2024 Fight of the Year: Ortiz Jr. vs Bohachuk

Among the many great fights fans cheered in 2024, our pick was a competitive all-action war between well-matched opponents, with both men having a claim to victory.

From super flyweight to welterweight to heavyweight, 2024 was a year of outstanding fights for boxing fans.

When NY Fights covered our winning fight ringside in Las Vegas on August 10, we had a frontrunner and said so in the headline. We haven’t changed our minds.

The 2024 Fight of the Year is the super welterweight showdown between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk. Ortiz Jr. won a narrow majority decision.

Fight Of The Year Criteria: Competitive Action  

Our choice each year has a single requirement: action. To be precise, evenly matched opponents with well-rounded skills who bring it for as long as the fight lasts, including to the final bell, with the outcome still in doubt.

Our previous choices for Fight of the Year include Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire in 2020, Francisco Vargas vs. Takashi Miura in 2015, and Tim Bradley Jr. vs. Ruslan Provodnikov in 2014. Last year, our selection was Jaime Munguia vs. Sergey Derevyanchenko.

It seemed unlikely Ortiz Jr. of Grand Prairie, Texas (22-0, 21 KOs) and WBC Interim Super Welterweight champion Bohachuk of Ukraine, fighting out of Los Angeles (24-2, 23 KOs) would hear the judges’ scorecards.

Improbably, two fighters with just one decision between them in 45 fights battled, brawled, and banged out 12 brutal rounds of boxing that had fans at the Michelob Ultra Center at Mandalay Bay on their feet throughout the bout.

Despite scoring two knockdowns against Ortiz Jr., Bohachuk relinquished his WBC interim belt by scores of 114-112 from both Steve Weisfeld and David Sutherland, and 113-113 from Max Deluca.

Bohachuk Scores Two Knockdowns

Serhii Bohachuk scores his second knockdown in the eighth round against Vergil Ortiz Jr. Bohachuk said if he needs four knockdowns to win, he’ll do it. Photo: Cris Esqueda, Golden Boy Boxing

It wasn’t any surprise that the fight would be a close-quarters battle, a display of offensive firepower, and a battle of will and determination. Ortiz Jr. wanted to prove himself to the doubters and earn a big-money title fight, while Bohachuk wanted to show he deserved more respect than his underdog status.

Both men achieved their goals. Ortiz Jr. drilled Bohachuk repeatedly to the body and landed hard hooks and uppercuts that could have dropped a horse. Bohachuk walked through most and took the worst of them with barely a wobble.

Bohachuk fought behind an active, vicious jab, and he landed more than his share of stinging shots on Ortiz Jr. What Bohachuk managed to do that Ortiz Jr. could not was to score two knockdowns, one in the first round and one in the eighth round.

At the end of eight rounds, Ortiz Jr. was behind on the scorecards 77-73, 76-75, and was tied 74-74 on the third. Ortiz Jr. rallied to win the ninth on two of three cards and the remaining three rounds on all three judges’ scorecards.

Oritz Jr. Winner Hotly Disputed

Vergil Ortiz Jr. reacts to the scorecards, and hearing “And new!” Photo: Cris Esqueda, Golden Boy Boxing

Trainer Robert Garcia said he knew the fight was close, and he had to motivate Ortiz Jr. to finish strong. “He’s going to learn a lot. This is what boxing is. It’s not always going to be easy.”

His counterpart, Manny Robles, was emotional as he reacted to Bohachuk’s loss. Bohachuk’s promoter, Tom Loeffler of 360 Boxing Promotions, was livid. “This one is a tough one to overcome. We’re not hanging our heads. Serhii’s stock went up, a lot.”

Bohachuk shook his head upon hearing the results. “People will decide, and those who understand boxing know what happened today,” said the Ukrainian.

Since then, Bohachuk proved any doubters wrong with a six-round destruction of Isreal Davis of England on the Usyk vs Fury 2 undercard on December 21. Ortiz Jr returns to the ring on February 22 on the next Riyadh card against former champion Israil Madrimov of Uzbekistan. Whether Ortiz Jr. and Bohachuk’s paths cross again, both raised their stock in 2024, records be damned.

