Boxing’s Best of 2017: A year-end review of the world of boxing

Best newcomer of 2017: Michael Conlan

Before we get into why Michael Conlan deserves to be called the best newcomer of 2017, let’s define what it means to be a newcomer.

A newcomer to boxing has to be a fighter that made their boxing debut in 2017. There are a lot of fighters that stepped up from prospect to champion, but that’s not a newcomer. Boxers like Dmitry Bivol and Anthony Yarde had breakout years, but they are not new to the professional ranks. Anyone who had a professional bout before 2017 is not eligible for this honor — sorry.

Michael Conlan is more than deserving of this honor, but Shakur Stevenson was a close second. Both boxers are featherweights that own Olympic medals. Conlan was a bronze medalist at the 2012 Olympics and Stevenson earned a silver medal in 2016. Also, both boxers ended 2017 with perfect records.

Conlan is the newcomer of the year over Stevenson because he performed slightly better against an equal level of opposition. Stevenson finished 2017 with a record of 4-0 with 2 KOs. Conlan was 5-0, with 4 KOs. Conlan’s KO rating was more impressive than Stevenson’s. He has a KO rating of 80 percent to Stevenson’s 50 percent.

Stevenson is a quicker and more defensive boxer than Conlan, but he lacks big power. Conlan will make more fans than Stevenson because he’s an offensive fighter that’s not afraid to be punched. They’re close in skill, but Conlan had a more impressive debut year than Stevenson.

It should be noted that both Conlan and Stevenson are featherweights and southpaws. These two may cross paths in the near future, which would make for a very entertaining scrap.