An A-to-Z of Boxing in 2016: An Alphabetical Review of the Year
While 2016 didn't quite live up to expectations, it still turned out to be an eventful year in the boxing world.
Star names sadly stayed apart from each other, leaving an expectant audience still waiting to see the bouts it desperately craves.
Although pound-for-pound contenders Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev did meet, the judges ended up as the major talking point.
Yet the biggest moment for boxing didn't happen inside a ring. This was the year the sport said goodbye to The Greatest, as Muhammad Ali died in June.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. surprisingly didn't make a comeback, but Manny Pacquiao inevitably did. Meanwhile, two Ukrainians continued to take major strides towards superstardom.
Injuries were a problem for some—Deontay Wilder was among those forced to spend time on the sidelines—but there were also far too many fights scuppered by issues at the negotiating table.
As a famous fighter from Louisville, Kentucky once said: "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."
Bleacher Report has produced an alternative review of the last 12 months through an A-to-Z guide of boxing.
A Is for Ali
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"Muhammad Ali was a god, an idol and an icon. He was boxing. Any kid that had the opportunity to talk to Ali, to get advice from Muhammad Ali, was privileged. He's always given me time to ask questions, although I was so in awe that I didn't ask questions."
The words of Sugar Ray Leonard—a ring legend in his own right—rather nicely sum up the impact of Ali, who transcended the sport of boxing and became a global icon.
On June 3, the three-time heavyweight champion of the world passed away at a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. He was 74.
The Greatest was gone, but he will never be forgotten. His memory, undoubtedly, will live on forever.
Everyone will have their own favourite story about a man who refused to back down from a challenge, even when suffering from Parkinson's disease in later life.
Rest in peace, Muhammad.
B Is for Best of British
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Britain finishes the year with 13 world champions.
Khalid Yafai was the latest member to join the club, as he claimed the vacant WBA super flyweight title with a unanimous points win over Luis Concepcion in December.
However, it's not just on the world stage where Brits flourished. The top tier is only so strong because of the level of competition underneath. The British boxing pyramid is built on some solid foundations.
In 2016, there were some wonderful domestic scraps, proving the Lonsdale belt still matters.
Tommy Langford just squeezed by Sam Sheedy on points to claim the vacant middleweight crown in November, while a month later Frank Buglioni produced a stunning finish in December to dethrone Hosea Burton in Round 12 of their light heavyweight scrap.
It was also telling how Gennady Golovkin was tempted to travel to England to fight Kell Brook, too. Money talks—and Sky Sports' pay-per-view shows certainly help pay the bills.
And with BT Sport teaming up with BoxNation, plus ITV dangling their toe back in the water again, boxers are set to receive even greater exposure in Britain and Ireland in 2017.
C Is for Comebacks
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After beating Timothy Bradley in a rubber match on April 9, Manny Pacquiao declared he was done with boxing: "As of now, I am retired."
His future plan was to return to his homeland in the Philippines and focus fully on a career in politics (having won a seat in the Philippine Senate at the end of 2015).
However, in what felt like a rather quick about-turn, Pac-Man announced he would instead be lacing up the gloves again.
In November, he defeated Jessie Vargas to become the WBO's champion at welterweight.
Pacquiao recently turned 38 yet seems set to fight on. Perhaps he's sticking around in the hope former foe Floyd Mayweather Jr. will make a comeback too, but as yet, Money has stayed true to his word.
You don't expect that to last though, do you?
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D Is for Debatable Decisions
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Debatable decisions in boxing are not new. What is, however, is the opportunity to discuss scores on social media.
In a time when everyone likes to tell the world their opinions via Facebook, Instagram, Reddit or Twitter, judges' cards come under increased scrutiny.
In 2016, Andre Ward's unanimous-decision win over Sergey Kovalev created ridiculous levels of interest.
CompuBox stats (h/t BoxingScene.com) showed Krusher Kovalev landed more punches. He also scored a knockdown in the second round yet still failed to do enough in the eyes of the three judges at ringside.
"I'm a guest here in the USA and he's a local, and all the judges are from the USA. I agree they support their boxer but honestly, this is sport. Don't make it like politics," Kovalev said afterwards, according to the Telegraph.
So, what can be done to make sure the judges don't become the major talking point after big bouts?
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has a plan—a six-point plan in fact.
He made them all clear in an article for FightNews.com that was perhaps appropriately titled: "The 12th Round: Judging – the Eternal Black Eye in Boxing."
