The 2025 Saturday Night Boxing Awards

As 2025 has come to a close, it's time to honor the best that men’s boxing had to offer during the year. Here is the 15th edition of the Saturday Night Boxing Awards. The 2025 awards are given to best fighter, fight, knockout, round, upset, trainer, promoter, network, and referee of the year. 

Fighter of the Year: Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford, now a two-time winner of the SNB Fighter of the Year, moved up two weight classes to defeat future Hall of Famer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, becoming undisputed champion at super middleweight. Crawford has now been undisputed at three weight classes (junior welterweight, welterweight and super middleweight), a remarkable accomplishment. 

Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland/TKO Promotions

Crawford dominated the second half of the Canelo fight, where his hand speed and combinations were superior. By the 11th round, Canelo was looking outside of the ring during the fight action, clearly frustrated by his inability to fend off Crawford. Crawford also had a memorable 12th round, hitting Canelo with dazzling power shots with both hands. It was a hard-earned victory for Crawford. His excellence in the championship rounds proved to be the difference on the judges' scorecards. 

Crawford announced his retirement in December. He leaves the sport with a perfect record of 42-0 with 31 knockouts. Winning world titles from as low as lightweight to as high as super middleweight, only a couple of his fights were ever in doubt on the scorecards. He was perhaps one of the best switch hitters of all time and could be a ruthless finisher. 2025 was a perfect capper to a tremendous career. 

Previous SNB Fighters of the Year:

• 2024: Oleksandr Usyk
• 2023: (tie) Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue
• 2022: Dmitry Bivol
• 2021: Saul Alvarez
• 2020: Teofimo Lopez
• 2019: Saul Alvarez
• 2018: Oleksandr Usyk
• 2017: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
• 2016: Carl Frampton
• 2015: Floyd Mayweather
• 2014: Naoya Inoue
• 2013: Adonis Stevenson
• 2012: Nonito Donaire
• 2011: Andre Ward 

Fight of the Year: Kenshiro Teraji-Seigo Yuri Akui  

This flyweight championship unification fight was not only a war of attrition but it featured some of the best mid- and short-range fighting of the year. Teraji and Akui, former sparring partners, spent much of the fight mirroring each other. Both featured similar punch arsenals, went to the body ferociously, unfurled vicious uppercuts, and set an insane work rate. 

The fight was mostly contested in the center of the ring at mid-range. Teraji would circle behind the jab and quick combinations to the body and head. Akui's money punch was his straight right hand, and punch for punch, that was the best weapon in the fight.

Although neither fighter wanted to take a step back, by the fifth round Akui had successfully flushed Teraji out of the pocket with punishing right hands and body shots. In the 7th, Teraji impressed with lead right uppercuts, often doubling them up. Those shots made Akui temporarily retreat. But in the ninth Akui was coming forward again and despite having the lower KO percentage, it was his power punches that seemed to have more of an effect. 

At the start of the 12th, Teraji went on the offensive. He landed a big right hand that was his most damaging shot of the fight. Akui retreated to the ropes, something he had not done all fight and a clear indicator that he was hurt. Teraji followed up with bracing body shots with both hands. 

Akui survived the onslaught, but he wasn’t offering much in return, and when he did, he lacked conviction. Teraji kept throwing big shots and ultimately referee Katsuhiko Nakamura stopped the fight. In real time, the stoppage seemed premature, but Akui collapsed immediately after the fight was waved off. Nakamura saw something in Akui that told him it was the right move, and it was (more on this in the Referee of the Year). 

As for Teraji, he was trailing on two of the cards going into the 12th round. He needed something dramatic to get the victory, and boy did he deliver! Teraji-Akui was 12 rounds of unrelenting, unforgettable action. 

Previous SNB Fights of the Year: 

• 2024: Kholmatov-Ford
• 2023: Nery-Hovhannisyan
• 2022: Wood-Conlan
• 2021: Fury-Wilder III
• 2020: Zepeda-Baranchyk
• 2019: Inoue-Donaire
• 2018: Chisora-Takam
• 2017: Joshua-Klitschko
• 2016: Vargas-Salido
• 2015: Miura-Vargas
• 2014: Coyle-Brizuela
• 2013: Bradley-Provodnikov
• 2012: Pacquiao-Marquez IV
• 2011: Rios-Acosta 

Knockout of the Year: (tie) Fabio Wardley KO 10 Justis Huni and Brian Norman KO 5 Jin Sasaki.

In a year with so many memorable knockouts, these two stood out to me and I just couldn't choose between them. Wardley's knockout was one of those out-of-the blue shots. Huni, who had the better amateur pedigree, was easily outboxing Wardley through nine rounds. He was so dominant in the fight that going into the 10th, he was up by seven rounds on two cards and five rounds on the third. He essentially just had to stay on his feet to win. 

But Huni didn't intend to run out the clock. He wanted to make an emphatic statement; this was his chance to showcase his class in a deep heavyweight division. With 1:30 left in the 10th, he started a one-two in the center of the ring, but he made a terrible mistake: He jabbed from too close. Wardley slipped the jab to the inside and immediately fired off a counter right. Huni instantaneously hit the canvas. 

It was a shot out of nowhere! Huni rolled around and made it to his feet, but he was in no position to continue. And as sluggish as Wardley looked in this fight (more on him in the Round of the Year), as the old saying goes, "a puncher only needs to be right once." This was the proof. 

