Joe Calzaghe vacates his WBC super-middleweight title and purse bids are ordered for a clash between undefeated Brit Carl Froch and former world middleweight ruler Jermain Taylor.
It is announced that world lightweight champion Nate Campbell will defend his three titles against Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic on September 13.
A date of September 20 is set for Ring magazine light-heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe to meet Roy Jones Jnr. in New York. The Welshman injures his hand later in the month and September date is moved back until November.
In the round of the year, Kendall Holt wins the WBO light-welterweight by rising from two trips to the canvas to stop Ricardo Torres just 61 seconds into the first round.
After previously drawing with Randy Griffin, WBA middleweight champ Felix Sturm makes no mistake in the rematch as he retains his title by unanimous decision.
Unbeaten Colombian Breidis Prescott fails to impress when he squeezes past Cuban Richard Abril via split decision on ESPN 2?s Friday Night Fights.
Chad Dawson elects to give up his WBC light-heavyweight title rather than face Romanian mandatory challenger Adrian Diaconu and will instead square off with IBF king Antonio Tarver in October.
Tony Thompson looks out of his depth from the first bell in his challenge to take the IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles from Wladimir Klitschko in Hamburg, Germany. The Ukrainian eventually gets rid of the American challenger in the eleventh.
Former WBO welterweight supermo Daniel Santos travelled to Joachim Alcine?s adopted hometown of Montreal, Canada and ripped the WBA light-middleweight title away from him with a sixth round knock out.
After the retirement of Floyd Mayweather a number of names are mentioned as potential opponents of the ?Golden Boy? Oscar De La Hoya?s multi-million dollar farewell fight. The names include Manny Pacquiao, Felix Trinidad and the winner of the Miguel Cotto ? Antonio Margarito clash.
A clash of heads opens a bad cut above Hasim Rahman?s left eye in his rematch with James Toney and former heavyweight champion quits believing the fight will be called a no-contest but is shocked to hear that Toney has been awarded victory by third round TKO. The decision is however later changed to a no-contest.
?The Tijuana Tornado? Antonio Margarito walks through Miguel Cotto?s punches to wear down the Puerto Rican star and stop him the eleventh of what is a sure fire contender for fight of the year. Margarito walks away with Cotto?s WBA welterweight title.
Former WBC light-heavyweight champion Mate Parlov dies of lung cancer aged just 59.
Former IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff Lacy looks far from the formidable fighter he was prior to his dominating loss to Joe Calzaghe in 2006 when as looks fortunate to get a majority nod over Epifanio Mendoza.
Ricky Hatton splits with trainer Billy Graham, who had prepared the ?Hitman? for his contests for over a decade. Ray Hatton states the reason for the split is due to Graham struggling to train his son properly due to the damage to his hands that padwork has caused.
The career of former lightweight great Jose Luis Castillo looks to be over when he is defeated over ten rounds by unheralded Argentinean Sebastian Lujan.
August: Kelly Pavlik and Bernard Hopkins announce that they will meet in a 170Ibs catchweight contest at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on October 18.
New York-based Ghanaian Joshua Clottey wins the vacant IBF welterweight title by ninth round technical decision when a cut caused by a punch above Zab Judah?s right eye caused their fight to be stopped. Clottey was ahead on all three scorecards at the time.
Vic Darchinyan knocks out Dimitri Kirilov in the fifth round to become the IBF super-flyweight champion in Tacoma, Washington.
Tavoris Cloud stops former WBO & linear light-heavyweight champion Julio Gonzalez in the tenth round of an IBF eliminator at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.
1996 Olympic bronze medallist Rhoshi Wells dies in hospital after being shot in Las Vegas. 31-year-old Wells had twice challenged for the WBA light-middleweight championship.
Colombian novice Breidis Prescott is named as the next opponent for Amir Khan. Prescott has 19 wins with 17 knockouts but nine of the those victims had never even won a single fight and it seems like Khan?s management are hand picking an opponent that looks good on paper but will offer little in the way of competition. British boxing fans are later angered when it becomes clear that the September rendezvous will be screened on PPV at a cost of ?14.95.
Joe Calzaghe says that he no desire to try and match Rocky Marciano?s 49 ? 0 slate and that his November fight with Roy Jones Jnr. will be his last.