E Is for Eubank
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Whatever you personally think about the Eubanks, one thing is clear: They don't care about the opinions of others.
Under the watchful eye of his father, former two-weight world champion Chris Eubank, Chris Eubank Jr. is proving to be a chip off the old block.
He is undoubtedly talented and, like the old man, enjoys the showmanship of performing in front of an audience. However, Eubank Jr. also likes to court controversy, too.
This was a year in which he missed out on potential fights with Gennady Golovkin, Danny Jacobs and Billy Joe Saunders, having seemingly taken a step backwards to win the British title.
He eventually vacated the Lonsdale belt, issuing a statement to explain why that included the line: "Chris Eubank Jr.'s management team will use the injury as an opportunity to step aside and fight high-calibre world competition."
So, who is his next "high-calibre" opponent then? Renold Quinlan that's who, an unheralded Australian with an 11-1 record as a pro.
Even more surprising was the revelation it will be a pay-per-view fight aired by ITV. Yep, those Eubanks really don't give a damn what anyone thinks about them.
F Is for Female Stars
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For a sport to really thrive, it needs stars. With that in mind, 2016 could prove to be a turning point for women's boxing.
While campaigning on different sides of the Atlantic, American Claressa Shields and Irishwoman Katie Taylor are journeying on the same path.
Both turned pro after stellar amateur careers. While Shields won back-to-back Olympic gold medals, Taylor claimed five consecutive golds at the Women's World Championships from 2006 to 2014.
Shields debuted on the undercard to the Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev fight, albeit her bout with Franchon Crews was not part of HBO's PPV telecast.
Taylor, however, made her bow in a prime-time slot live on Sky Sports.
"Forget women's boxing, forget men's boxing, it's just boxing, and Katie Taylor can fight, she can entertain," her promoter, Eddie Hearn, said after a ruthless win over Karina Kopinska at Wembley Arena in London.
If Shields and Taylor are given the right platforms to show off their undoubted skills, they can make great strides that have an impact beyond just their own careers.
G Is for Goodison Park
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Having starred in the film Creed, Tony Bellew knew all about Hollywood scripts.
However, the outspoken cruiserweight wrote his own feel-good story when he knocked out Ilunga Makabu to become the WBC's new champion.
There were three reasons the win was so special for Bellew:
- He had failed in his two previous attempts at becoming a world champion. It was highly unlikely a fourth would come around, should he lose to Makabu.
- After a difficult training camp, he had to climb off the canvas in Round 1 before producing a stunning stoppage in the next.
- He achieved his lifelong goal at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, the home of his beloved Everton Football Club.
Bellew has defended the title once since, beating BJ Flores with ease, and then talked his way into a money-spinning heavyweight bout against David Haye for next March.
Yet it is tough to see how anything he achieves now will ever top that unforgettable night at Goodison in May.
H Is for Hopkins
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Bernard Hopkins' farewell fight didn't end quite the way he planned.
The 51-year-old's long and distinguished career finished with a defeat, as Joe Smith Jr. stopped The Executioner in Round 8.
In fact, Hopkins lost in a really undignified manner. Knocked out of the ring, he was unable to return in time to carry on. He hit his head while falling too and also suffered an ankle injury.
Yet the final chapter shouldn't overshadow what Hopkins achieved during a career that started way back in 1988 (with a defeat, too).
A two-weight world champion, the American became the oldest ever to win a major belt when, at the age of 48 years, one month, and 22 days, he defeated Tavoris Cloud for the IBF light heavyweight title.
However, even a defensive specialist like Hopkins couldn't find a way to hold off Father Time. Enjoy retirement, B-Hop, and thanks for the memories.
I Is for Inoue
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Naoya Inoue is a bit special.
The Japanese fighter moved to 12-0 in 2016 as he defended his WBO super flyweight title three times, including dismantling compatriot Kohei Kono inside six rounds on December 30.
Brave Kono was game for as long as the bout lasted, but no opponent at 115 pounds has yet managed to topple the man nicknamed Monster.
That could change, however, if Inoue goes toe-to-toe with Roman Gonzalez, the WBC champion who is rated by The Ring magazine as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, in 2017.
The two sides cannot afford to mess around, though.
"It’ll be a matter of my weight and the timing (of the fight),” Inoue said after beating Kono, per Kaz Nagatsuka of the Japan Times.
J Is for Jackal
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While only fighting twice, Carl Frampton's stock rose dramatically during the last 12 months.
It all started in February with a victory over his long-time rival Scott Quigg in a unification battle at super bantamweight.