Brian Norman had already caused damage earlier in his fight against Jin Sasaki (the bout was for a vacant welterweight title). Norman had knocked Sasaki down twice in the first round with left hooks. And although Norman had continued to get the better of the action in the fight, by the fifth round Sasaki was still firing power punches and giving it his best. 

At 2:23 left in the round, Sasaki landed a jab to the body and then froze, standing right in front of Norman, admiring his work. Norman, taking advantage of the opportunity, fired off a leaping left hook. The force of the punch was so severe that Sasaki's body hit the canvas first and then a second time when his head hit the canvas. The fight was immediately waved off, a ferocious shot with devastating consequences. 

Previous SNB Knockouts of the Year: 

• 2024: Jesse Rodriguez KO 7 Juan Estrada
• 2023: Junto Nakatani KO 12 Andrew Moloney
• 2022: Leigh Wood TKO 12 Michael Conlan
• 2021: Gabe Rosado KO 3 Bektemir Melikuziev
• 2020: (tie) Alexander Povetkin KO 5 Dillian Whyte and Gervonta Davis KO 6 Leo Santa Cruz
• 2019: Nonito Donaire KO 6 Stephon Young
• 2018: Naoya Inoue KO 1 Juan Carlos Payano
• 2017: Zolani Tete KO 1 Siboniso Gonya
• 2016: Hassan N'Dam KO 1 Alfonso Blanco
• 2015: Yenifel Vincente KO 3 Juan Dominguez
• 2014: Andy Lee KO 5 John Jackson
• 2013: Stephen Smith KO 5 Gary Buckland
• 2012: Juan Manuel Marquez KO 6 Manny Pacquiao
• 2011: Takashi Uchiyama TKO 11 Jorge Solis 

Round of the Year: Joseph Parker-Fabio Wardley Round 10

Through nine rounds the Parker-Wardley heavyweight fight provided thrilling action with both fighters buzzed or shaken up in the early rounds. Parker had advantages with punch variety and combinations while Wardley had success with single straight rights, uppercuts and at points with his jab. By the end of the ninth, Parker was in the lead and was starting to assert himself on a more consistent basis. Although he couldn't get Wardley to the canvas, he was landing hard shots and banking rounds. 

Wardley (left) and Parker in a thrilling round
Photo courtesy of Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions

With 2:08 left in the 10th round, Parker landed a scorching lead right. Though Wardley had kept a poker face earlier in the fight after being hit with big shots, he couldn't maintain his stoic demeaner here. He immediately took a step back after the shot and then he clinched. He was hurt. For the next 20 seconds Wardley didn't throw a punch as Parker continued to land power punches. 

At 48 seconds left in the round, Parker connected with a blistering counter right hand that stood Wardley up and then followed it up with another stinging right. He then went to more straight rights, right hooks from close range, and right haymakers. He was emptying the kitchen sink. 

At the 29-second mark, Wardley, landed a jab and then connected with a low right hand as Parker tried to slip underneath. Parker had been ducking punches low and to his left all fight and Wardley exploited this pattern; Parker wound up ducking right into the shot. Immediately after the punch landed, Parker retreated to the ropes. 

Wardley then let his hands go and landed a crushing right uppercut with Parker near the ropes. The shot drove Parker from one set of ropes to another. His legs now looked like jelly. Wardley ended the round battering Parker along the ropes, a huge reversal of fortune in a round with bombs flying from both. 

Wardley went on to stop Parker in the 11th as Parker was never able to regain his legs. Wardley teed off on Parker who was stuck along the ropes. Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight when Parker wasn't throwing enough back. Finally, it should also be noted that Parker failed a post-fight drug test for cocaine. Although that does sully what came before to a degree, this was still the round of boxing in 2025 I enjoyed the most. 

Previous SNB Rounds of the Year:  

• 2024: Tyson Koki-Deok No Yun I Round 1
• 2023: O'Shaquie Foster-Eduardo Hernandez Round 11
• 2022: Mauricio Lara-Emilio Sanchez Round 3
• 2021: Kenshiro Teraji-Masamichi Yabuki Round 9
• 2020: Jose Zepeda-Ivan Baranchyk Round 5
• 2019: Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Round 3
• 2018: Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury Round 12
• 2017: Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko Round 5
• 2016: Edwin Rodriguez-Thomas Williams Jr. Round 2
• 2015: Edwin Rodriguez-Michael Seals Round 1
• 2014: Thomas Williams Jr.-Cornelius White Round 1
• 2013: Tim Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov Round 12
• 2012: Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Round 12
• 2011: Hernan Marquez-Luis Concepcion I Round 1 

Upset of the Year: Lewis Crocker SD Paddy Donovan 

When these two first fought in March, Donovan consistently got the better of the action with flashier hand speed, straighter punches, and combinations. But referee Marcus McDonnell had it in for Donovan; he had taken two points from him in a fight where both guys were fouling a lot. Donovan knocked Crocker down in the eighth and it looked like that would be the end, but Donovan did hit Crocker when he was on the canvas. McDonnell took that opportunity to disqualify Donovan, turning a sure win into a devastating loss.

When the rematch was announced, perhaps only Crocker's most fervent believers thought that he stood a good chance of winning. Prior to the stoppage in the first fight, he was down by six points, six points, and two points on the three cards. There appeared to be a clear talent gap. 

