The BWAA Announces Its 2022 Annual Award Winners
Updated: Jan 10, 2023
The Boxing Writers Association of America is proud to announce its annual winners for 2022.
Based on his unanimous-decision victories over future Hall of Famer Canelo Alvarez in May, followed by his win over Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in November, the BWAA, in a vote by its members, have chosen Dmitry Bivol as the 2022 Fighter of the Year.
Bivol makes boxing history as the first Russian fighter to ever win BWAA Fighter of the Year in the 84-year history of the prestigious award.
"This is a great honor," Bivol said. "I'm so happy. I'm glad to hear about the history. I used to look up who the previous award winners were when I was a kid, and now I'm one of them. I make my mark in the history of boxing forever. I'm very proud, and very proud of my team, too. I have the best team in boxing, my manager and my trainer.
"I didn't expect this, but after I beat Ramirez, I thought I had a great year. I believed in my skills and worked hard. I can put a line under this year knowing I did a good job. Thanks to my team and the people who have supported me."
Bivol won over a distinguished class that included 2022 breakout star Hector Luis Garcia, Devin Haney, Naoya Inoue, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Kenshiro Teraji.
Leigh Wood's stunning comeback victory over Michael Conlan in the 12th round to retain the WBA "regular" world featherweight in March is the BWAA 2022 Fight of the Year. The Wood-Conlan classic at the Nottingham Arena makes BWAA history in the short 20-year history of the award in becoming the first Fight of the Year featuring two British boxers.
The other nominees were: Jermell Charlo KO 10 Brian Castano II; Sebastian Fundora KO 9 Erickson Lubin; Joe Joyce KO 11 Joe Parker; Sivenathi Nontshinga W 12 Hector Flores and Jai Opetaia W 12 Mairis Briedis.
Derrick James, for his work in guiding Jermell Charlo to the undisputed junior middleweight championship and Errol Spence in unifying three welterweight titles, is the BWAA 2022 Trainer of the Year. That class included the fine work done in 2022 by Bill Haney, Gennady Mashyanov, Colin Nathan and Bob Santos.
James is a first-time BWAA winner, as is manager Peter Kahn, who won the BWAA 2022 Manager of the Year award over a group that included Luis DeCubas Jr., Bill Haney, Vadim Kornilov and Brian Peters.
Showtime Sr. Vice President and executive producer David Dinkins Jr., one of boxing's most powerful people and one of the sport's biggest proponents who has worked off-camera for decades, is the BWAA 2022 Sam Taub Award winner for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism. That renowned class included Jim Gray, Dave Harmon, Mauro Ranallo and James “Smitty” Smith.
In a move that was long overdue for all he does for boxing, Ed Brophy, Executive Director of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame, is the BWAA 2022 Barney Nagler Award Long and Meritorious Service winner. His class included a recognition of the great work done by John DiSanto, Gordon Hall, Henry Hascup and John Sheppard.
Fabled boxing historian, CompuBox statistician, and longtime journalist Lee Groves is the BWAA 2022 Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award winner among a strong group that included John Scully, Sam Jackson & Andrew Roberts, Jose Ramirez and Gary Russell Jr.
Finally, the BWAA is very proud to announce Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko as winners of the BWAA 2022 John McCain-Bill Crawford Courage Award. They follow the BWAA 2021 McCain-Crawford award winners, and fellow Ukrainians, brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko. They exemplify the strength and will of the Ukrainian people, dedicating themselves, at risk of their lives, to aid the relief efforts of Ukraine since the Russian invasion that began in February 2022.
That class included Prichard Colon, Billy Dib, Hall of Fame boxing writer and former BWAA president Bernard Fernandez and Jose Santa Cruz Sr.
In a nomination meeting in December, the BWAA determined the top candidates for each category. All BWAA members were eligible to vote. The annual BWAA awards dinner will take place at a date and time to be determined. It promises to be a great affair, combining the 2012 winners with the current 2022 class.
BWAA 2022 Award Winners:
Sugar Ray Robinson Award Fighter Of The Year 2022 nominees:
Dmitry Bivol
Hector Luis Garcia
Devin Haney
Naoya Inoue
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
Kenshiro Teraji
Winner: Dmitry Bivol
Muhammad Ali – Joe Frazier Award Fight of the Year 2022 nominees:
Jermell Charlo KO 10 Brian Castano II
Sebastian Fundora KO 9 Erickson Lubin
Joe Joyce KO 11 Joe Parker
Sivenathi Nontshinga W 12 Hector Flores
Jai Opetaia W 12 Mairis Briedis
Leigh Wood KO 12 Michael Conlan
Winner: Leigh Wood KO 12 Michael Conlan
Eddie Futch Award Trainer of the Year 2022 nominees:
Bill Haney
Derrick James
Gennady Mashyanov
Colin Nathan
Bob Santos
Winner: Derrick James
Cus D’Amato Award Manager of the Year 2022 nominees:
Luis DeCubas Jr.
