It was a year in which the red-hot heavyweight division cooled, the three best fighters in the world became two, and boxing’s heart was broken when the UK’s beloved “Hitman” Ricky Hatton passed away.
Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue remain the standout pound-for-pound talents in the sport, but 2025 belonged to Terence Crawford - a fighter who scaled his Everest and then abseiled back down towards retirement with nothing left to prove.
Appropriately, the Boxing News Awards begin with “Bud” Crawford, who takes the biggest accolade of them all.
International Fighter of the Year: Terence Crawford
In an era where the sport’s biggest names fight only once or twice a year, it is no surprise to see Crawford crowned Fighter of the Year.
Heavyweight king Usyk, also a one-and-done man in 2025, expectedly dispatched Daniel Dubois. Japanese mini-juggernaut Inoue fought four times, but the level of opposition did not quite match his activity.
Crawford, however, chose to put everything on the line.
Moving to a weight class he had never competed at, he chased history by taking on the biggest name in boxing. Crawford didn’t just beat Canelo Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium - he schooled him.
It was a masterclass that capped a Hall of Fame career which began at lightweight and ended with Crawford becoming a three-weight undisputed champion after lifting Canelo’s super-middleweight titles.
UK Fighter of the Year: Fabio Wardley
There were unlikely contenders in Conah Walker and Sam Noakes, while Britain’s only reigning world champions Nick Ball and Lewis Crocker deserve mention too, but UK boxing in 2025 belonged to one man.
Fabio Wardley’s rise from the white-collar circuit to world champion reads like a Hollywood script.
The Ipswich knockout artist’s spectacular, back-from-the-brink win over Justis Huni at Portman Road, followed by dethroning Joseph Parker at the O2 Arena, were two more gripping chapters added to a story that feels destined to become a best-seller.
International Fight of the Year: Dmitry Bivol vs Artur Beterbiev 2
Winning Fight of the Year does not require a carbon copy of Gatti-Ward or something lifted from the Rocky franchise. What Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev delivered instead was elite-level boxing for undisputed glory that captivated the sport.
Bivol chased revenge against the formidable “King” Artur and elevated his performance from their compelling first clash.
His hand speed and technical precision looked set to carry him to victory, but Beterbiev clawed back the middle rounds in typically punishing fashion.
What followed was a final third that showcased boxing at its very best.
UK Fight of the Year: Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn 1
By contrast, Britain’s answer was 12 rounds of controlled chaos - a fight where Boxing 101 was discarded and replaced by rivalry, emotion and brutal action.
With the 1990s subplot written by their fathers, Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, it was left to their sons, Chris Jr and Conor, to do the family feud justice. They did not disappoint.
Sixty thousand fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were treated to a fight stripped back to its rawest form - nip and tuck, back and forth, where the manly art of no defence was substituted for heart and resolve.
Eubank Jr edged it… just.
When the final bell sounded, one thing was clear: a sequel was inevitable.
Knockout of the Year: Fabio Wardley against Justis Huni
For the second successive year, Fabio Wardley left fans in no doubt that he is one of boxing’s modern-day gladiators.
Following his 2024 wars with Frazer Clarke, Wardley again demonstrated his all-action credentials in 2025.
Against Justis Huni at Portman Road, Wardley was dazzled early by the Australian’s speed and combinations.
By round ten he looked a beaten man, trailing on the scorecards and facing his first defeat. But a momentary lapse from Huni was ruthlessly punished.
One atomic right hand ended the fight in a split second, rescuing Wardley’s world-title ambitions and delivering a defining moment that encapsulated everything fans love about him.
Promoter of the Year: Turki Alalshikh
Boxing’s landscape has shifted dramatically.
New faces and new locations have emerged, underpinned by familiar mainstays such as Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn.
While Turki Alalshikh does not wear the promoter’s cape in the traditional sense, his influence has reshaped the sport.
Through Riyadh Season events, Alalshikh has consistently delivered best-versus-best match-ups that, only five years ago, felt impossible due to promotional divides.
His financial muscle and business acumen have brought once-separate sides of the street into a single neighbourhood - and boxing is stronger for it.
Remaining winners round-up
Armando Resendiz could not have known that his Upset of the Year victory over 1/25 favourite Caleb Plant would eventually elevate him to super-middleweight world champion following Terence Crawford’s retirement, but the Mexican’s self-belief and physicality proved too much for an over-confident Plant.
There were several contenders for Event of the Year, but the scale and drama of Eubank vs Benn 1 were impossible to ignore.
Joe Gallagher endured enormous personal adversity in 2025 after undergoing major surgery in his battle with cancer. Despite facing his own daily fight, Gallagher continued to develop careers and elevate world-class talent such as Lawrence Okolie and Natasha Jonas, earning him Trainer of the Year honours.
Prospect of the Year went to former amateur world bantamweight champion Tomoya Tsuboi, who in just his third professional bout defeated a 50-fight veteran and modern-day lower-weight legend in former world champion Carlos Cuadras.
Tiah-Mai Ayton already looks a future world champion. Her early start in the professional ranks makes her the UK Prospect of the Year - and a daunting challenge for anyone placed opposite her.
The untouchable flyweight queen Gabriela Fundora takes International Female Fighter of the Year, while the unstoppable Ellie Scotney is named UK Female Fighter of the Year.
The Mikaela Mayer–Sandy Ryan grudge rematch earns International Female Fight of the Year, while Caroline Dubois’ successful world-title defence against the relentless Shin Bo-Mi Re is crowned UK Female Fight of the Year.
