The 2025 Saturday Night Boxing Awards

As 2025 has come to a close, it's time to honor the best that men’s boxing had to offer during the year. Here is the 15th edition of the Saturday Night Boxing Awards. The 2025 awards are given to best fighter, fight, knockout, round, upset, trainer, promoter, network, and referee of the year. 

Fighter of the Year: Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford, now a two-time winner of the SNB Fighter of the Year, moved up two weight classes to defeat future Hall of Famer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, becoming undisputed champion at super middleweight. Crawford has now been undisputed at three weight classes (junior welterweight, welterweight and super middleweight), a remarkable accomplishment. 

Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland/TKO Promotions

Crawford dominated the second half of the Canelo fight, where his hand speed and combinations were superior. By the 11th round, Canelo was looking outside of the ring during the fight action, clearly frustrated by his inability to fend off Crawford. Crawford also had a memorable 12th round, hitting Canelo with dazzling power shots with both hands. It was a hard-earned victory for Crawford. His excellence in the championship rounds proved to be the difference on the judges' scorecards. 

Crawford announced his retirement in December. He leaves the sport with a perfect record of 42-0 with 31 knockouts. Winning world titles from as low as lightweight to as high as super middleweight, only a couple of his fights were ever in doubt on the scorecards. He was perhaps one of the best switch hitters of all time and could be a ruthless finisher. 2025 was a perfect capper to a tremendous career. 

Previous SNB Fighters of the Year:

• 2024: Oleksandr Usyk
• 2023: (tie) Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue
• 2022: Dmitry Bivol
• 2021: Saul Alvarez
• 2020: Teofimo Lopez
• 2019: Saul Alvarez
• 2018: Oleksandr Usyk
• 2017: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
• 2016: Carl Frampton
• 2015: Floyd Mayweather
• 2014: Naoya Inoue
• 2013: Adonis Stevenson
• 2012: Nonito Donaire
• 2011: Andre Ward 

Fight of the Year: Kenshiro Teraji-Seigo Yuri Akui  

This flyweight championship unification fight was not only a war of attrition but it featured some of the best mid- and short-range fighting of the year. Teraji and Akui, former sparring partners, spent much of the fight mirroring each other. Both featured similar punch arsenals, went to the body ferociously, unfurled vicious uppercuts, and set an insane work rate. 

The fight was mostly contested in the center of the ring at mid-range. Teraji would circle behind the jab and quick combinations to the body and head. Akui's money punch was his straight right hand, and punch for punch, that was the best weapon in the fight.

Although neither fighter wanted to take a step back, by the fifth round Akui had successfully flushed Teraji out of the pocket with punishing right hands and body shots. In the 7th, Teraji impressed with lead right uppercuts, often doubling them up. Those shots made Akui temporarily retreat. But in the ninth Akui was coming forward again and despite having the lower KO percentage, it was his power punches that seemed to have more of an effect. 

At the start of the 12th, Teraji went on the offensive. He landed a big right hand that was his most damaging shot of the fight. Akui retreated to the ropes, something he had not done all fight and a clear indicator that he was hurt. Teraji followed up with bracing body shots with both hands. 

Akui survived the onslaught, but he wasn’t offering much in return, and when he did, he lacked conviction. Teraji kept throwing big shots and ultimately referee Katsuhiko Nakamura stopped the fight. In real time, the stoppage seemed premature, but Akui collapsed immediately after the fight was waved off. Nakamura saw something in Akui that told him it was the right move, and it was (more on this in the Referee of the Year). 

As for Teraji, he was trailing on two of the cards going into the 12th round. He needed something dramatic to get the victory, and boy did he deliver! Teraji-Akui was 12 rounds of unrelenting, unforgettable action. 

Previous SNB Fights of the Year: 

• 2024: Kholmatov-Ford
• 2023: Nery-Hovhannisyan
• 2022: Wood-Conlan
• 2021: Fury-Wilder III
• 2020: Zepeda-Baranchyk
• 2019: Inoue-Donaire
• 2018: Chisora-Takam
• 2017: Joshua-Klitschko
• 2016: Vargas-Salido
• 2015: Miura-Vargas
• 2014: Coyle-Brizuela
• 2013: Bradley-Provodnikov
• 2012: Pacquiao-Marquez IV
• 2011: Rios-Acosta 

Knockout of the Year: (tie) Fabio Wardley KO 10 Justis Huni and Brian Norman KO 5 Jin Sasaki.

