Heavyweight boxing

BOXING superstars can be moulded over years and years or spring up overnight – and in 2022 we saw a fine mix.With amateur boxing in growing disarray and facing the axe from the Olympics, we are on a miserable course to lose a crucial part of the sport.
Jesse Bam Rodriguez, right, is being tipped for a bright future in boxingCredit: Getty
Recent Games have provided us with iconic names and glistening golds like James DeGale, Anthony Joshua, Luke Campbell, Nicola Adams, Galal Yafai and Lauren Price.
And if that route into the pro ranks is robbed from fighters and fans alike by bungling bureaucrats, then we all lose out.
Thankfully these starlets have emerged just before the dismal turn of events and could bring some joy to our screens in 2023.
SunSport runs down FIVE stars to look our for in the new year…
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Jesse Bam Rodriguez
The 22-year-old Mexican-American southpaw grabbed the super-flyweight world title in February – as a late stand-in challenger – and defended twice by September in stylish throw-back fashion.
At just 5ft 4in the pocket rocket has power, as well as skill and guts, with 11 of his 17 wins inside the distance.
Hardcore boxing fans are already purring about this new ace but casuals should take a look at the lower waits to catch a glimpse of this young talent.
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Moses Itauma
In April, aged just 17, this Kent ace won gold at the European Youth champions with FOUR first-round finishes.
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The brother of light-heavyweight Frank Warren prospect Karol Itauma, the wonderkid laid waste to his super-heavy division to take top spot on the podium.
The Olympics feel a lifetime away and there will be huge intrigue to see what the punching prodigy does when he turns 18 and free to turn professional.
On the circuit there are already shocking stories of young novice Itauma travelling the country and bashing up some of our most highly regarded professional cruisers and heavies in sparring – sometimes even being told never to return for fear of unravelling their confidence.
Moses Itauma burst onto the scene in 2022 and could go on to great thingsCredit: Instagram
Adam Azim
This 20-year-old super-light ace has everyone in British boxing excited for plenty of reasons.
The Shane McGuigan-trained starlet has raced through his first few fights, celebrated them with some sensational gymnastics and promised plenty more.
Sky Sports are so excited by the Slough ace that they built their November 27 Sunday afternoon show around the rising ace.
Doors at the iconic Ally Pally opened at midday and finished by 7pm in a brilliant bid to get a whole new generation of young fight fans excited by the sport and Azim.
And if he can follow in the footsteps of his idol Amir Khan then he can change the face of the sport again – like his Bolton hero did – over the next decade.
Adam Azim is being tipped for huge things, with Amir Khan a huge admirerCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Andy Cruz
Aged 27 it might appear silly to call his amateur standout a prospect but his home nation of Cuba does not allow their boxers to turn professional.
But rumours are growing that the 2020 Olympic lightweight gold winner has defected and fled his home, with a view to turning over.
The light and super-light divisions – with brilliant young talents like Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis – are some of the most exciting.
But, without the star names fighting each other, it is also one of the most frustrating.
But if Cruz can parachute in – with no time to waste – he could really mix things up.
Andy Cruz, right, is believed to have defected from Cuba and could now be able to turn professionalCredit: AFP
Ben Whittaker
When the Brummie ace only landed a silver at the 2020 Olympics he upset a few sad saps for not celebrating what he felt was a failure.
But that mindset should be celebrated among our elite athletes.
The light-heavy ace has not changed his approach in the pros either, causing a stir when he made his debut in July with a ruthless and flashy performance.
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And he shot from the lip when he boxed on the Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua undercard and had a dig at the talent at the pre-fight press conference and joked about being scheduled to fight so early they would still be building the ring.
Watch out for everything this 25-year-old lad does – and says – in and outside of the ring.
Ben Whittaker, right, is attracting plenty of fans with his performances, in and out of ringCredit: Getty More

BOXING at its best is two evenly matched heroes going toe-to-toe for as many rounds as possible.But occasionally one side of the show puts on such a sublime performance that what on paper looks to be a 50/50 nail-biter turns into a one-sided stroll in the park.
Jack Catterall put on a stunning display as he was robbed of a win against Josh TaylorCredit: Kenny Ramsay
In 2022 we sat down for dozens of hard-to-call fights.
And we were treated to some humdingers that went right down to the wire.
But on a few spectacular occasions, one warrior had too much skill, strength or spirit for their rival and made their fight a formality.
SunSport takes a look at the top five individual performances of 2022…