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Fight of the Year: Honorable Mentions

Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk, May 18, Riyadh

The wait was worth it for Oleksandr Usyk and for boxing fans worldwide who watched heavyweight history unfold in Saudi Arabia.

After 25 years since the last unified, undisputed heavyweight champion reigned, and for the first time in the modern four-belt era, Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine (22-0, 14 KOs) wrote his name in the history books, using pressure and the strength of a ninth round knockdown to defeat Tyson Fury of England (34-1-1, 24 KOs) by split decision. Scores were 115-112 and 114-113 Usyk, and 114-113 Fury.

Usyk added Fury’s WBC, Ring Magazine, and lineal heavyweight status to his WBA, WBO, and IBF belts.

Oleksandr Usyk fought behind pressure and well-placed left hooks to defeat Tyson Fury – courtesy of Saudi backing to make the fight possible. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

The fight was high drama, a play in three acts. Usyk pressured Fury in the first few rounds, jabbing and moving Fury backward. Fury began to solve the riddle Usyk presented, coming at Usyk and digging to the body.

Then, Usyk did what champions do. He started taking back control. Right eye damage started to appear on Fury’s face.

The third and final act delivered a dramatic turnaround. As the pair traded punches in the ninth round, Usyk drilled Fury with a hard left hook and a two-punch combination.

Usyk unloaded, rocking Fury on wobbly legs. Fury fell to the ropes and onto the canvas after several right hands. He got to his feet before referee Mark Nelson’s count, but he was damaged. Usyk couldn’t finish Fury off but did what he needed to secure the win.

Usyk broke into tears upon hearing the scores. “Since 2008, I was planning for this. It’s not for my win, it’s for my God, my supporters, my country, the Ukrainian soldiers, Ukrainian mother and father, children. I want to go to my home, I want to rest, a break, I want to eat, sleep, kiss my wife,” said Usyk.

Fury embraced Usyk after the decision. “It was a fantastic fight. I believe I won that fight. I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority of them,” said Fury.

Juan Francisco Estrada vs Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, June 30

The showdown between WBC World Super Flyweight Champion Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico (44-4, 28 KOs) and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez of San Antonio, Texas (20-0, 13 KOs) delivered a highly-anticipated FOTY candidate. It didn’t disappoint.

After defeating Carlos Cuadras, Srisikat Sor Rungvisai, and Sunny Edwards, Rodriguez said his skills would again prove everyone wrong about him. But Estrada was by far Rodriguez’s most challenging opponent and the longtime king of the division. He promised all action from the first round.

The pair were both true to their word. The 24-year-old Texas upstart showed no fear of the 34-year-old Mexican veteran champion in the toughest test of his career.

Jesse Rodriguez celebrates his win over Juan Francisco Estrada at the end of the seventh round at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo: Amanda Westcott, Matchroom

Rodriguez dominated most of the fight, knocking down Estrada in the fourth round before drilling Estrada to the body for an impressive seventh-round knockout victory.

Estrada vs Rodriguez presented a classic passing of the torch from one great champion to a champion from a new generation.

Fabio Wardley vs Frazier Clarke, March 10, London

British heavyweight rivals Fabio Wardley (17-0-1, 16 KOs) and Frazer Clarke (8-0-1, 6 KOs) thrilled their devoted fans by going 12 hard rounds in a long-awaited showdown at the O2 Arena in London. At stake: the British and Commonwealth Titles held by Wardley. Neither man succeeded in winning the belt, but no one lost when the competitive, entertaining fight ended in a draw.

Wardley scored the fight’s only knockdown in the fifth round, while Clarke turned Wardley’s face into a bloody mess as they battled to the bell. The judges scored it 114-113 Wardley, 115-112 Clarke, and 113-113. Wardley retains the titles.

“Crazy, crazy night,” said Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom. “It was just unbelievable … Frazier should be incredibly proud, he dominated the fight. Wardley was out on his feet but just kept coming, he’s always dangerous. For British boxing, what an advert!”

A rematch was inevitable. The shocker: Wardley drilled Clarke to score a first-round knockout win in October.