However, trainer Billy Nelson and Crocker came up with a brilliant game plan for the rematch. Instead of being the aggressor and providing Donovan with countering opportunities, Crocker instead played the counterpuncher himself and forced Donovan to commit with lead shots. The strategy worked to perfection as Crocker was able to time Donovan with counter left hooks in the third and fifth rounds to score knockdowns. Nelson and Crocker were able to key in on a flaw of Donovan's: so many of his jabs were non-committal. They were set-up punches thrown without conviction. 

But in truth, very little happened during many rounds of the fight, with both boxers ultimately being gun shy to commit to leading. Despite two knockdowns, Crocker didn't have many rounds where he was the clear victor. In a battle of low output, the rounds were very tough to score. 

When the fight ended, many scoring in the arena or at home thought that Donovan had won enough rounds to overcome the two knockdowns. But the judges didn't. Crocker, fighting at home in Belfast, won by 114-112, 114-113 and 111-115. No judge thought that he had won seven rounds in the fight, but it was still enough. And in fight that had so little action, it was tough for me to consider the outcome a robbery. If Donovan felt hard done by the decision, he could have been a lot busier and more decisive with his output. 

Crocker winning the rematch was a scenario that I didn't see coming whatsoever. But with a solid game plan, moments of sublime execution, and an indecisive opponent, Crocker did enough to pull off the monumental upset. 

Previous SNB Upsets of the Year:  

• 2024: Bruno Surace KO 6 Jaime Munguia
• 2023: Brian Mendoza KO 7 Sebastian Fundora
• 2022: Hector Luis Garcia UD Chris Colbert
• 2021: George Kambosos SD Teofimo Lopez
• 2020: Robert Helenius TKO 4 Adam Kownacki
• 2019: Andy Ruiz TKO 7 Anthony Joshua
• 2018: Rob Brant UD Ryota Murata
• 2017: Caleb Truax MD James DeGale
• 2016: Joe Smith Jr. KO 1 Andrzej Fonfara
• 2015: Tyson Fury UD Wladimir Klitschko
• 2014: (tie) James de la Rosa UD Alfredo Angulo and Tommy Karpency SD Chad Dawson
• 2013: Jhonny Gonzalez KO 1 Abner Mares
• 2012: Sonny Boy Jaro TKO 6 Pongsaklek Wongjongkam 

Trainer of the Year: Shingo Inoue

Although boxing fans are more familiar with Shingo's other son, Naoya, Shingo did his best work of the year with Takuma. Attempting to become a two-time bantamweight world titlist, Takuma was facing the wildly popular Tenshin Nasukawa. 

On the surface, Nasukawa had significant advantages in power, size, and athleticism and entered the fight as the betting favorite. But Inoue had more experience, better boxing fundamentals, and quicker punches. Nasukawa started off the fight well and seemed to be the superior talent. However, Takuma and Shingo were able to turn the tide. Their adjustments centered on shorter punches and keeping things up the middle as they observed that Nasukawa lacked a solid defensive construct. Takuma would win the fight by a unanimous decision, eventually dominating a fight that had started off badly for him. 

As for Naoya, he fought four times this year and scored two knockouts. Most memorably he was dropped by the unheralded Ramon Cardenas in May. Although Inoue was able to stop Cardenas, it was clear that he and Shingo had a discussion about how they should be fighting moving forward. Naoya subsequently beat Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Alan Picasso via dominant displays of boxing. Instead of the swashbuckling Naoya, he was now more disciplined, letting his considerable natural boxing skills take over. 

Naoya Inoue after being dropped by Cardenas
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

This was a drastic departure for Naoya and I'm sure that Shingo emphasized the need to tighten up the defense and not force the action. Shingo deserves a lot of credit for helping to correct mistakes and seeing a new way forward. Shingo had an exemplary year, showcasing why he's the father of champions.  

Previous SNB Trainers of the Year: 

• 2024: Robert Garcia
• 2023: Brian McIntyre et al.
• 2022: Derrick James
• 2021: Eddy Reynoso
• 2020: Teofimo Lopez Sr.
• 2019: Eddy Reynoso
• 2018: Anatoly Lomachenko
• 2017: Derrick James
• 2016: Shane McGuigan
• 2015: Peter Fury
• 2014: Freddie Roach
• 2013: Kenny Porter
• 2012: Robert McCracken
• 2011: Robert Garcia 

Promoter of the Year: Turki Alalshikh 

Alalshikh expanded his influence in the sport in 2025. In addition to Riyadh Season, Alalshikh created the Ring Magazine fight card brand, which featured high-profile fights in various jurisdictions around the world. He promoted the biggest boxing event of the year with Canelo-Crawford and made a strategic investment in Zuffa Boxing. He was behind many of the best or most important fights of the year, including Beterbiev-Bivol 2, Usyk-Dubois 2, Norman-Haney, Mason-Noakes, Stevenson-Zepeda, Nakatani-Hernandez, and more.

In addition to events where Alalshikh was expressly mentioned as the promoter, he also bankrolled several other notable fights that were nominally promoted by others. His influence continues to grow in the sport. 

Previous SNB Promoters of the Year: 

• 2024: Riyadh Season
• 2023: TGB Promotions in conjunction with PBC
• 2022: No Award Given
• 2021: Premier Boxing Champions
• 2020: Top Rank
• 2019: Matchroom Boxing
• 2018: Premier Boxing Champions
• 2017: K2 Promotions
• 2016: Matchroom Boxing
• 2015: Golden Boy Promotions
• 2014: Matchroom Boxing
• 2013: (tie) Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank
• 2012: Golden Boy Promotions
• 2011: Top Rank 

Network of the Year: DAZN 

DAZN now has many of the biggest promoters on its network. Featuring a stable that includes Matchroom, Golden Boy, Queensberry, Riyadh Season and the Ring Magazine cards, the service has become a must-have for boxing fans. In addition, DAZN has wisely invested in several other promoters, including MVP, Salita, Red Owl, Overtime and more, providing exposure for emerging talent in the sport, both from a promotional and fighter perspective. 

Not everything is going swimmingly for the network though. They introduced a new pricing structure of over $400 per year that includes their pay per view product. Although one can squint hard and see value in the offering, that's a lot of bread compared to other sporting and entertainment options. They are going to need to work hard to make that new pricing tier viable. In a perfect world they would make some broadcast changes too. 

But as boxing goes, DAZN has become a centralized hub for the sport. And that is the most important thing. They went from being a well-funded upstart to the home of boxing's big events in quick fashion. That's a job well done. 

Previous SNB Networks of the Year:  

• 2024: DAZN
• 2023: Showtime
• 2022: ESPN
• 2021: Showtime
• 2020: ESPN
• 2019: DAZN
• 2018: Showtime
• 2017: Showtime
• 2016: Sky Sports
• 2015: No award given
• 2014: ESPN
• 2013: Showtime
• 2012: BoxNation 

Referee of the Year: Katsuhiro Nakamura

Quick stoppages happen often. A referee will stop a fight even when a hurt fighter appears to be able to continue or is defending himself/herself properly. Unfortunately, it's a common occurrence in the sport. 

But let's congratulate a referee who at first glance appeared to stop a fight too early but ultimately proved to be 100% right in his decision making. Nakamura is one of the busiest referees in Japan and is also an official who gets international assignments. With the ending of Kenshiro Teraji-Seigo Yuri Akui, you can see why he is highly regarded. 

In a terrific, grueling and fast-paced fight between two flyweight champs, Teraji hurt Akui at the beginning of the 12th. Now keep in mind, neither fighter had been down previously in the fight and Akui was very competitive throughout the matchup. It was not a fight where Teraji was gradually getting the better of the action and/or pulling away. In fact, it was Teraji who needed to do something dramatic in the 12th. 

After hurting Akui early in the round with a lead right hand, Teraji followed up with menacing body shots as Akui was stuck on the ropes. Akui was able to escape but didn't look great on his feet. However, he was still throwing punches and evading shots. Moments later in the round, Teraji connected with a right hand during an exchange. The punch didn't even appear to be a particularly huge shot, but Nakamura abruptly ended the fight.

In real time it looked like a quick stoppage, but as soon as it was called off, it was clear that Akui was in bad shape. He needed assistance in getting back to his corner and then collapsed. There was no protesting the stoppage, just immediate attention given to the hurt fighter.  

Nakamura clearly observed that something was off with Akui, even if the fans couldn't necessarily see the same thing from the camera angle on the broadcast. Whether it was a facial expression, a problem with his legs, or something else, whatever it was, Nakamura was right on it. It turned out to be the perfect call. Yes, Akui was moments away from possibly winning the biggest fight of his career, but Nakamura made the correct call to project the fighter who needed protecting. It was a gutsy decision and a fine example of refereeing at its best.  

Previous SNB Referees of the Year:

• 2024: Thomas Taylor
• 2023: No award given
• 2022: David Fields
• 2021: Mark Lyson
• 2020: Michiaki Someya
• 2019: No award given
• 2018: Jack Reiss
• 2017: David Fields
• 2016: Raul Caiz Sr.
• 2015: David Fields
• 2014: Steve Smoger
• 2013: Tony Weeks
• 2012: Eddie Claudio

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Opinions and Observations: Parker-Wardley

Throughout Saturday's heavyweight slugfest between Jospeh Parker and Fabio Wardley, I made mental notes on Parker's impressive moments. There's a hook off a jab. Here's five left hooks in a row. There's a right hand/left hook combination that landed on the button. How about that jab! That counter right hand was terrific. Parker did so many things wonderfully in the fight, yet in the 11th round, he was the one trapped along the ropes, hurt, with the bout being waved off. 

So, what happened? 

To be fair to Wardley, he had some impressive sequences of his own early in the fight, especially in rounds two through four. But I believe that it was the 10th round that showcased his unique attributes in the heavyweight division. In the first half of the round, Parker had his most dominating sequences of the fight. He was cracking Wardley with counter right hands and left hooks. On multiple occasions, it looked like he stood Wardley up with power shots. There, Wardley looked momentarily dazed, staring blankly into the middle distance, his feet not positioned to throw. 

Wardley (left) with Parker trapped along the ropes
Photo courtesy of Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions

I'm sure most fighters would assume after administering that kind of beating, that they would be in the driver's seat, that the opponent was on his way to being stopped. But it quickly became apparent that Wardley was far different from a typical opponent. 

Somehow after being battered throughout the round, Wardley was able to shake it off and march forward. He unleashed menacing power shots as if the previous punishment hadn't occurred. After a few short moments, now it was Parker hurt and diminished, stuck along the ropes. In one of the most thrilling rounds of the year, Wardley showed that he possesses almost superhuman recuperative powers.

