2023: The Year of Boxing’s Unfulfilled Promises – A Brief Retrospective
The year 2023, on paper, was the best year in boxing in a very long time. The number of highly anticipated, potentially competitive fights was astounding.
Key matchups included:
- Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence
- Devin Haney vs. Vasily Lomachenko
- Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs. Sonny Edwards
- Emmanuel Navarette vs. Oscar Valdez
- David Benevidez vs. Demetrius Andrade
- Teofimo Lopez vs. Josh Taylor
- Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia
- Stephen Fulton vs. Naoya “Monster” Inoue
A banner year for boxing…on paper. Despite the expectations, 2023 ultimately unfolded as an underwhelming and somewhat disappointing chapter in the history of boxing. While it marked an improvement from recent years in that boxers in 2023 actually fought other boxers who could potentially beat them (and for that we are grateful), the competitiveness of these fights left much to be desired.
April 2023 started the big time boxing calendar fortuitously enough with a good catchweight 136 lbs fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia. Although the outcome was quite predictable, it was exciting that two top guys in a division were fighting each other for a change. It felt like a tempting appetizer before a sumptuous main course.
The next month delivered what proved to be the apex event of the year. Devin Haney defended his undisputed crown at 135 lbs by narrowly outpointing Vasily Lomachenko in a fight of the year candidate. With two satisfying bouts in the books, the feeling was that 2023 was going to be a stellar year in the sport.
However, from that fight on, from a competitiveness standpoint, it was all downhill and disappointment. Instead of Leonard-Hearns, we got Mayweather-Pacquiao. Sure, it’s satisfying to know who wins between the two best fighters of a generation in Mayweather and Pacquiao, but the fight left us unfulfilled. And so too did the remaining big fights on the 2023 calendar.
- Teofimo Lopez overwhelmed Josh Taylor.
- Emmanuel Navarette beat the fight out of Oscar Valdez.
- David Benevidez steamrolled Demetrius Andrade.
- Bam Rodriguez pummeled Sonny Edwards.
Even the two fights between pound for pound greats fell flat. The hype was there for sure, but from a competitive perspective, they were found lacking.
The most highly anticipated fight since Mayweather-Pacquiao finally came to fruition in July of 2023. Terence Crawford and Errol Spence would finally meet in the squared circle and hash out who was the best fighter in boxing. Everyone was picking sides. Internet arguments were furious. Even the casual boxing fans put their two cents in. On paper, this was a 50/50 fight where either guy could walk away victorious, but, we suspected, not unscathed.
Instead, what we got was a one sided drubbing where Terence Crawford proved he was the best fighter at 147 lbs, and probably the best fighter in the world.
The only other fighter who could make a claim to the number one pound for pound spot fought earlier that week against borderline top 10 pound for pound claimant, Stephen “Cool Boy Steph” Fulton. Inoue, the boxer-puncher, showcased his overwhelming power and skill, proving too much for the normally crafty Cool Boy, dominating him from the opening bell until the ref stopped the fight in the 8th round.
As a result, another potentially great fight was reduced to a one sided beating.
These bouts, while showcasing technical mastery, lacked the competitive edge and back-and-forth drama that fans crave in high-caliber fights. In short, these bouts failed to deliver a classic.
In retrospect, 2023 will be remembered with mixed feelings. It delivered several long-awaited matchups but often failed to provide the riveting, evenly matched battles expected at such elite levels.
Looking forward, we can only hope that 2023 will serve as a spring board for 2024. Perhaps the remaining compelling fights hovering around the boxing consciousness can be made and just maybe bring classic fights back to the forefront.
