Who Are the Contenders for “Fighter of the Year?”

As we are closing out the year, who are the contenders for “Fighter of the Year?” Let’s only take a look at Ring Magazine’s champions.

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First and to no one’s surprise the IBF, WBA and WBO World super bantamweight champ “The Monster” Naoya Inoue, 31-0 (27), of Japan, who is scheduled for his third fight of the year in December against WBC silver champion (in 2004) David “Alan Picasso Romero” Picasso, 32-0-1 (17), of Mexico, at the Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh.

He knocked out WBO Oriental champ Ye Joon “Troublemaker Pacquiweather” Kim, 21-3-2, by knockout in January. In May, he came off the canvas in the second round before stopping San Antonio’s Ramon “Dinamita” Cardenas, 26-2. In September, he defeated former IBF World super bantamweight champion Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev, 14-1, of Uzbekistan.

On the undercard of Inoue’s card is IBF and WBC World bantamweight champion Junto “Big Bang” Nakatani, 31-0 (24), also of Japan. He’s in with Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez Reyes, 20-0 (18), out of Tijuana.

In February, he knocked out Mexico’s David “El General” Cuellar Contreras, 28-0. In June, he stopped Ryosuke Nishida, 10-0, of Japan.

Newly crowned WBC World light heavyweight champion David “The Monster Bandera Roja’ Benavidez, 31-0 (25), out of Miami, FL, in February, as WBC Interim champion, came off the canvas in the eleventh round and defeated Cuban David “Osvary” Morrell, 11-0, of Minneapolis, MN. This month, he stopped Anthony Yarde, 27-3, of the UK.

IBF and WBO World middleweight champion Zhanibek “Qazaq Style” Alimkhanuly, 17-0 (12), of Kazakhstan, in April stopped Anauel Ngamissingue, 14-0, of Congo and France. In December, he is scheduled to fight former IBO Super Welter champ Cuban Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara, 31-3-3, out of San Antonio, TX.

Former IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 35-0 (31), of Philadelphia, PA, stopped Eimantas Stanionis, 15-0, of Lithuania in April. In October, he stopped Uisma Lima, 14-1, of Angola.

WBO World welterweight champ and three-division champ Devin “The Dream” Haney, 33-0 (15), of Las Vegas, NV, defeated Jose Carlos Ramirez, 29-2, in May. In November, he won his current title by defeating Brian Norman, Jr., 28-0, of Conyers, GA.

WBC World light champion Shakur Stevenson, 24-0 (11), of Houston, TX, in February stopped Josh “Paddy” Padley, 15-0. In July, he defeated Mexico’s William “Camaron” Zepeda, 33-0.

WBO world featherweight champ Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza, 28-0 (24), of Guadalajara, MEX, in May stopped Edward “Kid” Vazquez, 17-2, of Ft Worth, TX. In November, he stopped Arnold “Ami” Khegai, 23-2-1, of Ukraine.

WBC and WBO World super flyweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, 23-0 (16), of San Antonio, TX, in July stopped Phumelela, 11-0-3, of South Africa. In November, he knocked out Fernando “Pumita” Martinez, 18-0, of Argentina.