By Ken Hissner: WBA Super World Light Heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol born in Kyrgyzstan and residing in Indio, California, defeated two opponents in 2022 with a combined record of 101-1-2.
One in WBA, WBO, WBC, and IBF World Super Middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 57-1-2 out of Mexico, and the other former WBO World Super Middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, 44-0, out of Mexico.
Looking at some of the champions and contenders who would also be included in the voting are:
WBC World Heavyweight champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Fury, 33-0-1 with 24 stoppages out of the UK, had two defenses stoppages over Zimbabwe’s Derek “War” Chisora, 33-12, out of the UK, and Jamaican Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte, 28-2, out of the UK.
WBA, WBO, and IBF World Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, 20-0 with 13 stoppages out of Ukraine, had one defense defeating former champion Anthony “AJ” Joshua, 24-1, out of the UK in their rematch.
WBC Cruiserweight World champion Ilunga Junior Makabu, 29-2 with 25 stoppages out of South Africa, had one defense, a split decision over Thadbiso “The Rock” Mchunu, 23-5, out of South Africa.
IBF Cruiserweight World champion Jai Opetaia, 22-0 with 17 stoppages out of Australia, won the title from Mairis Briedis, 28-1, out of Latvia.
IBF and WBC Light Heavyweight World champion Russian Artur Beterbiev, 18-0 with 18 stoppages out of Canada, added the WBO title by stopping Joe Smith, Jr., 28-3, out of Long Island, New York.
IBF and WBC Welterweight champion Errol “The Truth” Spence, Jr., 28-0 with 22 stoppages out of Desoto, Texas, unified by stopping WBA Super Welter champion Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas, 27-4, out of Miami, Florida.
WBC World Super Lightweight champion Regis “Rougarou” Prograis, 28-1 with 24 stoppages out of Houston, Texas, stopped both WBO Inter-Continental champion Tyrone ‘The Mighty Celt’ McKenna, 22-2-1, out of Ireland and Jose “Chon” Zepeda, 35-2, of La Puente, California.
WBA, WBO, WBC, and IBF Lightweight World champion Devin “The Dream” Haney, 29-0 with 15 stoppages out of Las Vegas, Nevada, added the WBA, WBO, and IBF titles by defeating George “Ferocious” Kambosos, Jr., 20-0 out of Australia twice.
WBO World Super Featherweight World champion Shakur “No Fear” Stevenson, 19-0 with 9 stoppages out of Alexandria, Virginia, added the WBC title by defeating Oscar Valdez, 30-0 out of Mexico, and defeating in a defense 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Robson Conceicao, 17-1, out of Brazil.
IBF, WBA, WBC World Bantamweight champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue, 24-0 with 21 stoppages out of Japan, made two defenses in stopping former world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, 42-6, out of the Philippines and adding the WBO title stopping Paul Butler, 34-2, out of UK.
WBC World Super Flyweight champion Juan “El Gallo” Francisco Estrada, 44-3 with 28 stoppages out of Mexico, defeated Argi Cortes, 23-3-2, out of Mexico, and former 4 division world champion Ramon “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, 51-3, out of Nicaragua.
After Bivol, the second would probably be World Bantamweight champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue.