Boxing has delivered more epic battles, but what was the best fight of 2022? The Panel of experts have delivered their verdict…
Adam Smith
The fight of the year was undoubtedly Tyson Fury against Deontay Wilder. One of the great heavyweight fights of any era.
I was lucky enough to be at Riddick Bowe vs Evander Holyfield 2 in the middle of that rivalry. Anthony Joshua against Wladimir Klitschko was equally one of the great nights, but this certainly was too. It had everything. Fury in trouble, Wilder on the verge. Wilder somehow hanging in there, showing incredible heart and Tyson coming away with the victory.
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Katie Taylor produced a thrilling battle with Natasha Jonas in May
But I also want to give a shout out to Katie Taylor against Natasha Jonas in May. I thought that was an incredible spectacle. The women’s duels get better and better. Taylor vs Jonas was a fantastic advert for how far boxing has come.
On its own, it was a standout fight. The best fight we had in the UK this year, but the best fight globally has to be Fury vs Wilder.
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Matthew Macklin
Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder. Every single viewer would have enjoyed that fight, it was a tear-up. Wilder appeared to be out of it and then Fury got hurt. You thought, ‘wow’, these two guys have got the ability to take the other one out at any time, which means you are absolutely glued to it.
Image: Fury finally broke Wilder's resistance in the 11th round
It was a conclusive end to the saga and Wilder covered himself in glory in defeat, because of the heart that he showed. He was out on his feet, mouth wide open, but he really dug in. Even though he got beaten convincingly in the end, his stock rose in defeat.
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Natasha Jonas
Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jnr. Lopez was coming off the biggest win of his career against Vasiliy Lomachenko, one of the pound-for-pound best in the world. The odds were stacked against Kambosos, who was a big underdog.
Image: George Kambosos Jnr produced a shock win over Teofimo Lopez
Lopez was trying to knock out Kambosos in the opening round and when he got floored, everyone in my house jumped up and went, ‘Woah’. From that point on, you were thinking, ‘Can Kambosos keep that up?’. He then got knocked down and, with boxing, you are wondering what the scores are going to be. But the right person got the decision, I believe.
Carl Froch
Tyson Fury against Deontay Wilder was awesome. It was unbelievable, it had everything. It had the ebbs and flows of the knockdowns. To start with I thought the fight was over, Fury has done him. But for Wilder to get up and drop Fury twice, I was like, ‘Oh no, what is happening?’.
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Fury has proven himself as the world No 1, says Carl Froch
Fury just overpowered him in the end with his superior strength and size. That was the most exciting fight of the year. You’re running out of names of people who could actually beat Fury.
Johnny Nelson
Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder was everything. It was a storybook. It was a movie. If you’re a Fury fan, you can sit back and think he’s finally silenced Wilder. Their bitter rivalry was settled in that fight.
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Fury displayed his battling spirit yet again, says Johnny Nelson
With that win, Fury has proved he’s the best heavyweight in the world, while Wilder had shown that he was determined to back up every word he had said in the build-up.
In the end, Wilder had that reality check that he isn’t the world No 1. That emotional realisation could last longer than the bumps and bruises that he acquired.
Dave Coldwell
For pure drama, with your mouth open, it’s Tyson Fury against Deontay Wilder. It was like a ‘Rocky’ movie and at times you were saying to yourself, ‘What am I watching?’. It was an amazing fight that’s got to be right up there.
But I also really enjoyed Terence Crawford against Shawn Porter and I loved Teofimo Lopez against George Kambosos Jnr.
Sourse: skysports.com
