Ring Magazine was established in 1922. From 1953 to 1988, it gave a Progress of the Year award to the boxer who made the most significant progress during the preceding twelve months. In other words, the fighter who made the most impressive jump from comparative obscurity to international prominence.

1953: Nino Valdes

1954: Pascual Perez

1955: Chuck Spieser

1956: Eddie Machen

Eddie Machen

Edward Mills Machen was born in Redding, California, on June 15, 1932. Machen was a convict turned boxer. His 64-bout career began on March 22, 1955, and he went on to win his first 24 bouts....

1957: Roy Harris (boxer)

Roy Harris (boxer)

Roy Harris is a retired American Heavyweight boxer, whose nickname derived from his town of his birth Cut and Shoot, Texas. Roy is a co-trainer of undefeated title contender Alfonso López III.-Amateur career:...

1958: Don Jordan

Don Jordan

Don Jordan was a boxer born in Los Angeles, California and was the undisputed Welterweight Champion of the World from 1958 to 1960. His nickname was ‘Geronimo’...

1959: Charley Scott

1960: Giulio Rinaldi

1961:

1962:

1963:

1964: Vicente Saldivar

Vicente Saldivar

Vicente Samuel Saldivar García was a Mexican boxer in the Featherweight division and was a part of the 1960 Mexican Olympic team. He was a former WBC and a two-time WBA Featherweight Champion...

1965: Alan Rudkin

Alan Rudkin

Alan Rudkin MBE was a British, Commonwealth, and European bantamweight boxing champion . He was born in St Asaph As his pregnant mother was evacuated from Liverpool during the second world war...

1966: Joe Frazier

Joe Frazier

Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....

1967: Jimmy Ellis

Jimmy Ellis

James Albert "Jimmy" Ellis is a retired boxer from Louisville, Kentucky. He fought in what some consider to be the greatest heavyweight era of all-time, which included Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Jerry Quarry, Floyd Patterson, Oscar Bonavena, Earnie Shavers and George Chuvalo among...

1968: Shozo Saijo

Shozo Saijo

Shozo Saijo is a former professional boxer from Saitama, Japan. He is a former WBA featherweight champion.- Biography :...

1969: Mac Foster

1970: George Foreman

George Foreman

George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...

1971: Chris Finnegan

Chris Finnegan

Chris Finnegan MBE was an English professional boxer.-Early life:Finnegan was one of eight siblings born into an Anglo-Irish family; his father was from Liverpool and his mother from Newry, Northern Ireland. Finnegan always wore a Union Flag and a Shamrock on his boxing trunks to signify his joint...

1972: Bert Nabalatan

1973: Santos Luis Rivera

1974: Soo-Hwan Hong

1975: Mike Colbert

1976: Ruben Castillo

1977: Eddie Gazo

Eddie Gazo

Eddie Gazo is a former professional boxer in the super welterweight division.-Pro career:...

1978: Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks

Leon Spinks is a former American boxer. He had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and 3 draws as a professional, with 14 knockout wins, and was the former World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion of the world...

1979: Chan-Hee Park

1980:

1981:

1982:

1983: John Mugabi

John Mugabi

John "The Beast" Mugabi is a former boxer and world Jr. Middleweight champion. A world traveller, Mugabi was a part of an early 1980s Jr...

1984: Francisco Quiroz

Francisco Quiroz

Francisco Quiroz was a WBA Lightweight champion.- Pro career :Quiroz turned pro in 1978 and captured the WBA light flyweight title with a KO win over Lupe Madera in 1984. He defended the belt once before losing a narrow decision to Joey Olivo in 1985...

1985: Lonnie Smith

Lonnie Smith (boxer)

Harlan Alonso Smith, known as Lonnie Smith , is an American boxer at Welterweight.- Professional career :...

1986: Samart Payakaroon

Samart Payakaroon

Samart Payakaroon, real name Samart Tiptarmai is a Muaythai boxer.-Thai Boxing career:Samart has an older brother, Kongtoranee Payakaroon, who induced Samart to start training in Muay Thai.Samart started Muaythai training when he was 11...

1987: Kelvin Seabrooks

Kelvin Seabrooks

Kelvin Seabrooks was an American boxer who won the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title and defended it two times.-Boxing career:...

1988: Michael Nunn

Michael Nunn

Michael Nunn is a former American boxer. Nicknamed "Second to Nunn," he was a 6' 2" southpaw with great speed. Nunn was the IBF middleweight champion and the WBA super middleweight champion...