Boxing News 24/7’s Best Of 2025: The Most Memorable Boxers, Fights, KOs, and Moments that Defined 2025!

By Paul R. Jones!  As 2025 comes to a close, BOXING NEWS 24/7 compiled its list of the year’s most powerful boxers, fights, knockouts, and moments.

Here are our 2025 award winners and nominees:

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, MALE

🏆WINNER: NAOYA INOUE

Our 2025 FIGHTER OF THE YEAR is NAOYA INOUE, who separated himself form the competition with dominant performances and an elite activity level. Boxing’s pint-sized “Monster” defended his world titles four times, beating to super bantamweight division while facing opponents with a combined 94.5% winning percentage. INOUE’s strength of schedule and consistency ultimately eclipsed TERENCE CRAWFORD’s historic win over CANELO ÁLVAREZ, to secure this honor.

NOMINEES

Terence Crawford

JESSE RODRIGUEZ

Jai opetaia

DMITRY Bivol

FABIO WARDLEY

MOSES ITAUMA

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, FEMALE

🏆WINNER: ELIF NUR TURHAN

Turkish knockout artist ELIF NUR TURHAN is our Women’s Boxing FIGHTER OF THE YEAR after a sensational 2025 that included three upset wins over undefeated fighters (FERREIRA, AYADI, BROWNE, 24–0 combined), capped by our selection for KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR against Shauna Browne. TURHAN stopped every opponent within six rounds, punctuating her rise with a TKO win over former unbeaten IBF Lightweight World Champ, BEATRIZ FERREIRA. Given her rapid ascent and dominant win over our 2024 Prospect of the year (FERREIRA), the self-proclaimed “GOLDEN TURKISH WARRIOR” was our consensus pick for this honor.

NOMINEES

Mikaela Mayer

CLARESSA SHIELDS

gABRIELA fUNDORA

Yokasta Valle

Alycia Baumgardner

Mizuki Hiruta

ELLIE SCOTNEY

‏ FIGHT OF THE YEAR, MEN’S BOXING

🏆WINNER: Christian Mbilli SDRAW10 Lester Martínez

Our FIGHT OF THE YEAR was an easy call: CHRISTIAN MBILLI’s SPLIT Draw with LESTER MARTÍNEZ. Fighting for the WBC World Championship on the Canelo vs. Crawford undercard, the duo waged a brutal 10-round phonebooth war, trading over 1,700 punches with neither fighter giving an inch. With historic stakes, massive viewership (41M live), and nonstop action, it was a rare DRAW that felt universally satisfying.

NOMINEES

KENSHIRO Teraji TKO12 SEIGO YURI Akui

chris Eubank Jr. UD12 Conor Benn – I

NAOYA Inoue TKO8 RAMON Cardenas

DMITRY Bivol MD12 ARTUR Beterbiev – II

DAVID Benavidez UD12 DAVID Morrell

ISAAC CRUZ UD10 ANGEL FIERRO

fernando martinez ud12 kazuto Ioka

‏FIGHT OF THE YEAR, WOMEN’S BOXING

🏆WINNER: Kim Clavel UD10 Sol Cudos

While the TAYLOR–Serrano trilogy dominated headlines in 2025, our Women’s Boxing FIGHT OF THE YEAR came from a September MVP PROSPECTS 15 card, where KIM CLAVEL outdueled former IBF World Minimumweight Champ, SOL CUDOS by unanimous decision. Despite misleadingly wide scorecards, the bout was a high-speed, high-stakes barnburner featuring adversity for CLAVEL, who was cut early, and relentless action throughout, including a blistering 10^th round that was a strong candidate for Women’s boxing ROUND OF THE YEAR.

NOMINEES

KATIE TAYLOR MD10 Amanda Serrano

tiara brown sd10 skye nicholson

SOL CUDOS SD10 MARIA SOL BAUMSTARH

Cecilia Brækhus UD10 ema kozin

‏PROMOTER OF THE YEAR

🏆WINNER: Turki Alalshikh (RIYADH SEASON)

His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and his Riyadh Season promotions ran away with our 2025 PROMOTER OF THE YEAR honors for the second straight year. Their banner headlined boxing’s biggest and most consequential events, including Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford, Bivol–Beterbiev II, and THE RING V: NIGHT OF THE SAMURAI. Several of these cards ranked among the year’s most watched and highest-grossing events. Further cementing their dominance, RIYADH SEASON secured elite talent, highlighted by reportedly signing Álvarez to a four-fight deal in February.

