dominic Breazeale • Richard Commey • Ohara Davies • Charlie Edwards • Tony Harrison • Jamel Herring • Jarrett Hurd • Bryant Jennings • Shawn Porter • Liam Williams

UPSET OF THE YEAR

· ELEIDER ÁLVAREZ KO7 SERGEY KOVALEV — 🏆 WINNER

· Cristofer Rosales TKO9 Daigo Higa — RUNNER-UP

· Rob Brant UD12 Ryota Murata — NOMINEE

· Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez MD12 Gennady Golovkin — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Oleksandr Gvozdyk KO11 Adonis Stevenson • Tony Harrison UD12 Jermell Charlo • Maurice Hooker SD12 Terry Flanagan • Emanuel Navarrete UD12 Isaac Dogboe • Callum Smith KO7 George Groves • Josh Warrington SD12 Lee Selby

KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR

*It took Naoya Inoue just one round to short-circuit Juan Carlos Payano in the World Boxing Super Series, a feat that earned Inoue my 2018 KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR.* Photo © Naoki Fukuda

· Naoya Inoue KO1 Juan Carlos Payano — 🏆 WINNER

· Dillian Whyte KO6 Lucas Browne — RUNNER-UP

· Aleksandr Usyk TKO8 Tony Bellew — NOMINEE

· Dillian Whyte KO5 Derek Chisora-II — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Efe Ajagba KO1 Dell Long • David Allen KO Nick Webb • Dominic Breazeale KO9 Carlos Negron • Jermall Charlo KO2 Hugo Centeno Jr • Derek Chisora KO Carlos Takam • Anthony Fowler TKO6 Craig O’Brien •Murat Gassiev KO12 Yunier Dorticos • Román González TKO5 Moises Fuentes • Oleksandr Gvozdyk KO11 Adonis Stevenson • David Lemieux KO1 Gary O’Sullivan • Teófimo López KO1 Mason Menard • Luis Ortiz KO2 Razvan Cojanu • Alexander Povetkin KO5 David Price • Jason Quigley KO6 Daniel Rosario Cruz • Michel Soro TKO2 Greg Vendetti • Deontay Wilder KO Luis Ortiz

ROUND OF THE YEAR

· ALEX SAUCEDO vs. Lenny Zappavigna, RD4 — 🏆 WINNER

· Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury, RD12 — RUNNER-UP

· Jarrett Hurd vs. Erislandy Lara, RD12 — NOMINEE

· Sho Kimura vs. Kosei Tanaka, RD2 — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs. Juan Francisco Estrada RD12 • Gary Russell Jr. vs. Joseph Diaz, Jr. RD12 • Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez-II, RD9 • Murat Gassiev vs. Yunier Dorticos, RD12 • Leo Santa Cruz vs. Abner Mares-II, RD12 • Travis Kauffman vs. Scott Alexander, RD1 • Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter Jr., RD9 • Oscar Valdez vs. Scott Quigg, RD12

PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

The masterminds behind the World Boxing Super Series, SAUERLAND PROMOTION, RINGSTAR SPORTS, and COMOSA AG are the winners of my 2018 PROMOTER OF THE YEAR award for helping to bring clarity to the Cruiserweight, Super Middleweight, Super Lightweight, and Bantamweight Divisions. Photo © World Boxing Super Series

· Kalle Sauerland/Richard Schaefer (Sauerland promotion/Ringstar Sports/Comosa AG) — 🏆 WINNER

· Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing) — RUNNER-UP

· Haymon Boxing (Premier Boxing Champions) — NOMINEE

· TOP RANK — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Sean Gibbons (Knucklehead Boxing Inc.) • GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS • Frank Warren (Queensberry Promotions)

GUTSIEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

· OSCAR VALDEZ (SUFFERS BROKEN JAW AND LOSES TEETH IN WIN OVER SCOTT QUIGG), Featherweight, 🇲🇽 Mexico — 🏆 WINNER

· George groves (dislocates shoulder in win over Chris Eubank Jr.), Super Middleweight, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — RUNNER-UP

· Leonardo Zappavigna (Fought valiantly, with one eye swollen shut and cuts, in a loss to Alex Saucedo in a fight of the year candidate), Heavyweight, 🇦🇺 Australia — NOMINEE

· Scott Quigg (sustained facial lacerations and grotesque swelling in loss to Oscar Valdez), Featherweight, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Sam Hyde (fought with horrendous swelling on his left eye before being stopped by Richard Riakporhe) • Beibut Shumenov (reclaims WBA world title despite fighting with career-threatening eye injury) • Deontay Wilder (beats Luis Ortiz despite being “Sick as a dog”)

