The Boxing Writers Association Of America Lists Five Candidates For Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter Of Year Award
Just who was this year’s Fighter Of The Year? It’s arguably the most prestigious and debated award of the year (although Fight Of The Year also usually results in plenty of debate amongst passionate fight fans) and, as per a piece by Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, The Boxing Writers Association Of America has come up with its five candidates for 2018’s Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter Of The Year Award.
The five contenders (the final results will be announced in January) are:
Oleksandr Usyk
Vasyl Lomachenko
Maurice Hooker
Mikey Garcia
Terence Crawford
From this ringside seat, Crawford is the least deserving of the five fighters. Though undeniably a fine fighter, an exceptional talent, Crawford had a less that spectacular 12 months, with just two wins, over considerable underdogs Jeff Horn and Jose Benavidez. Usyk, Lomachenko, Hooker and Garcia are more worthy than Crawford in my opinion, but it is of course up to the panel on the respected Writers Association to decide.
For what it’s worth, Usyk should be the clear winner in the opinion of this writer.
Consider: Usyk made boxing history here in 2018 by becoming the first man ever to hold all four world titles at cruiserweight: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO. Usyk won The World Boxing Super Series. The Ukrainian southpaw fought three times in 2018, each fight fought away from home, and he beat excellent opposition in the form of Mairis Briedis, Murat Gassiev and Tony Bellew.
At just 16-0 as a pro, Uyk has achieved so, so much already, and he had his finest year thus far here in 2018. Indeed, if Usyk is not the single finest fighter in all of boxing right now (above even the sublime Lomachenko?), he is right up there. And in terms of amount achieved, meaningful fights won, Usyk just has to be proclaimed as this year’s FOTY.
Some may argue Lomachenko – who enjoyed a great stoppage win over Jorge Linares in May, in his 135 pound debut, and then, after returning from shoulder surgery, picked up a second lightweight belt with a wide win over Jose Pedraza – but Usyk edges it here. What say you?