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2022 UBO Boxing
Awards |
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JANUARY 4, 2023 /
BY UBO PRESS OFFICER |
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It is time for the 2022
Universal Boxing Organization™ Boxing
Awards. After a good year
with many excellent fights and new champions, we have ten
categories with deserved and credible
winners.
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Below we
list the winners of the various categories, but if
you are one of the boxers, managers, promoters
etc. involved with the UBO in 2022
who do not receive an
award, please know that you are still very much
appreciated.
The
recipients are as follows:
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Czarina McCoy
(USA)
Titles:
UBO World Lightweight Champion
& World Super Lightweight Champion.
Record: 11-1 (3).
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Win
two world titles, in two weight classes, in
less than three months, and its difficult,
if not impossible, to get around you as the
2022 UBO Boxer of the Year!
Czarina McCoy (11-1, 3 KOs), from Las
Vegas, Nevada, captured the UBO World
Lightweight title on September 24 in
Colima, Mexico, when she stopped Colombian
Paulina Cardona in seven rounds.
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On December
17, also in Colima, she took on another Colombian
in Panama-based Monica Henao for the UBO World
Super Lightweight title, winning by unanimous
decision.
Quite a
year for the 21-year-old nicknamed “The Black
Rose”, and she made history as the first boxer to
ever hold UBO world titles in two weight classes
at the same time.
Could she
be going for Welterweight in 2023? One would not
be surprised…
Honourable Mention: Angelina Lukas
(winning UBO International and World titles),
Dario Morello (winning UBO
International and European titles), Twaha
Kassim (winning and defending UBO
All-Africa title, winning UBO Inter-Continental
title), Francesco Lezzi (winning
and defending UBO Inter-Continental title).
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Emre Karazeper vs. Dzhamal Usmanov
Title:
UBO European Light Heavyweight.
Date / Place: May 13, Istanbul, Turkey.
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When
you get two undefeated up-and-comers
clashing in a title fight, it is often the
case of one being ready for what the other
will bring, and one not being quite as
ready.
So when Emre
Karaceper, still only 4-0 (2) at the time,
took on Ukrainian and WBC Asia champion
Dzhamal Usmanov (7-0-1, 3 KOs) for the UBO
European Light Heavyweight title, the
question was if it was a step too far, too
early for him.
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It wasn't,
and both boxers showed their class as they battled
it out for ten high-paced rounds in front of a
spoiled and noisy crowd in Istanbul.
It was even
and entertaining, and in the end it was anybody's
guess who had done just a little bit more in the
eyes of the judges.
Scores of
96-94, 96-94 and 96-93, all in favour of
Karaceper, was a testament to the closeness of the
fight, and it was by some way the 2022 UBO Fight
of the Year.
Honourable Mention: Eduardo
Giustini vs. Brandon Borg (UBO
European Heavyweight title, December 11, Manciano,
Italy), Karina Fernandez vs.
Araceli Figueroa (UBO World
Bantamweight title, November 5, Ciudad Juarez,
Mexico), Frengky Rohi vs. Silem
Serang (UBO International Light
Flyweight title, July 1, Jakarta, Indonesia),
Giovanni Carpentieri vs. Francesco
Castellano (UBO International
Light Heavyweight title, March 27, Rome, Italy).
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TGA Promotion & MCM Promotion (Azerbaijan)
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This years Promoter
of the Year award goes to the
collaboration of TGA Promotion and MCM
Promotion, two entities who have together
promoted three UBO title fights in 2022,
two of them world championships.
Together with the Azerbaijan Professional
Boxing Federation, they have given
professional boxing in Azerbaijan a
genuine resurgence with regular shows,
especially in Baku.
On
September 24 they promoted Seymur Isayev
vs. Muhammad Bilal for the UBO World
Lightweight title, and on October 29 it
was a local battle between Aykhan
Ismayilov and Elnur Mammadov for the UBO
International Light Heavyweight crown.
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Finally, on
November 19, the aforementioned Ismayilov made an
astonishingly quick turn-around to fight Turkey´s
Hasan Kubilay Alcu for the vacant UBO world Light
Heavyweight title, coming up short due to injury.
Doing an
amazing job developing the sport and talent in
Azerbaijan, they are, together, the 2022 UBO
Promoters of the Year.
