Midyear boxing awards: Best KO, fighter, fight and more

After six-plus months of boxing, and lots of fight cards all around the world, it’s time to pick the best of the first half of 2024. From incredible individual performances in the heavyweight division, to unforgettable KOs, upsets and all-action fights, the sport of boxing has set a high bar for the rest of the year.

For the first time since Lennox Lewis in 2000, we have an undisputed heavyweight champion, and for the first time ever, an undisputed strawweight champion was crowned in women’s boxing. A champion made a power-packed impression with a stunning knockout, and another suffered a huge upset in his return home.

Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson look at some memorable moments at the halfway point of the year.

Men’s fighter of the half year: Oleksandr Usyk

Usyk accomplished an incredible feat with his split-decision victory over Tyson Fury in May. It was the second undisputed championship of his career after he won all four belts at cruiserweight.

Fury outweighed Usyk by nearly 40 pounds and enjoyed significant advantages in height and reach. “The Gypsy King” put it all to good use over the first half of the bout as he outboxed Usyk from range.

But the Olympic gold medalist rallied down the stretch, showing off the incredible skill that led him to the unified heavyweight championship with a pair of wins over Anthony Joshua.

Now, Usyk is the undisputed heavyweight champion, the first since Lennox Lewis in 2000. The win also launched him into the top spot in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings. The 37-year-old Ukrainian should be able to lock up Fighter of the Year with another victory over Fury in the rematch scheduled for Dec. 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. — Coppinger

Women’s fighter of the half year: Seniesa ‘Super Bad’ Estrada

Estrada was crowned undisputed minimumweight/strawweight champion in March by beating her biggest rival, Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle, to cement her place among the best in women’s boxing.

The lighter weight classes get less attention in boxing, but Estrada deserves recognition for becoming the first undisputed champion in the lightest weight class in the history of women’s boxing.

Estrada (26-0, 9 KOs), 32, from Los Angeles, prevailed in a thrilling fight with Valle as her hand speed and counterpunching proved crucial in edging some of the rounds in a close fight. Estrada switched stances to contain Valle, and a rematch would be popular due to their rivalry. Sandy Ryan and Gabriela Fundora also had great wins in 2024. — Parkinson

Men’s fight of the half year: Usyk-Fury

This was heavyweight championship boxing at the highest level, two pound-for-pound fighters competing for the greatest prize in sports.

Usyk-Fury featured almost everything you want from a matchup that wins fight-of-the-year honors. There were multiple momentum shifts, with Fury ahead on the scorecards heading into the second half of the fight.

There was high drama after Usyk landed 14 unanswered punches that almost forced referee Mark Nelson to stop the bout, but ultimately resulted in a ninth-round knockdown after the ropes held up Fury. And the contest was close, with Usyk edging out Fury on the cards via split decision.

Fury’s KO win over Deontay Wilder was named ESPN’s 2021 Fight of the Year. Now, Fury has a great chance to win the honor a second time in his Hall of Fame career. — Coppinger

Women’s fight of the half year: Natasha Jonas vs. Mikaela Mayer

Jonas sealed a career-best win with a split decision over Mayer to defend her welterweight title in January. Jonas held off a strong finish from her American challenger, who felt she should have been declared the winner.

But Jonas had a stronger start in a fight with ferocious exchanges. Jonas (15-2-1, 9 KOs), 40, who turned professional in 2017 after competing as an amateur at the 2012 Olympics and giving birth to a daughter in 2015, had a great fifth round, but Mayer had the better of the later rounds and landed more power punches.

Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs), a 34-year-old Olympian, stepped up in weight to take on Jonas, and never looked out of place at welterweight.

As entertaining as the fight was, a rematch seems unlikely as Jonas intends to retire this year. Mayer has yet to announce her next opponent. — Parkinson

KO of the half year: Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis def. Frank Martin (eighth-round KO)

While the above two selections were no-brainers, this was a close call, especially when considering Joshua’s brutal second-round KO of Francis Ngannou in March.

However, Davis was facing a genuine lightweight contender — not an MMA fighter in his second boxing match — and erased Martin with a picture-perfect sequence that put him down for the count.

Davis pinned Martin in the corner, rocked him with a left uppercut that left him frozen, then put away the defenseless fighter with a monster left cross. With the emphatic victory, Davis retained his No. 1 ESPN ranking at lightweight as he closes in on a November unification fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko. — Coppinger

Upset of the half year: Liam Paro def. Subriel Matias (unanimous decision)

Paro was as much as a +640 underdog against Matias, per ESPN BET, but when you consider how the Puerto Rican was steamrolling opponents and his growing reputation as boxing’s boogeyman, it’s an even bigger upset than the odds indicated.

Australia’s Paro outboxed Matias and never took a step back, landing combinations that stymied the junior welterweight champion’s usual swarming pressure. Paro did it in Puerto Rico, too, making the win even more impressive as he spoiled Matias’ homecoming.

It was a second consecutive impressive performance for Paro, who scored a sixth-round KO of Montana Love in December. The undefeated 28-year-old southpaw could head to a rematch with Matias later this year, this time in Australia. — Coppinger