George Kambosos Jr. crashed through the glass ceiling with an upset victory over Teofimo Lopez in November 2021, capturing all four of Lopez...
George Kambosos Jr. crashed through the glass ceiling with an upset victory over Teofimo Lopez in November 2021, capturing all four of Lopez's lightweight titles. The 28-year-old Australian wasn't even on the radar of many in the boxing industry, and he was completely overlooked before he fought Lopez.
On that same night, thousands of miles away, Stephen Fulton capped a banner year with a thrilling victory over Brandon Figueroa to unify 122-pound world titles, after winning one of those titles in January.
Oleksandr Usyk was already a former undisputed cruiserweight champion when he entered the year but was largely untested at heavyweight until he stepped into the ring with Anthony Joshua - and he dominated the former unified heavyweight champion. His breakout performance at heavyweight sets the stage for what could be an unpredictable stretch for the big men waiting in the wings - and that could mean big opportunities in the months and years to come.
Heavyweights typically develop more slowly than boxers in other weight classes, and the time is now ripe for some name fighters to reach the contender level. We've identified five fighters we believe are on the cusp of truly breaking out in 2022, including a trio of heavyweights.
Jared Anderson, heavyweight (11-0, 11 KOs)
The
22-year-old Anderson was my prospect of the year for 2021 due in part
to his four knockouts in four fights. It appears Anderson has the size
and skills to one day win a heavyweight championship, but to this point,
he hasn't arrived at that level just yet. So far, he's fought soft
opposition, and that's fine as he's developing.
Tony Yoka, heavyweight (11-0, 9 KOs)
Since Yoka captured gold at the 2016 Olympic Games, the now-29-year-old from France has been surrounded by tremendous hype. But as he approaches his 30th birthday in April, Yoka has yet to reach the contender level.
Filip Hrgovic, heavyweight (14-0, 12 KOs)
Hrgovic is a bruising boxer at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, but he's faced subpar competition thus far that hasn't really helped him develop.
Joshua Buatsi, light heavyweight (15-0, 13 KOs)
The Englishman was set for his first genuine measuring-stick fight, a December matchup with Maxim Vlasov, before suffering a hand injury that scrapped plans. Vlasov was barely edged by Joe Smith Jr. in a spring title fight, and is ranked No. 7 at light heavyweight by ESPN - one spot ahead of Buatsi.
Subriel Matias, junior welterweight (17-1, 17 KOs)
The 29-year-old Matias is a menace at 140 pounds - a volume-punching fighter from Puerto Rico with plenty of strength and power. Matias' career took a tragic turn following a TKO victory against Maxim Dadashev, when Dadashev later died from injuries sustained in the fight.
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