In a year with so many memorable knockouts, these two stood out to me and I just couldn't choose between them. Wardley's knockout was one of those out-of-the blue shots. Huni, who had the better amateur pedigree, was easily outboxing Wardley through nine rounds. He was so dominant in the fight that going into the 10th, he was up by seven rounds on two cards and five rounds on the third. He essentially just had to stay on his feet to win. 

But Huni didn't intend to run out the clock. He wanted to make an emphatic statement; this was his chance to showcase his class in a deep heavyweight division. With 1:30 left in the 10th, he started a one-two in the center of the ring, but he made a terrible mistake: He jabbed from too close. Wardley slipped the jab to the inside and immediately fired off a counter right. Huni instantaneously hit the canvas. 

It was a shot out of nowhere! Huni rolled around and made it to his feet, but he was in no position to continue. And as sluggish as Wardley looked in this fight (more on him in the Round of the Year), as the old saying goes, "a puncher only needs to be right once." This was the proof. 

Brian Norman had already caused damage earlier in his fight against Jin Sasaki (the bout was for a vacant welterweight title). Norman had knocked Sasaki down twice in the first round with left hooks. And although Norman had continued to get the better of the action in the fight, by the fifth round Sasaki was still firing power punches and giving it his best. 

At 2:23 left in the round, Sasaki landed a jab to the body and then froze, standing right in front of Norman, admiring his work. Norman, taking advantage of the opportunity, fired off a leaping left hook. The force of the punch was so severe that Sasaki's body hit the canvas first and then a second time when his head hit the canvas. The fight was immediately waved off, a ferocious shot with devastating consequences. 

Previous SNB Knockouts of the Year: 

• 2024: Jesse Rodriguez KO 7 Juan Estrada
• 2023: Junto Nakatani KO 12 Andrew Moloney
• 2022: Leigh Wood TKO 12 Michael Conlan
• 2021: Gabe Rosado KO 3 Bektemir Melikuziev
• 2020: (tie) Alexander Povetkin KO 5 Dillian Whyte and Gervonta Davis KO 6 Leo Santa Cruz
• 2019: Nonito Donaire KO 6 Stephon Young
• 2018: Naoya Inoue KO 1 Juan Carlos Payano
• 2017: Zolani Tete KO 1 Siboniso Gonya
• 2016: Hassan N'Dam KO 1 Alfonso Blanco
• 2015: Yenifel Vincente KO 3 Juan Dominguez
• 2014: Andy Lee KO 5 John Jackson
• 2013: Stephen Smith KO 5 Gary Buckland
• 2012: Juan Manuel Marquez KO 6 Manny Pacquiao
• 2011: Takashi Uchiyama TKO 11 Jorge Solis 

Round of the Year: Joseph Parker-Fabio Wardley Round 10

Through nine rounds the Parker-Wardley heavyweight fight provided thrilling action with both fighters buzzed or shaken up in the early rounds. Parker had advantages with punch variety and combinations while Wardley had success with single straight rights, uppercuts and at points with his jab. By the end of the ninth, Parker was in the lead and was starting to assert himself on a more consistent basis. Although he couldn't get Wardley to the canvas, he was landing hard shots and banking rounds. 

Wardley (left) and Parker in a thrilling round
Photo courtesy of Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions

With 2:08 left in the 10th round, Parker landed a scorching lead right. Though Wardley had kept a poker face earlier in the fight after being hit with big shots, he couldn't maintain his stoic demeaner here. He immediately took a step back after the shot and then he clinched. He was hurt. For the next 20 seconds Wardley didn't throw a punch as Parker continued to land power punches. 

At 48 seconds left in the round, Parker connected with a blistering counter right hand that stood Wardley up and then followed it up with another stinging right. He then went to more straight rights, right hooks from close range, and right haymakers. He was emptying the kitchen sink. 

At the 29-second mark, Wardley, landed a jab and then connected with a low right hand as Parker tried to slip underneath. Parker had been ducking punches low and to his left all fight and Wardley exploited this pattern; Parker wound up ducking right into the shot. Immediately after the punch landed, Parker retreated to the ropes. 

Wardley then let his hands go and landed a crushing right uppercut with Parker near the ropes. The shot drove Parker from one set of ropes to another. His legs now looked like jelly. Wardley ended the round battering Parker along the ropes, a huge reversal of fortune in a round with bombs flying from both. 

Wardley went on to stop Parker in the 11th as Parker was never able to regain his legs. Wardley teed off on Parker who was stuck along the ropes. Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight when Parker wasn't throwing enough back. Finally, it should also be noted that Parker failed a post-fight drug test for cocaine. Although that does sully what came before to a degree, this was still the round of boxing in 2025 I enjoyed the most. 

