Growing up in rural Ukraine, the son of a pair of converted farm workers, Oleksandr Usyk believed he was special. He shared in the family farm chores, milking cows, tending crops, selling fresh caught fish door-to-door. But he believed he was destined for more. Boxing came into his life early and success quickly followed. Amateur wins, an Olympic gold medal, a world title in his 10th pro fight. In 2018, he earned undisputed status at cruiserweight. Last May, he added another title, still, arguably, the coolest in sports: undisputed heavyweight champion. 

Usyk is Sports Illustrated’s 2024 Fighter of the Year, with any would-be runners-up a distant second. Daniel Dubois had a brilliant year, stopping Filip Hrgović and Anthony Joshua. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez added another legend to his résumé when he stopped Juan Francisco Estrada, followed by a quick knockout of top challenger Pedro Guevara. 

Neither, though, topped Usyk. Last May, Usyk completed a historic run at heavyweight, following up earlier wins over Derek Chisora and Dubois and a pair of decision victories over Joshua with a split-decision win over Tyson Fury. A back-and-forth, fight of the year contender turned in the ninth round, when Usyk rocked Fury with a series of straight left hands, sending the 6'9" champion stumbling around the ring. A strong finish from Usyk sealed the win. 

The rematch in December lacked the drama of the first fight, but it was more decisive. Behind a sharp jab and cutting left hands, Usyk put continuous pressure on Fury, forcing him to fight off the back foot all fight. Usyk’s tight defense flummoxed Fury, who threw 86 more punches but was out-landed by 35. All three judges saw it the same: 116-112, Usyk, in a successful title defense. 

Fighter of the Year is about accomplishments in the ring but it’s impossible to ignore the pressure Usyk felt out of it. Russia’s yearslong invasion of Ukraine has weighed heavily on Usyk. He was tabbed by Ukraine’s leaders to serve as an unofficial ambassador for the country, all while his family, a wife and two daughters, stayed behind. After defeating Fury in the rematch, Usyk raised a case-enclosed sword that belonged to Ivan Mazepa, a famed field marshal who fought the Russians three centuries earlier. 

It was a proud moment for Usyk. And a convincing win for the Fighter of the Year. 

More SI awards …  

Women’s Fighter of the Year: Gabriela Fundora

What are they feeding the Fundoras? Last November, Gabriela, the 5’ 9”, 112-pound titleholder and younger sister of 6’ 6”, 154-pound champion Sebastian, became the youngest undisputed champion in boxing history, knocking out Gabriela Alaniz to claim all the flyweight belts. It completed a brilliant year for Fundora, one that began with a knockout win over ex-amateur standout Christina Cruz and continued with a 10-round shutout of Daniela Asenjo. At 22, Fundora is the queen of the lower weight classes. And given her size she will have opportunities to collect belts in many more. 

Gabriela Fundora celebrates a TKO against Christina Cruz during The Golden Boy Boxing Series at the Footprint Center.
Fundora's TKO win over Cruz jumpstarted a standout year. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Prospect of the Year: Moses Itauma

Itauma’s meteoric rise reached a new level last month, when the then 19-year old heavyweight flattened veteran Demsey McKean in the first round. The win capped a 4–0 year for Itauma, which included a second-round knockout of the durable Mariusz Wach. What separates Itauma isn’t superior size (he checks in at 6'3") or technique, but speed. Few heavyweights can put punches together as quickly as Itauma. Trained by Ben Davison, Itauma is improving by the fight. He’ll continue to climb the ladder in 2025, with a title shot within reach by the end of the year 

Trainer of the Year: Don Charles

Sometimes a trainer’s job is to tweak technique. Other times it’s to inject confidence, which is exactly what Charles did with Dubois, whose career appeared to plateau in 2023 when he took a knee in the ninth round of a one-sided whipping from Usyk. Charles, who made his debut as Dubois’s trainer for the Usyk fight, has overseen one of boxing’s most unlikely rebuilds, steering Dubois past Jarrell Miller at the end of ’23 which was followed by back-to-back knockouts of Hrgović (which secured Dubois an interim heavyweight title) and Joshua (which cemented him as full titleholder). At 27, Dubois is finally living up to his potential. Charles, who just edges out Robert Garcia for this award, is a big reason why. 

Men’s Fight of the Year: Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk I

Were there better fights? Probably. There was a dramatic finish to Raymond Ford’s 126-pound title win over Otabek Kholmatov and Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney was riveting from the opening bell. But there’s something about an undisputed heavyweight championship fight between two top guys with zeroes in the loss column. That’s what we got last May, when Fury and Usyk met to unify all four heavyweight belts. This fight had a little bit of everything, with Fury controlling many of the early rounds, Usyk battering Fury around the ring in the ninth and both guys battling to the finish. The result, a split-decision win for Usyk, firmly established Usyk as the top fighter in the division, a title he successfully and more convincingly defended in the rematch against Fury seven months later. 

Women’s Fight of the Year: Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano II

While tough to top the riveting, 10-round war Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano fought in '22, the rematch came close. The longtime rivals picked up right where they left off last November, slugging it out from the opening bell. Serrano’s punches were harder and more impactful. Taylor’s flurries were accurate and eye-catching. The fight wasn’t without controversy—a headbutt opened a cut above Serrano’s right eye, a clash of heads Serrano’s team deemed intentional—but the verdict was unanimous, with all three judges scoring it 95–94 for Taylor. A third fight, potentially in Ireland, is being discussed for this summer. I’m sure no one will complain.  

Knockout of the Year: Daniel Dubois KOs Anthony Joshua

An anticipated heavyweight showdown—Joshua, an ex-unified champion was riding a three-fight winning streak while Dubois, a former title challenger, had revived his career with two wins of his own—was largely one-way traffic early, with Dubois scoring three knockdowns in the first four rounds. In the fifth, Joshua, throwing caution to the wind, landed three straight right hands to back Dubois into a corner. As he advanced to land another, Dubois countered with a crushing right of his own, sending Joshua face first to the canvas. It was a career-defining win for Dubois while signaling the end of Joshua’s run among the top heavyweights. 

Manager of the Year: Keith Connolly

Connolly’s ability to work with all promoters has helped his clients earn a pile of money. He steered Edgar Berlanga into a mid-seven figure payday against Canelo Álvarez, got Hrgović a fat check to fight in Saudi Arabia and added a world champion to his stable when Richardson Hitchins defeated Liam Paro for a 140-pound title. He even landed ex-champion Daniel Jacobs, off for more than two years, a mid-six figure purse. Recently, Connolly has linked up with Conor Benn, who is deciding between fights with Chris Eubank Jr. and Mario Barrios. With Connolly on board, he will be paid well for both. 


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Oleksandr Usyk Dominates SI's 2024 Year-End Boxing Awards.