Jack Catterall vs Josh Taylor – February 26
Scotland’s Tartan Tornado was supposed to breeze into his hometown show and blow understated southpaw Catterall away.
But the Manchester southpaw put on a masterclass of boxing and won almost every round in the 20-20 eyes of all the sane people who watched.
But scandalous scoring from Ian John Lewis and Victor Loughlin robbed Catterall of the win and handed Taylor a poisoned victory.
The bitter rivalry is now almost a year old and still neither man has returned to the ring but hopefully it is settled in February.
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Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall – October 15
This was a decade-old rivalry dating back to a 2012 amateur bout that Hartlepool’s Marshall won.
It was supposed to be a nip-and-tuck affair where the heavy-handed Brit would pose a serious threat to the smaller two-time Olympic queen.
Instead Shields danced into the ring like Queen B Beyonce and laid waste to Marshall like Queen Boudica.
Shields earned a few critics for proclaiming herself as the Greatest Woman of All Time. But the GWOAT moniker now fits perfectly.
Claressa Shields proved she really could be the GWOAT with a sublime showing against Savannah MarshallCredit: PA
Kell Brook vs Amir Khan – February 19
Both brilliant British welterweight heroes were well past their primes, with a shared age in excess of 70. So neutral fans were struggling to pick a winner.
But Brook came out and utterly dominated the decade-long rival he had felt undervalued and disrespected by.
The sensational sixth-round stoppage from Sheffield star Brook is hopefully the last action we ever see these two men engaged in a boxing ring.
…Especially as Brook was treated as the B-side and made to jump through hoops surrounding the 149lb catchweight and the cruel rehydration clause and possible penalties.
It was a retirement moment almost as perfect as Carl Froch’s.
Kell Brook was in dominant form as he breezed past long-time rival Amir KhanCredit: Getty
Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua II – September 20
AJ hugely improved on his original performance against the Ukraine southpaw.
But he was still outfoxed, outworked and outgunned by the utter sensation.
The former undisputed cruiserweight king once again bullied a man four inches taller and almost 2st heavier.
It’s a testament to Usyk’s skill and resilience that he rarely looks close to stopping his heavyweight opponents but manages to be in almost total control and never look in danger when he is mixing it with giants.
Oleksandr Usyk once again proved far too skilled for Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte – April 23
The Brixton body snatcher had waited so long for his WBC heavyweight world title shot that the UK was expecting something special.. a slugfest worthy of the 94,000 tickets sold to pack Wembley out.
But the giant Gypsy King kept his KO streak running by detonating a sickening uppercut that felled Whyte like an oak tree.
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Mandatory world title defences – especially in the top division – should not be as easy as the showman made it look.
It was impressive enough to even plaster over the latest fake retirement he revealed moments after.
Tyson Fury racked up yet another easy win as he breezed past Dillian WhyteCredit: Getty More

CRUCIAL. Mythical. Farcical.However you want to bill a boxing pound-for-pound list, fight fans still love to compile and compare them.
Tyson Fury just keeps winning but will his 6ft 9in, 268lb frame prevent him from being our P4P king?Credit: Getty
Oleksandr Usyk has now beaten Anthony Joshua twice as a heayweight despite his comparative lack of sizeCredit: Getty
If we rounded up all our elite fighters at one shared weight and put them in fantasy fights, who would reign supreme?
There are far too many variables, far too many questions to ever know.
For example, how much does Tyson Fury rely on his size?
After all, he’s 6ft 9in and most-recently tipped the scales at 268lb.