Then, in July, he stepped up to 127 pounds to become a two-weight world champion, defeating Leo Santa Cruz on points in New York to take the Mexican's WBA featherweight crown.
The results led to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Snowden naming the Northern Irishman the pick of the fighters in his end-of-year review, as did ESPN's Dan Rafael.
A rematch with Santa Cruz in January offers Frampton, who expects to have plenty of support at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a chance to start 2017 in fine style.
Whatever happens in the future, 2016 was the year of The Jackal.
K Is for Knockouts
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There were plenty of spectacular finishes in 2016.
Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam's right hand to stop Alfonso Blanco was a stunning way to pick up the interim WBA title, particularly as it happened inside the opening minute of the middleweight bout.
Vasyl Lomachenko delivered a right hook to Rocky Martinez that led to the referee cutting short his count, while Callum Smith produced a left against Luke Blackledge that even drew gasps from one of the television commentators on duty.
However, this writer's most notable knockout of the year came from Saul Alvarez, as he dismantled Amir Khan with a brutal right in May.
Bombs away in 2017, chaps!
L Is for Lomachenko
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If Carl Frampton isn't your top choice as fighter of the year, Vasyl Lomachenko has a strong case to take the honour instead.
The Ukrainian became a two-weight world champion in May, knocking out Roman Martinez to win the WBO strap at super feather.
In his first defence, he proved far too much for the previously unbeaten Nicholas Walters to handle.
So, in eight fights, Lomachenko has lost a close decision, won two titles, defended both and also pushed himself into the conversation for the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
That's more than a lot of fighters, good fighters at that, manage to fit into their entire career.
And yet you feel we've still yet to see the very best of the 28-year-old in the paid ranks. The only disappointing thing about Lomachenko is his nickname (Hi-Tech? Really?).
M Is for Mismatches
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There was one megafight that everyone wanted to see in 2016.
Saul Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin gave us all hope they would finally meet, only for the pair to end up taking different paths.
Canelo took on Amir Khan in a catchweight fight before dropping back down to super welterweight to face another Englishman, Liam Smith, in Texas. The Mexican won comfortably on both occasions.
GGG, meanwhile, struggled to find willing opponents at middleweight.
In the end, Kell Brook—a world champion at welterweight—took a leap of faith in agreeing to move up. That decision did not pay off, as the plucky challenger had to be pulled out by his corner due to injury.
Brook, Khan and Smith should not be blamed for rolling the dice. But the paying fan should not be happy at having to fork out for what appear to be foregone conclusions.
Then there is Danny Garcia, a world champion who plucked Samuel Vargas out of relative obscurity for a 10-rounder in November. It was hardly ideal preparation for a unification contest against Keith Thurman in 2017.
Steve Bunce wrote in the Independent: "It is impossible to build a fighter with mismatches, but it is essential to build a brand with mismatches; one is sport, one is business."
Dear promoters, stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes. We can see right through the walkover wins.
N Is for New World Order
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The heavyweight scene has altered again in the past 12 months.
At the end of 2015, Tyson Fury was the top dog in the division. However, his future remains unclear after personal problems led to his vacating the WBA and WBO titles.
The WBO's strap is now held by New Zealander Joseph Parker, while the IBF belt, taken from Fury before he'd even had time to polish it, is in the possession of Anthony Joshua.
The two young champions are in a similar situation. Both have impressed in the paid ranks to date, yet both also need to prove themselves against a top-class opponent.
Joshua will get the chance to do just that when he faces Wladimir Klitschko—the former undisputed champion—at Wembley Stadium in London on April 29.
For Klitschko, the fight isn't just against an unbeaten champion. The Ukrainian, who will be 41 by the time he steps between the ropes in the English capital, is battling desperately to keep Father Time at bay.
If he's unable to roll back the years, Dr. Steelhammer will have to stand aside and allow the new wave of big men to dominate.
O Is for Olympics
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An Olympic year always offers boxing fans a glimpse into the future.
Success in the amateurs doesn't guarantee a great career in the pros, but Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman all did pretty well in the paid ranks after striking gold.
More recently, James DeGale became the first Brit to win both an Olympic gold medal as an amateur and then go on to claim a world title in the pros.
So who can we expect to shine from those who performed in the 2016 Games in Rio? Well, Bleacher Report's Briggs Seekins just so happened to pick out 10 to follow.
However, the Olympics were also notable for some bad judging. Really, really, bad judging.
