Best Boxing in 2021: Canelo Alvarez has run away with the honors of Fighter of the Year

The sport of boxing was the world of Canelo Alvarez in 2021 and the rest of us lived there.

Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs), a 31-year-old Mexican superstar, had a great reputation as both a pound king and the biggest draw in the sport by winning three fights and combining four supers. world middleweight titles in less than a calendar year.

This award has been a clear vote over the years. Let’s take a closer look at why Alvarez deserved such praise and who was competing for the honorable mention.

Fighter of the Year

Winner: Canelo Alvarez – 3-0 (Def. Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders, Caleb Plant)

At a time when top fighters are struggling to make two appearances in a single year, the reality of a pandemic around the world has only made things harder. Not for Alvarez, however, he completed four fights in less than 12 months from December 2020. Although only three of Alvarez’s victories were in 2021, all three were interruptions for the champions, including two against the reigning champions.

Alvarez may have entered the world as the best consensus boxer in the new year, but he largely consolidated that status with his performance, making him the undisputed first champion of the 168-pound four-belt season, fully unifying the titles. in less than a year.

Although Alvarez’s dissolution of Yildirim was largely a mandatory opponent who didn’t deserve a chance, it will be remembered as a footnote to his 2021 success, but his two victories over Saunders and Plant within six months fully showed what Alvarez does so well. great.

The two undefeated champions brought difficult styles to the board, like mere boxers who find it hard to look good. That didn’t stop Alvarez, however, from taking advantage of his speed and time to adjust before the end.

Having become the face of the sport after the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao era, it’s no surprise that Alvarez finds himself in that position as the most famous critical and commercial fighter of his time. What’s amazing, though, is the ease with which Alvarez has gained weight along the way, which seems almost more dangerous with each climb.

Second place: Oleksandr Usyk 1-0 (defeated by Anthony Joshua)

The Wizard of Southern Ukraine has established his name in the history books as the greatest of all time, combining second-degree titles with his outrage against Josu in September. Usy (19-0, 13 KOs) burst into a bubble of fear of much criticism that the former cruiserweight champion was too young to compete among the division’s elites, leaving Joshua without submitting to the power of his opponent. Usyk was just as brave as he was tactically excellent in securing a world trio of caps and probably securing a big money rematch.

Third place: Josh Taylor 1-0 (Jose Ramirez def.)

Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs), the undisputed welterweight junior champion, overcame an overflowing field for third place with the strength of Ramirez’s undefeated victory. The 30-year-old Scot also established himself as one of the best pounders in the match, as a southern boxer with legitimate finishing power.

Others receive votes

Gervonta Davis (26-0, 24 KOs), which also earned him a couple of paid titles in separate departments, was worth considering, as is the 39-year-old Philippine legend. Nonito Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs) Nordine Oubaali and Reymart Gaballo for the undefeated playoffs, as the former regained part of the bantamweight title. George Cambosos Jr. (20-0, 10 KOs) Teofimo Lopez Jr. to last longer than to become a joint lightweight champion. Katie Taylor (20-0, 6 KOs) She won a decision trio to defend her undisputed lightweight women’s title.