Boxing mid-year awards: The best fight, knockout, upset and more through 2025's first 6 months
With this fight week being quieter than most, the Uncrowned crew decided it was the perfect time to look back and celebrate the best of the year so far — from standout fighters and iconic bouts to brutal knockouts and shocking upsets.
Advertisement
Given how much has happened, several members of our boxing team — Darshan Desai, Alan Dawson, Lewis Watson and Jake Donovan — couldn't always agree on just one winner per category. So, where debate reigned, we've included multiple picks.
Without further ado, here are our mid-year boxing standouts across five key categories.
Fight of the Year: Isaac Cruz vs. Angel Fierro & Kenshiro Teraji vs. Seigo Yuri Akui
Alan Dawson: Hey, kids. Do you like violence?
Mexican warriors Isaac Cruz (27-3-1, 18 KOs) and Angel Fierro (23-3-2, 18 KOs) delivered just that this past February, and will do so again in their July 19 rematch on the Mario Barrios vs. Manny Pacquiao undercard.
Advertisement
Cruz's promoter Sean Gibbons compared the first installment of the Cruz-Fierro rivalry to Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward, as it was so spectacular. They continually cracked one another with their most powerful punches from the opening bell, from chin-shattering uppercuts to soul-destroying body shots.
Cruz almost dropped Fierro in the fourth round with a right hand he lasered onto his opponent's skull, buckling his legs by the ropes. As the rounds progressed, Fierro responded by throwing more punches in bunches, with both men combining for an absurd 1,410 shots by the end of the fight.
If any of your friends or family were curious about combat sports, Cruz vs. Fierro is precisely the kind of chaos that would either pull them in and ensure they'd never leave, or push them away, never to return.
Advertisement
For us, this is why we watch the fights. It was an edge-of-the-seat thriller — and we get to see it a second time later this month.
Jake Donovan: Kenshiro Teraji realized very early that his showdown with Seigo Yuri Akui would be nothing like his previous unification bout. Then he realized very late that he needed to produce something dramatic to prevail in their WBC/WBA flyweight title showdown on March 13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.
By that point, boxing fans sensed they were watching something special. Teraji (25-1, 16 KOs) upped the ante and provided all viewers with a lasting memory. Trailing on two cards through 11 rounds, Teraji finally got to Akui (21-3-1, 11 KOs) when it mattered most. He was forced to fight off the back foot at points and wade through a swarm of power shots from his determined countryman.
That changed early in the 12th and final round. Teraji shifted from trading with Akui to gunning for the knockout. It came at a point when Akui already went all in and was running on empty at the worst possible time. Teraji landed a combination along the ropes before a final right hand left Akui defenseless in the center of the ring. Referee Katsuhiko Nakamura jumped in to rescue Akui with just 89 seconds to go on the night.
Advertisement
The matchup marked just the third-ever unification bout at the time between reigning titlists from Japan — a select group since joined by Junto Nakatani vs. Ryosuke Nishida. Teraji has now prevailed in each of his two entries on that short list; he previously tore through then-unbeaten Hiroto Kyoguchi to unify the WBC and WBA titles at junior flyweight in perhaps the signature performance of his thrilling career.
His win over Akui produced a memorable 11-plus rounds that boxing fans will cherish for years to come.
Event of the Year: Chris Eubank Jr vs. Conor Benn
Darshan Desai: Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn's British middleweight classic could've easily joined Teraji vs. Akui and Cruz vs. Fierro as a pick for Fight of the Year, but that would've been downplaying it. After all, Eubank vs. Benn was more than just a fight — it was a Hollywood-esque drama.
Advertisement
If you only consumed the 12 terrific rounds between the pair, you'd have been thoroughly entertained, but you would've left without the full experience. To truly admire the action that unfolded on April 26 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, fans would've had to follow the rivalry back to 1990.
This was the year when Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn crossed paths for the first time for the WBO middleweight title in Birmingham after a fierce buildup that captivated the nation. In a bout still considered by many to be the best in British boxing history, Eubank Sr. stopped Benn to dethrone him of his championship.
Three years later, Benn appeared to have evened the score against Eubank Sr. in their super middleweight unification contest, however a debatable split draw meant the Eubank family still had the edge in this blood feud. Talks for a third fight between the pair took place multiple times in the mid-'90s, but a trilogy never materialized.
