2018 surely has to be regarded as a strong year for boxing, despite the recent retirements of big names Floyd Mayweather and Andre Ward and former stars like Manny Pacquaio fading into the background. It was also a year full of big fights which were on the most part hugely enjoyable. This is an attempt to create one super fight with the best rounds of 2018. Each round will correlate to the best round of that number of the year. The only limiting factor was that one bout could only make the list once, mainly impacting the Kimura vs. Tanaka bout. Mainly the fights come at world title level, solely because it is just a higher level of competition.
Round One: Isaac Dogboe vs. Jessie Magdaleno The talking finally finished and these men were quick out the blocks. Magdaleno lands a solid lead hook but Dogboe is stalking, waiting for his chance. He stalks Magdaleno and lets his hands go but Magdaleno looks for a counter, landing a body hook. Another lead hooks slips through at 1:55. At 1:35 Dogboe lands the best shot of the round so far, dipping down to go to the body before coming upstairs with a big right hand sending Magdaleno to the ropes. Backed up onto the ropes, Magdaleno throws a right hook to the top of the head and follows up with three softer looking punches, but Dogboe is wobbled by the first and takes a trip to the canvas. Magdaleno comes out and lands a marvelous left hook which sends Dogboe back, not only to be intimidated, he digs two hooks to the body. Magdaleno becomes the stalker but both man are throwing and landing big shots, notably a big hook from Magdaleno at 0:22 but Dogboe lands one of his own at 0:14.
Round Two: Sho Kimura vs. Kosei Tanaka Probably the fight of the year and numerous rounds could have been included. By a process of elimination of the best rounds, the second round makes this list. It was a battle of high speed tactical chess. Tanaka works early in mid-range, landing accurate punches on Kimura. He is finding his way through the guard with uppercuts and body hooks. Kimura is looking for big punches though but Tanaka looks so classy with his counterpunches in the first minute. At around the 1:49 mark Tanaka has success with a big right hand and then a left hook before also working the body. The two are more than happy to stand at close range without holding and despite the strength advantage Tanaka is comfortable there. His counterpunching and accurate combinations allow him to land on Tanaka. Tanaka himself enjoys some success with body hooks but Tanaka is right back at it with a right hand. With thirty seconds to go Tanaka lands the biggest punch of the round. Kimura throws a lead uppercut and as he brings it back to his face, Tanaka throws a slashing left hook with sees Kimura?s knees dip. Tanaka follows up with big punches but Kimura is happy to stand and trade with him until the bell.
Round Three: Vasyl Lomachenko vs. Jorge Linares Lomachenko begins the round, probing with his quick jab, before looking to the body. He keeps out of the way of Linares? rear hand by pivoting away. Linares digs Lomachenko to the body at 2:00. Lomachenko keeps the pressure on, going high then low in his combinations as well his constant feinting and movement. Around the minute mark both men land nice shots to the body. The pair are showing high level movement and execution. The body hooks for Lomachenko are sneaking in and the movement of both men is impressive. Lomachenko begins to tee off and land over the last 20 seconds.
Round Four: Alex Saucedo vs. Larry Zappavigna If you like your rounds to be wars with little defense and swings in momentum then this could be round of the year. Zappavigna was dropped in round three and badly cut, but still comes out on the front foot. They exchange solid shots before Zappavigna lands a big right hand at 2:20 which sends Saucedo stumbling back to the ropes. Zappavigna throws 18 punches with Saucedo on the ropes. At the two minute mark he lands a right hook which shakes Saucedo again. Two left hooks land as Zappavigna swings for the fences. Around the halfway mark, both are covered in blood with Zappavigna still landing big punches. Larry continues to throw with abandon, allowing Saucedo to land punches on him. His hooks are still hurting Saucedo though and just before the minute mark the blood splatters onto the camera after a big Saucedo punch. The two continue to trade up until the bell, as they are bloody messes.
Round Five: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Mairis Briedis Usyk is coming forward to begin the round, looking to create the openings. Briedis turns it around so he is marching forward, landing a left hook with Usyk backed up on the ropes. The pair exchange jabs. Briedis is happy to let his hands go and lands decent punches around the halfway mark. The exchanges really begin to take off at 1:26 as Briedis lands a right hand-left hook combination before both men dig to the body. Briedis pushes him back, throwing hooks, even doing the Lomachenko special of pulling Usyk?s hand down. Usyk steps up the pace entering the final minute marching forward with a tight guard and a variety of punches.
