Boxing's power base shifted to Middle East in 2022

Dmitry Bivol and Oleksandr Usyk were the big winners of an exciting year

Oleksandr Usyk after retaining his world heavyweight titles in a split decision against Anthony Joshua at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. PA

Oleksandr Usyk celebrates winning his fight against Anthony Joshua. Action Images

Oleksandr Usyk after winning in Jeddah. PA

Oleksandr Usyk reacts after his victory. PA

Anthony Joshua speaks to the crowd following his defeat against Oleksandr Usyk in Jeddah. Getty

Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk touch gloves at the end of the fight. PA

Oleksandr Usyk celebrates with his belts and his team. Getty

Oleksandr Usyk celebrates after retaining his world heavyweight titles. PA

Anthony Joshua looks angry. Getty

Oleksandr Usyk celebrates with the flag of Ukraine. Getty

Oleksandr Usyk after winning his fight against Anthony Joshua. Action Images

Oleksandr Usyk after winning his fight against Anthony Joshua. Action Images

Anthony Joshua on the front foot against Oleksandr Usyk. PA

Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk trade punches. Getty

Anthony Joshua evades a right. Getty

Oleksandr Usyk after receiving a low blow. Action Images

Oleksandr Usyk lands a right on Anthony Joshua. Getty

Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk in action at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah. PA

The ring is cleaned between rounds. Reuters

Anthony Joshua evades a punch from Oleksandr Usyk. Getty

Anthony Joshua with a body shot. Action Images

Oleksandr Usyk throws a right. Action Images

Oleksandr Usyk in action against Anthony Joshua. Action Images

Anthony Joshua made a low-key entrance at King Abdullah Sports City Arena in Jeddah. Getty

Anthony Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn before the fight. PA

It was a year the premier name boxer in the world was beaten, the year the biggest fight in heavyweight history was promised but didn’t happen (again).

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who had seemed to some unbeatable, came up short in his bid to take Dmitry Bivol’s WBA light-heavyweight title and we are still hoping for that undisputed world heavyweight title fight. Although now instead of being between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, it will be between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk if it happens, as planned, in the first quarter of 2023.

But 2022 was a landmark year for boxing in that it was one where the power base began to move east. In fact, to the Middle East.

There was a point in the 1970s, when the centre of the boxing universe switched from New York, which had been the base of the sport since the days of Jack Dempsey, to Las Vegas. The year 2022 could have been the year that things switched again, from the United States to the Middle East.

While the US still has most of the sport’s power brokers, it is to the Middle East that they are coming to make the biggest fights happen.

Go back to 2019, when Joshua regained his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight title from Andy Ruiz Jr in Riyadh and it was a bit of an anomaly for boxing to happen there. If Fury and Usyk do meet in the ring, the Middle East is the only place the fight is expected to end up.

Dmitry Bivol celebrates after his unanimous decision victory against Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. All images by AFP

Canelo Alvarez reacts after the WBA light heavyweight title fight against Dmitry Bivol at T-Mobile Arena.

Dmitry Bivol celebrates after his unanimous-decision victory against Canelo Alvarez after their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Canelo Alvarez punches Dmitry Bivol during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Dmitry Bivol punches Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Canelo Alvarez picks up Dmitry Bivol during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Dmitry Bivol throws a left at Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Dmitry Bivol exchanges punches with Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Canelo Alvarez reacts after the WBA light heavyweight title fight against Dmitry Bivol at T-Mobile Arena.

Dmitry Bivol punches Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Dmitry Bivol throws a left at Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Canelo Alvarez exchanges punches with Dmitry Bivol during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Dmitry Bivol throws a right at Canelo Alvarez during their WBA light heavyweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena.

Canelo Alvarez makes his ring walk before his WBA light heavyweight title fight against Dmitry Bivol at T-Mobile Arena.

Dmitry Bivol makes his ring walk before his WBA light heavyweight title fight against Canelo Alvarez at T-Mobile Arena.

It was in Jeddah that Usyk boxed Joshua in August, while Abu Dhabi was where Bivol came for his first fight after beating Alvarez, against Gilberto Ramirez in November.

It was the first of a deal with the Matchroom promotional group that they are calling the Champion Series, which promises to bring some of the biggest fights in the world to the UAE. Already there is talk that Alvarez will put his undisputed world super-middleweight title on the line there in May. The idea that Alvarez would box outside the United States or Mexico seems incredible.

Dubai, too, staged a regular stream of fights in 2022. Sunny Edwards retained his IBF title here on a two-night show that also featured Regis Prograis, who has since claimed the WBC super-lightweight title.

It is Fury who stands at the top of the heavyweight pile at the end of 2022. Having retained his WBC title by knocking out DIllian Whyte in front of 95,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in April, he finished the year with a painfully one-sided repeat win over Derek Chisora, which was hastily arranged after hopes for a Fury-Joshua fight fell through as usual.

Usyk spent some time in the Ukraine military fighting against the Russian invaders this year before repeating his win over Joshua via a spilt decision in August. There had been thoughts that he would face Fury before the year was out, but he, understandably, wanted a break and headed back to his homeland to set up a foundation for victims of the war.

Sunny Edwards, right, throws a punch at Muhammad Waseem in their IBF flyweight title fight at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium on Saturday, March 19, 2022. All photos Chris Whiteoak / The National

Sunny Edwards lands a punch on Muhammad Waseem.

Sunny Edwards and Muhammad Waseem during their IBF flyweight title fight.

Sunny Edwards has his arm raised in victory after beating Muhammad Waseem on points.

Sunny Edwards lands a punch on Muhammad Waseem.

Sunny Edwards and Muhammad Waseem during their IBF flyweight title bout.

Sunny Edwards celebrates his win over Muhammad Waseem.

Sunny Edwards poses with his IBF Flyweight world title belt.

Regis Prograis, left, throws a punch at Tyrone McKenna during their WBC title eliminator super lightweight bout.

Regis Prograis and Tyrone McKenna during their super lightweight bout.

Regis Prograis lands a punch on Tyrone McKenna.

Regis Prograis has his arm raised in victory after beating Tyrone McKenna.

The referee gives Tyrone McKenna a count after Regis Prograis put him on the canvas in the second round.

Regis Prograis lands an uppercut on Tyrone McKenna.

Bivol’s wins over Alvarez and Ramirez saw his rather routine reign as a world champion seriously upgraded as he became many people’s pick as fighter of the year. It is likely he will face Alvarez again at some point next year, but the fight most would like to see is Bivol against Artur Beterbiev, who was once a team-mate on the Russia amateur team, and now holds the WBC, WBO and IBF titles at light-heavyweight.

The destructive Naoya Inoue underlined his position as Japan’s greatest ever boxer as he unified all four parts of the world bantamweight title by beating Paul Butler this month – the 29-year-old is already a four-weight world champion.

There are two other undisputed male world champions at present. Jermell Charlo – whose identical twin, Jermall is WBC middleweight title – who unified all four belts at super-welterweight by knocking out Brian Castano in May. Devin Haney became undisputed champion by beating George Kambosos Jr in Melbourne in June and then repeated the win in October.

It was also a breakthrough year for women’s boxing. Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano packed out Madison Square Garden in April, as Taylor successfully defended her world lightweight title, while Claressa Shields’s world middleweight title win over Savannah Marshall filled the O2 Arena in London.

The next year could shape up as a great one, but the big fights need to happen to maintain interest in the sport. That should mean Fury-Usyk at heavyweight, Bivol-Beterbiev at light-heavyweight and a long overdue clash between Errol Spence and Terence Crawford at welterweight. That would make a mouth-watering 2023.