Usyk, Inoue or Crawford? Boxing’s Fighter of the Year Debate

I recently wrote about potential candidates for Fighter of the Year, with my initial lean toward Naoya Inoue, the undisputed super bantamweight champion.

Inoue finished the year unbeaten at 32-0 and stood out not just for his dominance, but for his activity. He fought three times during the year, with a fourth bout scheduled for late December, a pace that has become increasingly rare at the elite level of the sport.

Across those four contests, Inoue produced a balanced mix of performances. Two wins came by stoppage, two by decision, against opponents whose combined record stood at 93-4-3 at the time they faced him. His year closed with a win over previously unbeaten David Picasso, allowing Inoue to go 4-0 in 2025 while maintaining full control of his division. For voters who value consistency, volume, and sustained championship excellence, his case is straightforward.

Other leading contenders offer a very different profile. Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion, fought once but did so at the sport’s glamour weight. Remaining unbeaten at 24-0, Usyk stopped Daniel Dubois in their rematch, reinforcing his position at the top of the heavyweight division. While his activity was limited, the significance of a heavyweight championship defense still carries substantial weight in year end discussions.

Then there is Terence Crawford, whose single appearance may have been the most striking performance of the year. Crawford moved up two divisions to defeat Saul Canelo Alvarez, delivering a decisive and one sided win before announcing his retirement. No rematch followed, a decision that aligned with both the outcome of the fight and Crawford’s long stated career plans.

Crawford’s victory inevitably invites comparison. It came against the same Canelo who had previously been defeated when he moved up to light heavyweight to face Dmitrii Bivol, underscoring the level of difficulty involved. Some hoped Crawford might continue on to chase another title, but that path was never realistically in play.

Ultimately, the debate comes down to emphasis. Is Fighter of the Year about sustained excellence and activity, or about a single, defining performance on the biggest stage? Inoue, Usyk, and Crawford each represent a different answer to that question.