The 11th round was a continuation of the end of the 10th, with Wardley unloading on a trapped Parker. Eventually, referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop the fight (more on this later). 

Fabio Wardley has a singular story in boxing. A product of the white-collar boxing scene in the U.K., Wardley had no real amateur background and came to the sport late. During his development fights, he was a wild swinger who did all sorts of technical things wrong in the ring. His defense could be subpar. His footwork was ponderous. He would lean over his body while throwing shots, but the results were almost always the same: Wardley by knockout. 

But Wardley has improved under trainer Ben Davison's tutelage. Although I didn't have him winning Saturday's fight after the tenth round, I certainly thought that he was competitive. And this was against Parker, one of the best technical fighters at heavyweight, and an opponent with a significant punch. 

On Saturday, Wardley was able to land with snapping right hands. He connected with a couple of cracking, short right uppercuts and he had periods where his jab scored with regularity. He wasn't a gimmick fighter; he was performing like the solid heavyweight that he has become, with multiple knockout weapons and an irrepressible will. Despite his late start in the sport, he now has beaten multiple contenders and remains undefeated with a record of 20-0-1 with 19 knockouts. 

Wardley's last two fights have ended in second-half stoppages. He was down on the cards in both fights, but he was undeterred. And just as importantly, he has the conditioning to undertake physically grueling fights and still wind up on top. 

Perhaps this might not be the greatest recipe for a long career, but so what? Wardley wasn't expected to progress to this point. This is what he has to work with. And there's no blueprint of what a top heavyweight must look like or do in the ring, except win.

Who knows how long this ride will continue? He's won fights when well behind; he's prevailed as an underdog; and he's beaten fighters with far more pedigree. He continues to get stoppages even as he moves up the heavyweight ladder. He possesses a rare ability to carry late power. And this isn't like he's trailing in cagey fights where not much has happened. No, he's taking beatings, but he refuses to yield. And he will keep throwing his thunder. It's thrilling to watch. 

Wardley after the victory
Photo courtesy of Leigh Dawney/Queensberry 

If I can level one criticism of Parker, it's that too often he gets into shootouts. Let's go back to the tenth. He had already dominated Wardley throughout the first half of the round. Once Parker got tagged with a big shot from Wardley, he could have immediately tied up. Even with that one shot, Parker would still be well ahead in the round. 

But that's not what Parker did. Despite getting hit a lot at the end of the round, he still wanted to trade. He was trying to find that one big shot to hurt Wardley, to reverse the tide. He wound up giving back his edge in the round, and in the fight, even when he didn't have to. One could praise Parker for his self-belief, but maybe his performance illustrates his issues with over-confidence and not respecting his opponent enough. Parker had similar problems in his loss to Joe Joyce. He also could have boxed much more than he did in his grueling fights with Dereck Chisora. 

Parker usually likes to stay around the pocket, which he believes helps him because of his advantages with accuracy and his large punch arsenal. But the problem with fighters who linger a little too much is that they are hittable. 

I'm not suggesting that Parker stink out fights to win, but he needs to understand fight dynamics better. For example, Usyk is a master of knowing when he has a round won. And he will pocket that 10-9, wait out the round, and go after his opponent when the next one starts. Parker doesn't have the same impulses. He will be looking throughout all three minutes of a round to connect, even when he is well ahead. It's certainly not the best fight management strategy. 

***

After the fight I had this vision of Howard Foster standing at attention in the ring, saluting the Union Jack hanging from the rafters of the O2 Arena, a single tear sliding down his cheek. Yet again, he had performed for his country. He had done his part for The Crown. 

As far as Howard Foster stoppages go, Saturday's wasn't his worst (take a look at his performance in the Dubois-Lerena fight), but it was still bad, and as too often the case, his decision making helped the hometown English fighter at the expense of the foreign opponent. 

Although Wardley was unloading in the 11th round and Parker was hurt, there was no singular shot that necessitated Foster to stop the fight. Parker still had his wits in the ring. He was blocking or ducking a lot of the punches; he looked lucid. Foster's stoppage made perfect sense if a referee was looking for an opportunity to end the fight. But if an arbiter was more interested in seeing a fight play out to its natural conclusion, then that moment was not the place for a referee to insert himself. 

Of the referees who get high-profile assignments in the sport, Foster may be the worst homer. It's baffling as to why he is allowed to persist. Or maybe it's not. 

And this isn't an exercise in second-guessing. As soon as I saw Foster announced prior to the start of the fight, I made a note how this could help Wardley. And again, this was before a punch was ever thrown. 

I shouldn't have to know this about a referee. Officials like Foster hurt the legitimacy of the sport. Boxing deserves better. And as great a fight as Saturday's was, it was perhaps 90% of what it could have been. Howard Foster needed to end that fight when he did. He didn't have to. But, I guess...duty called. 

***

Let's not end this on a sour note. We all enjoyed a great fight on Saturday. Parker and Wardley continued the tremendous run of excitement in this heavyweight era. There's probably been over 20 heavyweight fights over the last decade that have been truly special affairs. Parker has already been in several, against Chisora, Whyte and Joyce. Wardley had that memorable first battle with Frazer Clarke. 

