There are a couple things I’ve always promised myself.

I rarely play golf.

Same goes for bowling.

I consider myself a decent bowler, but If I ever was lucky enough to string together 12 strikes, I’d unlace my shoes, put down my beer and never set foot in another alley.

Problem is, I’ve never followed that advice when it’s come to boxing.

Though I probably hit my high prediction watermark more than a decade ago when I said – on the eve of 2011 – that a then-unheralded and title-less Andre Ward would be that year’s best fighter, it hasn’t stopped me from trying to replicate the success in each of 11 tries since.

To no one’s surprise, I’ve never been nearly as prescient.

Which again leaves me with the December task of recapping the crystal-ball claims I made at this time last year, when I was sure I knew precisely what would happen in the dumpster fire that’s been 2022.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Fitz’s Hits and Misses – Edition 12.

UPSET OF THE YEAR
The Pre-2022 Guess: Kambosos UD 12 Haney
The Post-2022 Reality: Garcia UD 12 Colbert

Speaking of bowling, you know how sometimes you let the ball go and immediately turn around and walk back toward your seat, because it felt so perfect off the hands that it’s got to be a strike?

Well…that’s exactly the opposite of how this pick feels right now.

Count me in among those who were not only impressed by the Australian-based Greek’s dismantling of Teofimo Lopez in 2021 but believed the “Ferocious” mindset would carry forward, regardless of foe, into a fitting 2022 encore. Not to mention, count me, too, among those who didn’t believe in Devin Haney.

I won’t make that mistake again.

Though I’m happy a fight forecasted 12 months ago actually got made – twice, in fact – it’d be hard enough to watch the 24 rounds of combined combat and find more than one or two Kambosos deserved, let alone anything close to either fight as a whole.

Call it the prediction equivalent of a gutter ball. Twice, in fact.

As for the real win in this category, it goes to Hector Luis Garcia.

Though we’re free to argue to what extent Chris Colbert should have been taken seriously as a world contender at 130 pounds before the fight in February, it’d be difficult to argue the degree of superiority shown against him by Garcia, who entered three weeks before the fight as a substitute.

As it turned out, the 31-year-old Dominican dominated, scoring the fight’s lone knockdown, and earning 10 and 11 rounds on the official scorecards for a decision he’s since parlayed into a career-making date with Gervonta Davis next month in Washington, D.C.

KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR
The Pre-2022 Guess: Wilder KO 6 Joshua
The Post-2022 Reality: Plant KO 9 Dirrell

I was apparently a pretty optimistic guy last winter.

Alongside the usual pining for championships for the New York Jets and Edmonton Oilers, I was still holding out hope that 2022 would finally bring one of the heavyweight battles talked about for years.

Though Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have engaged in three memorable fights themselves, a mega-event for either is still out there when it comes to Anthony Joshua.

Joshua’s star has surely dimmed thanks to his two-fight schooling by Oleksandr Usyk, but he remains wildly popular, and his vulnerability makes him an even more compelling watch. And though I believe Wilder wins if they get together, it’s sure to be an amazing watch for as long as it lasts.

As for the KOs that did happen, none were better than Caleb Plant’s erasure of Anthony Dirrell.

We already knew “Sweethands” was capable of big things in the ring thanks to a title run a while back, but how many knew he’d be able to lay out a sturdy veteran like Dirrell with one shot? And then, while his victim was still prone on the canvas, add insult with a would-be shoveling of dirt? 

I didn’t see it coming, but I loved it.

FIGHT OF THE YEAR
The Pre-2022 Guess: Davis KO 8 Garcia
The Post-2022 Reality: Taylor SD 10 Serrano

Given boxing’s non-lineal nature, it’s always a difficult endeavor to predict which fights will get made – let alone who will win them – several months in advance.

That said, while Gervonta Davis did not KO Ryan Garcia in 2022’s fight of the year, there’s still plenty of reason to believe the fight happens in 2023. And if it does, we’ll ride with the same result.

Lots of talk going in. Lots of fireworks while it lasts. And lots of oohs and ahhs in the aftermath. 

But among the fights that did get made, particularly the ones that had any level of real significance – always a tiebreaker in this space – we didn’t see any better than Katie Taylor’s headlining classic with Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden in late April.

Truth told, it looked like a blowout when Serrano landed big shots in the fifth round, but the Irish hero showed remarkable mettle with a subsequent rally in the fight’s back half that gradually narrowed the scorecard margin until Taylor found herself on top after 20 minutes of combat.

I thought Serrano still deserved the win. But a quibble wasn’t enough to detract from the sort of event I can honestly say I never thought I’d see in my lifetime.

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR
The Pre-2022 Guess: Terence Crawford
The Post-2022 Reality: Dmitry Bivol

Mmmm… yeah. About that optimism thing.

I’m banking on it while still wishing for Wilder-Joshua and Davis-Garcia, but it’s all gone when it comes to the idea of Terence Crawford ever fighting Errol Spence Jr.

I figured they’d finally get together in 2022 and that a 10th-round KO would warrant “Bud’s” recognition as the best fighter of the year. But as everyone reading this already knows, a supposed agreement devolved into petty he-said/he-said nonsense and we got Crawford-Avanesyan as a consolation prize.

I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I’d like to regift it as soon as possible.

And I won’t write another word about Crawford-Spence until they’re in a ring together.

As for those who did do something worth celebrating in 2022, none spiked more than Dmitry Bivol.

The unbeaten Russian was respected in the game but not recognized beyond it as 2022 began, but his career arc permanently changed in May when he schooled Canelo Alvarez while the Mexican was seeking to re-till championship ground at 175 pounds.

The 115-113 scores weren’t indicative of the fight’s one-sided nature and Bivol continued six months later with an even clearer embarrassment of Gilberto Ramirez, who’d entered with a gaudy 44-0 record and a dominant run at light heavyweight that had many – including me – thinking he could win.

I won’t make that mistake again when it comes to Bivol. And if his 2023 includes talked-about fights with Artur Beterbiev and a return date with Canelo, I’ll go ahead and pencil him in here for next December.

Ho, ho, ho!

* * * * * * * * * *  

This week’s title-fight schedule:

WBA/WBO super flyweight/junior bantamweight titles – Tokyo, Japan
Joshua Franco (WBA champ/No. 7 IWBR) vs. Kazuto Ioka (WBO champ/No. 2 IWBR)
Franco (18-1-2, 8 KO): Third title defense; Lost only career fight outside the United States
Ioka (29-2, 15 KO): Sixth title defense; Held titles at 105, 108 and 112 before moving to 115
Fitzbitz says: The New Year’s Eve card is always a wonderful way to end a year, and this is no different, with two worthy champs. Ioka seems to have more variety in his game. Ioka by decision (80/20)

Last week's picks: None 
2022 picks record: 41-16 (71.9 percent)  
Overall picks record: 1,250-408 (75.4 percent)  

NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.  

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.