NOMINEES

MATCHROOM BOXING (EDDIE HEARN)

Queensberry Promotions (Frank Warren)

TOP RANK (BOB ARUM)

Golden Boy Promotions (oscar de la hoya)

Most Valuable promotions (MVP)

‏KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR, MEN’S BOXING

🏆WINNER: Brian Norman JR. KTFO5 Jin Sasaki

2025’s most devastating knockout came when WBO World Welterweight Champ, BRIAN NORMAN JR. landed a flawless left hook on No. 2–ranked JIN SASAKI, ending the fight instantly in round five. Norman Jr’s sudden, chilling, and memory loss-inducing KTFO of Sasaki — delivered on a major stage in Japan with NORMAN JR.’s World Title on the line — stunned the crowd and sealed our top spot as the KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR.

NOMINEES

Jai Opetaia KTFO8 Hüseyin Cinkara

Frank Martin KTFO4 Rances Barthelemy

Craig Richards KTFO12 Dan Azeez

Marlon Harrington KTFO1 Bryan Polanco

Jai Opetaia KTFO4 David Nyika

Kaine Tomlinson Jr. KTFO1 Patrick Sullivan

Stephan Shaw KTFO1 Raphael Akpejori

Arvin Jhon Paciones KTFO2 Jeraldine Ocrarit

Julian Rodriguez KO10 Avious Griffin

‏ KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR, WOMEN’S BOXING

🏆WINNER: Elif Nur Turhan KTFO1 Shauna Browne

Women’s Boxing’s KNOCKOUT OF THE YEAR belonged to ELIF NUR TURHAN, who delivered the year’s most eye-catching knockout against Shauna Browne in March. In a battle of unbeaten lightweights, TURHAN’s heat-seeking left hook dropped BROWNE in the opening round and effectively ended the contest on the spot. The emphatic finish underscored the power and precision that define the “Golden Turkish Warrior.”

NOMINEES

Elif Nur Turhan KTFO5 Beatriz Ferreira

Kacey Wheeler KTFO 1 natali Fagan

‏ TRAINER OF THE YEAR

  🏆WINNER: Brian “BoMac” McIntyre

BRIAN “BOMAC” McINTYRE reclaimed the top spot among boxing’s trainers, earning his second TRAINER OF THE YEAR award in three years (2023, 2025). In 2025, he masterminded Terence Crawford’s historic win over Canelo Álvarez, guided Lester MARTÍNEZ to a FIGHT OF THE YEAR-caliber DRAW with Christian Mbilli, and oversaw key victories for Shakur Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis (who split with BOMAC in June), and Chris Eubank Jr. (EUBANK Jr. – BENN I). Given the breadth and significance of these successes, McINTYRE was the clear choice in this category.

NOMINEES

SHINGO INOUE

ROBERTO GARCIA

Gennady Mashianov

Jose Benavidez Sr.

Bozy Ennis

‏COMEBACK VICTORY OF THE YEAR

🏆WINNER: Vernon Brown TKO7 Gor Yeritsyan

Vernon Brown’s Rocky-esque upset of GOR YERITSYAN ran away with our COMEBACK VICTORY OF THE YEAR award. After losing nearly every minute of every round, Brown flipped the script with a sneaky left hand that dropped Yeritsyan in the 7^th round. Brown then poured on the pressure to force a referee stoppage with just 18 seconds left in the round. Equal parts improbable and dramatic, Brown’s win doubled as an upset of the year candidate but stood tallest as the year’s best comeback.

NOMINEES

Conah Walker TKO11 Harry Scarff

Thomas LaManna TKO5 Juan Rodriguez Jr.

‏ MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, MALE

🏆WINNER: CONAH WALKER

After flying under the radar with a 4–3 stretch from 2022–24, Welterweight buzzsaw Conah Walker caught fire in 2025 with three knockout wins over Harry Scarfff, Liam Taylor, and unbeaten Pat McCormack. Walker capped his 2025 run by stopping McCormack in the closing seconds of their fight to claim the IBF Inter-Continental title. Walker’s penchant for knockouts, willingness to take risks, and his activity level made him a slam dunk for our most improved fighter OF THE YEAR award.

NOMINEES

Armando Reséndiz

Jahi Tucker

Hamzah Sheeraz

Najee Lopez

James Dickens

Ernesto Mercado

‏ MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, FEMALE

 

🏆WINNER: TIARA BROWN

Featherweight World Champion, TIARA BROWN, backed up her trash talk towards former unbeaten champ, SKYE NICHOLSON, with a stunning split-decision victory over NICHOLSON in March. BROWN sandwiched the victory over NICHOLSON with an early win over CALISTA SILGADO and successful title defense against EMMA GONGORA in September. BROWN’s signature road win over NICHOLSON and consistent activity level earned her the MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER OF THE YEAR award.