It's been a terrific era for heavyweight boxing. We've seen the cream rise to the top (Usyk) against champs and tough challengers. We've marveled at the journeys of relatively unknowns or supposed lessers, like Kabayel and Wardley, who have become true threats to the throne. Along the way, we've seen memorable upsets, great individual runs, and so many thrilling nights in the ring. Yes, there will always be the scolds who will tell you how things were so much better during yesteryear, but missing out on today's heavyweight boxing has been their loss. This current era has delivered time after time. It's been wonderful.  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

The Promise of Moses Itauma

Let's get a few things out of the way first. I'm not someone who often falls in love with prospects. I'm a skeptic who notices flaws, even in supposed "can't-miss" talents. I recognize that there's a long road between potential and actually achieving greatness in the ring. There are too many examples of phenoms flaming out or even achieving a certain level of success but falling short of the expectations placed upon them.  

Since I've been writing about boxing in 2011, there are two prospects who have stood out to me as being head and shoulders above everyone else in terms of young talent: Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez and Junto Nakatani. And I'm happy to report that both of these young fighters are now squarely in almost every credible pound-for-pound list in the sport; that's where they belong. 

So, on one hand I'll give myself credit for perceiving their elite talent level before many others did. But if we're keeping it real, in the decade prior, one of the absolute best prospects I saw was Juan Manuel Lopez. Now Lopez was in no way a bust. He was a long-time featherweight champion, but much more was expected of him. However good he may have looked at times in the ring, he couldn't outrun the damage that he was doing to his body outside of it, blowing up between fights sometimes 40 or 50 pounds. Hey, nobody bats 1,000. 

To reiterate, it's not good to fall in love with prospects. But we still have eyes. And it's hard, even as an experienced boxing enthusiast, to completely divorce emotion from observation. So, with this all said, I have realized, despite my better judgement, that it's time to make another bold declaration: 

Moses Itauma is the best heavyweight prospect I've seen in the past 20 years. 

Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

As I'm typing this, Itauma, just 20 years old, is 12-0 with 10 knockouts. Later this month he faces his first real step up, against former title challenger Dillian Whyte. At 37, Whyte is certainly past his absolute best, but he still packs a heavy punch and despite Itauma's meteoric rise in the sport (this fight is headlining a Riyadh Season card with far more seasoned fighters lower on the bill), we still don't know if Itauma can take a good shot. So, it's certainly possible that within a month of my making such a pronouncement that I could wind up with egg on my face in short order. And I'm prepared for such a meal, as long as it's egg whites. 

In watching Itauma, I find myself in disbelief that he's only 20. He fights like he's 10 years older, not that he lacks a young man's athleticism but because he has a veteran's poise. He's not rushing his work. He doesn't lose his shape after he has a guy hurt. He takes it all in stride with a devastating destructiveness. 

A southpaw from Britain, he's already sparred with a who's who of heavyweights, including Daniel Dubois, Jospeh Parker, Joe Joyce and Lawrence Okolie. Now trained by Ben Davison, Itauma has also worked with Shane McGuigan and of course the vaunted Team GB amateur system, where he won world and European youth championships. 

At his tender age, he already possesses a variety of knockout weapons, including a straight left hand, a right hook and a left uppercut. As a well-rounded fighter, he goes to the body with regularity and can throw punches in combination. 

Another thing that really catches my eye is his movement. I wouldn't call him a speed demon by any means, but his footwork is terrific. It's purposeful. He gets in perfect position to throw or receive shots. He doesn't lean over his front foot when he punches. He's not swinging wildly. He isn't loading up on shots. He knows that if he hits a fighter squarely and with the right punches, that he has more than enough power to end things. 

Itauma making short order of another opponent
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

I also like his physical dimensions for the heavyweight division. At 6'4" and 240 or so lbs., he's big enough to compete with the giants in the division, but not too big to be at a disadvantage against the smaller guys who can really move. He seems to split the difference physically between a Fury and an Usyk. 

There is still a lot to learn about Itauma. I realize that greatness is not built on the backs of beating guys like Mike Balogun, Demsey McKean and Mariusz Wach. We need to see more. Maybe Whyte will provide some useful information about Itauma's defense or recuperative powers. But maybe he will also wind up as another inevitability on Itauma's march to the top. 

As we watch boxing week after week, year after year, we are always on the lookout for something different, something special, something that moves us. And I have seen such a fighter in Itauma. At 20 he already has so much figured out, and this is in a division where it's common for the top guy to be in his mid-30s. I'm along for the Moses Itauma ride. I'm a believer. I've gotten my first-class tickets. 

But ultimately, what matters is not about "thinking" something; it's about knowing it. It's about the whole boxing world knowing it. This is Moses Itauma's mission should he choose to accept it. Will he be the next great heavyweight? Will he be something even more than that? I'm riveted.  

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook  

Notes from the Day of Reckoning

Anthony Joshua turned back the clock on Saturday and reminded the boxing community that he could still throw spiteful lead punches. Joshua was once a fighter who controlled action in the ring, could be first in exchanges, and fired off power shots with confidence. It was a pleasure to watch Joshua reconnect with THAT fighter on Saturday.  

Working with his fourth different head trainer in four fights, Joshua has taken significant steps forward under the watchful eyes of Ben Davison. Joshua pierced Otto Wallin with right-hand daggers throughout the fight.  By the end of the first round, he had connected with so many sharp rights that Wallin thought better about trying to exit exchanges to his left. By the end of the second round, Wallin, a mover by nature, was so bothered by Joshua's rights that he decided to stop moving and fight Joshua at mid-range, a huge strategic victory for AJ. 

