Predict the BWAA 2018 ‘Fighter of the Year’

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Kovalev's "Man Bag"

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With just seven weeks of the year remaining, who do you believe will win the BWAA's “Sugar Ray Robinson Award” for Fighter of the Year? I'm not asking who you want to win but rather who you think will receive it. If the fighter that you think has the best shot still has a fight scheduled* to cap off the year then you're confident they'll handle their business in making your prediction. For example, on paper Usyk schools Bellew, Canelo crushes Fielding, Loma outclasses Pedraza, and so on (little resistance would be expected in these particular match-ups). Inoue is done fighting for the year as he's already turned in both of his dominant performances.

In no particular order, here are the most obvious leading candidates
“The Cat”
usyk1-1.jpg

“Canelo”
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“Hi-Tech”
lomachenko-linares-fight%20(12).jpg

“The Monster”
skysports-monster-naoya-inoue_4446309.jpg
 
Usyk and inoue. Struggle to split them but would probably edge towards inoue.
 
If Wilder wins in spectacular fashion, he could be in the conversation. Usyk is probably the rightful favourite.
 
So long as he beats Bellew convincingly, then Usyk. Winning the WBSS and gathering up all the belts in a strong division in the process is probably more than anything anyone else has achieved.
 
I think it will go to Usyk. Although Bellew isn't going to put up much of a fight Usyk will have dominated all opposition and unified the CW belts. I think he deserves it the most.
 
aries said:
I think it will go to Usyk. Although Bellew isn't going to put up much of a fight Usyk will have dominated all opposition and unified the CW belts. I think he deserves it the most.
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I agree. If I had to predict FOTY then it's probably Usyk. But, like you said it will come down to how he performs against Bellew on Saturday. Anything less and he may very well lose out to another candidate like Inoue or Canelo. Canelo has the most significant win of the year over GGG but I know some BWAA members are holding the Clenbuterol positive tests and suspension against him (to name one Michael Rosenthal is).

Usyk and Inoue both made big splashes this year. Usyk was in Loma's shadow for a while and now he's fully come out of that and Inoue has been slaughtering some quality opposition after having moved up again. Inoue fought for only 3 minutes and 2 seconds this year in total against both opponents which is ridiculous if you think about it. If we round down a couple seconds it only took him one full round to finish both of his opponents and he fought Payano in the WBSS quarterfinals. Usyk became the first WBSS winner/Ali Trophy recipient along with becoming undisputed champion, put on a virtuoso performance in the WBSS final against Gassiev, and prior to that beat (in a very competitive fight) Briedis in the semifinal. He beat both of his opponents in their backyards.

It'll be interesting to see how they vote here assuming things play out as they're expected to with the remaining fights scheduled.
 
Minowafanatic said:
So long as he beats Bellew convincingly, then Usyk. Winning the WBSS and gathering up all the belts in a strong division in the process is probably more than anything anyone else has achieved.
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I'm not completely sure I'd call CW strong, but Briedis and Gassiev are strong fighters. Beating those two probably gets him the award on its own, and Bellew, despite being mediocre, adds a bit, especially because it will be a reasonably big event.

An argument could be made for Lomachenko assuming he beats Pedraza easily, but I'm fairly sure he won last year, so Usyk is more likely. Canelo has the best single win, but Fielding doesn't really do anything for him. Unless Inoue fights a genuinely good fighter on NYE (haven't heard anything, but maybe he will), he shouldn't in the running as I view McDonnell as Fielding level.
 
Usyk.

Inoue just won the 1st round of the same tournament Usyk just wrapped up as champ of, and Usyk will easily destroy Bellew. Only Canelo has a claim with the W over GGG, and Loma is 3rd because he moved up and took a belt, but against a less accomplished and feared titleholder in Linares.
 
Usyk. Dominated all opposition; Gassiev and Breidis are better wins than Canelos' over Golovkin and Fielding. Add the destruction of Bellew than that's all she wrote.

Inoue has looked even more dominant and destructive but McDonnell should have lost both fights against Kameda. Not a robbery but I had him clearly winning, which takes away from Inoues win. He did it the right way but his opposition isn't on par.

I actually hold Linares in quite high regard. He gave Lomachenko that toughest fight of his life, outside the testicular pummeling he took from Salido. I had Linares up at the time of the stoppage. Certainly with the momentum heavily for Lomachenko but still - I thought it was a great win and he had to dig deep, not clown around. Doesn't make him a top contender. Canelo has him beat, Usyk too. Pedraza adds very little.

Add a poll maybe?
 
HardasNAILZ said:
Canelo, easily.
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I wouldn't mind Canelo really. Two-weight champion, around a foot too short for 168 and the best win of them all. Still think Usyk edges him but the fan in me wouldn't complain.

But easily? Nah, not easily.
 
Hmm. I’m not really an usyk guy but its probably him. Assuming he wins sat
 
All Usyk has to do is beat Bellew and he's got it.

However, if he loses then things get interesting...

Canelo has by far the biggest win of the year, but his suspension is going to stain him at least for this year. Even if he were to defeat Rocky, it'll be tough to overlook that positive test.

Deontay Wilder has the next best claim, after Usyk, if he beats Fury.

But like I said, all Usyk has to do is beat Bellew and he's got the award locked up.
 
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