Previous SNB Rounds of the Year:  

• 2024: Tyson Koki-Deok No Yun I Round 1
• 2023: O'Shaquie Foster-Eduardo Hernandez Round 11
• 2022: Mauricio Lara-Emilio Sanchez Round 3
• 2021: Kenshiro Teraji-Masamichi Yabuki Round 9
• 2020: Jose Zepeda-Ivan Baranchyk Round 5
• 2019: Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz Round 3
• 2018: Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury Round 12
• 2017: Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko Round 5
• 2016: Edwin Rodriguez-Thomas Williams Jr. Round 2
• 2015: Edwin Rodriguez-Michael Seals Round 1
• 2014: Thomas Williams Jr.-Cornelius White Round 1
• 2013: Tim Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov Round 12
• 2012: Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Round 12
• 2011: Hernan Marquez-Luis Concepcion I Round 1 

Upset of the Year: Lewis Crocker SD Paddy Donovan 

When these two first fought in March, Donovan consistently got the better of the action with flashier hand speed, straighter punches, and combinations. But referee Marcus McDonnell had it in for Donovan; he had taken two points from him in a fight where both guys were fouling a lot. Donovan knocked Crocker down in the eighth and it looked like that would be the end, but Donovan did hit Crocker when he was on the canvas. McDonnell took that opportunity to disqualify Donovan, turning a sure win into a devastating loss.

When the rematch was announced, perhaps only Crocker's most fervent believers thought that he stood a good chance of winning. Prior to the stoppage in the first fight, he was down by six points, six points, and two points on the three cards. There appeared to be a clear talent gap. 

However, trainer Billy Nelson and Crocker came up with a brilliant game plan for the rematch. Instead of being the aggressor and providing Donovan with countering opportunities, Crocker instead played the counterpuncher himself and forced Donovan to commit with lead shots. The strategy worked to perfection as Crocker was able to time Donovan with counter left hooks in the third and fifth rounds to score knockdowns. Nelson and Crocker were able to key in on a flaw of Donovan's: so many of his jabs were non-committal. They were set-up punches thrown without conviction. 

But in truth, very little happened during many rounds of the fight, with both boxers ultimately being gun shy to commit to leading. Despite two knockdowns, Crocker didn't have many rounds where he was the clear victor. In a battle of low output, the rounds were very tough to score. 

When the fight ended, many scoring in the arena or at home thought that Donovan had won enough rounds to overcome the two knockdowns. But the judges didn't. Crocker, fighting at home in Belfast, won by 114-112, 114-113 and 111-115. No judge thought that he had won seven rounds in the fight, but it was still enough. And in fight that had so little action, it was tough for me to consider the outcome a robbery. If Donovan felt hard done by the decision, he could have been a lot busier and more decisive with his output. 

Crocker winning the rematch was a scenario that I didn't see coming whatsoever. But with a solid game plan, moments of sublime execution, and an indecisive opponent, Crocker did enough to pull off the monumental upset. 

Previous SNB Upsets of the Year:  

• 2024: Bruno Surace KO 6 Jaime Munguia
• 2023: Brian Mendoza KO 7 Sebastian Fundora
• 2022: Hector Luis Garcia UD Chris Colbert
• 2021: George Kambosos SD Teofimo Lopez
• 2020: Robert Helenius TKO 4 Adam Kownacki
• 2019: Andy Ruiz TKO 7 Anthony Joshua
• 2018: Rob Brant UD Ryota Murata
• 2017: Caleb Truax MD James DeGale
• 2016: Joe Smith Jr. KO 1 Andrzej Fonfara
• 2015: Tyson Fury UD Wladimir Klitschko
• 2014: (tie) James de la Rosa UD Alfredo Angulo and Tommy Karpency SD Chad Dawson
• 2013: Jhonny Gonzalez KO 1 Abner Mares
• 2012: Sonny Boy Jaro TKO 6 Pongsaklek Wongjongkam 

Trainer of the Year: Shingo Inoue

Although boxing fans are more familiar with Shingo's other son, Naoya, Shingo did his best work of the year with Takuma. Attempting to become a two-time bantamweight world titlist, Takuma was facing the wildly popular Tenshin Nasukawa. 

