Fighter of the Year awards usually follow active champions who continue to defend their position and expand their standing within the sport. Crawford had already left when this one arrived, changing how the honor was understood. It has not established its position. It confirmed where he was standing when he got out.
An award after the exit
The win over Canelo meant more than a single result. Alvarez spent years as boxing’s commercial center, headlining the sport’s most valuable dates and maintaining his spot through multiple championship cycles. Crawford entered that environment from two divisions down and controlled the fight over twelve rounds, removing uncertainty about how far his skill could reach. When he retired three months later, there was no opponent waiting to contest an unfinished claim.
The BWAA vote reflected that closure. Crawford fought once in 2025, while Dmitry Bivol, Naoya Inoue, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Rene Santiago remained active in their divisions. Annual awards often favor fighters who accumulate wins over a full calendar. In this case, a single achievement outweighed a year’s worth of activity elsewhere.
Crawford had already built one of the sport’s rare careers before facing Alvarez. He became undisputed champion at lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight, clearing each division without leaving a challenger to challenge his stature. The Alvarez win extended that pattern to a fifth weight class against an opponent whose position has remained secure for years. When Crawford walked away after that, he did so without a result that required correction or continuation.
Formal recognition of a completed career
The Fighter of the Year award came after that exit was already complete. It didn’t change his career or usher in a new phase. It served as formal recognition that his final appearance settled the question of how his career would be measured.
The BWAA vote followed the final result rather than anticipating another chapter. Crawford had already finished his career when the award was announced, and the decision confirmed how clearly his final fight defined his stature.
