FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, MALE
🏆WINNER: NAOYA INOUE
Our 2025 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR is NAOYA INOUE, who separated himself kind the competitors with dominant performances and an elite exercise stage. Boxing’s pint-sized “Monster” defended his world titles 4 occasions, beating to tremendous bantamweight division whereas dealing with opponents with a mixed 94.5% profitable share. INOUE’s power of schedule and consistency finally eclipsed TERENCE CRAWFORD’s historic win over CANELO ÁLVAREZ, to safe this honor.
NOMINEES
Terence Crawford
JESSE RODRIGUEZ
Jai opetaia
DMITRY Bivol
FABIO WARDLEY
MOSES ITAUMA
FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, FEMALE
🏆WINNER: ELIF NUR TURHAN
Turkish knockout artist ELIF NUR TURHAN is our Girls’s Boxing FIGHTER OF THE YEAR after a sensational 2025 that included three upset wins over undefeated fighters (FERREIRA, AYADI, BROWNE, 24–0 mixed), capped by our choice for KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR in opposition to Shauna Browne. TURHAN stopped each opponent inside six rounds, punctuating her rise with a TKO win over former unbeaten IBF Light-weight World Champ, BEATRIZ FERREIRA. Given her speedy ascent and dominant win over our 2024 Prospect of the 12 months (FERREIRA), the self-proclaimed “GOLDEN TURKISH WARRIOR” was our consensus decide for this honor.
NOMINEES
Mikaela Mayer
CLARESSA SHIELDS
gABRIELA fUNDORA
Yokasta Valle
Alycia Baumgardner
Mizuki Hiruta
ELLIE SCOTNEY
FIGHT OF THE YEAR, MEN’S BOXING
🏆WINNER: Christian Mbilli SDRAW10 Lester Martínez
Our FIGHT OF THE YEAR was a straightforward name: CHRISTIAN MBILLI’s SPLIT Draw with LESTER MARTÍNEZ. Preventing for the WBC World Championship on the Canelo vs. Crawford undercard, the duo waged a brutal 10-round phonebooth warfare, buying and selling over 1,700 punches with neither fighter giving an inch. With historic stakes, huge viewership (41M dwell), and nonstop motion, it was a uncommon DRAW that felt universally satisfying.
NOMINEES
KENSHIRO Teraji TKO12 SEIGO YURI Akui
chris Eubank Jr. UD12 Conor Benn – I
NAOYA Inoue TKO8 RAMON Cardenas
DMITRY Bivol MD12 ARTUR Beterbiev – II
DAVID Benavidez UD12 DAVID Morrell
ISAAC CRUZ UD10 ANGEL FIERRO
fernando martinez ud12 kazuto Ioka
FIGHT OF THE YEAR, WOMEN’S BOXING
🏆WINNER: Kim Clavel UD10 Sol Cudos
Whereas the TAYLOR–Serrano trilogy dominated headlines in 2025, our Girls’s Boxing FIGHT OF THE YEAR got here from a September MVP PROSPECTS 15 card, the place KIM CLAVEL outdueled former IBF World Minimumweight Champ, SOL CUDOS by unanimous resolution. Regardless of misleadingly broad scorecards, the bout was a high-speed, high-stakes barnburner that includes adversity for CLAVEL, who was reduce early, and relentless motion all through, together with a blistering 10th spherical that was a powerful candidate for Girls’s boxing ROUND OF THE YEAR.
NOMINEES
KATIE TAYLOR MD10 Amanda Serrano
tiara brown sd10 skye nicholson
SOL CUDOS SD10 MARIA SOL BAUMSTARH
Cecilia Brækhus UD10 ema kozin
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
🏆WINNER: Turki Alalshikh (RIYADH SEASON)
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and his Riyadh Season promotions ran away with our 2025 PROMOTER OF THE YEAR honors for the second straight 12 months. Their banner headlined boxing’s largest and most consequential occasions, together with Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford, Bivol–Beterbiev II, and THE RING V: NIGHT OF THE SAMURAI. A number of of those playing cards ranked among the many 12 months’s most watched and highest-grossing occasions. Additional cementing their dominance, RIYADH SEASON secured elite expertise, highlighted by reportedly signing Álvarez to a four-fight deal in February.
NOMINEES
MATCHROOM BOXING (EDDIE HEARN)
Queensberry Promotions (Frank Warren)
TOP RANK (BOB ARUM)
Golden Boy Promotions (oscar de la hoya)
Most Priceless promotions (MVP)
KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR, MEN’S BOXING
🏆WINNER: Brian Norman JR. KTFO5 Jin Sasaki
2025’s most devastating knockout got here when WBO World Welterweight Champ, BRIAN NORMAN JR. landed a flawless left hook on No. 2–ranked JIN SASAKI, ending the combat immediately in spherical 5. Norman Jr’s sudden, chilling, and reminiscence loss-inducing KTFO of Sasaki — delivered on a significant stage in Japan with NORMAN JR.’s World Title on the road — surprised the group and sealed our high spot because the KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR.