Northern Ireland's Michael Conlan was on the wrong end of a particularly poor decision against Vladimir Nikitin. He displayed his disappointment with a one-fingered salute to the officials at ringside.
The International Boxing Association took action by sending home some judges, while there is set to be changes to the scoring system for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
P Is for Premier Boxing Champions
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After a scattergun approach last year, Premier Boxing Champions had gone into hibernation by the end of 2016.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com: "PBC's activity level has slowed as its bank account has seemingly dwindled." With the war chest running low, Al Haymon's grand plans were put on hold.
While the television audience misses out, the biggest losers were the fighters themselves.
Too many of the PBC roster were left twiddling their thumbs during the last year—and even when they were active, it was often against inferior opposition.
The schedule looks healthier for the start of next year, and long may the fights continue to flow for the rest of 2017.
But, as Jonathan Snowden pointed out in his review of the year for Bleacher Report: "The stars of tomorrow aren't built on social media or on the police blotter. They are constructed in the ring in compelling fights. PBC, it seems, has forgotten this, putting platforms before pugilists. But the former is worthless without the latter."
Q Is for Quitting
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Nicholas Walters received heavy criticism after choosing to stop fighting against Vasyl Lomachenko in November.
Having failed to make even the slightest dent in his opponent, the Jamaican retired after Round 7. In doing so, the Axe Man chopped up his unbeaten record.
He blamed inactivity during his post-fight interview with HBO, adding: "In the last round, he started catching me more and more. He caught me with some good shots in the last round. I was just holding on to survive."
But should Walters really be condemned for his decision not to go on?
If he felt there was no chance of winning, why not save yourself for another day and avoid further punishment?
Only he knows how tough it was up against the outstanding Lomachenko.
R Is for Retirement
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Ricky Hatton's interview with BBC Radio 4's Today show revealed how the former world champion battled depression since retiring.
"I tried to kill myself several times," he said, per BBC Sport. "I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically."
Hatton is not the first famous fighter from Britain who has dealt with issues after hanging up the gloves. Frank Bruno, another former world champion, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Both men are still hugely popular figures today, but fan support is not nearly enough to help boxers deal with mental issues.
The Hitman added: "The thing is with boxers, we don't come from Cambridge and places like that, we come from council estates. So in boxing it's very, very hard. If boxing had a professional boxing association or something like that, I think it would be a better place."
While great strides have been made to look after fighters' physical health during their careers, Hatton highlighted how more needs to be done to take care of their mental wellbeing, too.
S Is for Sanchez and Shane
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Abel Sanchez and Shane McGuigan were the standout trainers in 2016.
While he rose to prominence working with Carl Frampton, McGuigan, son of former world champion Barry, has now developed a successful stable of fighters in Battersea, London.
George Groves picked McGuigan to help turn around his career. David Haye—a returning heavyweight—and Josh Taylor—an up-and-coming super lightweight—are also under McGuigan's guidance.
"A lot of boxing coaches use different strength coaches and nutritionists but I look after everything. It’s a huge help to be qualified to look after the whole package because I always have the full picture and can adapt everything accordingly," he told Mark Bailey of the Telegraph.
Whatever McGuigan's doing, it is working.
Sanchez, meanwhile, is best known for being the man in charge of Gennady Golovkin's corner.
However, he also works with Murat Gassiev, the undefeated cruiserweight who put an end to Denis Lebedev's reign as IBF champion in December.
As Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole pointed out when naming Sanchez his trainer of the year: "Training a fighter is part teaching technique, but it’s also part psychologist, part conditioning coach, part friend, part father (or mother) figure, part motivator and part communicator. And those skills are only part of the job."
T Is for Tables
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Pre-fight press conferences can be volatile situations.
Fighters are anxious and hungry (often quite literally hungry) with their event on the horizon, plus there is the desire on both sides to gain a psychological edge over their opponent before fight night.
There was certainly no love lost between Dereck Chisora and Dillian Whyte ahead of their scheduled British title fight in December.
After several minutes of verbal sparring in a hotel in Manchester, England, Chisora suddenly snapped. Concerned about threats coming from Whyte's side of the room, he took action by lifting up the table he was sitting by and launching it towards his rival.
Thankfully, no one was hurt in the incident. The table also survived unscathed.
The British Boxing Board of Control decided at an emergency meeting to fine Chisora £25,000, plus £5,000 costs, while also handing out a suspended two-year ban.
The Lonsdale belt was also taken off the table (pun intended), yet that didn't stop the pair serving up a sensational fight when they finally met in the ring.
