by Frank Warren
BRITAIN started 2010 with three world champions and ended it with four - but that only tells half the story of a hugely successful year for the sport.
I keep banging on about it but I can't remember a time where we have had as strong a talent pool.
The progress that youngsters like Kell Brook, Nathan Cleverly, James DeGale and Frankie Gavin have made this year is fantastic.
The biggest name in the sport over here right now is David Haye.
For me, he's had an average 12 months - despite two stoppage wins - but a fantastic one for his bank balance. John Ruiz was a faded former world champ, while Audley Harrison was just a faded, erm... well, a faded no-hoper.
The fact is Haye should have fought one of the Klitschkos like he keeps promising to.
Instead, despite saying he wouldn't do it, he dug up Harrison and their fight was the second biggest disappointment of the year.
The biggest? The fact Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao could not sort out their differences and get in the ring.
Haye plans to quit boxing next year and if that's true, he should have made more of 2010 if he is to cement any sort of legacy in the poorest heavyweight era for a long time.
Another fighter who was too inactive was Amir Khan but his light-welterweight war with Marcos Maidana added more creditability to the game.
It was worrying that after such a promising start, Khan lapsed back on some bad old habits.
Personally, I don't think Maidana was in the elite of world class as he'd already been beaten by Andreas Kotelnik, who Khan completely out-boxed, so it was surprising for me that he managed to give Khan so many scary moments in Las Vegas.
Talk of Khan v Mayweather must remain just that because, in reality, Khan is a long way off that sort of challenge. He is still a work in progress, and that's why he must fight more regularly if he is to reach the potential he undoubtedly has.
The year ended with a big world light-heavyweight title fight last weekend, with Bernard Hopkins up against Jean Pascal.
Hopkins, 45, failed in his attempt to become the oldest man ever to win a world crown - but only just, after Pascal held on for a majority draw.
And Hopkins' performance showed just what a good fighter the retired Joe Calzaghe was. He beat the Yank in April 2008.
In fact, Calzaghe's reputation was enhanced throughout 2010 - and he didn't even have to fight.
Mikkel Kessler's defeat of Carl Froch put Calzaghe's dazzling display against the Dane into perspective.
Kessler took Froch's WBC super-middleweight title back in April but fair play to Froch, he bounced back against Arthur Abraham and won his title back with a superb performance.
Ricky Burns became our fourth world champ with a thrilling win over Roman Martinez in September.
That fight shouldn't be forgotten - Martinez was world No 1 and Burns had to climb off the floor to win the WBO super-featherweight title.
This year has also been about the sport's emerging young stars.
Cleverly capped a brilliant 12 months by securing the interim WBO light-heavyweight title in a year that saw him hold British, Commonwealth and European titles - and earn a maths degree.
It's fitting to finish with the man I believe to be one of our brightest prospects - DeGale.
The super-middleweight has really come on in 2010 months and it looks as if he still has a few gears left to go through.
DeGale is a truly exciting talent and definitely boxing's next big star.