Honourable Mention: Rios Boxing,
Mexico (Promoting two UBO world title fights),
Serdar Avci Promotion, Turkey
(Promoting three UBO title fights),
Peaktime Media, Tanzania (Promoting two
UBO title fights), Capital Box,
Ecuador (Promoting two UBO title fights).
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Giovanni D´Antoni KO 1 Joshua Riccardo
Title:
UBO European Weltereeight.
Date / Place: December 18, Bagheria, Sicily,
Italy.
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It
was expected to be a long and competitive
fight between veteran Giovanni D´Antoni and
undefeated prospect Joshua Riccardo on
December 18 in Bagheria on Italian island
Sicily, with the vacant UBO European
Welterweight title at stake.
Antoni considered a light puncher with no
stoppages since his pro debut over twelve
years earlier, and Riccardo a name to look
out for, a quick win for the local man was
at the bottum of the list of potential
outcomes.
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But Antoni
had other plans, and came out aggressively,
knocking the up-and-comer down with a huge
overhand right, followed by a left hook, flooring
Riccardo in the first round.
A visibly
hurt Riccardo (5-0, 2 KOs) bravely made it to his
feet, but then fell backwards into the ropes and
the fight was rightly stopped.
It was a
highly impressive performance by D´Antoni, now
15-10-3 (2), whom some considered an underdog in
the fight. And it was the 2022 UBO Knockout of the
Year!
Honourable Mention:
Josue Morales KO 1 Jose Antonio Jimenez
(UBO International Super Flyweight title, January
21, Tolima, Colombia), Brandon Berry KO 6
Juan Manuel Witt (UBO International Super
Welterweight title, June 11, Skowhegan, USA),
Giovanni Rosetti KO 3 Jan Helin
(UBO Youth world Middleweight title, July 29,
Taranto, Italy), Gabriel Ochieng KO 1
Mbarouk Selemani (UBO All-Africa Super
Bantamweight title, March 5, Nairobi, Kenya).
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Eldin Guinahon (Philippines)
Title:
UBO International Flyweight
Champion.
Record: 9-0 (8).
23-year-old Filipino Eldin “Golden Boy”
Guinahon is the 2022 UBO Prospect of the
Year.
Guinahon (9-0, 8 KOs) won the UBO
International Flyweight title last August,
when he put in a mature and measured
performance to defeat veteran Mike
Kinaadman by unanimous decision.
That fight was Guinahon´s first
professional championship contest, but his
second scheduled ten-rounder, having
stopped former WBC Youth world champion
Dexter Alimento in round nine of his
previous outing.
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The young
man from Balingasag is technically good and
carries power in both hands, and he is not
nicknamed “Golden Boy” for nothing.
He boxed
five times in 2022, all wins and four of them
inside the distance. If given the chance, 2023
could be the year Guinahon makes a significant
breakthrough.
Honourable Mention: James Pagaling
(UBO International Super Bantamweight champion),
Neeraj (UBO Asia-Pacific Super
Welterweight champion), Giovanni Rosetti
(UBO Youth world Middleweight champion),
Aykhan Ismayilov (UBO
International Light Heavyweight champion).
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Dario Morello (Italy)
Title:
UBO International & European
Middleweight
Champion.
Record: 20-1
(3).
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Dario
“Spartan” Morello (29), from Bergamo in
Italy, has had a very successfully 2022,
making him the UBO New Champion of the Year.
A
former WBO Global champion at
Welterweight, he moved up two divisions to
capture the UBO International Middleweight
title by stopping Dutchman Melvin Wassin
in July, following two non-title wins in
the first half of the year.
In
November he added the UBO European
Middleweight title to his resume, scoring
a unanimous decision over the tough Giorgi
Umekashvili.
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Morello is
a proud and entertaining fighter, and hopefully he
can fight for UBO world honours in 2023.
Honourable Mention: Seymur Isaev
(UBO world Lightweight Champion), Giovanni
Rosetti (UBO Youth world Middleweight
champion), Sefer Seferi (UBO
world cruiserweight champion), Eduardo
Giustini (UBO European Heavyweight
champion), Karina Fernandez (UBO
world Bantamweight champion).
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Trabzon, Turkey, October 7
Kazaz Promotion.
Besirli Spor Salonu.
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For
the second year in a row, the UBO Event of
the Year took place in Turkey.
Few
promoters manage to stage a world
championship double-header in long
careers, but Kazaz Promotion did it with
their very first show at the Besirli Spor
Salonu in Trabzon.
