First a medal at the Olympics, then winner of the BOXSPORT vote – 2024 was an outstanding year for Nelvie Tiafack.
Who will be “Amateur Boxer of the Year”? In recent years, this question has always triggered an exciting duel between super heavyweights Nelvie Tiafack and Nikita Putilov. And the two giants were also nominated in this year’s BOXSPORT poll – together with Denis Bril, the German light-welterweight champion. Last year, Putilov won by a clear margin ahead of the man from Cologne, but this time Tiafack turned the tables.
As a bronze medal winner at the 2024 Olympic Games, the 26-year-old was clearly ahead of both the jury and the readers (as he was in 2022). Although Putilov triumphed as German champion and first-place winner of the GB Open in Sheffield, unlike his rival, the Leipzig native lacked a triumphant Olympic performance. There will not be another duel in the BOXSPORT competition for the time being, as Tiafack is moving from the amateur to the professional ranks. In the shadow of the two super heavyweights, Denis Bril made a name for himself last calendar year. The top talent from Cologne first won the national title in the half-welter at the U22 German Championships, and later also at the elite championships in Halle/Saale. The third-placed in the voting also gained important international experience at the Olympic qualification tournaments.
The result:
- Nelvie Tiafack
390 points - Nikita Putilov
146 points - Denis Bril
64 points
Text by Robin Josten