Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora both picked Leigh Wood’s knockout of Michael Conlan as the knockout of 2022.
With Wood’s WBA featherweight title on the line, both Britons were fighting for the chance to launch themselves into unification fights or bouts in America to add to their legacy and pad their back balances ahead of the end of their career.
For most of the fight, given Wood’s first-round knockdown, it appeared that the challenger would take the belt from the incumbent and Wood knew he would need something dramatic to edge the tie.
He delivered that, with a combination knockout that sent Conlan not just to the ropes, but out of them as he was forced out of the ring with the power of the blows.
Speaking on the DAZN Boxing Show, Mannix gave his opinion.
He said: "The knockout of the year was Leigh Wood vs Michael Conlan, because that had a little bit of everything. It was spectacular, in that Wood put Conlan down with his right hand, then put him out of the ring with a grazing left hand.
“And not only was it spectacular in the moment, it was consequential, which I think you have to factor in when making a prediction or nomination for knockout of the year.
“This was for a 126 lb title. Leigh Wood is now fully-fledged 126 lb champion.
“It was dramatic, Woods was down on the scorecards going into that 12th round. He needed a knockdown or knockout to come away with a win in that fight, and for Leigh Wood, who was 33 at that time, if he doesn’t win that fight, there's a pretty good chance he’s just a domestic fighter for the rest of his career, fighting in relative obscurity over the next few fights.
“This fight, this win from Leigh Wood catapulted him into bigger fights in 2023.”
Former world champion Mora agreed, adding: “It was a sensation. This is a real life movie script played out, it was championship level.
“Leigh Wood, and this is one of his last chances to fight for a world championship, did everything he had to do. I have to say it was knockout of the year.”