Topping the bill was local hero Fatih
Keles (15-1-1, 9 KOs), who won the vacant
UBO world Super Welterweight title by
stopping co-challenger Kulkwa Bushiri.
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In the
co-feature, Dilara Yucel (11-0, 9 KOs) captured
the vacant UBO Female world Super Welterweight
title, scoring a unanimous decision over Grace
Mwakamela.
What a
debut show for Kazaz Promotion!
Honourable Mention: Movida Promotion
(Angelina Lukas vs. Lulu Kayage, December 11 in
Almaty, Kazakhstan), Marban Boxing
(UBO International title twin-bill, August 28 in
Lagonglong, Philippines), Serdar Avci
Promotion (UBO double-header, May 13 in
Istanbul, Turkey).
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COMEBACK BOXER OF THE YEAR |
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Francesco Lezzi (Italy)
Title:
UBO Inter-Continental Super Welterweight
Champion.
Record: 17-22-3 (3).
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Italian warrior Francesco Lezzi has tried it
all.
He
started his career going 0-3, but eight
fights later he was the IBF Youth world
champion. A year or so later, though, he
began making his way as a highly respected
journeyman, taking on all comers all over
Europe.
In
late 2021 he decided that he wanted more
out of his career, and took less
short-notice assignments. He wanted to be
a champion again!
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Since then
he has gone 4-1-1, and won the UBO
Inter-Continental Super Welterweight crown last
May, beating fellow countryman Valerio Mazzulla,
and defended the title in November by defeating
another compatriot in Mirko Marchetti.
Lezzi is 33
years old, not young but also not old, and his
record is less than stellar at 17-22–3. But he is
living proof that records are just numbers and if
you bet on yourself you can achieve big things.
Honourable Mention: Frengky Rohi
(Winning UBO International Light Flyweight title),
Michal Ryba (Winning UBO East
Europe Light Heavyweight title), Sezer
Olpak (Winning UBO International
Heavyweight title), Antonio Ocles
(Winning UBO International Super Middleweight
title.
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ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE YEAR |
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Angelina Lukas (Kazakhstan)
Title:
UBO World Super Flyweight
Champion.
Record: 3-0
(2).
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Some boxers are meant to be fast-tracked.
Some boxers are meant to be stars.
Angelina Lukas from Kazakhstan fits both
those claims.
The
25-year-old former amateur stand-out made
her pro debut in December of 2021, but had
to wait ten months for her second bout.
In
that, she made up for lost time by winning
the UBO International Bantamweight title
in October in Turkey, stopping Olena
Hurieva from Ukraine in two rounds.
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Less than
two months later, in her native country, she
became UBO World champion at Super Flyweight, when
she beat Tanzanian veteran Lulu Kayage in three,
on a huge card at the Almaty Arena and broadcast
live by DAZN.
Two UBO
titles in just over seven weeks, in just three pro
fights. That has to be the 2022 UBO Accomplishment
of the Year!
Honourable
Mention: Dario Morello (Winning
UBO International and European titles),
Aykhan Ismayilov (Winning UBO
International title and challenging for UBO world
title three weeks later), Seymur Isayev
(Winning UBO world Lightweight title in only ninth
pro fight).
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SPECIAL TRIBUTE OF THE YEAR |
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Daniel Cadena (Ecuador)
Promoter.
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As always, the UBO Special Tribute Award
is given to someone who contributes to our
sport in an extraordinary way.
Daniel Cadena from Ecuador is definitely
such person, as he works tirelessly to
promote events and showcase boxers despite
difficult circumstances in his country.
Cadena promoted two UBO title fights in
2022, both in Quito.
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The first
saw Antonio Ocles win the International Super
Middleweight title with a unanimous decision over
Diego Quinonez on September 24, and on December 17
UBO Inter-Continental Welterweight champion Arnold
Gonzalez defended his title by stopping Peruvian
Jesus Bravo in four rounds.
Boxing
needs people who love the sport, people who are in
it not just to make quick money. Daniel Cadena
loves boxing, and is in it for the right reasons.
For that,
he deserves this award in 2022 more than anyone
else.
Honourable Mention: Rey Marban
(Promoting regular shows in the Philippines,
developing local talent), Dwarka Boxing
(Promoting in India, developing local talent),
Serdar Avci (Promoting in Turkey
and other places, developing prospects and
champions).
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| © 2023
UNIVERSAL BOXING ORGANIZATION™
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