The 2021 stories that will shape boxing in 2022

The boxing industry came to a screeching halt in 2020. Without the possibility of capacity crowds, the biggest fights were tossed to the side, along with the millions in gate revenue that would have accompanied them.

But beginning in May with Canelo Alvarez’s victory over Billy Joe Saunders in Arlington, Texas, a fight that broke the indoor attendance record in the U.S. with 73,126 fans, the boxing business returned to normalcy. Gone were the “bubbles,” replaced by lively crowds spanning the world.

The year finished strong with a string of marquee fights in the fourth quarter that set the stage for big things to come in 2022. Tyson Fury’s epic third battle with Deontay Wilder. Alvarez’s third fight of the year, one in which he finally achieved undisputed status with a TKO over Caleb Plant.

And of course, we can’t forget social media sensation Jake Paul, who headlined on pay-per-view three times. Naturally, 2021 was also marked by the fights that weren’t made, which is nothing new in boxing.

Here are some of the biggest stories of 2021 and the impact they will make on 2022.

Fury-Joshua megafight implodes

Fury and Anthony Joshua were set to battle it out after years of failed negotiations. On Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia, they’d meet in the richest heavyweight fight of all time.

That was before the arbitrator surprisingly ruled that Fury owed Wilder a third fight. No problem, right? Joshua would take care of his obligation to Oleksandr Usyk and Fury would end his rivalry with Wilder. Then A.J. and “The Gypsy King” could meet in 2022 for all four heavyweight titles.

Of course, the plan didn’t play out according to script. Usyk didn’t just upset Joshua when they met in August; he dismantled the heavyweight champion at the packed stadium in England. Two…