Fighter of the Year awards usually follow active champions still defending their position and extending their standing within the sport. Crawford had already left when this one arrived, which changed how the honor was understood. It did not establish his position. It confirmed where he stood when he exited.
An Award After the Exit
The victory over Alvarez carried weight beyond a single result. Alvarez had spent years as boxing’s commercial center, headlining the sport’s most valuable dates and maintaining his place through multiple championship cycles. Crawford entered that environment from two divisions below 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 challenge 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 across their divisions. Annual awards often favor fighters who accumulate wins across a full calendar. In this case, a single performance outweighed a year’s worth of activity elsewhere.
Crawford had already constructed 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 rival behind to dispute his standing. The Alvarez victory extended that pattern into a fifth weight class against an opponent whose position had remained secure for years. When Crawford stepped away afterward, he did so without a result that demanded correction or continuation.
Formal Recognition of a Finished Career
The Fighter of the Year award arrived after that exit had already been completed. It did not alter his career path or introduce a new phase. It served as formal recognition that his final appearance had resolved the question of how his career would be measured.
The BWAA vote followed the final result rather than anticipating another chapter. Crawford had already completed his career when the award was announced, and the decision confirmed how clearly his final fight had defined his standing.
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