In many years, most years, the Fighter of the Year reveals themself well before the end of December. That’s especially true in recent ones, where Dmitry Bivol (2022), Canelo Álvarez (’19 and ’21) and Oleksandr Usyk (’18) had boxing’s most coveted honor sewed up before Thanksgiving. This year the debate didn’t just rage into the last month, but the last week, with Naoya Inoue making his closing argument on Dec. 26, stopping Marlon Tapales to earn undisputed status in the 122-pound division.
Emerging from a crowded field to earn Sports Illustrated’s 2023 Fighter of the Year: Devin Haney.
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Haney’s campaign began last May, when he defended his 135-pound titles against Vasyl Lomachenko. Predictably, the fight between two pound-for-pound talents was a chess match. Haney focused on the body; Lomachenko threw power shots upstairs. Lomachenko fired off (many) more punches; Haney landed his shots, particularly his power ones, at a (much) higher percentage. While the ending was disputed, it wasn’t controversial. In a close fight between two elite fighters, Haney won.
Haney’s second win last year wasn’t nearly as competitive. In December, Haney, 25, vacated his 135-pound titles and moved up to 140 to challenge Regis Prograis, a two-time super lightweight champion. The buildup was heated. The fight was lopsided. Haney won every round on all three judges’ scorecards, landing 41% of his power shots—including a sharp right hand that dropped Prograis in the third—and limited Prograis to just 36 punches landed, a CompuBox record for fewest punches connected on in a 12-round fight.
Related: Year in Review: SI’s Favorite Moments of 2023
Haney’s chief competition for the award was Inoue, who a year after collecting all four belts at 118 pounds moved up in weight and seized every one at 122. Two came off Stephen Fulton, the slick U.S. boxing star widely considered the top fighter at super bantamweight. Midway through the eighth round, a battered Fulton was crumpled in the corner. Tapales had the other two, at least until a straight right hand in the 10th round of their fight left him unable to continue. Beyond Fighter of the Year, Inoue made a strong case to be called pound-for-pound No. 1.
Terence Crawford, the widely recognized pound-for-pound king, had the best win of 2023, a punishing, one-sided beating of unified 147-pound titleholder Errol Spence Jr. In the most anticipated fight of the year—and the most anticipated welterweight fight since Floyd Mayweather–Manny Pacquiao—Crawford dominated, dropping Spence in the second round and two more times in the seventh before referee Harvey Dock mercifully stopped the fight. It was a tour de force for Crawford, his lone appearance last year, one he is likely to repeat if Spence pushes for the contractually obligated rematch.
Each would’ve been a worthy winner, with David Benavidez, Gervonta Davis and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez also deserving of consideration. In the end, the nod goes to Haney, who took a tough title defense against Lomachenko and blew out arguably the top man at 140 in his debut at a new weight. It was an impressive year for a very impressive young fighter.
Women’s Fighter of the Year: Amanda Serrano
The seven-division titleholder continues to rack up accolades. Serrano’s year began with a surprisingly competitive 126-pound slugfest with Erika Cruz, a win that has aged well—Cruz went on to win a title in her next fight, at 122 pounds—and established her as the undisputed champion at featherweight. Serrano defended her titles in a one-sided win over former champion Heather Hardy in August. In October, Serrano made history, defending three of her titles over 12, three-minute rounds, the first time a women’s championship fight has been contested under the same rules as men since 2007.
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Prospect of the Year: Diego Pacheco
Pacheco, 22, is the real deal. A three-win 2023 began with a body shot knockout of Jack Cullen, continued with a battering of durable veteran Manuel Gallegos and finished with an impressive ninth-round stoppage of former title challenger Marcelo Coceres. Pacheco, who turned pro at 17, has shown notable improvement each time out, from punch selection to power. His visibility has grown with him, with Pacheco headlining shows in the U.K., U.S. and Mexico last year. Look for Matchroom to find former world champions to match Pacheco with in ’24 as he marches toward a title shot in ’25.
Men’s Fight of the Year: Jaime Munguia UD Sergiy Derevyanchenko
Oftentimes a Fight of the Year unfolds unexpectedly, and Munguia’s slugfest with Derevyanchenko was no exception. Entering this super middleweight contest it was expected the 37-year-old Derevyanchenko would be game early but eventually succumb to the pressure and punch output of the younger Munguia. But Derevyanchenko held up, going toe-to-toe with Munguia in an all-out war. The fifth was one of the best rounds of 2023, with both fighters exchanging haymakers. The fight was close entering the 12th when Munguia landed a body shot that dropped Derevyanchenko, a knockdown that provided Munguia with the winning edge on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
Related: New Year, New Promise: SI's Predictions for 2024
Women’s Fight of the Year: Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron (II)
The first fight between Taylor and Cameron, a physical slugfest last May, was good. The rematch in November was better, with Taylor, fighting for just the second time as a pro in her home country, edging out a majority decision to become the undisputed 140-pound champion. Faced with win-or-go-home pressure, Taylor, 37, turned back the clock. Her sustained offense pushed Cameron back while Cameron’s jab, a potent weapon in the first fight, was neutralized by Taylor’s smothering attack in the second. Cameron rallied late, but Taylor’s work in the early rounds was enough to squeeze out a decision.
Breakout Fighter of the Year: Zhilei Zhang
Zhang, 40, began 2023 flirting with gatekeeper territory. He finished it widely considered a top-five heavyweight after back-to-back knockouts of the granite-chinned Joe Joyce. Last April, Zhang was tapped as an opponent for Joyce, an interim titleholder on a fast track to a world title shot. Zhang’s slashing left hand quickly closed Joyce’s right eye, forcing a doctor stoppage in the sixth round. The rematch was more decisive, with Zhang leveling Joyce with a thudding right hand that sent Joyce face-first to the canvas. There is a Foreman-esque quality to Zhang, who possesses the kind of iron chin and clubbing power to compete with any heavyweight. And, like Foreman, Zhang figures to have some quality fights in his 40s.
Trainer of the Year: Brian McIntyre
The fiery BoMac leads an outstanding field of trainers that includes Bill Haney and Ben Davison. In July, McIntyre cornered Crawford to the biggest win of 2023, a dominant knockout over Spence. Weeks later McIntyre was in Manchester, England, where Chris Eubank Jr. avenged a knockout loss to Liam Smith with a decisive 10th-round knockout win. Throughout the year McIntyre oversaw the steady rise of Keyshawn Davis, one of boxing’s best young prospects. BoMac’s Omaha-based stable of fighters is small but led by Crawford, it is a force in the sport.
Knockout of the Year: Junto Nakatani KO12 Andrew Moloney
Last May, Nakatani, in his second fight since vacating his 112-pound title, challenged Moloney for a vacant belt. The result was a devastating one-punch knockout that will go down as boxing’s best of 2023. In the 12th round, with Nakatani holding a sizable lead on the scorecards, Moloney attempted to dip inside. Nakatani saw it, timed it and leveled Moloney with a left cross that landed flush on the chin. The punch earned Nakatani a second world title and reaffirmed his place among the heaviest hitters in the lighter weight classes.
