Things That Really Did Happen In Boxing 2021

Suppose you came for a round-by-round breakdown of the exhibition fight between NBA All-Star Deron Williams and former NFL Pro Bowler Frank Gore. This isn’t that piece, as Williams won a split decision. However, the notion of an NBA player winning in the ring not named Kendall Gill finally a fight (albeit for funsies) is just some of the impossible that became possible in 2021.

Did you pick a long shot? 

“Things can change in a fight with just one punch” isn’t just the obvious in boxing but is the number one reason you’d pick an underdog at the sportsbooks in hopes of short-term investments: that and, more importantly, a chance to win change and act strange.

Boxing this year has made that a possibility for sure. In fact, FightGhost tweeted the top 53 upsets in the sweet science over the holiday weekend this past year courtesy of The Gambling Odds. What started on paper, usually as “stay-busy” or “showcase fights,” turned into a few several Matchroom Boxing payday cards as fighters from Mexico traveled to the United Kingdom and bought their upset shoes with them.

Earn with Hearn! I’m sure this wasn’t the design he planned for it.

THE BIGGEST BOXING UPSETS OF 2021 – By The Gambling Odds. Top 53 shockers in the SWEET SCIENCE #BOXING #BOXEO UPDATED pic.twitter.com/hgX6xhqhLx

— Fight Ghost (@Fight_Ghost) December 24, 2021

Don King held a boxing card in 2021.

Hall of Fame promoter Don King has reappeared somewhat back in boxing and actually held a card at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Was it worth the headache of figuring out back in late January if the card would even take place? A better question would be to ask for the official number of people who paid for that pay-per-view.

Wherever you watched Trevor Bryan stop Bermane Stiverne to capture the soon-to-be really worthless WBA heavyweight regular title doesn’t matter, but the card makes it the 6th decade of work in the sport for King. Yes, there are a lot of gaps in boxing events,  extreme money issues, and lawsuits, but this is boxing, and he’s slated as of this writing to host a fight in Warren, Ohio with rumors of Canelo hanging out in early 2022.

Only in America!

Evander Holyfield.  Yes, he got in the ring, and it was as bad as we all expected. Thanks, Triller.

The retirement of Carl Frampton.

There have been countless fighter retirements from the ring over the course of the year. Some due to felony murder charges like Felix Verdejo or in the case of the former world titleholder Frampton would be because it was the end of the road.

“I said before the fight that I’d retire if I lost. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’ve been away too long. I missed them growing up, my own kids. I want to give my life to my family. Boxing’s been good to me, it’s also been bad to me in recent years. I’ve enjoyed the best years of my career, and now I just want to go home to my beautiful wife and kids,” Frampton said promptly following his loss to Jamel Herring in April out in Dubai.

The last few fights for Frampton have been nightmarish for him, with hotel injuries halting a fight and the “pass the buck” delays on the title fight between then-champion Jamel Herring. While the tail end for Frampton wasn’t well, the beginning of it was as he became the first boxer from Northern Ireland to have held world titles in two weight classes.