Joshua (right) digging a right to the body
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson

Joshua uncorked a vicious right hand-left hook combination in the fifth that essentially ended the fight. Wallin's nose was busted up. Ultimately, Wallin was outthought and outpunched, and his corner stopped the bout. For Joshua, it was a great to see him once again throwing hurtful punches with confidence. 

***

For as clever as Otto Wallin was supposed to be (he claimed to have mastered Usyk's blueprint in how to beat Joshua) he sure didn't understand the first thing about movement against a puncher. Why Wallin insisted on circling to his left, into range for Joshua's right hand, was beyond my comprehension. Usyk did the exact opposite, moving to Joshua's left side and making Joshua try to beat him with his left hand. It was a disaster start to the fight for Wallin.  

It's possible that Wallin resorted to some bad habits once in the lion's den, but he committed a cardinal sin. You cannot move toward Joshua's right hand. Period. And that, more than anything else, led to Wallin losing the fight. By the end of the first round, his nose was already swelling. And his strategic failure did something even worse: it provided Anthony Joshua with a world of confidence. 

Not all movement is the same. Wallin lacked the in-and-out movement of Usyk. One reason that Usyk is so tough to time is that he's so unpredictable on his feet. In comparison, Wallin ambled slowly from side to side without much trickery. If Wallin is to recover momentum in his career, he needs to go back to school and understand the important distinction between movement for movement's sake and movement with a purpose. He got figured out very quickly on Saturday.

***

Joseph Parker has been hit hard by almost every significant opponent in his career. It doesn't matter if it was Chisora, Joyce, Whyte, or Joshua, all fighters with vastly different styles. The unifying element was that Paker's defense betrayed him. But on Saturday, Parker went 12 rounds against the best heavyweight puncher of his era and barely got touched, a major development!

Parker (left) and Wilder trading hooks
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson

Working with Andy Lee, Parker's defense was as good as I have ever seen it. Parker stayed low, understanding that Wilder's right hand was far less accurate when his opponent wasn't at eye level. In addition, he remained switched on all fight. There was no drifting or losses of concentration that have plagued his career on the big stage. 

On Saturday Parker was never in trouble, he fought with a clear plan, and he remained committed to his strategy. He won by a wide unanimous decision. It's great to see a fighter finally have the light bulb go on, for talent alone isn't enough at the top levels. It's the attention to detail that often separates the good from the great, and that's what Parker had been lacking.

***

Ring rust is certainly a thing, and it would have been understandable if Deontay Wilder needed a few rounds to regain his mojo; he had only fought one round in two years. But here's a truth about boxing: it's exceptionally hard to win a fight without throwing punches. 

Not only did Wilder refuse to let his hands go through most of the fight with Parker, but he rarely gave Parker anything to think about. Instead, Wilder was pacing around the ring in deliberate circles, staring at Parker, not looking like he wanted to even throw punches. Belatedly, Wilder let some big bombs go and he landed two or three of them, but nothing was set up. He seemed to be in good shape and he didn't have any stamina issues, but where was his malice?

Chris Mannix asked Wilder if the fire was still there after the fight and Wilder couldn't answer that question definitively. If Wilder is going to continue as a relevant fighter, he must regain his conviction in the ring. What good is a missile without someone willing to activate the launch code? 

***

Daniel Dubois entered Saturday's fight with two stoppage losses in recent fights where in both cases he decided that he couldn't continue. In the Joe Joyce fight his eye was torn to shreds. In the Usyk matchup, he was beaten up from pillar-to-post (despite landing a controversial shot that could have been ruled a knockdown with a different ref). Even though Dubois is only 26, Saturday was awfully close to his last-chance saloon. 

Dubois (right) trapping Miller on the ropes
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson

Facing a determined (if overweight) Jarrell Miller, Dubois took some big shots early in the fight, but he didn't yield. In fact, as he got more comfortable in the ring, he increasingly unleashed his arsenal of power punches. Although he was outweighed by almost 100 lbs. (and that's not a typo), his punches were the ones doing far more damage. And Dubois also showed just enough lateral movement to create better angles to throw and reduce Miller's effectiveness. 

Dubois finished the fight with a pyrotechnic display of power punching, stopping Miller with less than ten seconds in the bout. It was the performance that he needed. Although that version of Miller wasn't a threat to win a heavyweight title, he was a legit opponent who kept coming and possessed enough power to ask questions. This was Dubois' most meaningful victory since beating Nathan Gorman in 2019. And with many of the top heavyweights soon to age out of the sport, Dubois still could make a legit name for himself. This was a very promising step forward for him. 

***

Jarrell Miller was a boxing "what if." And let's speak about him in the past tense because I don't see a way where he can get to the top of the division at this point in his career. At his best, he was a 290-lb. beast who threw 90 punches a round and had a relentless energy. There was no one else in the division like him. Famously failing a drug test before his title shot against Anthony Joshua, Miller has essentially been in the wilderness since 2018. 

At 35 and over 330 lbs., Miller is now an "opponent." He wasn't bad on Saturday. He had endeavor. He was determined to test Dubois and he certainly landed his fair share of big shots. However, by the fifth round he was already in arm punch mode. He spent the second half of the fight eating huge shots and standing upright because of pride. We may never know what Miller really was or what he could have been, due to the plethora of illegal substances that he was taking, but he had been a genuine curiosity and offered a dimension rarely seen among modern heavyweights. 

