As we wrap up the year, who are the contenders for “Player of the Year?” Let’s just take a look at the Ring Magazine champions.
Firstly, and to no one’s surprise, IBF, WBA and WBO super bantamweight world champion “The Monster” Naoya Inoue (31-0 (27)) from Japan, who is scheduled to fight his third fight this year in December against WBC silver champion (in 2004) David “Alan Picasso Romero” Picasso, 32-0-1 (17) from Mexico, at the Mohammed Abdo Arena Riyadh.
In January, he knocked out WBO Oriental champion Ye Joon “Troublemaker Pacquiweather” Kim 21-3-2 by knockout. In May, he left the field in the second round before defeating San Antonio’s Ramon “Dinamita” Cardenas 26-2. In September, he defeated former IBF super bantamweight world champion Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev (14-1) of Uzbekistan.
Inoue’s card includes IBF and WBC bantamweight world champion Junto “Large Bang” Nakatani (31-0 (24), also of Japan). He will face Sebastian Hernandez Reyes of Mexico, 20-0 (18), of Tijuana.
In February, he knocked out Mexican David “El General” Cuellar Contreras 28-0. In June, he stopped Ryosuke Nishida (10:0) from Japan.
Newly crowned WBC airy heavyweight world champion David “The Monster Bandera Roja’ Benavidez (31-0 (25)) of Miami, Florida in February as the interim WBC champion left the ring in the eleventh round and defeated Cuban David “Osvary” Morrell (11-0) of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This month he stopped Anthony Yarde (27-3) of Great Britain.
IBF and WBO middleweight world champion Zhanibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly (17-0 (12) of Kazakhstan defeated Anauel Ngamisingue (14-0) of Congo and France in April. He is scheduled to fight former Ibo Super Welter Welter champion Esslandy “The American Dream” Lara, 31-3-3, of San Antonio, Texas, in December.
Former IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (35-0 (31) of Philadelphia defeated Eimantas Stanionis (15-0 of Lithuania) in April and stopped Uisma Lima (14-1) of Angola in October.
WBO welterweight champion and three-division champion Devin “The Dream” Haney (33-0 (15) of Las Vegas, Novel Jersey defeated Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-2) in May. He won his current title in November by defeating Brian Norman Jr. 28-0 of Conyers, Georgia.
WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson (24-0 (11) of Houston, Texas, defeated Josh “Paddy” Padley 15-0 in February. In July, he defeated Mexican William “Camaron” Zepeda 33-0.
WBO featherweight champion Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza (28-0 (24) of Guadalajara, Mexico, defeated Edward “Kid” Vazquez (17-2) of Ft Worth, Texas, in May. He stopped Arnold “Ami” Khegai (23-2-1) of Ukraine in November.
Pham, Texas, Martinez, 18-0, Argentina.
Ken Hissner is an experienced boxing journalist with over 20 years of experience covering the world fight scene. As a senior writer for Boxing News 24is well known in the boxing community for his detailed results coverage, in-depth historical articles and ringside reports of major events.