Fighter of the Year awards often follow strong champions who continue to defend their positions and expand their ranks within the sport. Crawford had already left when this arrived, which changed the way honor was understood. His status has not been confirmed. It proved where he stood when he left.
A Reward After Receiving the Offer
The victory over Alvarez carried weight beyond one result. Alvarez has spent years as a center of the boxing industry, headlining the sport’s biggest dates and holding his own in numerous championship rounds. Crawford entered that environment from two divisions down and dominated the fight for twelve rounds, dispelling any doubt as to how far his skill could go. When he retired three months later, no defendant waited to challenge a pending lawsuit.
The BWAA vote reflected that closure. Crawford fought once in 2025, while Dmitry Bivol, Naoya Inoue, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, and Rene Santiago remained strong in their divisions. Annual awards typically reward fighters who accumulate wins over an entire calendar year. In this case, a single action was more than worth working elsewhere.
Crawford had already built one of the sport’s most unusual careers before facing Alvarez. He became the undisputed champion at lightweight, junior welterweight, and welterweight, clearing each division without leaving anyone to argue his position. Alvarez’s victory extended that pattern to a fifth weight class against an opponent whose position has remained safe for years. When Crawford later stepped down, he did so without results that required correction or continuation.
Official mark of a completed project
The Fighter of the Year award arrived after the departure. It did not change his career path or introduce a new field. It became the official recognition of his final appearance that resolved the question of how his work should be measured.
The BWAA vote followed the final decision rather than pending another issue. Crawford’s career was already over when the award was announced, and the result clearly confirmed his final fight.