The boxing world is abuzz with the announcement of the upcoming fight between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia, which is expected to be a significant event for the sport. ESPN has awarded Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue the Fighter of the Year title after his victories, including a TKO over Stephen Fulton and another win that made him undisputed at 122 pounds. Devin Haney was named ESPN’s Fighter of the Year runner-up for the second year in a row, following a successful year that included a thrilling win over Loma to remain undisputed and a shutout over Prograis to become a two-division champion. The Haney vs. Garcia fight is notable for its history, with the fighters tied at 3-3 from their amateur days, and the diverse fan demographics they each attract. Promoters Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn are expected to bring additional attention to the event through their interactions in the press. The WBC title will be on the line for this bout. In other boxing news, Edson Barboza's win over Sodiq Yusuff after a near knockout in the first round has earned him the 2023 MMA Orbit Comeback of the Year award. Jaime Munguia and Sergiy Derevyanchenko's bout was named ESPN’s 2023 Fight of the Year, with the runner-up being another fight promoted by Oscar De La Hoya, featuring Luis Nery and Azat Hovhannisyan. Golden Boy Promotions, led by De La Hoya and Eric Gomez, was recognized for their success in promoting these top fights.
DAZN’s 2023 Fight of the Year 🥊 @jaimemunguia15 vs. @SDerevyanchenko was an INSTANT classic https://t.co/sSwGCMEChN
#ESPN' @MikeCoppinger recognizing the great job @OscarDeLaHoya & @MakeAWar Eric Gomez have done, awarding #GBP with the Fight of the Year award, & the runner up fight too! It's called winning, without #RobertoDiaz! That's right! #Boxing https://t.co/vIh5xsfH6E
Congrats to Jaime Munguia and Sergiy Derevyanchenko on winning ESPN’s 2023 Fight of the Year. The runner-up was another fight promoted by @OscarDeLaHoya, Luis Nery-Azat Hovhannisyan. https://t.co/tPAKi45rEA https://t.co/f6kCPyM1J6
He was almost out in the first, but fought back to win the decision. 😮💨 Edson Barboza’s comeback over Sodiq Yusuff earns himself the 2023 @mma_orbit Comeback of the Year! 🏆 Congratulations, @EdsonBarbozaJR. 👏 https://t.co/Od8ZxCqLF5
Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia in 2024 🥊 Who you got? https://t.co/Rh6RziXt7R
Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia is going to be massive: 🔹3-3 in the amateurs from six fights. 🔹Two different fan categories (demographics). 🔹Oscar and Eddie going at each other in the pressers. 🔹WBC title on the line. https://t.co/AVV9rAkxNk
Congrats to Devin Haney, who is ESPN’s Fighter of the Year runner-up for the second consecutive year. He’s building an incredible resume, and his ‘23 was even better with a thrilling win over Loma to remain undisputed and then a shutout over Prograis to become two-division champ.
Congrats to @naoyainoue_410 on a Monster year! Between his total dominance over Stephen Fulton via TKO and another win inside the distance to become undisputed at 122, the Japanese star is ESPN’s Fighter of the Year: https://t.co/tPAKi45Zu8 https://t.co/bRECRr3cwg
Devin Haney vs Ryan Garcia will be next. Another big fight for boxing.