NOMINEES

Francesca Hennessy

Elizabeth Oshoba

Sarah Liegmann

Chelsey MAE Anderson

Maisey Rose Courtney

‏ 🚨UPSET OF THE YEAR🚨

🏆WINNER: Fabio Wardley TKO11 Joseph Parker

Albeit one of year’s most controversial stoppages, Fabio Wardley’s dramatic upset of betting favorite Joseph Parker (+280 vs. -400, respectively) was our 2025 UPSET OF THE YEAR. Trailing on two scorecards, Wardley forced a 10th-round stoppage over Parker, who had only been stopped once as a pro (Joe Joyce) and was on a six-fight win dating back to 2023, including victories over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Martin Bakole. Wardley’s comeback, the high stakes (WBO World Championship on the line), and quality of this matchup made it stand out as the UPSET OF THE YEAR.

NOMINEES

Julian Rodriguez KO10 Avious Griffin

Terence Crawford UD12 Canelo Álvarez 

Armando Reséndiz SD12 Caleb Plant

Kristaps Zulgis TKO1 Jack Oliphant

Rolly Romero UD12 Ryan Garcia

Francisco Rodriguez Jr. UD12 galal Yafai

James Dickens TKO4 Albert Batygaziev

Vernon Brown TKO 7 Gor Yeritsyan

‏ BREAKOUT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, MALE

🏆WINNER: Abdullah Mason

Our 2024 Prospect of the Year, Abdullah Mason, began 2025 as an unbeaten lightweight prospect and closed it out as the new WBO World Lightweight Champion. With a four-fight schedule and wins over unbeaten SAM NOAKES and interim world title challenger JEREMIA NAKATHILA, MASON clearly separated himself from the competition. His stellar run earned him our top honor among a deep field of rising stars.

NOMINEES

Diego Pacheco

Najee Lopez

Jesus Ramos Jr.

Pavel Sosulin

Callum Walsh

Cain Sandoval

Ernesto Mercado

BREAKOUT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR, FEMALE

Seventeen-year-old Camila Zamorano became Women’s boxing’s youngest current world champion, claiming the WBC Atomweight title with a shutout UD win over SANA HAZUKI in October. Zamorano also notched key wins earlier in the year, defeating unbeaten Yoselyn Perez Lopez and capturing an interim world title against beating Mika Iwakawa. Her age, busy schedule, and dominance earned her top billing as our BREAKOUT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR.

NOMINEES

Francesca Hennessy

Elizabeth Oshoba

Sarah Liegmann

tiara brown

‏PROSPECT OF THE YEAR, MALE

 

🏆WINNER: Tomoya Tsuboi

In a deep prospect class, Super Flyweight Tomoya Tsuboi faced one of the toughest schedules in 2025, winning his first three fights against opponents with a combined 76–9–1 record. Highlights included capturing a vacant WBO Asian Pacific Bantamweight title in only his second pro fight with a near-shutout over Van Thao Tran and stopping former World Super Flyweight Champ, Carlos Cuadras, in November. Now ranked in the Top 6 by The Ring, WBO, and WBC, Tsuboi was the clear choice for PROSPECT OF THE YEAR.

NOMINEES

Gradus Kraus

Brandon Mosqueda

Giorgio Visioli

Daniel Blancas

Hamza Uddin

Nishant Dev

‏‏PROSPECT OF THE YEAR, FEMALE

🏆WINNER: Tiah-Mai Ayton

Prospect TIAH-MAI AYTON dominated in 2025, scoring consecutive knockouts in four fights. She dropped all her opponents multiple times in each bout, far exceeding expectations and showcasing early-career prowess that impressed both pundits and Women’s boxing elite. World champ Katie Taylor even hailed AYTON as a “future star.”

NOMINEES

Roxy Verduzco

Molly McCann

Maisey Rose Courtney

‏🤦WORST DECISION OF THE YEAR🤦

🏆WINNER: REFEREE’s Questionable sToppage of Emiliano Moreno VS. Cesar Francis (TKO7; changed to NO CONTEST)

2025’s WORST DECISION OF THE YEAR goes to referee DAN STELL for his baffling 7th-round stoppage of EMILIANO MORENO vs. CESAR FRANCIS, initially awarding MORENO a TKO win that was later overturned to a NO CONTEST. FRANCIS, still defending himself intelligently and tracking punches, was prematurely waved off despite ending the previous round ahead on two of three scorecards and even on the third card. This questionable call and its impact make MORENO vs. FRANCIS the year’s most controversial stoppage.

NOMINEES

Lewis Crocker SD12 Paddy Donovan – II

Marco Verde TKO4 Sona Akale (contraversial stoppage)

Fabio Wardley TKO11 Joseph Parker (contraversial stoppage)

Isaac Cruz Mdraw12 Lamont Roach

Gervonta Davis MDRAW12 Lamont Roach (missed knockdown)

René Téllez Girón UD10 Jordan White (scorecards too close)

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About the Author: 

Paul R. Jones! is a longtime boxing writer and ringside photographer for Boxing News 24/7. His articles and photographs have been published in many online outlets (e.g., Boxing News 24, Round by Round Boxing, and Boxing Insider) and in scholarly journals.

Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @boxingepicenter. Email him at prjones1@hotmail.com.

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