Whyte ended up winning on a split-decision verdict after 12 bruising rounds.
U Is for Usyk
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After a highly successful amateur career that included winning a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, Oleksandr Usyk has taken to the pro game like a duck to water.
The Ukrainian cruiserweight became a world champion in 2016 in just his 10th outing, taking the WBO belt from Krzysztof Glowacki in the Pole's back yard.
He made his first defence before the end of the year too—knocking out Thabiso Mchunu—and is scheduled to be back on the undercard to Gennady Golovkin's clash with Daniel Jacobs in March.
However, it feels like just a matter of time until Usyk is topping his own bill.
A 6'3" southpaw with excellent boxing skills, beating Mchunu was the ideal start in his bid to make it big in the United States.
V Is for Vacated Belt
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Just as it appeared the boxing stars were about to align in the middleweight division, Saul Alvarez scuppered hopes of a showdown with Gennady Golovkin.
With GGG named his mandatory challenger, Canelo decided to avoid the possible process of going to purse bids by surrendering his grip on the WBC middleweight crown in May.
"I am hopeful that by putting aside this ticking clock, the two teams can now negotiate this fight, and GGG and I can get in the ring as soon as possible and give the fans the fight they want to see," he said, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com.
Yet instead of thrashing out a deal with Golovkin's people, Alvarez and his team opted to drop back down to super welterweight and fight WBO champion Liam Smith.
So now, as we prepare to enter 2017, the money-spinning bout still seems no closer to becoming a reality.
Will we ever get to see the two of them share a ring?
W Is for Ward vs. Kovalev
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Whatever your views on the verdict, Andre Ward's November tussle with Sergey Kovalev was a welcome boost towards the end of an otherwise disappointing year.
After the much-talked-about fights that failed to materialise, Ward's willingness to step up and face the leading light heavyweight (sorry, Adonis Stevenson) was a welcome move.
While Kovalev felt aggrieved at the decision, he may get an immediate chance to avenge the first defeat of his career.
"There is a rematch clause," promoter Kathy Duva confirmed, per Matt Christie of Boxing News. "The only way it’s not immediate is if both fighters agree for it not to be immediate. But we will not be agreeing to that. It will be immediate."
No one should mind watching a second episode—but a clearer outcome would be beneficial to all.
X Is for X-Ray
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Kell Brook's attempt to jump two weight divisions and beat Gennady Golovkin came to a painful end.
The Special One suffered a broken orbital bone on the right side of his face in the early stages of the bout.
While he carried on bravely, even bringing the crowd inside the O2 Arena in London off their seats with some heavy shots of his own in Round 2, he was eventually pulled out by his trainer, Dominic Ingle, in the fifth.
An X-ray of the damage appeared on Twitter (h/t The Fight Guru). Makes you wince a little bit, doesn't it?
Brook required surgery to fix the injury but is now back in training.
Y Is for Yafai
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Britain doesn't have a great history in the super flyweight division. Well, it didn't until Khalid Yafai came along.
By beating Luis Concepcion to claim the vacant WBA title in December, the unbeaten 27-year-old—one of three fighting brothers—became the first world champion from Birmingham, England.
To those who have watched Kal develop as a pro, his success surely came as no surprise.
A wicked body puncher, he has made a habit of breaking down inferior opponents and producing stoppage wins.
While he couldn't stop Concepcion, he dominated from start to finish, suggesting he is ready to become a major player at 115 pounds (as long as he can keep making the weight).
Z Is for Zero Tolerance
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If you think boxing doesn't have a problem with drugs, then think again.
"The sport I love is being prostituted and tainted," two-time world champion Steve Cunningham told Elliot Worsell for Boxing News.
In December, it felt like boxing sank to a new low. Despite testing positive for the banned muscle-building substance ostarine, Alexander Povetkin was allowed to fight on.
The Russian heavyweight—who had also returned a positive test earlier in the year prior to a world title fight against Deontay Wilder—was initially due to face Bermane Stiverne for the interim WBC belt. Instead, he ended up knocking out late stand-in opponent Johann Duhaupas.
"What happened at the Ekaterinburg Expo Center in Russia on Saturday is a blight on boxing and shows just how filthy the sport can be," Dan Rafael wrote for ESPN.com.
A fighter understands the risks of the job. What is tough to comprehend is how, when you can legally kill a man inside the ring, some choose to gain an unfair advantage.
It is time for the authorities to take a tough stance on the issue before it is too late.
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