Normally by September, the Fighter of the Year race has one or two names running ahead of the pack. This year? Forget it. Injuries, upsets, and dramatic comebacks mean the picture is still messy, and that’s why the boxing fighter of the year unpredictability is such a talking point. One moment it looks clear, the next it’s been flipped upside down with a single punch.
Usyk’s Injury Leaves a Gap
Oleksandr Usyk was the safe bet coming into 2025, but his injury issues — and that bizarre clip of him dancing while under medical suspension — left the WBO fuming and the division wide open. With Usyk on the shelf, nobody has truly stepped up to claim the crown.
Wardley’s Comeback Steals the Show
For me, the best contender so far is Fabio Wardley’s comeback win. He was being battered from pillar to post, on the verge of defeat, and then turned the fight around with one huge shot. That single punch flipped the script and reminded everyone why we watch this sport — for nights when anything can happen. If unpredictability is the theme of the year, Wardley’s performance sums it up perfectly.
Liverpool Delivers Shockwaves
The World Championships in Liverpool added to the drama. Nikhat Zareen looked outstanding, while Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain crashed out early. It’s proof that even at the amateur level, nothing is guaranteed. Stars rise and fall in the blink of an eye, and it feeds into the bigger story of how unsettled boxing feels right now.
Canelo vs Crawford: The Vegas Wildcard
And then there’s this weekend. Forget the noise of smaller cards in town — the real story is Canelo Álvarez vs Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas. It’s being billed as the “Fight of the Century,” with Canelo defending his undisputed super-middleweight crown and Crawford daring to jump two weight classes to meet him.
This is the kind of fight that could redefine the boxing fighter of the year unpredictability conversation overnight. If Canelo dominates, he’s back in the driver’s seat. If Crawford pulls off the upset, he instantly becomes the frontrunner for every award going. Either way, the landscape changes in one night.
Do Awards Need to Evolve?
All of this begs the question: are end-of-year awards still fit for purpose? Fan votes often just reward popularity, while sanctioning bodies are too political to take seriously. Maybe boxing should break it down into categories — “Performance of the Year,” “Comeback of the Year,” “Knockout of the Year” — so fighters like Wardley get the recognition they deserve even if they don’t end the year as the overall winner.
Chaos Is Good for Boxing
The truth is, boxing needs this unpredictability. If we already knew who the Fighter of the Year was going to be, there’d be nothing to argue about, nothing to debate in the pub, nothing to fight about on social media. It’s the chaos that keeps people hooked, and 2025 is giving us chaos in spades.
Over to You
So what do you reckon? Is Wardley’s comeback still the fight of the year so far, or will Canelo vs Crawford blow everything else away this weekend?
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