As the curtain falls on 2025, the world of boxing reflects on a year packed with historic triumphs, dramatic rivalries, and jaw-dropping knockouts that have solidified the sport's enduring appeal. At the forefront stands Terence Crawford, the Omaha native who achieved the impossible by leaping two weight classes to dethrone Canelo Alvarez and claim undisputed super middleweight championship, becoming the first fighter to do so in three divisions during the four-belt era that began in 2007. This feat, accomplished in a masterclass performance that left the Mexican superstar visibly frustrated, capped a career that saw Crawford rise from junior lightweight to welterweight dominance before retiring on a high note.
According to ESPN boxing analysts Teddy Atlas and Timothy Bradley Jr., Crawford's victory over Alvarez was a defining moment. "Crawford answered those questions definitively by putting on a superior masterclass of boxing," the report noted, highlighting how the Nebraskan, who competed mostly between 135 and 147 pounds, absorbed Alvarez's power without faltering. Alvarez had ruled the 168-pound division for five years, but Crawford's strategic brilliance turned doubts into legend, propelling him into superstardom and earning him ESPN's men's fighter of the year honors.
While Crawford's story dominated headlines, women's boxing saw its own prodigy shine. Gabriela Fundora, at just 23, solidified her status as the sport's future by securing two knockout victories in 2025—over Alexas Kubicki and Marilyn Badillo—to defend her undisputed flyweight title. Her physical advantages, including a 5-foot-9 frame and 69-inch reach, combined with sharp skills, landed her in the top five of ESPN's women's pound-for-pound rankings. Fundora, the youngest undisputed champion ever when she claimed the belts in 2024, is the only fighter under 30 on the list and has expressed intentions to drop weight classes in 2026, potentially aiming for back-to-back fighter of the year awards.
The year's drama extended beyond individual accolades to unforgettable bouts. In the men's category, the grudge match between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium captured global attention, echoing a bitter feud from their fathers' middleweight clashes three decades prior. The event, billed as a generational showdown, featured tense prefight walkouts with Eubank accompanied by his father, Chris Eubank Sr., and delivered an epic back-and-forth that had the crowd roaring.
Benn started aggressively, but Eubank mounted a comeback in the second half to secure a unanimous decision victory. "Conor Benn believes his victory over Chris Eubank Jr. will be on par with the feeling of winning a world title," ESPN reported, though it was Eubank who emerged triumphant in this rare fight that lived up to—and arguably surpassed—its hype. The pendulum swings of momentum made it ESPN's pick for men's fight of the year, underscoring U.K. boxing's vibrant legacy.
On the women's side, the trilogy closer between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano provided a tactical masterpiece, diverging from the slugfests of their prior encounters. In their 10-round bout, both opted for caution, with Taylor using a precise check hook to control distance and land flurries when Serrano closed in. Taylor's methodical approach earned her a majority decision, outpointing her rival in what ESPN described as "an intriguing chess match" akin to conservative football strategies favoring short passes over risky plays.
Though not as thrilling as the first two fights, the bout showcased the technical prowess of two of the planet's elite, with Taylor maintaining her edge through vigilance. Serrano appeared subdued, but the strategic shift highlighted their evolution, setting a high bar for future women's boxing rivalries and earning it the women's fight of the year nod from ESPN writers Nick Parkinson and James Regan.
Emerging talents also made waves, with 23-year-old British prospect Adam Azim accelerating his rise to junior welterweight contention. In February, Azim became only the second fighter to stop former world champion Sergey Lipinets, rolling through him with impressive power. He followed in late 2025 with a punishing 12th-round stoppage of Kurt Scoby, targeting the body relentlessly to force the referee's intervention. Long pegged as a future champion, Azim's rapid evolution in 2025 marked him as ESPN's prospect of the year.
Knockouts provided some of the year's most visceral highlights, none more so than Brian Norman Jr.'s fifth-round demolition of Jin Sasaki in Japan, defending his WBO welterweight title. Norman, landing a sweeping left hook as Sasaki jabbed to the body, sent his opponent crashing to the canvas with such force that his head bounced violently. The referee waved off the fight immediately, no count needed, after Sasaki had already been floored twice in the opening round.
Days later, the owner of Sasaki's home gym told Japanese media that the fighter was grappling with memory loss and couldn't recall the six weeks leading to the bout, raising concerns about his condition. While contenders like Fabio Wardley's comeback knockout of Justis Huni and Jai Opetaia's flattening of Huseyin Cinkara were strong, Norman's punch announced him as the division's hardest hitter, securing ESPN's KO of the year.
Upsets added unpredictability, with Rolando 'Rolly' Romero stunning the boxing world by defeating heavy favorite Ryan Garcia on May 2 at New York's Times Square in the first fight card there. Garcia, a -900 betting favorite expected to knock out Romero with his left hook, was instead dropped in the second round by Romero's own version of the punch. What followed was a lackluster affair, with the fighters landing just 123 of 490 punches thrown—the third-lowest output in CompuBox history for a 12-rounder.
Romero nursed his lead to a unanimous decision, derailing plans for a Devin Haney-Garcia rematch after Haney had easily dispatched Jose Ramirez earlier that night. The low-action upset, part of a card meant to build hype, instead became a nightmare for Garcia and ESPN's upset of the year selection.
Behind the scenes, trainers shaped these narratives, with Robert Garcia standing out for his multifaceted success. He guided Raymond Muratalla to a lightweight interim title by outpointing Zaur Abdullaev in May, helped Vergil Ortiz Jr. toward pound-for-pound contention with a February drubbing of Israil Madrimov and November decimation of Erickson Lubin, and elevated Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez—ESPN's No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter—with two 10th-round knockouts of champions Phumelele Cafu in July and Fernando Martinez in November.
Competitors like Brian 'BoMac' McIntyre, who trained Crawford and Eubank Jr., and Ben Davison, behind Wardley and Moses Itauma, had stellar years, but Garcia's work across weight classes and with top talents earned him trainer of the year. Rodriguez's scintillating finishes underscored Garcia's impact, securing his charges' legacies.
Looking ahead, 2025's highlights leave boxing poised for growth. Crawford's retirement opens doors for new heavyweights like Oleksandr Usyk, who maintained dominance, and multi-title holders like Naoya Inoue with four defenses and Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez expanding his collection. Fundora's potential move down could spark fresh rivalries, while Azim's trajectory promises U.K. excitement. As fans anticipate 2026, the year's blend of history, skill, and surprise reaffirms boxing's timeless thrill.