When 2018 began, you could probably count on one hand the number of people who were praying to see a fight between Murat Gassiev and Yunier Dorticos.
This is the time of the year everyone loves to make lists and popular lists now are fights we want to see for the following year.
And yeah, for 2019, I want to see Deontay Wilder fight Anthony Joshua; Errol Spence face Terence Crawford and Mikey Garcia take on Vasiliy Lomachenko, among many others.
But I’ll bet not one boxing journalist mentioned Gassiev-Dorticos as the fight they wanted to see in 2018.
It turns out, though, that the fight was an example of how good the cruiserweight division can be: When they met in Russia on Feb. 3, Gassiev and Dorticos competed at a high level, landed thudding punches and consistently delivered action from the fast-paced beginning to the exciting finish in the final minute of Round 12.
In a year filled with good fights, it was easily the best of the bunch and is thus the 2018 Yahoo Sports Boxing Fight of the Year.
There was plenty of competition, but I chose Gassiev-Dorticos as my best of the year from a list that included the following fights, listed chronologically:
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai-Juan Francisco Estrada, Feb. 24, Inglewood, California: This battle for the WBC super flyweight title was intense and action-packed for all 12 rounds. Rungvisai won a majority decision in a thrilling battle.
Wilder-Luis Ortiz, March 3, Brooklyn, New York: This bout for the WBC heavyweight title had a little bit of everything. There was drama as Wilder survived a furious onslaught from Ortiz to come from behind and stop Ortiz. It had the unexpected, as the hard-hitting Ortiz boxed marvelously. And it had significance, as it set Wilder up for a mega-showdown with Tyson Fury later in the year.
Jarrett Hurd-Erislandy Lara, April 7, Las Vegas: Lara is often derided as a boring fighter, but he probably shed that reputation forever in this back-and-forth bout with Hurd. The action was sustained and the momentum shifts left you on the edge of your seat. Hurd won a narrow split decision thanks to a 12th-round knockdown that made him the unified super welterweight champion.
Lomachenko-Jorge Linares, May 12, New York: Lomachenko injured his shoulder severely in the second round and would need surgery after the fight. His doctor marveled at the fact he could compete for so long with it in the shape it was in. Lomachenko, who was moving up to challenge for the WBA lightweight title, also was unexpectedly dropped in the sixth. But he showed his class by rallying to stop Linares in the 10th of a heated affair.
Alex Saucedo-Lenny Zappavigna, June 30, Oklahoma City: The unbeaten Saucedo controlled much of the fight before stopping Zappavigna in the seventh. But it was the way he came back in the fourth that made this such a stirring fight. Saucedo decked Zappavigna in the third and seemed in control. But in the fourth, Zappavigna landed an overhand right followed by a crushing left hook that sent Saucedo back to the ropes. Zappavigna began firing in windmill fashion and landed big shots. Saucedo, though, willed himself to fight back and fought out of danger, allowing himself to get a win that led to a title fight with Maurice Hooker.
Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez, Sept. 15, Las Vegas: Two of the elite fighters in the world competed at a high-level showing courage and skill throughout for the middleweight title. This fight is what boxing is all about. Alvarez won a controversial majority decision to lift the titles from Golovkin.
Wilder-Tyson Fury, Dec. 1, Los Angeles: The WBC heavyweight title was at stake and it was as dramatic as can be. In the 12th, Wilder dropped Fury and he was seemingly out. But like The Undertaker in the WWE, Fury rose and fought back frantically, sending the huge crowd into a celebratory roar. The result was a split draw that satisfied no one, but the action in the ring sure did.
As great as those fights were, none of them compared to Gassiev-Dorticos, which earns the 2018 Yahoo Sports Boxing Fight of the Year honor.
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