Muhammed Ali?s former manager Herbert Muhammed dies aged 79.
Boxing at the Beijing Olympics is marred with odd scoring and fights that fail to capture the imagination. Leading Maxboxing.com and SecondsOut scribe Steve Kim writes ?Amateur boxing really is unwatchable. It?s a bunch of stinkin? slappers out there who make for some really awkward, boring fights. I think the computerized system of scoring has ruined amateur boxing.? Historical boxing amateur boxing superpowers USA and Cuba fail to win a single gold medal.
7ft Russian Nikolai Valuev regains the WBA heavyweight title he lost to Ruslan Chageav in 2007 when he unanimously outpoints John Ruiz in Berlin, Germany. Ruiz, who had lost to Valuev in dubious fashion in late 2005, complains about the decision but this time it is fair.
Unbeaten Puerto Rican southpaw Ivan Calderon keeps possession of his WBO light-flyweight title when beats Mexican challenger Hugo Cazares for the second time. A clash of heads in the seventh session opens a nasty gash on the champion?s forehead and, comfortably ahead on the cards, he is awarded a technical decision.
Cristian Mijares retains his WBC and WBA super-flyweight baubles when stops Thailand?s Chatchai Sasakul in the third round in Monterrey, Mexico.
Steve Molitor ices Ceferino Dario Labarda in the tenth stanza of their IBF super-bantamweight clash. Next up for ?The Canadian Kid? will be a lucrative unification bout with WBA champ Celestino Caballero in November.
September: Floyd Mayweather Snr. is named as the new trainer of light-welterweight champion Ricky Hatton.
Golden Boy Promotions confirm Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao as the opponent for Oscar De La Hoya?s December 6 farewell fight. Many pundits denounce the clash as a mismatch due the big size difference between the boxers. De La Hoya had scaled 150Ibs for his previous two bouts and Pacquiao had never fought above 135Ibs.
Breidis Prescott shocks the world when he blasts British lightweight prospect and 2004 Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan in just 54 seconds in Manchester. Also on the card, Nicky Cook outboxes Alex Arthur to take the WBO super-featherweight title.
Law student and former lightweight world champion Juan Diaz overcomes Aussie banger Michael Katsidis by split decision to take the low-rent IBO strap.
Oscar Suarez, former trainer of Naseem Hamed and Acelino Freitas, dies of pancreatic cancer. He was only 47.
Heavyweight Sam Sexton of Norwich, England becomes the second winner of Matchroom?s popular prizefighter series, stopping Chris Burton in the final of the three-round competition.
Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez proves he can cut it at lightweight when stops Cuban Joel Casamayor in the 11th round in Las Vegas.
Vernon Forrest overturns the June loss to Sergio Mora when he grabs back the WBC light-middleweight title with a wide unanimous decision.
Joan Guzman ruins his chance to become lightweight champion of the world when he weighs in three points over the 135Ibs limit set for his clash with champion Nate Campbell in Biloxi, Mississippi. Guzman?s loss is Timothy Bradley?s gain as his WBC light-welter defence to Edner Cherry takes centre stage and the champion retains with an impressive unanimous decision.
SecondsOut is boxing on YouTube Andreas Kotelnik retains his WBA light-welterweight title by landslide decision against Japanese challenger Norio Kimura in Lviv, Ukraine.
Amir Khan has his fourth trainer of 2008 so far when he enlists the services of superb American Freddie Roach.
South African Cassius Baloyi hammers Javier Alvarez in three rounds to retain his IBF super-featherweight championship.
Paulie Malignaggi is stripped of his IBF light-welterweight champion after he and Ricky Hatton refuse to accommodate Hernan Ngoudjo after their November 22 meeting.
WBA super-bantamweight ruler Celestino Caballero needs just two minutes and 51 seconds to dismantle Elvis Mejia in Panama.
Former world title challenger Monte ?Two Gunz? Barrett is named as the opponent for David Haye?s second heavyweight fight (he beat Tomasz Bonin in heavyweight debut in 2007) on November 15.