***

Agit Kabayel has had an awfully strange career, and he's only 31! After impressing in a 2017 victory over Derek Chisora, (and ignore those scorecards, he won that fight comfortably), Kabayel would sign with Top Rank. Yet the company never brought him to the U.S. to fight any of their key players in the division or develop him on their own. Yes, there were some fights that fell through, but he had faced extremely low-level opposition since Chisora, and it did make you wonder if there was something going on behind the scenes that hadn't been reported. Why hide a capable heavyweight boxer who had intelligence, movement and punching fluidity? 

I didn't know what to expect in terms of Kabayel's physical shape or state of mind as he entered his fight on Saturday against Arslanbek Makhmudov, but I believed that if he was anywhere close to his best that he would give Makhmudov a lot of problems. 

Kabayel (left) hammers Makhmudov with a left hook
Photo courtesy of Mark Robinson

Kabayel didn't disappoint; he turned in one of the best performances of the night, battering Makhmudov with body shots, uppercuts and quick combinations. He dropped Makhmudov three times and the fight was called off in the fourth round. In a night full of fighters making statements, Kabayel made one of the most important ones: He was ready for the big stage. Let's hope that whoever is behind him in terms of management and promotion now fully believes in him. Kabayel is a capable, crafty fighter with sneaky power. He's a welcome addition to the top reaches of the heavyweight division. 

***

Sometimes when watching a lower-level card on a random night, you discover a key nugget about a prospect that you can tuck away for safe keeping. One Friday night in Montreal in September 2022 on an Eye of the Tiger card, Arslanbek Makhmudov was taking his first real step up against Carlos Takam, who had been a solid heavyweight gatekeeper over the last decade. And if you didn't see the fight and just looked at the scores on boxrec, you'd notice that Makhmudov won by four and six points on the cards. Sounds routine, doesn't it? Well, it wasn't. Although Takam took some big shots (he was knocked down twice), he kept coming and when he started landing odd-angled power punches, Makhmudov went into full-on panic mode. He froze. Makhmudov's trainer, the excellent Marc Ramsay, cajoled Makhmudov in the corner to keep going, to stay focused and stick with the plan. Ramsay didn't like what he was seeing, and neither did I. Makhmudov won the fight in a very shaky performance.

On Saturday, once Makhmudov was in real trouble, he didn't have the opportunity to make it back to the corner for reinforcement from Ramsay. Makhmudov's answer was to wing desperation power shots. All of Makhmudov's punching power was useless because under duress, he lacked a clear head. He didn't know how to buy time or extend the fight. 

Makhmudov lacks very important fighter instincts. Because of his punching power, he never had enough repetitions in real fights with opponents who could throw back. Already 34, it doesn't seem like this is a comfort level that will suddenly arrive. You can never count out a guy with a big punch, but with Makhmudov's poor survival instincts and leaky defense, he isn't a guy you can count on either. 

***

In seven rounds Frank Sanchez painted a clear picture of why so few fighters and big money interests have been rushing to see him in the ring. Through a lot of the first six rounds, Sanchez didn't let his hands go. When he did, he connected, doing just enough to win rounds, but so much of his ring time was spent staring at Junior Fa or moving just out of range. However, in the seventh round, he let his punches flow, impressing with eye-catching combinations. In those brief glimpses, he flashed tremendous hand speed, punch variety and accuracy. Sanchez badly hurt Fa and the fight was stopped.  

Sanchez is the ultimate high risk-low reward guy. When he wants to, he can let his hands go and dominate opponents, but he's in no rush to do so and doesn't seem to care about marketplace considerations: he's going to do it his way. Fighters like Sanchez will have to earn their title shots through the sanctioning bodies. Absolutely nobody has ever called him out or has indicated an overwhelming desire to fight him. Sanchez will never be big box office, but he's a scary package in the ring. He makes few mistakes. He gives very little to his opponents. And with his power and speed, he can turn a fight in an instant. He's a threat against anyone in the division. 

***

Let's close by mentioning the one title shot on Saturday's card, which featured one-sided domination by Dmitry Bivol over Lyndon Arthur (Bivol won by 120-107 on all three cards). It was everything a Bivol fight usually is: Bivol won with his legs, punching volume, mastery of distance and fantastic defense. The fight also reinforced several truths about Bivol. Despite dominating Arthur from start to finish, he never really went for the stoppage until the championship rounds. He doesn't have an overly aggressive temperament. He also lacks one-punch power.   

Bivol fights in a way to neutralize opponents. His greatness is understood when matched against better fighters. When facing lesser opponents, he has no problem carrying guys or getting his work in. At 33, Bivol isn't going to suddenly become something else, and that's fine. There are more than enough fighters to carry the box office in boxing. Bivol's concern is only about winning in a way that gives his opponents very little to work with. Yes, he's a risk-averse fighter, but his offense can be wonderful to watch. He doesn't stink out fights to win. 

If Bivol can defeat the winner of next month's Beterbiev-Smith matchup to become undisputed, I doubt that he'll care if his bank account could've had another zero in it. He's there for the glory. The legacy. He definitely is a prizefighter, but for him the prize isn't stacks of currency; he wants everyone to know that he's the best. He's not going to talk about it, but he'll be happy to show it against whoever is against him, and even in his strange career, those who are supposed to be supporting him. Bivol has been inconvenient to the the big-money interests in boxing, but he's so good that Big Money can no longer ignore him. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of Ring Magazine's Ring Ratings Panel and a Board Member for the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. 

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.