The 2024 NJ Boxing News Awards

Photo: NJBoxingNews’ Fighter of the Year Raymond Ford lands a punch on Otabek Kholmatov. Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank

By most metrics, 2024 was a great year for New Jersey boxing. The Garden State had 15 pro shows – the same figure it held the previous year – which is the most in Jersey since there were 17 shows in 2014. Boxing Insider Promotions, which has been the most consistent club show promoter in New York, entered the Jersey market with a hand full of shows, just as another Big Apple promoter, Lukasz Kownacki, is set to do the same with his show on Feb. 1 at Prudential Center.

There were two pro boxers who held world titles – Raymond Ford and Shakur Stevenson – while Malachi Georges and Tyric Trapp led the state with national titles on the amateur side.

While the state may appear top heavy in terms of achievements, there are plenty of boxers just below the top who could make a serious move in 2025. 

Vito Mielnicki Jr. (20-1, 12 knockouts), the 22-year-old junior middleweight from Roseland, N.J., is finally coming into his own, having signed with the highly capable promotional company Top Rank. There’s also Ian Green (19-2, 12 KOs), the 31-year-old middleweight from Paterson who fought just once in 2024, but remains rated no. 4 by the WBA thanks to his seven-fight winning streak. Though it wasn’t their year, we could still see Khalil Coe and Gabriel Gerena bounce back from their setbacks to re-establish themselves once again to become prospects on the rise once more.

Let’s also never forget about the state’s lone titleholder – WBC lightweight champ Stevenson – who is still unbeaten at 22-0 (10 KOs) and will begin his next chapter under Matchroom Boxing on Feb. 22 against Floyd Schofield.

With all of that said, here is the list of New Jersey’s standout achievers in 2024.

Fighter of the Year: Raymond Ford

For those who remember Ford’s outstanding run to the 2018 National Golden Gloves, it was always a matter of when, not if, that Ford would become a world champion. The 25-year-old from Camden finally fulfilled that great promise this year, pulling off a come-from-behind stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov to win the vacant WBA featherweight title. Ford made one miscalculation, however lucrative, by not listening to his instincts to move up in weight, and instead remained at 126 for one fight too many, losing a split decision to Nick Ball in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. There’s a real case one can make that Ford deserved to hold on to his belt that night, but it was clear that he could no longer sustain his energy levels due to that dramatic weight cut. Ford bounced back with a masterpiece against Orlando Gonzalez in November, outboxing Orlando Gonzalez to win a unanimous decision on the Jaron Ennis vs. Karen Chukhadzhian II card in November.

At 25 years old, the southpaw has his best years still ahead of him. 

Fight of the Year: Raymond Ford TKO12 Otabek Kholmatov 

March 2, 2024 – Turning Stone Casino, Verona, N.Y.

Seven seconds. That’s all that separated Ford from glory and his first ever defeat. With time a luxury as scarce as any precious gem, Ford pulled out victory in an instant classic. In what was essentially a replay of Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor I, Ford averted a split decision loss with a come-from-behind stoppage of the previously unbeaten Uzbek. Ford (16-1-1, 8 KOs) was stunned early in the southpaw vs. southpaw fight on a left hand counter in round three, but turned the tables by hurting Kholmatov with a right hook in round 8. Even with Ford’s moments of excitement, he looked like a beaten man after an ugly cut opened up below Ford’s left eye, providing another target for his opponent. Just as time appeared to be running out, Ford landed a right uppercut that rocked Kholmatov with 30 seconds remaining. Kholmatov was sent reeling into the ropes and hit the canvas, though it was not called a knockdown. Referee Charlie Fitch did him no favors with that call, as the eight count would have given him a chance to recover and kill the clock. Instead, Ford jumped right back on him, rocking Kholmatov into the ropes and forcing the stoppage when he turned his back defenseless.

Seven seconds changed Ford’s – and Kholmatov’s – careers forever.

