THE BOXING NEWS COMEBACK OF THE YEAR 2021
1. Kiko MartÍnez
Okay, we know Kiko didn’t really go anywhere. But his return to the world rankings at the age of 35 when he stunned Kid Galahad to win a sanctioning body belt at featherweight was a comeback in every sense of the word. The veteran hadn’t won at the top level since he defeated Hozumi Hasegawa in 2014. Since then, he’d lost to Carl Frampton, Scott Quigg, Léo Santa Cruz, Josh Warrington, Gary Russell Jnr and (contentiously) Zelfa Barrett. Nobody picked him to beat Galahad, who looked to be in his prime. A truly heart-warming return to form for everyone’s favourite five-foot-five-inch Spaniard.
- Nonito Donaire
- Anthony Yarde
- Vasiliy Lomachenko
- Deontay Wilder
JOURNEYMAN OF THE YEAR 2021
KAMIL SOKOLOWSKI
The heavyweight with the face of a man that would make you turn around and run for your life if you encountered him in a dark alley, Sokolowski is always good value. In 2021, he lasted the course with Vladyslav Sirenko, deserved to beat David Adeleye only to lose a mind-boggling decision, he gave the highly-regarded Soloman Dacres a tough scrap over eight, he comfortably outscored the previously unbeaten George Fox before being pipped over six by Ihor Shevadzutskyi.
