Boxing year in review: Deontay Wilder helps resurgence of heavyweight division

Boxing year in review: Deontay Wilder helps resurgence of heavyweight division

Boxing year in review: Deontay Wilder helps resurgence of heavyweight division

Boxing year in review: Deontay Wilder helps resurgence of heavyweight division

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 23: WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder poses with referee Kenny Bayless after defeating Luis Ortiz in their title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 23, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wilder won with a seventh-round knockout. 

The heavyweight division’s renaissance and the historic achievement by the sport’s most popular fighter highlighted boxing’s story lines in 2019.

Boxing featured its share of news-making events throughout the year. But fight fans again were deprived of demanded bouts between elite fighters because of promotional or TV-linked conflicts.

For close to two decades, the heavyweight class lost appeal in the United States. But Deontay Wilder, a champion since 2015, has gradually increased awareness with his knockout-winning performances.

Wilder twice retained his sanctioning body belt. In May, Wilder stopped Dominic Breazale in one round and finished Miami resident Luis Ortiz with a one-punch seventh-round knockout six months later.

 

While Wilder solidified his reign, England’s Anthony Joshua lost his three heavyweight titles against Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1. Ruiz scored four knockdowns and en route to a seventh-round technical knockout victory over the previously unbeaten Joshua in one of the year’s most stunning results. Joshua reclaimed his belts with a lopsided decision win in a direct rematch on Dec. 7.

 

Mexico’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez retained his middleweight title with a close decision victory over Daniel Jacobs on May 4 and passed on his customary September fight date for a history-seeking light-heavyweight title challenge against champion Sergey Kovalev on Nov. 2. Alvarez stopped Kovalev in 11 rounds to win a fourth world title in a separate weight class. Last week, Alvarez vacated his light-heavyweight belt and is expected to fight as a middleweight or super-middleweight next year.

The sport again proved that its best fighters can be showcased in stadiums instead of arenas. Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. won a convincing decision over four-division champion Mikey Garcia March 16 at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight attracted 47,000 fans.

 

In September, Spence won a close split decision over Shawn Porter but is currently sidelined because of injuries he sustained in an automobile accident on Oct. 10. Spence spoke publicly for the first time since the accident Saturday and said he will return next year.

Spence fights in, arguably, boxing’s deepest weight class. Fellow welterweight champion Terence Crawford also is on the short list of elite fighters. The three-division champion stopped Amir Khan in seven rounds April 20 and scored a ninth-round TKO over Egidijus Kavaliauskas on Dec. 14.

Philippines native Manny Pacquiao continues to defy age. Pacquiao, who turned 41 on Dec. 17, began his fourth stint as welterweight champion with a unanimous decision over Adrien Broner on Jan. 19. Six months later, Pacquiao capitalized on a first-round knockdown and won a split decision against previously unbeaten Keith Thurman.

 

After his efforts at landing a third bout with Alvarez were unsuccessful, Gennadiy Golovkin recaptured a middleweight belt. Golovkin, who enjoyed a seven year, 20-fight championship run before a disputed majority decision loss to Alvarez in 2018, won a narrow unanimous decision over Sergey Derevyanchenko for a vacant sanctioning body title on Oct. 1.

Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko remained among the sport’s best fighters with two successful defenses of his lightweight title. Lomachenko stopped Anthony Crolla in four rounds on April 12 and won a convincing decision against Luke Campbell Aug. 31.

Former Davie resident Teofimo Lopez won a lightweight belt with a second-round TKO over defending champion Richard Commey on Dec. 14 and immediately called out Lomachenko for a unification fight early next year.

The sport continued solid exposure through multiple viewing platforms. Fox Sports and Showtime televised bouts featuring Wilder, Spence and Pacquiao, signature fighters represented by Premier Boxing Champions. ESPN showcased Crawford, Lomachenko, Lopez and heavyweight contender Tyson Fury in its deal with promotional company Top Rank.

Streaming service DAZN expanded its presence in the United States. DAZN’s ambitious undertaking features multi-fight pacts with Alvarez, Golovkin and Joshua. But DAZN took a public-relations hit for its decision to delay the Alvarez-Kovalev fight until the conclusion of a competing UFC pay-per-view telecast.

 

The fight finally started at 1:20 A.M. Eastern Time. The prolonged split screens of Alvarez and Kovalev waiting in their dressing rooms to enter the ring made for uncomfortable optics.

Spanish-language network Telemundo completed its 31st year of telecasts. Telemundo again featured bouts promoted by Miami-based All-Star Boxing on four subsequent Fridays during the spring, summer and fall months.

In what has become an annual theme, highly demanded bouts, featuring fighters at their peaks, remain illusions. Events that would generate crossover attention include Crawford-Spence and Wilder-Joshua unification matches. Lomachenko-Garcia now looks like another dream fight which will never occur after Garcia ascended two weights to challenge Spence.

The local boxing scene again featured sporadic cards. Expectations for a busier schedule next year appear promising with All Star Boxing, which presented monthly shows at Miccosukee Resort and Casino during a 10-year-run that ended in 2010, will present a card at the west Miami-Dade venue in Feb. 2020.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream Park and Casino will be the site of a card on Jan. 17. Boxing also will have a presence during Super Bowl week as middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade will defend his title against Luke Keeler Jan. 30 at a facility under construction on Watson Island.

Despite his loss to Wilder, Ortiz remains a highly-ranked contender. Fellow Miami resident Yordenis Ugas lost a disputed split decision against former champion Porter March 9 and solidified his hopes for another title opportunity with a lopsided decision win over Omar Figueroa on July 20.

Sunrise resident Xander Zayas, whose decorated amateur career was highlighted by three national championships in 2018, had his 2020 Olympic aspirations dashed because he failed to comply with the age requirement by 45 days. As a result, Zayas, 17, made his professional debut Oct. 26 and has won his first two welterweight bouts by first-round knockout. Source : MIAMI HERALD

 

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