Annually, at the end of the year, I assemble the top awards in boxing. Here are my “personal” choices for the year 2025. Also listed (in order) are the Runner Up’s and a look back at the previous winners in each category since year 2020.
I sincerely respect and openly welcome all opinions of others – thank you!
David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
2025 / FIGHTER OF THE YEAR – Terence Crawford (42-0 / 31 by KO)
RUNNER UP’S
Naoya Inoue (32-0 / 27 by KO)
Jesse Rodriguez (23-0 / 16 by KO)
Oleksandr Usyk (24-0 / 15 by KO)
PAST WINNERS
Oleksandr Usyk – 2024
Naoya Inoue – 2023
Dmitry Bivol – 2022
Canelo Alvarez – 2021
Teofimo Lopez – 2020
2025 / FIGHT OF THE YEAR – Callum Smith vs. Joshua Buatsi (UD-12)
RUNNER UP’S
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Coner Benn 1 (UD-12)
Dimitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev 2 (MD-12)
Junto Nakatani vs. Sebastian Hernandez (UD-12)
Kenshiro Teraji vs. Seigo Yuri Akui (KO-12)
PAST WINNERS
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Serhi Bohachuk – 2024
Rafael Espinoza vs. Robeisy Ramirez – 2023
Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano – 2022
Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Brandon Figueroa – 2021
Jose Zepeda vs. Ivan Baranchyk – 2020
2025 / KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR –Brian Norman Jr. vs. Jin Sasaki (KO-5)
RUNNER UP’S
Masataka Taniguchi over Condor Inaba (KO-3)
Fabio Wardley over Justis Huni (KO-10)
Cayden Griffiths vs. Fernando Elias Ruiz Hernandez (KO-5)
Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. Anaeul Ngamissengue (KO-5)
PAST WINNERS
Angelo Leo vs. Luis Alberto Lopez – 2024
Zhilei Zhang vs. Joe Joyce – 2023
Leigh Wood vs. Michael Colan – 2022
Oscar Valdez vs. Miguel Berchelt – 2021
Gevonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz – 2020
2025 / UPSET OF THE YEAR – Ekow Essuman over Josh Taylor (UD-12)
RUNNER UP’S
Rolando Romero over Ryan Garcia (UD-12)
Armando Resendiz over Caleb Plant (SD-12)
Aaron McKenna over Liam Smith (UD-12)
PAST WINNERS
Bruno Surace over Jamie Munguia – 2024
Joseph Parker over Deontay Wilder – 2023
Dmitry Bivol over Canelo Alvarez – 2022
Mauricio Lara over Josh Warrington – 2021
Robert Helenius over Adam Kownacki – 2020
2025 / PROSPECT OF THE YEAR – Abdullah Mason (20-0 / 17 by KO)
RUNNER UP’S
Cayden Griffiths – Welterweight (6-0 / 6 by KO)
Curmel Moton – Lightweight (8-0 / 6 by KO)
Taylor Bevan – Super Middleweight (7-0 / 7 by KO)
Yuta Sakai – Bantamweight (6-0 / 6 by KO)
PAST WINNERS
Moses Itauma – 2024
Bakhodir Jalolov – 2023
Keyshawn Davis – 2022
Xander Zayas – 2021
Edgar Berlanga – 2020