- 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.

- What! A! Fight! When an Intercontinental battle is named “WBF Fight of the Year”, you just know it must have been something very special. And the clash of the two unbeaten fighters, staged on September 29 in the French city of Lille, really was.

Both Vasil Ducar, from the Czech Republic and 6-0-1, as well as Samuel Kadje, from France and 12-0, delivered a fight that won’t be forgotten easily. It was tough as nails, punches flying non-stop and both showed an outstanding desire.

Kadje was busier in a few crucial rounds, but that little bit extra he delivered ultimately proved his undoing. Nothing could dent Ducar, not even with a narrow points defeat staring at him when the last three minutes started.

After nine rounds, Kadje was in front on all cards, but the real drama was about to happen in the ultimate round. Desperate, but not disheartened, Ducar let it all hang out and 10 seconds from defeat, he had punched Kadje to a standstill, leaving the referee with no option but to save the Frenchman for another day.

You will have to go to many, many boxing shows to ever see again as many open mouths at the end of a match as on this unforgettable Lille night. Hats off, guys, enjoy your award!

- “Sego” has developed into a real master of the sweet science. Not a puncher, as her record of 11-0 with just a single KO, clearly tells you - but, oh, can the girl box!

The challenger for her third WBF world Super Bantamweight title defense was far from a nobody. Yesica Patricia Marcos, from Argentina, came to France with just a single career defeat in 30 pro outings and as a former undefeated WBO/WBA world champion.

The fight wasn’t exactly breath-taking, but such a fantastic, world class demonstration of pure boxing skills with Marcos never even being in it, it just had to be our “WBF Female Fight of the Year”.

- A new category for us, because some Knockouts are simply crying to be remembered.

So it was when on Boxing Day 2018, a local grudge match took place in the Tanzanian capital of Dar Es Salaam between former WBF world champion Francis Cheka, the pre-fight favorite, and Abdallah Paziwapazi for the WBF Intercontinental Super Middleweight championship.

Amidst many words flying back and forth, they settled their animosity in the ring – and how. In round six, veteran Cheka found himself pressed against the ropes by the younger man, and never saw it coming.

Paziwapazi axed the 36-year-old by a monster of a right hook, as good a knockout as you will ever see, and the referee never bothered to even count. It will be hard to match when the 2019 awards come around in 12 months’ time.

- 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.

- Sometimes, giving an award is easy.

This was the case when it came to picking a “WBF Promoter of the Year”. Saul Rios of Borizteca Boxing Promotions, with six (!) promoted WBF championships in 2018 was, over the span of those 12 months, the most active WBF promoter worldwide.

Thank you and congratulations, Saul, for making it easy this year.

- Surely, for this years’ Trainer of the Year award winner, Robert Pantigny, it must feel like “What took them so long?” – such are the accumulated merits of the man from the little north French city of Douai.

And we are talking here “just” his merits with the World Boxing Federation, mind you.

Aside from coaching reigning WBF Intercontinental welterweight champion, the unbeaten Mehdi Mouhib, his current masterpiece is WBF Womens World Super Bantamweight champ Segolene Lefebvre with whom he put together a remarkable success streak over the last few years: Three title quality defenses and counting, plus a Female Fighter of the Year award (2017) and a WBF Intercontinental title for good measure.

Prior to that Pantigny lead lightheavy Mohamed Merah and Light Welter Farid Chebabha (2014) to WBF International titles. So, finally, this award is a long time coming and fully deserved for Robert Pantigny.

- In 2012, Christophe Hembert, from Dunkerk in Northern France, refereed his first World Boxing Federation championship fight.

In 2018, he was still our most active third man in the ring. Talk about consistency.

Hembert proved his consistency beyond all doubt and continues to give excellent performances as a referee, hence this award is long overdue and hard earned over the years.

- Max Zuniga, from Tijuana, was always fond of the World Boxing Federation, serving as a trustful ring official for some years.

In May of 2018, his moment came: The WBF was two days away from a double-header in his very hometown – and all of a sudden without a supervisor! Max stepped in, took over as Mexican representative for the WBF and not just saved the show, but soon proved to be a real asset to our great team.

He solidified the WBF’s standing in Mexico and while there were many serious contenders to this award over the past year, nobody did as surprising a job than Max, our “Administrator of the Year 2018”.