NOMINEES
Jai Opetaia KTFO8 Hüseyin Cinkara
Frank Martin KTFO4 Rances Barthelemy
Craig Richards KTFO12 Dan Azeez
Marlon Harrington KTFO1 Bryan Polanco
Jai Opetaia KTFO4 David Nyika
Kaine Tomlinson Jr. KTFO1 Patrick Sullivan
Stephan Shaw KTFO1 Raphael Akpejori
Arvin Jhon Paciones KTFO2 Jeraldine Ocrarit
Julian Rodriguez KO10 Avious Griffin
KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR, WOMEN’S BOXING
🏆WINNER: Elif Nur Turhan KTFO1 Shauna Browne
Girls’s Boxing’s KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR belonged to ELIF NUR TURHAN, who delivered the 12 months’s most eye-catching knockout in opposition to Shauna Browne in March. In a battle of unbeaten lightweights, TURHAN’s heat-seeking left hook dropped BROWNE within the opening spherical and successfully ended the competition on the spot. The emphatic end underscored the facility and precision that outline the “Golden Turkish Warrior.”
NOMINEES
Elif Nur Turhan KTFO5 Beatriz Ferreira
Kacey Wheeler KTFO 1 natali Fagan
TRAINER OF THE YEAR
🏆WINNER: Brian “BoMac” McIntyre
BRIAN “BOMAC” McINTYRE reclaimed the highest spot amongst boxing’s trainers, incomes his second TRAINER OF THE YEAR award in three years (2023, 2025). In 2025, he masterminded Terence Crawford’s historic win over Canelo Álvarez, guided Lester MARTÍNEZ to a FIGHT OF THE YEAR-caliber DRAW with Christian Mbilli, and oversaw key victories for Shakur Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis (who break up with BOMAC in June), and Chris Eubank Jr. (EUBANK Jr. – BENN I). Given the breadth and significance of those successes, McINTYRE was the clear selection on this class.
NOMINEES
SHINGO INOUE
ROBERTO GARCIA
Gennady Mashianov
Jose Benavidez Sr.
Bozy Ennis
COMEBACK VICTORY OF THE YEAR
🏆WINNER: Vernon Brown TKO7 Gor Yeritsyan
Vernon Brown’s Rocky-esque upset of GOR YERITSYAN ran away with our COMEBACK VICTORY OF THE YEAR award. After shedding practically each minute of each spherical, Brown flipped the script with a sneaky left hand that dropped Yeritsyan within the 7th spherical. Brown then poured on the strain to power a referee stoppage with simply 18 seconds left within the spherical. Equal elements unbelievable and dramatic, Brown’s win doubled as an upset of the 12 months candidate however stood tallest because the 12 months’s greatest comeback.
NOMINEES
Conah Walker TKO11 Harry Scarff
Thomas LaManna TKO5 Juan Rodriguez Jr.
MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, MALE
🏆WINNER: CONAH WALKER
After flying beneath the radar with a 4–3 stretch from 2022–24, Welterweight buzzsaw Conah Walker caught fireplace in 2025 with three knockout wins over Harry Scarfff, Liam Taylor, and unbeaten Pat McCormack. Walker capped his 2025 run by stopping McCormack within the closing seconds of their combat to say the IBF Inter-Continental title. Walker’s penchant for knockouts, willingness to take dangers, and his exercise stage made him a slam dunk for our most improved fighter OF THE YEAR award.
NOMINEES
Armando Reséndiz
Jahi Tucker
Hamzah Sheeraz
Najee Lopez
James Dickens
Ernesto Mercado
MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, FEMALE
🏆WINNER: TIARA BROWN
Featherweight World Champion, TIARA BROWN, backed up her trash discuss in the direction of former unbeaten champ, SKYE NICHOLSON, with a shocking split-decision victory over NICHOLSON in March. BROWN sandwiched the victory over NICHOLSON with an early win over CALISTA SILGADO and profitable title protection in opposition to EMMA GONGORA in September. BROWN’s signature street win over NICHOLSON and constant exercise stage earned her the MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR award.
NOMINEES
Francesca Hennessy
Elizabeth Oshoba
Sarah Liegmann
Chelsey MAE Anderson
Maisey Rose Courtney
🚨UPSET OF THE YEAR🚨
🏆WINNER: Fabio Wardley TKO11 Joseph Parker
Albeit certainly one of 12 months’s most controversial stoppages, Fabio Wardley’s dramatic upset of betting favourite Joseph Parker (+280 vs. -400, respectively) was our 2025 UPSET OF THE YEAR. Trailing on two scorecards, Wardley compelled a Tenth-round stoppage over Parker, who had solely been stopped as soon as as a professional (Joe Joyce) and was on a six-fight win courting again to 2023, together with victories over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Martin Bakole. Wardley’s comeback, the excessive stakes (WBO World Championship on the road), and high quality of this matchup made it stand out because the UPSET OF THE YEAR.