BEST MOMENT OF THE YEAR

*Luis Ortiz breaks down in tears during a SHOWTIME post-fight interview after proclaiming that doctors have “found a cure for [his] daughter’s condition,” known as* ***Epidermolysis bullosa**, a disease that can cause fragile skin and blistering.*** Photo © SHOWTIME

· Luis Ortiz proclaims that, five days before his KO of Razvan Cojanu, doctors “found a cure for [his] daughter’s condition” — 🏆 WINNER

· ADONIS STEVENSON ‘awakes’ from a medically-induced coma after suffering a traumatic brain injury VS. Oleksandr Gvozdyk — RUNNER-UP

· José Carlos Ramírez, along with the California Latino Water Coalition, continue the “FIGHT FOR WATER,” raising awareness and money for water rights for farmers and workers in Central California — NOMINEE

· Jesús Soto Karass sets a new record for the most punches thrown by a fighter (1,848) in his win over Neeco Macias after going 0–5–1 in his last 6 fights — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: Devon Alexander floats idea of a Congressional run in 2020 on social media • CECILIA BRÆKHUS is awarded first pound-for-pound, number 1 ranking for a female fighter by The Ring Magazine • DAZN launches global sports streaming service • Tony Harrison teaches at-risk kids boxing in Detroit • Wanheng Menayothinn moves to 52–0 • TYSON FURY goes public in trying to “smash the stigma” associated with mental health problems

#WTF MOMENT OF THE YEAR

· Victor Ortiz’s is arrested on suspicion of rape (later pleads not guilty to 3 felonies) — 🏆 WINNER

· “SAY IT AIN’T SO, HBO!”: HBO shuttered its doors to boxing after nearly five decades — RUNNER-UP

· CURTIS HARPER exits the ring before a scheduled fight with Efe Ajagba on a PBC card — NOMINEE

· FLOYD MAYWEATHER Jr. beats the brakes off of TENSHIN NASUKAWA in under a round on RIZIN.14 card — NOMINEE

HONORABLE MENTION: David Benavidez tests positive for cocaine • ADRIEN BRONER/Tekashi 6ix9ine create FAKE BEEF • Adrien Broner reportedly sued over sexual battery incident in an Atlanta mall • Omar Figueroa Jr. allegedly faces DUI charge in California •TYSON FURY “THE KISSING BANDIT”: FURY plants a pre-fight smooch on Sefer Seferi • Billy Joe (Saunders) BEHAVING BADLY: tests positive for oxilofrine, a banned stimulant; starts “chicken-gate” (A Hot Mess) and reportedly hurls half-a-chicken at Deontay Wilder at a Nandos restaurant; urges suspected drug addict to engage in questionable behavior ■

Justin Jones contributed to this report.

 Did I get it right? Email me with your comments and I’ll include the best ones in a future mailbag.

 About Dr. Paul R. Jones!

Dr. Paul R. Jones! is a boxing writer and ringside photographer for BoxingEpicenter. He created B|E in 2017. A scientist by day and boxing writer by night, he covers the humorous, offbeat, and absurd from the sport of boxing. Paul’s articles have appeared in PEDIATRICS, Race and Social Problems, and Motivation and Emotion, and he’s covered boxing online for EASTSIDEBOXING, BOXINGINSIDER, TheFightJournal, BOXINGNEWS24, and WRAPSONTV. Follow him on Twitter @boxingepicenter, YouTube, and Medium.com. Or e-mail him at prjones1@hotmail.com for bookings or inquiries.

Also checkout these columns by Dr. Jones!:

■ Thomas Mattice Decisions Zhora Hamazaryan: East Side Boxing’s Worst Decision of 2018!

■ Anatoly Lomachenko: East Side Boxing’s 2018 Trainer Of The Year!

■ Tyson Fury: East Side Boxing’s 2018 Comeback Fighter Of The Year!

■ Katie Taylor: East Side Boxing’s 2018 Female Fighter Of The Year!

■ OLEKSANDR USYK named BOXINGEPICENTER’s 2018 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR by Paul R. Jones!

■ 27 Stunning Photos from Russell Jr. vs. Óscar Escandón

■ SPECIAL EDITION: THE BEST BOXING PHOTOS OF 2017

■ Photo Gallery: Official Weigh-In Results for Gary Russell Jr. (125.5) vs. Joseph Diaz Jr. (126.0) — Santa Cruz, Mares, Selby, Valdez, Frampton, More!

■ Opinion: 2 Biggest Takeaways From Kovalev vs. Álvarez

■ Russell Jr. Withstands Diaz Jr. to Retain WBC title, Eyes A Unification Bout or Will Move Up in Weight

■ ESB Best of 2017! Lomachenko, Crawford, Joshua, More!