?Sugar? Shane Mosley, behind on two of the three judges scorecards, snatches victory from the jaws of defeat with a dramatic last second knockout of Nicaraguan wildman Ricardo Mayorga at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. On the same card, Andre Berto keeps his WBC welterweight crown with a unanimous decision over Steve Forbes.
Current WBO welterweight champ Paul Willams lives up to his nickname in his middleweight debut by punishing Andy Kolle in 97 seconds.
Guillermo Jones captured the WBA cruiserweight belt by stopping Firat Arslan in the 10th round in Hamburg, Germany. On the undercard, undefeated Russian Denis Inkin won the vacant WBO super-middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Fulgencio Zuniga.
October: IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham is forced to withdraw from his clash with Raul Marquez due to flu.
Jon Thaxton wins the vacant European light-welterweight title with a stunning third round knockout of former holder Juan Carlos Diaz Melero.
Two time welterweight champion of the world Johnny Saxton passes away aged 78.
Vitali Klitschko comes back from nearly four years out of action to win the WBC heavyweight title with a one-sided drubbing of the lacklustre Samuel Peter in Berlin, Germany. Peter quit on his stool after eight rounds.
Chad Dawson takes the IBF and IBO light-heavyweight titles from fellow American Antonio Tarver by flooring and widely outpointing the Rocky Balboa star.
Rumours circulate that light-welterweight prospect Victor Ortiz had given Oscar De La Hoya a hammering in preparations for the six weight world champion?s December fight with Manny Pacquiao.
43-year-old Bernard Hopkins rolls back the years with a commanding 12 round decision over undefeated middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik at a catch weight of 170Ibs. On the Atlantic City b-side, Steve Luevano retains his WBO featherweight belt via unanimous decision over the flashy but overmatched Aussie Billy Dib
Former British and European champion Chris Finnegan is found dead at his London home aged 60. The cause of death is a heart defect.
IBF heavyweight mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin pulls out of his December 13 date with champion Wladimir Klitschko after injury his foot. Former champion Hasim Rahman is later drafted in as a replacement.
Welterweight Michael Lomax takes home a cheque for ?25,000 as he wins the third Prizefighter competition at York Hall, Bethnal Green, London.
Lucian Bute controls 11 rounds of his IBF super-featherweight defence against Librado Andrade but his rocked and dropped in the final seconds of the 12th. Bute gets back to his feet before the referee, Marlon Wright, reaches the count of ten and wins by unanimous decision but Andrade?s team argue that Mr Wright deliberately time wasted when sending Andrade to the neutral corner and gave the champion a long count. A rematch looks likely for 2009.
Italy?s Giocobbe Fragomeni wins the vacant WBC cruiserweight belt by technical decision when a cut over his eye causes his fight Rudolf Kraj to be halted in the eighth. Frogomeni led 77-74 on all three cards.
WBA super-middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler makes short work of challenger Danilo Haeussler, stopping the German at 1.08 of the third frame.
Chris John retains his WBA featherweight crown with a unanimous decision over Japan?s Hiroki Enoki in Tokyo. WBC light-heavyweight champion Adrian Diaconu cancels his November 15 title defence to Silvio Branco after sustaining an hand injury.
British journeyman Peter Buckley receives worldwide acclaim when he fights in his 300th and last fight in Birmingham, England.
November: German Felix Sturm retains his WBA middleweight crown by outpointing his countryman Sebastian Sylvester by scores of 118 -110 (twice) and 119 ? 111. Unbeaten WBO light-middle champ jabs his way to a unanimous points over Joel Julio on the undercard.
Underdog Vic Darchinyan is magnificent in his super-flyweight unification with Cristian Mijares, dominating the Mexican before blowing him away in the ninth.
Joe Calzaghe refuses to give a definitive answer when questioned about retirement after he defeats Roy Jones Jnr. at Madison Square Garden, New York. Calzaghe was knocked down in the first round for the second fight in a row but got up to dominate the former four weight world champion. Many people believe that the bout should have been halted early due to the severity of a laceration over Jones? left eye. On the undercard Emanuel Augustus looks a clear winner over Francisco Figueroa but ends up losing by eight round split decision.
Arthur Abraham successfully defends his IBF middleweight title for the ninth time when he stops Raul Martinez in the sixth.
