Terence Crawford could miss out on historic ‘Fighter of the

Terence Crawford could miss out on historic ‘Fighter of the Year’ award following one upcoming matchup

Terence Crawford undoubtedly earned the biggest win of 2025 last month.

At Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Crawford defeated Canelo Alvarez to become the undisputed super super middleweight champion.

Many even believed that the unanimous scorecards didn’t truly reflect just how dominant ‘Bud’ was on September 13.

READ: How Terence Crawford Owes Turki Alalshikh a Real Fight, After Ca

While there have been some hot takes about what Crawford achieved, there’s no denying that the manner of his performance after moving up two weight classes was incredibly impressive.

It may seem like he has the ‘Fighter of the Year’ award already in the bag, but one upcoming fight could challenge that position.

Naoya Inoue’s fourth fight of 2025 could provide competition for the ‘Fighter of the Year’ award

When it comes time for The Ring magazine to crown their ‘Fighter of the Year’ for 2025, Terence Crawford is likely going to be the first name that’s put forward.

His win was so impressive that some have even urged Crawford to retire while he’s on top of the sport after everything that he has already accomplished.

That being said, there are some that criticized Canelo Alvarez’s display on September 13, questioning whether the Mexican star overlooked his opponent.

Crawford’s win was the biggest moment in boxing this year, but it’s also the only time that he has competed in 2025.

Naoya Inoue, on the other hand, who is ranked as The Ring’s #3 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, two spots behind ‘Bud’, has been much more active.

‘The Monster’ has already produced three wins this year to defend his undisputed super bantamweight titles, including a bout with Ramon Cardenas where he recovered after being dropped in the second round.

Inoue is currently scheduled to return against Alan Picasso on December 27 in Riyadh, where a fourth consecutive win in one calendar year could provide some serious opposition to Crawford.

To use the UFC as a comparison, Ilia Topuria likely holds the single most impressive win of 2025.

However, Merab Dvalishvili set to make UFC history by defending his bantamweight title four times in December, it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t had the best year.

Terence Crawford would be just the third American fighter to win the award in 15 years

Terence Crawford would join an exclusive list of American fighters who have been named The Ring’s ‘Fighter of the Year’ in recent times.

The magnitude of Crawford’s win in September still puts him in a strong position as the fighter that most people will consider to be the favorite for the award.

However, if Naoya Inoue can end the year with a big performance against Alan Picasso, there is room for a debate.