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NY Fights Best In Boxing Awards 2024
As the hours wind down in 2024, boxing observers and fans engage in their annual review of the best the Sweet Science had to offer in the past 12 months for their yearly boxing awards.
We love our year-end bests more than fans of most other sports. Why? Perhaps to remind ourselves of the best moments in a sport always full of drama and turmoil, with highs and lows, disappointments, and glorious victories.
We aren’t about to deny you our best picks with plenty of video links to enjoy in the NY Fights Best In Boxing Awards 2024.
Knockout of the Year: Lewis Bahdi KO Ashton Sylve
Every boxing fan loves a knockout win. Knockouts are like pizza: they’re never awful, and most are satisfying. You might love the left hook to the jaw, or a body shot, or a wicked counterpunch. Like pizza, there’s something for everyone.
Unless you’re a hardcore Canadian boxing fan, it’s unlikely you knew Lucas Badhi of Niagara Falls, Ontario, before July 20. The undefeated Bahdi (then 16-0, 14 KOs) had a solid record but against limited opposition. He was teed up against hotshot prospect Ashton Sylve of Long Beach, California, then 11-0 with nine knockouts, promoted by Most Valuable Promotions and praised as a rising star.
Bahdi, age 30, lost every minute of every round to Sylve, age 20. Then lightning struck in the sixth round. Out of nowhere, Bahdi unleased a three-punch combination, doubling up the right hand and sealing the knockout with a left hook. Sylve dropped face-first to the canvas like a redwood tree. The fight was over at 2:26 of the sixth round. Without much doubt, it became the leading candidate and eventual winner of the 2024 Knockout of the Year.
Later, Badhi wrote on X/Twitter, “For those wondering if it was a “lucky” shot, if what I said in my post-fight interview was blowing smoke. I told you to bet the house on it, and I meant it. Timing beats speed, and an eviscerating right-hand beats luck. Just becoming what I’m destined to be.”
Bahdi went on to sign with MVP and won a narrow decision on the Paul vs Tyson undercard. We look forward to seeing what Bahdi can deliver in 2025.
Knockout Of The Year Runner-Ups (because bonus knockout fun):
There is no denying the spectacular knockout by Anthony Joshua, dropping all 272 pounds of MMA great Francis Ngannou on March 8 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the second round after two prior knockdowns.
After Ngannou’s performance against then-WBC World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, observers felt the fight would at least be competitive. But Joshua proved you don’t play boxing, especially not with a heavyweight power puncher.
Vladimir Hernandez KO6 Guido Schramm, June 5. ProBoxTV cards deliver all-action fights among prospects and journeyman. You may not know their names, but trust us, set aside your Wednesday nights in 2025.
For connoisseurs of the body shot KO, they don’t get better than Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez KO7 Juan Francisco Estrada, June 29.
Daniel Dubois KO5 Anthony Joshua, September 27. Take a look from a ringside angle at the edge of the canvas from Queensberry Promotions.
READ MORE: Women’s Awards 2024: Taylor Serrano II Is Fight Of The Year
Round of the Year: Ford vs. Kholmatov, R12
Raymond Ford of Camden, New Jersey, was behind on two of three cards going into the final round of his tough fight against Otabek Kholmatov of Uzbekistan on March 3 for the vacant WBA featherweight title. He was only one point ahead on the third card.
Ford had a tough weight cut and had been out of the ring for a year. He knew it would all come down to the final round. He dug down and rocked Kholmatov with power shots in the last 60 seconds of the fight, forcing referee Charlie Fitch to step in at 2:53. Ford got the victory and his first world title.
Trainer of the Year: Don Charles
Don Charles (third from left), along with Daniel Dubois and his team, celebrates his victory over Anthony Joshua. Photo: Mark Robinson, Matchroom Boxing.
After his loss to Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois brought in a new trainer, Don Charles. Charles, born in Biafra in Africa, immigrated to England when he was 14. He fought as an amateur, but a chance meeting with Derek Chisora kickstarted his career as a professional trainer. The 62-year-old Charles found the recipe to turn Dubois’ career around, engineering his impressive wins against Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic.
Dubois was the underdog against Anthony Joshua but stunned Joshua and fans with his fifth-round knockout victory. Charles, who struggled with illness during the fight week, said the victory in his fourth fight with Dubois was the highlight of his career. So far, at least.
Also nominated: Robert Garcia (Jesse Rodriguez), Shingo Inoue (Naoya Inoue); Sergey Lapin (Oleksandr Usyk).
Upset of the Year: Bruno Serace Knocks Out Jaime Munguia
In the 2024 Upset of the Year, Bruno Serace knocked out Jaime Munguia to win the most significant victory of his career. Photo: Top Rank Boxing
After a busy year, including a competitive loss against Canelo Alvarez, it was a surprise when super middleweight Jaime Munguia announced a December 14 fight in his hometown of Tijuana, Mexico, as a gift to his fans. His opponent was a little-known French fighter named Bruno Serace. Serace was undefeated but had only one fight at super middleweight. Everyone had read this script before, except for Serace.
Fights like Munguia vs Serace are why boxing is often called the “theater of the unexpected.”
In a stunning turn of events in what was supposed to be a harmless victory lap for Munguia, his obscure French opponent Serace delivered the Upset of the Year, end of discussion. Serace bounced back from a first round knockdown to clock Munguia with a single right hook. Munguia was stopped cold for a knockout victory at 2:37 of the sixth round.
It’s nearly impossible to convey the shock in words. Take a look, whether for the first time or the hundredth time.
Also nominated:
Sebastian Fundora UD over Tim Tszyu, March 31; and Bakhram Murtazaliev over Tim Tszyu by fifth-round TKO, October 19; Kyrone Davis UD over Elijah Garcia, June 15; and we’ll add Dubois over Joshua as well.
Prospect of the Year: Moses Itauma
British heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma made significant career progress in 2024. Photo: Leigh Dawney, Queensberry Promotions.
Sensational heavyweight Moses Itauma of Kent, England (11-0, 9 KOs) made the most of 2024, fighting four times and extending his knockout streak to seven fights.
But he only had to fight eight rounds in those four fights, blowing out each opponent in two or fewer rounds, including veteran Mariusz Wach and the solid contender Dempsey McKean just 10 days ago on the Usyk vs Fury 2 undercard.
Itauma, who hoped to become the youngest-ever heavyweight world champion, probably won’t get there with the belts currently in the hands of Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois and the clock ticking for the 20-year-old. Mike Tyson’s record at 20 years and four months should stand.
But there’s nothing but blue skies ahead for the southpaw with the fast hands, making Itauma our Prospect of the Year.
Itauma is now working with trainer Ben Davison. “I’m excited for the future,” said Davidson. “I think it’s extremely rare to come across a heavyweight whose skillset comes across at all levels. You have to take it step by step. Nothing can beat experience and getting some rounds under the lights.”
COMING NEXT: 2024 Fight of the Year and Fighter of the Year