Marco Antonio Barrera returns from retirement with a four round blitz of Sammy Ventura on Don King?s promotion in Chengdu, China. Andrew Golota quits after just one round against Ray Austin on the same bill.
David Haye excites in his heavyweight clash with Monte Barrett at the O2 Arena in London, England, flooring the American five times before the fight is waved off in the fifth. However questions are still asked about the Englishman?s chin as he was himself dropped.
46-year-old former heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Evander Holyfield is named as the December opponent for ?Russian Giant? Nikolai Valuev.
Jermain Taylor won the battle of 2000 Olympians when he scored a unanimous decision over former formidable IBF super-middleweight champion Jeff Lacy. Taylor will now look for a world title shot at 168Ibs while Lacy?s days as a top level contender look over.
Golden Boy Promotions confirm that ?Sugar? Shane Mosley will challenge WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito in January.
Ricky Hatton puts memories of his recent poor form behind him by dominating Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas. Malignaggi?s trainer Buddy McGirt threw in the towel 30 seconds into the round 11.
Martin Murray becomes the fourth Prizefighter winner when he defeats his middleweight rivals to take the ?25,000 first prize.
Panamanian WBA super-bantamweight champ Celestino Caballero doesn?t let fighting in his opponent?s backyard bother him as he blasts IBF champion Steve Molitor in four rounds in Rama, Ontario, Canada.
Hugo Hernan Garay retains his WBA light-heavyweight championship with a commanding 12 round points win over the bad boy of German boxing Jurgen Brahmer in Rostock.
Contender series one favourite Peter Manfredo is made to pay when he goes toe-to-toe with series three winner Sakio Bika in Providence, Rhode Island, the American being halted in the third.
Paul Williams is successful at the third weight he has fought at this year when he scores an eighth round TKO win over Verno Phillips. On the same bill Chris Arreola recovers from a sloppy start that sees him on the canvas to stop Travis Walker in the third session.
Jorge Linares grabs the WBA super-featherweight crown left behind by his Venezuelan countryman Edwin Valero when he dispatches Whyber Garcia in the fifth of their scheduled 12 rounder.
December: Lennox Lewis, Brian Mitchell and Orlando Canizares are named as the 2009 inductees in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. HBO analyst Larry Merchant, British boxing writer Hugh McIlvanney and promoter Akihiko Honda are also due to be enshrined.
Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao pulls off the upset of the year when overcomes all Oscar De La Hoya?s supposed advantages and forces ?The Golden Boy? to quit after eight one-sided rounds. A clash with either Ricky Hatton or a returning Floyd Mayweather Jnr. looks likely to be ?Pac Man?s? next big money fight.
Britain?s Carl Froch defeats unbeaten Canadian Jean Pascal in a 12 round war to take the WBC super-middleweight title vacated by Joe Calzaghe.
Amir Khan shakes off memories of his first round loss to Breidis Prescott in September when he hammers Oisin Fagan, flooring the Irishman twice before the towel is thrown in.
Audley Harrison?s dream of being the undisputed heavyweight champion he claimed he?d become when he won gold at the 2000 Olympics, seems to be over as he loses a ten round decision to Prizefighter winner Martin Rogan. Wladimir Klitschko retains his IBF/IBO/WBO/ heavyweight titles when he floors an unimpressive Hasim Rahman in the sixth before a series of jabs and crosses forces referee Tony Weeks to intervene in the seventh.
A blubbery and slow Riddick Bowe returned from an a hiatus of over three and a half years with an eight round decision over German journeyman Gene Pukall.
Poland?s Tomasz Adamek drops Steve Cunningham three times on way to winning a split decision in Newark, New Jersey and takes home the IBF and Ring Magazine cruiserweight belts.
Demeterius Hopkins steps in as a late replacement for Ricardo Torres and loses a split decision to WBO light-welterweight champion Kendall Holt in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Former middleweight great James Toney wins a close and controversial split decision over former heavyweight title challenger Fres Oquendo.
Evander Holyfield overcomes a weight differential of nearly 100Ibs when outworks Russian WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev in Zurich, Switzerland but still ends up losing a majority decision. The crowd heartily boos the verdict and the fight is regarded by many as the biggest robbery of the year.