Could Japan pocket powerhouse Naoya Inoue take his KO prowess even higher?
Inoue most-recently beat Paul Butler to become undisputed bantamweight king.
Does Gervonta Davis need a bigger test?
You’d think so… the American is 27-0 with 25 of his wins coming via KO.
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Has two-time Olympic king and three-weight master Vasily Lomachenko lost his spark?
The Ukrainian won his last fight against Jamaine Ortiz to take his pro record to 17-2 but was pushed all the way and only scraped through via unanimous decision.
What these questions mean is this… none of us really know and we look silly when we guess.
But anyway, here’s our most-recent crack at a pound-for-pound top ten…
Oleksandr Usyk takes the top spot as he once again bested a much bigger, stronger fighter as he waltzed his way to a second-straight win over Anthony Joshua.
Tyson Fury comes second despite another impressive year. Having beaten Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora in 2022, you could argue he just needed that one big fight… Anthony Joshua, anyone?
Naoya Inoue racked up yet another win earlier this month as his sensational career goes from strength-to-strength. He gets our P4P bronze medal.
Canelo Alvarez slips down to fourth after a mixed year – following up his light-heavyweight defeat to Dmitry Bivol with a super-middleweight win over Gennady Golovkin.
Canelo Alvarez slips down to fourth on our list after a mixed bag in the past yearCredit: AP
Terence Crawford only fought once in 2022 – but retained his WBO welterweight title for a SIXTH time with a comfortable win over David Avanesyan. Cracks our top five.
Gervonta Davis beat Rolando Romero in May to retain the WBA lightweight crown and already has TWO fights early in 2023 on his calendar – against Hector Garcia and Ryan Garcia.. no relation. Deservedly takes sixth on our list.
Jermell Charlo fought just once this past year, winning his Brian Castano rematch, but it helped him retain his WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring light middleweight titles as well as get his hands on the WBO light middleweight title. Our No7.
Errol Spence Jr beat Yordenis Ugas in his first fight since 2020 in April to retained his WBC and IBF welterweight titles and also add the WBA welterweight title. Comes in eighth in our rankings.
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Dmitry Bivol moved to 21-0 after beating Canelo and Gilberto Ramirez in a productive 2022 and is still WBA light-heavyweight champ. No9 on our top ten list.
Vasily Lomachenko won his only fight this year against Jamaine Ortiz, but doesn’t rank any higher than tenth in our P4P rankings. More

ANTHONY JOSHUA insists a third world title reign remains his dream despite turning down a Christmas crack at Tyson Fury.After 33-year-old Olympic legend AJ suffered a second consecutive loss to Oleksandr Usyk, in August, mastermind WBC champ Fury made him a short-notice offer for a December showdown.
Anthony Joshua is the rebuilding phase of his career following defeats to Oleksandr UsykCredit: GETTY
AJ is currently a million miles from the world title pictureCredit: GETTY
Joshua is hellbent on becoming a three-time heavyweight titleCredit: REUTRS
Joshua wisely turned down the Battle of Britain – leaving the 34-year-old Gypsy King to batter stablemate and friend Derek Chisora toward retirement – to rebuild his career again.
The two-time heavyweight boss has been on another US tour looking for a new trainer and is expected to return in April against a couple of tune-up opponents.
After back-to-back defeats, the idea of a Spring stunner with American KO artist Deontay Wilder is utterly fanciful – even at this time of year.
But the Watford ace has at least promised a third world title run is his New Year’s resolution.
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“I like to see my name constantly mentioned amongst other fighters,” he said.
“The opportunities are always there for me, there are big opportunities to fight.
“I’ll fight whoever’s ready, I’m ready and we’ll get cracking in the New Year.
“I want to be consistent, be fit to fight, and everything comes off the back of that.
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“I’m dying for the world championship, 100 per cent. That’s all my heart and soul is leading towards.”
After the second Usyk loss, AJ grabbed the microphone and got about a decade’s worth of passion and emotion off of his giant chest.
In the post-fight press conference, he broke down in tears when trying to explain the pressure of carrying a nation’s expectations into the ring.
With Fury and Usyk now to clash to decide an undisputed ruler and a long list of mandatory lining up after that – which doesn’t include AJ – he has had to reevaluate his career.
“I lost a fight this year which took me out of the championship title race,” he said.
“So when you’re constantly fighting for championships after championships you’re constantly in the race for a long time.
“When I lost, I was finally out of the race and overcoming that was a new beginning, something I’ve been used to, being in the title race for seven years and then finally realising that this isn’t my norm anymore.
“It’s challenging to overcome that.
“I’ve always been a competitor, a challenge to me is just another obstacle that I can get over, and for some, I feel like it’s easier to knock them down and keep them down
“But as a competitor, it’s just something that you look at as another challenge that I can overcome.
Anthony Joshua was overcome with a wave of emotion after his defeat to Oleksandr UsykCredit: EPA
WBC heavyweight king Tyson Fury offered AJ a crack at his titleCredit: INSTAGRAM@TYSONFURY
But the domestic dust-up didn’t come to fruitionCredit: GETTY
“It’s going to take work, being in that race I’m used to being in that competitor’s mindset, but I’m overcoming it for sure.
Joshua was little more than a passenger when Ukraine icon Usyk outpointed him for the first time, in September 2021, at Tottenham.
But he put in a drastically improved performance in the Saudi Arabia rerun and restored much of his reputation by being aggressive until the final bell.
The London 2012 hero suggests it’s a new approach he will use on both sides of the ropes from now on.
He said: “If you’re someone that doesn’t like confrontation, but you know that being shy and timid doesn’t get you what you want, sometimes you have to be confrontational to get what you want.
“I am someone now, this year, that would go after what I want and to get what I want I need to be the person I need to be.
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“Being more confident in myself, being more confrontational with things, and being honest with people so they know who you are and what you stand for.
“Love me for it, or hate me for it, I’m quite content with who I am.” More