Honorable Mention: Andreas Katzourakis SD10 Robert Terry

Regardless of the result, you have to feel good that Terry finally got his opportunity to compete on the big stage. The Jersey City native finally got his shot at stardom, trading blows for ten rounds with Greek born prospect Andreas Katzourakis in the semifinals of Overtime’s 154-pound tournament. Scores were all over the place, with two judges scoring it wide for Katzourakis and one scoring it wide in favor of Terry. None of those judges were correct that night, as a 6-4 decision either way would more correctly represent what happened that night in Georgia. Either way, the 31-year-old Terry (12-1-1, 4 KOs) showed he has the skills to hang at that level.

KO of the Year: Danny Gonzalez TKO1 Gabriel Gerena

October 12, 2024 – Prudential Center, Newark

If you polled a room full of Jersey boxing people beforehand, about 8 in 10 would have picked Gerena to win. That isn’t a slight towards Gonzalez, the former NJ Golden Gloves champ from Iselin who has speed and power to burn; Gerena was just seen as the more experienced and durable fighter at the six-round level. Gonzalez’s stock took a massive leap on this night as he spoiled Gerena’s unbeaten record with a series of left hooks, including the one that finally put the Piscataway brawler down. Gerena beat the count, but the fight was called off at the 2:06 mark to prevent further damage.

The 29-year-old Gonzalez (5-0, 5 KOs) had to overcome a lot in 2024, switching gyms to Elizabeth Recreation after a series of professional and personal setbacks threatened to derail his career. After four KO wins in 2024, he returns to the ring again on March 8 in Atlantic City. At just age 23, Gerena still has plenty of time to recoup and bounce back from this loss.

Honorable Mention: Zhilei Zhang KO5 Deontay Wilder

Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KOs) showed the world why they call him “Big Bang,” landing perhaps the best right hook in boxing since Andy Lee erased John Jackson back in 2014. The Bloomfield resident kept his hopes of big money opportunities alive with his dominant win over the former WBC heavyweight titleholder, putting himself in line to face Agit Kabayel in February for the WBC interim belt.

Amateur of the Year: Tyric Trapp

Tyric Trapp became the 15th boxer from NJ to win the National Golden Gloves. Photo from USABoxing

When you’re talking about the best amateur boxers in New Jersey, you’re only speaking about Tyric Trapp and Malachi Georges. While this award could have reasonably gone to either boxer, Trapp gets the slight nod because this was truly his breakout year. The 176-pounder from Red Bank added two more national titles to his count, winning the National Golden Gloves and National Open titles. The 24-year-old Trapp possibly would have added another title at the National Championships as well, if not for a freak tooth injury in a fight he was dominating. Georges, who bounced back from a hand injury to win the National Championships, will likely have another breakout year with the national team in 2025, while under-17 World Boxing champion Emmanuel Chance is only going to get better.

Comeback of the Year: Thomas LaManna

Whether he wins another fight again, it doesn’t really matter. The boxer-turned-promoter known as “Cornflake” completed the comeback of a lifetime, winning eight straight since his first round knockout loss to Erislandy Lara in 2021, culminated by winning the WBA “gold” middleweight belt with a third round knockout of Juan Carlos Abreu in June. That winning streak has earned the Millville resident another big fight, against Jermall Charlo on the Davis-Roach card in Brooklyn next March.

Prospect of the Year: Dwyke Flemmings Jr.

The 21-year-old from Paterson had a strong 2024, winning four fights, including three by first round knockout. Now 9-0 ( 9 KOs), it seems only a matter of time until Flemmings gets signed by a major promoter. With a laser jab and power in both hands, Flemmings should be on the radar of any major promoter looking to sign American talent.

Trainer of the Year: Shaun George

Shaun George (R) training Zhilei Zhang

It only makes sense that one of the most cerebral amateur and pro boxers would be able to transition seamlessly to life as a trainer. The Brooklyn-born, Wayne, N.J.-based George has done a stellar job guiding heavyweights Zhilei Zhang and Damian Knyba. George, 45, learned from some of the best minds in the sport, including Tommy Brooks and Lou Duva, and has been able to help two very different big men improve and mature.