Round Six: Ryoichi Taguchi vs. Hekkie Budler Taguchi is looking to work his way back into the fight and goes to work with a body shot straight away. The pair are prepared to stand in the pocket and trade but Budler lands the first big shot. He throws a straight shot with both hands, each landing at 2:30. Taguchi is happy to work on the inside though and at 2:10 lands a right uppercut/left hook combination in close before a long right hand also connects. Budler is just nonstop though, throwing his combos and then moving. At 1:15, Taguchi enjoys success by doubling up the hooks but Budler returns with a swift five-punch combination. Budler barely misses with a big uppercut at 0:30 but the pair exchange hooks. Budler is enjoying the range of this fight and the two just land on each other as time winds down.
Round Seven: Luis Ortiz vs. Deontay Wilder Wilder had already shown us about his incredible power, this round was arguably the first in his career that showed his heart. It started slow, with Ortiz looking to establish his jab. The two had a lot of front hand battling, looking to establish position. The final minute livens up with Ortiz first landing a left hand as Wilder is cornered. Wilder returns with two right hands of his own but the second one sees Ortiz also land a right hook. Only after a second does it become clear that Wilder is wobbled. He tries to regain his legs as Ortiz looks for big hooks. Ortiz lands a lot of huge punches over the final twenty seconds looking to stop the American including one final left hook just before the bell. Despite being clearly rocked, Wilder shakes his head at Ortiz.
Round Eight: Donnie Nietes vs. Kazuto Ioka Ioka is controlling range well here, making Nietes miss early. He starts his onslaught with a one-two before going down to the body. His jab is landing well. Nietes swings at 1:50 looking to land a big shot but Ioka easily avoids it. Ioka lands a nice double jab/right hand at 1:25. The pair exchange jabs at 1:00 and then barely slip the other?s big punches. Both men work to the body with about 30 seconds to go before Nietes lands a stinging left hook and then a right hook. Over the last twenty seconds, the pair seem to constantly throw at each other, both having successes.
Round Nine: Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai Estrada is landing as Srisaket comes forward starting the round with a strong left hook/right hand. Srisaket is looking to push forward though, trying to wear Estrada down with body shots. Estrada is using head movement to avoid the longer shots but cannot always stay away from the body hooks. The two boxers share one-twos at 1:41. Estrada lands a lovely counter hook at 1:34 and then again at 1:22. The two begin to exchange though and Srisaket is landing big punches as well. At 0:47, Estrada lands a left hook/right hand combination before pivoting off but Srisaket comes back with a short overhand right. Estrada is countering really impressively over this final minute and they have a little tear up over the final ten seconds of the round.
Round Ten: Jarrett Hurd vs. Erislandy Lara Another see-saw round in a topsy-turvy fight. Hurd came out firing and pushing Lara back into the corner, landing big uppercuts. Hurd just walks him down throwing body hooks and uppercuts. He really is nonstop but Lara is looking to counter with short, accurate punches. Just prior to the one minute mark they remain at close range landing body punches and uppercuts. At 0:58, Lara lands a swift counter left that stops Hurd in his tracks. Lara begins to turn up the quality in the final minute though and becomes the man walking forward landing shots. Hurd manages to turn him though after being backed up on the ropes and himself fires away big punches to end the round.
Round Eleven: Murat Gassiev vs. Yunier Dorticos Gassiev is quickly out, backing up Dorticos with straight punches. Dorticos is also looking to land punches though and is trying to work the body. Gassiev lands a big uppercut at 2:17. Anytime Dorticos throws, Gassiev gets his guard tight to his face. Just after 2:00 he begins to land big shots including a right hook, a left hook and left uppercut. Dorticos still tries to battle back with punches of his own but Gassiev is getting the best of every exchange even as Dorticos backs him onto the ropes. The uppercut of Gassiev is leading almost at will throughout this round. At 0:35 a Gassiev combination 1-2-left uppercut/right hook visibly rocks Dorticos. Once again, Dorticos is brave, looking to land his own punches and the two exchange on the way to the bell.
Round Twelve: Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury It probably was not the best twelfth round in terms of overall quality this year. It did have the incredible narrative that we all remember. Wilder entered the round trailing but had the potential for the big punch that always makes things interesting. After a quiet 30 seconds of nothingness, he finally found a real home for that power. Wilder knocked down the left hand of Fury with a pawing jab, before coming over with a thunderous right hand and clinching the deal with a left hook that landed as Fury fell, or so he believed. Fury somehow bounced up before the count reached ten, showing the ability to not only come back from his travails in life but also in the boxing ring. Wilder would look to finish him, landing another huge left hook. Fury sensibly managed to hold though. By the halfway stage of the round Fury had come to and was beginning to defend well, even putting both hands behind his back. He even began to land shots, a big left during that exchange and then with numerous punches in the last 30 seconds. It may not have been the technically best twelfth round of the year, but it is definitely the twelfth round everyone spoke most about.
