The Shadow League looked at the state of boxing in 2023 and selected the best and the worst of the year. Judging boxers’ performances over 12 months is no easy feat, and this year, there is a tie for best boxer of the year and a runner-up.
Two of the fighters that made the list most people know, and one is a staple for diehard fans but a relative unknown to casual fans.
Best Boxers of 2023 (Tie)
Devin Haney
At the top of the list this year is Devin Haney because not only did he become the lightweight undisputed champion in 2022 in another country where he fought and defeated George Kambosos twice, but he also defended it against Vasiliy Lomachenko and won a belt in his first fight at super lightweight in 2023.
Although many felt that Haney’s unanimous decision to win over Lomachenko in May 2023 was questionable, there were no doubts when he demolished Regis Prograis to become the WBC super lightweight champion.
Haney is trained by his father, Bill Haney, and raised in boxing by all the greats: Floyd Mayweather, Senior and Junior, Zab Judah, and many more. Haney’s amateur career was nothing short of stellar. He transitioned to professional boxing at 17, amassing an impressive record and showcasing his potential as the sports star he is becoming.
Naoya Inoue
The Japanese star known as “The Monster” started and ended his 2023 the same way, in knockout fashion. Many believed he would meet his match when he fought Philadelphia’s Stephen Fulton Jr., aka “Cool Boy Stef,” in July, but quite the opposite happened. Fulton learned that Inoue was the boss in Japan and suffered a brutal eighth-round knockout at Ariake Arena in Tokyo. It was his first fight at super-bantamweight, and he took home the WBC and WBO titles.
He topped that with a TKO win this week over Marlon Tapales in the 10th round on December 26th, so all the belts will become undisputed at Super Bantamweight. Inoue’s professional career has been nothing short of phenomenal. He has claimed multiple world titles across several weight classes, a testament to his versatility and adaptability as a fighter. His remarkable ability to move up in weight while retaining his power and speed is a rare feat in the sport.
In the bantamweight division, Inoue has been particularly dominant and solidified his reign when he became undisputed after a second-round knockout of Nonito Donaire in 2022.
Inoue has only fought in the Unied States three times in his career, so he is a relative unknown to American casual boxing fans; however, the real know that in the Land of the Rising Sun Inoue is boxing royalty.
Runner-Up
Terence Crawford
There is nothing bad you can say about Terence Crawford. He is two-time undisputed world-champion in two weight classes and he eliminated any doubt about who is better at welterweight between Errol Spence Jr. and himself. Crawford is a throwback fighter who is a chip off the Marvin Hagler block of workmanship and aggression. He is a sniper that understands the fundamentals of boxing and how to outthink his opponents.
Had he fought more than once this year, he would undoubtedly have been the top boxer with another major win. However, you cannot forget that his fight against Spence was thought by many that it wouldn’t happen, but he campaigned and got the bout and demolished “The Truth.”
Worst Boxer of 2023
Deontay Wilder
Since 2020, Deontay Wilder has fought only once a year and, in that time, amassed a disappointing 1-3 record. He dropped two fights to Tyson Fury in 2020 and 2021 and lost to Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia last weekend.
Many thought that his thunderous first-round knockout win over Robert Helenius in 2022 signaled the return of “The Bronze Bomber.” He already signed a two-fight deal to face Anthony Joshua, per multiple reports ahead of the Joseph Parker fight. But the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry, and that is what Joesph Parker did, derail the Wilder rebound.
Wilder allowed the boxing world to question him after he blamed his losses to Fury on a disloyal former trainer and the heaviness of his ring walk costume. The man who used to inspire fear with his right hand looked tamed in the wake of Fury, a Parker training partner, and now looks to pick up the pieces yet again.
