Via Ken Hisner: The “Big 12” heavyweights who are not undefeated world champions or lose just one match are the ones to watch out for as they head into 2023.
Starting with Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez, 21-0 (14), of Miami, Florida, who had the best win over Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba, then 15-0.
WBC International Champion Martin Bakole, 18-1 (13), of Congo and Scotland, UK, the only loss being Michael “The Bounty” Hunter, 20-1-2. His biggest win was against Tony Yoka, 11-0.
EBU European Union Champion Tony “La Conquete” Yoka, 11-1 (9), French, lost in the final match by majority decision to Martin Bakole. His best record was a 15-0 win over Petar Milas of Croatia.
WBA #1 ranked Michael “The Bounty” Hunter, 20-1-2 (14), from Las Vegas, Nevada, whose only loss was to WBA, WBO and IBF Cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. His biggest win was against Martin Bakole, 18-1, when he was leading 11-0. His two draws were with former WBA World and Olympic Gold Medalist Alexander “Russian Vityaz” Povetkin, then 35-2, and with Jerry “Slugger” Forrest, 26-5-1, in the final game. his.
IBF International Champion and WBA No. 1 ranked Filip “El Animal” Hrgovic, 15-0 (12), Croatian, whose biggest win over Olympic silver medalist Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang of China, 24-0-1, in his most recent bout.
British champion Fabio Wardley, 15-0 (14), of Great Britain, in his last game, won the title when he stopped Nathan Gorman, 19-1.
WBO Global Champion Evgeny Romanov, 17-0 (12), Russian, whose biggest win over former WBO World Champion Siarhei Liakhovich, 27-9.
WBA Continental Champion Agit Kabayel, 22-0 (14), German, whose biggest win over Derek “War” Chisora, 27-7, to claim the European EBU belt.
Otto Wallin, 24-1 (14), Swede, lone loser to current WBC world champion Tyson “The Gypsy” King, Fury, despite 47 stitches above his right eye.
WBO European Champion Ali “The Ice Man” Eren Demirezen, 17-1 (12), Turkish, German-resident, lone loss to Efe Ajagba and best win over Adam “Babyface” Kownacki , 20-2 in his last game.
Jared “Big Baby” Anderson, 12-0 (12), of Toledo, OH, whose biggest win over Russian Vladimir Tereshkin, 22-0-1, in 2021. In the last game in August, he knocked out Serbia’s Miljan Rovcanin , 24-2.
Efe Ajagba, 16-1 (13), Nigerian, resident of Texas, the only loser to Frank Sanchez. His biggest win was against Ali Eren Demirezen.
Ajagba is scheduled for January 14 to meet Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas, January 28 (19), Colombian outside Canada, at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, New York.
