Canelo Alvarez’s facial expressions ranged from grim to exasperated.

It was September of 2013 and Alvarez was flailing away at Floyd Mayweather Jr., trying to land but mostly missing, running to spaces and finding Mayweather two steps ahead, throwing only to have Mayweather snap his head back with counters. 

Canelo’s footwork was heavy, his defense intermittent, his technique erratic. 

Ever the perfectionist, Canelo looked irritated and discouraged.  

In the aftermath of his first loss, the proud fighter and his handlers went to work to transform him into a more well-rounded, nuanced, explosive, economical and defensively responsible fighter. 

Well, consider 2019 a clear testament to that hard work. Canelo is a vastly different fighter now than he was back in 2013, more seasoned, adaptable, the boxing equivalent of a five-tool player, blessed with speed, power, footwork, defensive acumen and durability.

Impressive wins over Danny Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev, dangerous opponents who posed unique challenges, have earned Canelo top honors as BoxingScene’s 2019 Fighter of The Year. 

Canelo’s accomplishments were impressive, as were the 2019 resumes of Errol Spence Jr., Manny Pacquiao, Naoya Inoue and Josh Taylor.

But as he has demonstrated throughout his career, Canelo (53-1-2, 36 knockouts) knows how to sway the judges — even when it comes to end of year awards. 

Canelo out-boxed and out-slicked a bigger Jacobs in May, controlling the affair with his head movement, counters and heavier punches. His highlight-reel knockout of Kovalev in November in his daytrip to light heavyweight cemented Canelo as the top fighter in 2019.

canelo-alvarez (3)_30

Canelo endured a few rocky moments against Kovalev, but his concentration and poise never waned, he kept inching forward, breaking him down until he connected with a crunching left hook followed by a straight right that turned Kovalev around and had his head dangling over the ropes.  

Spence Jr. had a noteworthy 2019 in the ring with impressive wins against Mikey Garcia Jr. and Shawn Porter. The U.S. Olympian displayed his boxing chops with a shutout victory against the pound-for-pound talent Garcia in March. Then, Spence exhibited his resilience and toughness against a highly motivated and ferocious Shawn Porter in September, scoring a knockdown in the 11thround to punctuate the narrow win. 

Pacquiao returned to prominence in 2019 with a decisive victory against Adrien Broner in January, and he raised eyebrows and turned back the clock with a spirited performance against the previously undefeated Keith Thurman in July to pick up a welterweight title. In a career full of achievements, Pacquiao added to his remarkable legacy with those victories. 

Taylor stamped himself as one of the sport’s leading lights with his gritty win against Regis Prograis in the World Boxing Super Series super lightweight final in October to unify 140-pound titles. Taylor displayed an incredibly diverse attack, fighting well on the inside and outside and always firing back whenever the rugged Prograis tried to gain an advantage. It was a reputation-making showing. His points victory against Ivan Baranchyk in May in the tournament’s semifinal in which he floored Baranchyk twice to win a belt was also impressive.

Inoue also made a strong case for the top honor with a second-round knockout over previously undefeated Manny Rodriguez in May. He out-dueled a tenacious Nonito Donaire, fighting through adversity to win the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight championship in November. Bleeding from his nose and over his right eye, Inoue answered any lingering questions on whether he could overcome harsh conditions, passing the test with flying colors.

But Canelo’s resume in 2019 was the best, if by the narrowest of margins.

Against a bigger Jacobs, Canelo patiently walked him down, employing an effective jab, good body work and a slippery defense that had Jacobs missing, just as Mayweather made Canelo miss back in 2013. The knock-on Canelo used to be that he struggled against slick fighters. Now the tables have turned and Canelo has become one of the most elusive fighters today. 

Canelo’s win against Kovalev was even more impressive because of the ending and he jumped two weight divisions. While he was having trouble with Kovalev’s length and the buttoned-down way Kovalev fought in the early going — not opening up too much, landing jabs and quick punches  — Canelo kept his composure, blocking a number of shots while edging closer and closer until he pulverized Kovalev with a right hand that had him slumping on the bottom rope in the 11th, the referee immediately stopping the fight. 

It was a breathtaking moment, a showman’s way of closing the program, and it demonstrated Canelo’s maturity and experience. He doesn’t get rattled when things aren’t going his way, remains ultra-confident in his strategy, possesses an aggressive, varied attack, a slippery defense, and he still has one of the best chins in the sport.

He put all of those impressive qualities on display in 2019.