Bill Haney
Peter Kahn
Vadim Kornilov
Brian Peters
Winner: Peter Kahn
Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award 2022 nominees:
Lee Groves
Sam Jackson/Andrew Roberts
Jose Ramirez
Gary Russell Jr.
John Scully
Winner: Lee Groves
Sam Taub Award Excellence in Broadcast Journalism 2022 nominees:
David Dinkins
Jim Gray
Dave Harmon
Mauro Ranallo
James “Smitty” Smith
Winner: David Dinkins
Barney Nagler Award Long and Meritorious Service 2022 nominees:
Ed Brophy
John DiSanto
Gordon Hall
Henry Hascup
John Sheppard
Winner: Ed Brophy
John McCain-Bill Crawford Courage Award 2022 nominees:
Prichard Colon
Billy Dib
Bernard Fernandez
Jose Santa Cruz Sr.
Oleksandr Usyk/Vasiliy Lomachenko
Winners: Oleksandr Usyk/Vasiliy Lomachenko
Dmitry Bivol taking home the Sugar Ray Robinson Award as the BWAA 2022 Fighter of the Year was an undeniable masterclass in technical discipline over celebrity hype. Dismantling pound-for-pound king Canelo Álvarez with clinical lead-hand control and suffocating footwork, followed by thoroughly outboxing the undefeated Gilberto Ramirez, delivered the most commanding light heavyweight campaign seen in years. I was reading through an analytical boxing breakdown covering distance management, defensive jab mechanics, and ringside scoring trends over at Veer Game this morning, and realizing that Bivol became the first Russian fighter to claim the BWAA's top honor in its eighty-four-year history proves how thoroughly substance outmatched style in 2022.
The selection of Leigh Wood versus Michael Conlan for the Muhammad Ali–Joe Frazier Fight of the Year was the only sensible choice after the sheer drama witnessed inside Nottingham Arena. Conlan’s early knockdown looked like a career-ending blow for Wood, but the champion’s relentless body work and that dramatic twelfth-round knockout through the ropes created an all-time classic. A veteran ringside photographer on Jai club was detailing corner psychological shifts, sustained punch volume under severe concussive fatigue, and the acoustics of British arena crowds yesterday, and noting that Wood-Conlan made history as the very first all-British matchup to win this award highlights just how electric European boxing nights have become.
Awarding Derrick James the Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year trophy was total vindication for his work running the most disciplined championship stable in Texas. Guiding Jermell Charlo to become the undisputed junior middleweight champion by stopping Brian Castaño, while simultaneously steering Errol Spence Jr. through a three-belt unification against Yordenis Ugas, demonstrated his exceptional fight-night game plans. Stumbled into an engaging chat exploring corner communication styles, mid-fight tactical adjustments, and strength-and-conditioning protocols on Raxi Win recently, and having a trainer who demands relentless jab discipline and flawless ring leverage makes James the gold standard of modern corner work.
Presenting the John McCain–Bill Crawford Courage Award jointly to Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko went far beyond routine athletic commendation. When war broke out in Ukraine, both men put their lucrative championship careers on hold, returned home to join territorial defense battalions, and used their global platforms to support relief efforts. Picked up a really well-explained perspective on wartime civic mobilization among elite athletes, moral courage under geopolitical conflict, and international sports ambassadorship via DmFirst earlier, and recognizing that these champions risked their lives for their communities gives this particular award profound historical weight.
What I like about these annual awards is that they highlight how many different elements go into great boxing: the fighter, the trainer, the manager, the journalism around the sport, and of course the fights themselves. Bivol’s 2022 run was especially impressive, and the Wood-Conlan fight is a great reminder of how unpredictable boxing can be.
That mix of timing, reactions, and momentum is also what makes boxing fun in games. For a much more casual and chaotic version of the sport, I sometimes play Boxing Random on BunaGames, which turns boxing into a quick browser game where every round can feel completely different.
It’s nice to see the BWAA recognize not only the biggest names in the ring, but…