That was until their sons, Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn, put pen to paper in August 2022 to renew hostilities in a feud spanning more than 30 years. The fight was billed as "Born Rivals" with their father's famous fights lurking in the background of the artwork — it was a nostalgic moment for British boxing fans.
No event in 2025 has been as memorable as Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn.
(Mark Robinson via Getty Images)
Fans should've had a memorable night. But instead, we were left with a pair of failed drug tests and two years of muddied waters. The less said about that, the better.
Advertisement
When the fight was finally rescheduled this year, it had a different feel to it. It was a contest stained with the ugly poison of drug scandals that damage the sport on a daily basis.
But with boxing being as fickle as it is, Eubank Jr.'s egg-slap of Benn at their launch press conference propelled the hype train into full swing again. It turned out to be a buildup to remember and a show that had the common man in Britain glued to their television screens. The interest reached an all-time high when a cacophony of noise accompanied Eubank Sr.'s shock arrival at the venue just hours before the main event, despite his claims throughout the lead-up that he wouldn't be present at the fight.
"He's here! And the crowd are going wild — father and son reunited, simply the best," commentator Adam Smith shouted during the iconic moment the Eubank duo arrived at the venue.
Eubank Jr. and Benn had a lot to live up to — and oh boy, did they exceed it. The 60,000-plus fans in Tottenham loved every one of the 36 minutes they watched. That night showed the importance of a raucous, passionate atmosphere at a time when many fights are heading to the Middle East for financial reasons. It simply would not have been the same fight anywhere else but in Britain. The crowd, in many ways, made the night.
Japan's Junto Nakatani is 2-0 already in 2025.
(STR via Getty Images)
Fighter of the Year: Junto Nakatani & Dmitry Bivol
Lewis Watson: Stoppage wins over David Cuellar Contreras and Ryosuke Nishida in the first half of 2025 have propelled Japanese superstar Junto Nakatani up boxing's mythical pound-for-pound standings — and rightly so.
Advertisement
The three-weight world champion is fast becoming a box-office draw outside of his native Japan, and after a five-fight stretch of dominant wins at bantamweight inside the distance, the 27-year-old is setting his sights on 122-pound waters and the awaiting "The Monster," Naoya Inoue.
The southpaw hits hard, controls the distance beautifully, and is intelligent enough to gauge when to instigate his attacks most effectively. And with his best years arguably ahead of him, the sky's the limit for the man they call "Big Bang."
Perhaps there have been bigger individual wins for fighters so far in 2025, but the combined success of Nakatani besting two top-10 bantamweights at a relative canter is more than worthy of this half-year award.
Dmitry Bivol may have boxing's biggest win of the year so far.
(Mark Robinson via Getty Images)
Darshan Desai: Nakatani has two impressive wins in the first half of 2025, but Dmitry Bivol's triumph over Artur Beterbiev makes him the frontrunner for Fighter of the Year.
Advertisement
While Bivol has only competed once compared to Nakatani's two appearances, Bivol's win came as a betting underdog over Uncrowned's No. 4 male boxer pound-for-pound Beterbiev at the time. Nakatani was a heavy favorite in both his contests against divisional top-10 opponents.
Bivol's masterful display against Beterbiev in February saw him avenge his lone career loss and capture boxing's undisputed light heavyweight world titles. He didn't have it all his own way, either.
At one point in the middle rounds, Beterbiev had won four consecutive frames and it looked as if it was going to be his night once again. Bivol wasn't jabbing as fluidly as he was in the first fight, nor was he controlling the distance with his movement. Beterbiev was dictating the pace and pushing Bivol back, as he had done to all of his previous opponents.
But as great champions do, Bivol found a way to come back when the chips were stacked against him. Beterbiev began to tire from the eighth round onward, and Bivol had another gear waiting for him. Bivol's sharp counter-punching, combinations and overall volume guided him to a majority decision win.
Advertisement
Bivol is Uncrowned's No. 4 pound-for-pound active male boxer and looks headed for a trilogy with Beterbiev, Uncrowned's No. 6 best pound-for-pound boxer. Should Bivol make it 2-1 in his rivalry with Beterbiev, expect to find him atop this list once more in December.
KO of the Year: Brian Norman Jr. KO-5 Jin Sasaki
Lewis Watson: Brian Norman Jr.'s explosive one-punch knockout of Jin Sasaki rubber-stamped a perfect night's work for the WBO welterweight champion.
A highlight-reel stoppage was just the tonic for the 24-year-old as he begins stamping his feet a little louder in the 147-pound division, with the whole weight class waking up to that devastating left hand.
Advertisement
Norman left his Japanese opponent out cold on his back in the middle of the canvas, as a silenced home crowd looked on in horror.
Without meaning to trivialize the horrors of the aftermath of this fight, the fact that Sasaki lost memory of the previous six weeks of his life following this knockout says all you need to know about the impact of Norman's brutal attack.
The image of Norman retreating to the neutral corner, looking down at a motionless Sasaki center-ring, will live long in the memory of those inside the Tokyo venue.
Upset of the Year: Rolly Romero UD-12 Ryan Garcia & Jose Armando Resendiz SD-12 Caleb Plant
Alan Dawson: One of the most popular fighters in combat sports, Ryan Garcia, was the -1200 favorite on BetMGM ahead of the Rolly Romero fight on May 2.
Advertisement
Garcia had everything to become a superstar — good looks, his fast fists, and the knockout power he could generate from his left hook.
But then came along Rolly Romero, who had oft been overlooked, to wreak havoc on Turki Alalshikh's plans to pair Garcia against Devin Haney in a mega-rematch later in the year.
Few observers outside of Romero's coaching staff expected the kind of disciplined performance that Romero pulled off, but the underdog dropped Garcia in shocking fashion in the second round, and then rarely put a foot — or shot — wrong the rest of the way, as the three ringside judges rewarded his work with a lopsided unanimous decision win in a shocking upset.
It's Rolly's world right now, and we're all just living in it.
Advertisement
Jake Donovan: The signs were there if you paid close enough attention.
Fighters always insist that they never look beyond the task in front of them, no matter how alluring are the plans ahead. This matchup was a simple formula for Caleb Plant; defeat Armando Resendiz to secure a grudge match with Jermall Charlo, who did his part with a stoppage win on the May 31 undercard at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.
The buildup to the event was mild, particularly with the lack of animosity between Plant and Resendiz. That suddenly changed during fight week, though not through any back-and-forth. It was almost as if Plant (23-3, 14 KOs) needed to manifest a rivalry, while Resendiz (16-2, 11 KOs) never took the bait.
That energy spilled over into the ring. Plant was fighting in his adopted hometown, but it was Mexico's Resendiz who received rabid support from Mexican and Mexican-American fans on hand. A competitive fight through six quickly transitioned into the year's biggest upset on paper, as Resendiz — a +1100 betting underdog — worked Plant's body and piled up rounds on the scorecards.
Advertisement
Two of the three judges got it right in the end, even if the outcome was all wrong for those banking on a Plant vs. Charlo showdown later this year. Two fights removed from a knockout loss to then-unbeaten prospect Elijah Garcia, Resendiz was suddenly on top of the world as he left Plant at a career crossroads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
a few seconds ago
- Associated Press
Akie Iwai of Japan shoots 64 in Portland to take lead in bid for first LPGA Tour title
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Akie Iwai of Japan eagled the fifth hole and birdied the other three par 5s at Columbia Edgewater, shooting an 8-under 64 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead in The Standard Portland Classic. Iwai is trying to join twin sister Chisato as an LPGA Tour winner this year after second-place finishes in Thailand in February and Los Angeles in April. She put on a ball-striking exhibition Saturday in mostly calm conditions on the tree-lined course, hitting to 3 feet to set up the eagle and twice to a foot for birdie — the last on the par-4 18th to get to 18-under 198. 'My style, my golf style, is aggressive,' she said. 'That's why no change this week. Also, aim to the pin — boom! boom! Every shot, every hole. That's it.' Grace Kim of Australia was second after a 67. She holed a 156-yard shot for eagle from the left rough on the par-4 17th. 'I was trying to see if I could get a drop,' Kim said. 'I wasn't entirely over the sprinkler-head boxes so you knew I just had to hit it. Leaked right again. I was like, `Oh, please get through the rough.' Somehow went in the hole, so I guess a little bit of luck in there.' Linn Grant was 14 under after a 65. The Swede won the 2023 Dana Open for her lone LPGA Tour title. 'Tried to go out and just be, I wouldn't say happy, but just accepting of whatever today would bring,' Grant said. 'I think I played very mature and just had a lot of fun.' Gurleen Kaur had a 70 to get to 13 under, and Aditi Ashok (65) was another stroke back with Gina Kim (67). Chisato Iwai — the winner in Mexico at Mayakoba in May — was in the group at 11 under after a 66. She also eagled the fifth hole. Haeran Ryu, at No. 9 in the world one of only two top-10 players in the field, also was 11 under. She had a hole-in-one on the 177-yard 16th in a 67. Akie Iwai dropped a stroke on the par-3 second, then played a five-hole stretch in 5 under. She hit her second shot to 3 feet to set up the eagle, then hit to a foot on the par-4 sixth. On the back nine, she birdied three of the first four holes, two of them par 5s, then hit a 152-yard shot to a foot on 18. Two-time champion Brooke Henderson, a stroke back after an opening 65, followed a second-round 73 with a 68 to get to 10 under. The Canadian star is winless since January 2023. Second-round leader Jeongeun Lee5 also was 10 under. She shot 74. Amateur Kiara Romero was 8 under after a 72. The University of Oregon star won the 2023 U.S. Girls' Junior and 2025 Big Ten title. The tournament is the longest continuous event on the LPGA Tour except for the majors, dating to 1972. ___ AP golf:
Associated Press
a few seconds ago
- Associated Press
Mets rookie McLean shows off arsenal, athleticism in impressive debut
NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza turned to bench coach John Gibbons as they watched pitcher Nolan McLean get into his first big league jam on Saturday. 'I think I told Gibbons 'All right, let's see what we've got here right away,'' Mendoza said. The Mets might have themselves a keeper. The 24-year-old right-hander made a highlight reel double play to escape the third inning and earned the win in his major league debut on Saturday when he tossed 5 1/3 scoreless frames to help the Mets to a much-needed 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners. McLean allowed two hits, walked four and struck out eight in the longest scoreless outing by a Mets starter since June 11, when David Peterson shut out the Washington Nationals. New York's rotation entered Saturday averaging 4.96 innings per appearance. 'We needed that — as a team, as an organization, given where we're at and how hard it's been for us,' Mendoza said after the Mets won for just the third time in 17 games. McLean showed off a five-pitch arsenal that included a high-70s curveball, a high-80s sweeper, a 90-mph cutter and sinkers and fastballs both measured in the high 90s. He limited the Mariners to one hit in 10 plate appearances with a runner on base. The former two-way player — a third-round pick of the Mets out of Oklahoma State in 2023 — also displayed his athleticism in the third. McLean walked J.P. Crawford and Cole Young before Cal Raleigh's one-out single loaded the bases for Julio Rodríguez, who has 10 homers since the All-Star Break. But McLean made a no-look, behind-the-back grab of Rodríguez's comebacker and began the 1-4-3 double play. First baseman Pete Alonso grinned widely as he looked at the ball in his glove and McLean smiled while walking off the mound. 'I try to stay as athletic as possible,' McLean said. 'But I think that play was majority luck, honestly.' McLean allowed just two more baserunners over his final nine batters. He is the seventh Mets starter to throw at least five scoreless innings in his major league debut and the sixth to strike out at least eight batters. 'He was just at ease and executed from pitch one,' said shortstop Francisco Lindor, who put the Mets ahead with an RBI double in the bottom of the third. 'I felt like the more the crowd got involved, the more he fed off it.' A sellout crowd of 42,978 gave McLean three standing ovations — when he walked off the mound in the sixth and again when he was pictured on the scoreboard prior to the seventh and ninth innings. 'That was unbelievable,' McLean said. 'It was definitely special to get that.' After Edwin Díaz recorded the final out, the Mets waited for McLean to join them near second base for their usual post-victory dance. 'Surreal — I mean, I couldn't have dreamed it up any better, from the fans to being able to compete against a good Seattle team,' McLean said. Mendoza grinned when asked if McLean had earned another start, likely against the Atlanta Braves next weekend. 'I think so,' he said. 'Don't you?' ___ AP MLB:
New York Times
a few seconds ago
- New York Times
49ers standouts vs. Raiders: Brock Purdy's hot start, Jake Moody's redemption
LAS VEGAS — The injuries keep piling up for the San Francisco 49ers, as three players were knocked out of Saturday's preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, most notably starting right guard Dominick Puni. The 49ers couldn't run the ball (but hey, it's a passing league), and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir will be hearing it from teammates for a while after Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty hit him with a stiff-arm that sent Lenoir straight to the ground. Advertisement Jake Moody went from goat to hero and won the game, 22-19, with a 59-yard field goal with 13 seconds left. He was one of three standouts at Allegiant Stadium, along with three things that will have the coaching staff scratching their heads when they watch the game on film. Moody missed a 53-yard field goal badly in the second quarter after making a 30-yarder in the first quarter. He then barely made a 26-yarder in the third quarter, and maybe Greg Joseph, the vanquished training-camp competitor, was getting a little excited watching on his couch somewhere. But Moody nailed the next three kicks, from 50, 44 and 59 yards out, all in the fourth quarter and the latter two in the final minute. (He said his new two-step approach is good up until 63 yards, and beyond that, he might have had to go back to taking three steps.) His 49ers teammates swarmed him after the game-winning kick, and yeah, it was a rewarding feeling after his struggles last season. JAKE MOODY 59-YARD FIELD GOAL FOR THE WIN @49ers — NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025 'It feels really good,' Moody said. 'I am glad I got a few more chances after the miss earlier to bounce back and get on track.' Purdy looked very sharp in his first appearance of the preseason. He completed 5 of 7 passes for 66 yards on the opening drive for a field goal, relying on his new favorite target with both George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey sitting out. Purdy hit Pearsall on the first two plays of the game, and then the best throw came on a third-and-18 conversion, where Purdy let go of the ball before Pearsall even cut inside on his dig route. The two did have a miscommunication later in the end zone, when Pearsall apparently went the wrong way on a choice route. Purdy's other incompletion was off the hands of Demarcus Robinson. Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall in an early rhythm Watch on @NFLNetworkStream on @NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025 Pearsall finished with three catches on four targets for 42 yards on that first drive, and then he and Purdy put on baseball caps. 'The more Brock and Ricky are out there together, the better they get,' coach Kyle Shanahan said. 'Ricky got a late start, but he's put together a couple of good weeks. He's been that way in practice, and it was good to get him out there and see it in a game.' Advertisement Shanahan also had to feel good about Brandon Aiyuk (knee) running routes in pregame warmups and Jauan Jennings (calf) joining the team at the game after missing the last couple of weeks. The rookie missed a couple of tackles for the second consecutive preseason game, but that's just because he is moving so fast. Martin had a sack and also later punched the ball out on a deep throw to a tight end, forcing an incompletion. 'He came around and had some really good hits,' Shanahan said. 'He had that sack on a third down, and I saw a lot of good things. I am excited to watch the film on the plane.' Defensive backs Marques Sigle and Chase Lucas, meanwhile, built off their strong performances in the first preseason game. Sigle showed his open-field tackle prowess, while Lucas came up with a sack for the second consecutive week and an interception. He looked like the receiver on the play. Chase Lucas gets the ball back for the @49ers 🙌 Watch on @NFLNetworkStream on @NFLPlus — NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025 After the game, Lucas gave 'thanks to (Raiders quarterback Aidan) O'Connell for throwing a perfect pass right in my hands.' He also credited defensive coordinator Robert Saleh for the 135 film clips Lucas was given to watch this week, saying he saw the route coming the whole way off of the snap. The 49ers have had a lot of injuries during training camp, and they had three more players go down early in Saturday's game. Puni left the game with a knee injury after teammate Matt Hennessy was pancaked back onto his leg on a field goal. Shanahan said Puni has a possible PCL injury and might miss a few weeks, putting his status for the regular-season opener in question. Running back Patrick Taylor was knocked out with a shoulder injury, and then rookie running back Corey Kiner was carted off the field after his ankle apparently got twisted up on a tackle after a 19-yard run. Shanahan said Patrick suffered a dislocated shoulder and Kiner has a high-ankle sprain. Both will miss a few weeks. Advertisement The 49ers ran the ball 28 times for 64 yards (2.3 average). If you took away the nice hole on Kiner's 19-yarder, it would have been 27 for 45 (1.7 average). The 49ers' backup offensive linemen weren't able to create any space, and right tackle Pleasants really struggled. The team combined for four false starts, two by Isaiah Prince (two) and one each by Spencer Burford (one) and center Nick Zakelj, who was whistled for a snap infraction. The second-round rookie defensive tackle is big enough to occupy space, but his slow get-off was again noticeable after he had a quiet performance in the preseason opener. It will be interesting to see how much the 49ers can play him early in the season. (Photo of Jake Moody, 4: Candice Ward / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
