- We are now naming a “WBF Fighter of the Year” for the 10th time – and for the very first time ever a Fighter of the Year was able to repeat the feat and win the coveted award for the second time running.

So he may be small (Super Featherweight, to be exact) and he goes about his business in a quiet, unassuming manner, but Switzerland’s, by way of Rwanda, WBF world champion Patrick Kinigamazi is “The Man”.

True to himself, he does not look for easy touches and, untrue to his age (35), he seems to still get better.

Thus, Kinigamazi achieved two successful WBF world title defenses in 2018: In June, he outpointed Ramiro Blanco (17-2-3) of Argentina and as recently as December, Scotland’s Jordan McCorry (17-3-1) suffered the same fate at the masterful fists Patrick Kinigamazi – and both fights were serious contenders for Fight of the Year honors, no less.

Cheers, champ, three defenses of the WBF world Super Featherweight title and counting.

- It was in 2018, that Oshin Derieuw came off age as a fighter – as we predicted 12 months ago, when she stood out to win the “WBF Newcomer of the Year” award.

She started the year as WBF Intercontinental champion and soon (in April) crowned herself WBF world Light Welterweight champion by a shut-out decision over 11-4 Lina Tejada.

That, Oshin followed up with a split decision win over the very solid Elfi Philips in October in what was her first pro fight in her native Belgium (Oshin usually boxes across the border in France).

This 8-round, non-title affair served as a perfect warm-up for her inaugural title defence just a few weeks later over Dahiana Santana (36-9), a former IBF and WBA interim world champion herself.

Derieuw left the much more experienced Dominican girl flabbergasted and wobbled her a few time to again win by a wide margin. In short: It was a perfect year for Oshin Derieuw that’s now deservedly rewarded with the “Female Fighter of the Year” award.

- Oluwa-who? Yes, our male Newcomer of the Year, is not exactly a household name outside of his native Nigeria. But the 28-year-old sure made headlines in 2018. Three fights, three wins, plus two titles – who can ask for more?

Wahad started his ’18 campaign in March with an overwhelming points victory over the unbeaten Bright Ayala, netting himself the WBA Pan-Africa Super Featherweight belt. That was followed by a sixth round stoppage in July against the 20-10 Mouibi Sarouna in a non-title outing.

After boxing exclusively in Ghana all his career, he went home late in December to a Nigerian ring for the first time as a pro for his biggest fight so far.

Outpointing quality Tanzanian Issa Nampepeche by a lopsided marging, Wahab won the WBF Intercontinental Super Featherweight title and put himself, at now 18-0 (11), at the forefront of the pack of boxers from whom big things can be expected in 2019.

Oluwaseun Joshua Wahab, mark the name!

- Kylie Fullmer, our WBF Female Newcomer of the Year for 2018, is unusual in many respects. For starters, she has a US American passport, a home in Australia and fights out of Mexico. Then she is on the threshold of her potentially biggest successes at a remarkable age of 36.

But don’t be fooled, she wouldn’t have won that award if she did not prove her worth as a fighter this past year. Kylie’s statistics for ’18 make for impressive reading: 4-0 (3 KO’s) and (in her last fight of the year) the WBF Intercontinental Super Bantamweight title, which was previously held but multi-award-winning Segolene Lefebvre.

Now Fullmer starts 2019 at a career total of 6-0 (5) and, surely, there is more to come as we all know, age is just a number.