We are not far away from having every major boxing outlet formally announce their picks for various honourable distinctions, such as 'fighter of the year' and 'fight of the year' in 2021.
Each category will have resounding favourites based on what we know has taken place this year, but here at DAZN some of us decided to go one step further and make bold predictions on who will be named the best boxer of... next year.
So, who do we believe will make 2022 their year? Here's what DAZN's fight fanatics had to say. Who is your pick?
Chris Walker: Canelo Alvarez
Alan Hansen made a habit of picking Germany for major tournaments if he was struggling to identify a suitable winner. It was a format that relied on making a pick based on reputation and that’s why I select Canelo Alvarez as the favourite to be labeled the fighter of 2022.
Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, and Terence Crawford all have the potential to partake in super fights next year but Canelo’s repeated desire to chase greatness make him favourite. A fight at cruiserweight is pretty much guaranteed and with talk of a bout at heavyweight speculated, who would back against the Mexican icon adding to his bloated legacy?
Politics and squabbles will put a pin in many great fights next year, but Canelo is a fighter who goes where he wants. A promotional free agent, the hurdles that exist for other boxers are simply not there for Canelo and he’ll go all out to ensure that he makes fights that will push boundaries and allow him to add even more honours to his glistening profile.
Liam Happe: Terence Crawford
The path for any one of Canelo, Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., and any one of the various heavyweights and lightweights in their respective title picture to be regarded as the best boxer on the planet this time next year is pretty clear. The question is, how many of these various elite competitors will actually take on their closest rivals in 2022 superfights?
My pick is 'Bud' because he has recently shown something that very few of the others have, when the topic switches to undisputed, unified or just flat-out 'best vs. the best' match-ups. He isn't just talking about how he would beat everyone, but that they don't deserve to share a ring with him. He is actually uncomfortable with his current promoters because of a perceived lack of decisive action to make big fights with guys like Spence and Taylor happen.
I get the feeling that a year from now, while the top lightweights all continue to avoid one another, Canelo keeps switching weights for the path of least resistance and Fury's big talk of getting Anthony Joshua to step aside so he can unify vs. Usyk evolves into some sort of bizarre justification for Fury vs. Wilder 4, Crawford may well manage to force his will and get both the Spence and Taylor fights in one calendar year. As good as both men are, I think Terence would win both fights. And if he did that, he'd not only be the pound-for-pound king but he'd perhaps be able to boast one of the finest calendar years a boxer has ever had.
Matt Astbury: George Kambosos Jr.
Just a few months ago, many boxing fans would look at the name George Kambosos Jr. and dismiss him. However, his split decision win against Teofimo Lopez last month to claim the WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC 'franchise' lightweight titles has thrusted the Australian into the boxing spotlight.
As a result of this career defining victory, the 28-year-old now has a target on his back with some of the biggest names at 135lbs now calling out the newly crowned unified champion.
First on the agenda for Kambosos is surely an undisputed fight with WBC champion Devin Haney in his native Australia. Not only will this be a huge sporting occasion for his home country, but it will also end the debate once for all about who the true undisputed lightweight champion is.
Then the possibilites are endless. If Kambsos emerges victorious against Haney, there are a future clashes with the likes of Gervonta 'Tank' Davis and Ryan Garcia, or even a chance to bring the three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko to a stadium Down Under.
If the Australian maintains the mentality he possed for the Lopez fight at Madison Square Garden, there is no reason why he cannot make his dreams of becoming an undisputed champion and dominating the lightweight division in 2022 a reality.