NOMINEES
Julian Rodriguez KO10 Avious Griffin
Terence Crawford UD12 Canelo Álvarez
Armando Reséndiz SD12 Caleb Plant
Kristaps Zulgis TKO1 Jack Oliphant
Rolly Romero UD12 Ryan Garcia
Francisco Rodriguez Jr. UD12 galal Yafai
James Dickens TKO4 Albert Batygaziev
Vernon Brown TKO 7 Gor Yeritsyan
BREAKOUT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, MALE
🏆WINNER: Abdullah Mason
Our 2024 Prospect of the Yr, Abdullah Mason, started 2025 as an unbeaten light-weight prospect and closed it out as the brand new WBO World Light-weight Champion. With a four-fight schedule and wins over unbeaten SAM NOAKES and interim world title challenger JEREMIA NAKATHILA, MASON clearly separated himself from the competitors. His stellar run earned him our high honor amongst a deep area of rising stars.
NOMINEES
Diego Pacheco
Najee Lopez
Jesus Ramos Jr.
Pavel Sosulin
Callum Walsh
Cain Sandoval
Ernesto Mercado
BREAKOUT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, FEMALE
Seventeen-year-old Camila Zamorano turned Girls’s boxing’s youngest present world champion, claiming the WBC Atomweight title with a shutout UD win over SANA HAZUKI in October. Zamorano additionally notched key wins earlier within the 12 months, defeating unbeaten Yoselyn Perez Lopez and capturing an interim world title in opposition to beating Mika Iwakawa. Her age, busy schedule, and dominance earned her high billing as our BREAKOUT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR.
NOMINEES
Francesca Hennessy
Elizabeth Oshoba
Sarah Liegmann
tiara brown
PROSPECT OF THE YEAR, MALE
🏆WINNER: Tomoya Tsuboi
In a deep prospect class, Tremendous Flyweight Tomoya Tsuboi confronted one of many hardest schedules in 2025, profitable his first three fights in opposition to opponents with a mixed 76–9–1 document. Highlights included capturing a vacant WBO Asian Pacific Bantamweight title in solely his second professional combat with a near-shutout over Van Thao Tran and stopping former World Tremendous Flyweight Champ, Carlos Cuadras, in November. Now ranked within the Prime 6 by The Ring, WBO, and WBC, Tsuboi was the clear selection for PROSPECT OF THE YEAR.
NOMINEES
Gradus Kraus
Brandon Mosqueda
Giorgio Visioli
Daniel Blancas
Hamza Uddin
Nishant Dev
PROSPECT OF THE YEAR, FEMALE
🏆WINNER: Tiah-Mai Ayton
Prospect TIAH-MAI AYTON dominated in 2025, scoring consecutive knockouts in 4 fights. She dropped all her opponents a number of occasions in every bout, far exceeding expectations and showcasing early-career prowess that impressed each pundits and Girls’s boxing elite. World champ Katie Taylor even hailed AYTON as a “future star.”
NOMINEES
Roxy Verduzco
Molly McCann
Maisey Rose Courtney
🤦WORST DECISION OF THE YEAR🤦
🏆WINNER: REFEREE’s Questionable sToppage of Emiliano Moreno VS. Cesar Francis (TKO7; modified to NO CONTEST)
2025’s WORST DECISION OF THE YEAR goes to referee DAN STELL for his baffling Seventh-round stoppage of EMILIANO MORENO vs. CESAR FRANCIS, initially awarding MORENO a TKO win that was later overturned to a NO CONTEST. FRANCIS, nonetheless defending himself intelligently and monitoring punches, was prematurely waved off regardless of ending the earlier spherical forward on two of three scorecards and even on the third card. This questionable name and its influence make MORENO vs. FRANCIS the 12 months’s most controversial stoppage.
NOMINEES
Lewis Crocker SD12 Paddy Donovan – II
Marco Verde TKO4 Sona Akale (contraversial stoppage)
Fabio Wardley TKO11 Joseph Parker (contraversial stoppage)
Isaac Cruz Mdraw12 Lamont Roach
Gervonta Davis MDRAW12 Lamont Roach (missed knockdown)
René Téllez Girón UD10 Jordan White (scorecards too shut)
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In regards to the Creator:
Paul R. Jones! is a longtime boxing author and ringside photographer for Boxing Information 24/7. His articles and images have been printed in lots of on-line shops (e.g., Boxing Information 24, Spherical by Spherical Boxing, and Boxing Insider) and in scholarly journals.
Comply with him on Twitter and Instagram @boxingepicenter. E-mail him at prjones1@hotmail.com.
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