BOXING shot itself in the hand repeatedly in 2022 with some of the biggest fights collapsing long before the first bell.By far the biggest swerve came when Anthony Joshua refused to accept Tyson Fury’s heavyweight challenge.
Leigh Wood and Michael Conlan played out one of the great fights of 2022Credit: Reuters
Elsewhere, Terence Crawford and Errol Spence continued to dodge each other at welterweight.
On top of dodgy decisions and doping scandals, major fights collapsing over money and ego turn fans away from the sport on a monthly basis.
But, thankfully, plenty of heroes did step up to the plate last year to provide us some beautiful, brutal boxing.
SunSport takes a look at the five best fights from 2022…
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Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan – March 12
Irish Olympic icon Conlan cannot say he was not warned by his featherweight rival.
The Belfast man taunted and teased Wood about his boxing ability in the build-up with a tongue as quick as his feet and hands.
But Wood quietly informed his foe that his freakish one-punch meant he would be a genuine threat even if 11 rounds down on the scorecards and heading for certain defeat.
When Wood was dropped in the first round, it looked like it would be an even more textbook win for Conlan.
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But the underdog rallied, dropped Conlan in the 11th and knocked him clean out of the ring with just a few seconds of the fight remaining for a fairytale win.
Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano – April 30
Ireland’s Olympic legend vs Puerto Rico’s seven-weight world champion at Madison Square Garden delivered an epic fight.
The two boxing nations already punch well above their weights and these two women did their nations proud.
Taylor emerged victorious and retained her title as the undisputed lightweight queen with a split decision.
But Serrano came closest to the stoppage and – having been a world champ as low as super-flyweight – she gained huge respect from the narrow loss.
Ireland’s Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano’s fight was a gruelling epicCredit: AP
Chris Billam-Smith vs Isaac Chamberlain – July 30
Bournemouth gentleman CBS took big-time boxing back to the South Coast and packed his local arena with 3,000 screaming fans.
Brixton’s Chamberlain should have been intimated by the scorching atmosphere and gone on the back foot but he stood and traded with his cruiserweight rival over 12 gruelling and bloody rounds.
Both men looked disfigured by the end but only the three scorecards – all of 117-111 – were ugly as it was a much closer contest.
CBS retained his cruiserweight and European titles and the bout exceeded all expectations.
Isaac Chamberlain was left almost unrecognisable as he showed off his ‘battle scars’ following his epic fight with Chris Billam-SmithCredit: Instagram / @chamberlain_
Jordan Gill vs Karim Guerfi – February 27
Peterborough featherweight Gill was behind on all three scorecards – going into the ninth round – after being dropped in the seventh and outboxed for most of the fight.
With a draw and a loss in his previous five fights, he was fighting for his career – and losing.
Round eight and the start of nine were hard to watch as the brave Englishman took a pasting and started to bruise and bleed.
Backed up into his corner and with his swollen right eye giving him problems and the referee inspecting the worsening wound, he looked finished.
Then he dug into his soul and pulled out a right hand that wiped the Frenchman clean out and secured one of the finest British comebacks of modern time.
Jordan Gill fought his way to an incredible, unlikely win over Karim GuerfiCredit: PA
Joe Joyce vs Joseph Parker – September 24
These two giants starred in a Manchester bloodbath that secured Joyce’s position at the front of the heavyweight world title chasing pack.
Kiwi former WBO champ Parker punched the Putney Juggernaut with every shot in the book but could not put a single dent in the undefeated amateur artist.
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After a trademark slow start, Joyce started slashing lumps and lacerations into Parker’s face, one particularly evil dig even sent blood spewing over the ringside photographers.
Parker’s spirit and chin were broken in the 11th round when Joyce unleashed a hellish left hook that sent him tumbling to the floor for the correct stoppage.
Joe Joyce scrapped his way to a remarkable win over Joseph Parker in SeptemberCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More