On the surface, Nasukawa had significant advantages in power, size, and athleticism and entered the fight as the betting favorite. But Inoue had more experience, better boxing fundamentals, and quicker punches. Nasukawa started off the fight well and seemed to be the superior talent. However, Takuma and Shingo were able to turn the tide. Their adjustments centered on shorter punches and keeping things up the middle as they observed that Nasukawa lacked a solid defensive construct. Takuma would win the fight by a unanimous decision, eventually dominating a fight that had started off badly for him. 

As for Naoya, he fought four times this year and scored two knockouts. Most memorably he was dropped by the unheralded Ramon Cardenas in May. Although Inoue was able to stop Cardenas, it was clear that he and Shingo had a discussion about how they should be fighting moving forward. Naoya subsequently beat Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Alan Picasso via dominant displays of boxing. Instead of the swashbuckling Naoya, he was now more disciplined, letting his considerable natural boxing skills take over. 

Naoya Inoue after being dropped by Cardenas
Photo courtesy of Mikey Williams/Top Rank

This was a drastic departure for Naoya and I'm sure that Shingo emphasized the need to tighten up the defense and not force the action. Shingo deserves a lot of credit for helping to correct mistakes and seeing a new way forward. Shingo had an exemplary year, showcasing why he's the father of champions.  

Previous SNB Trainers of the Year: 

• 2024: Robert Garcia
• 2023: Brian McIntyre et al.
• 2022: Derrick James
• 2021: Eddy Reynoso
• 2020: Teofimo Lopez Sr.
• 2019: Eddy Reynoso
• 2018: Anatoly Lomachenko
• 2017: Derrick James
• 2016: Shane McGuigan
• 2015: Peter Fury
• 2014: Freddie Roach
• 2013: Kenny Porter
• 2012: Robert McCracken
• 2011: Robert Garcia 

Promoter of the Year: Turki Alalshikh 

Alalshikh expanded his influence in the sport in 2025. In addition to Riyadh Season, Alalshikh created the Ring Magazine fight card brand, which featured high-profile fights in various jurisdictions around the world. He promoted the biggest boxing event of the year with Canelo-Crawford and made a strategic investment in Zuffa Boxing. He was behind many of the best or most important fights of the year, including Beterbiev-Bivol 2, Usyk-Dubois 2, Norman-Haney, Mason-Noakes, Stevenson-Zepeda, Nakatani-Hernandez, and more.

In addition to events where Alalshikh was expressly mentioned as the promoter, he also bankrolled several other notable fights that were nominally promoted by others. His influence continues to grow in the sport. 

Previous SNB Promoters of the Year: 

• 2024: Riyadh Season
• 2023: TGB Promotions in conjunction with PBC
• 2022: No Award Given
• 2021: Premier Boxing Champions
• 2020: Top Rank
• 2019: Matchroom Boxing
• 2018: Premier Boxing Champions
• 2017: K2 Promotions
• 2016: Matchroom Boxing
• 2015: Golden Boy Promotions
• 2014: Matchroom Boxing
• 2013: (tie) Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank
• 2012: Golden Boy Promotions
• 2011: Top Rank 

Network of the Year: DAZN 

DAZN now has many of the biggest promoters on its network. Featuring a stable that includes Matchroom, Golden Boy, Queensberry, Riyadh Season and the Ring Magazine cards, the service has become a must-have for boxing fans. In addition, DAZN has wisely invested in several other promoters, including MVP, Salita, Red Owl, Overtime and more, providing exposure for emerging talent in the sport, both from a promotional and fighter perspective. 

Not everything is going swimmingly for the network though. They introduced a new pricing structure of over $400 per year that includes their pay per view product. Although one can squint hard and see value in the offering, that's a lot of bread compared to other sporting and entertainment options. They are going to need to work hard to make that new pricing tier viable. In a perfect world they would make some broadcast changes too. 

But as boxing goes, DAZN has become a centralized hub for the sport. And that is the most important thing. They went from being a well-funded upstart to the home of boxing's big events in quick fashion. That's a job well done. 

Previous SNB Networks of the Year:  

• 2024: DAZN
• 2023: Showtime
• 2022: ESPN
• 2021: Showtime
• 2020: ESPN
• 2019: DAZN
• 2018: Showtime
• 2017: Showtime
• 2016: Sky Sports
• 2015: No award given
• 2014: ESPN
• 2013: Showtime
• 2012: BoxNation 

Referee of the Year: Katsuhiro Nakamura

Quick stoppages happen often. A referee will stop a fight even when a hurt fighter appears to be able to continue or is defending himself/herself properly. Unfortunately, it's a common occurrence in the sport. 

But let's congratulate a referee who at first glance appeared to stop a fight too early but ultimately proved to be 100% right in his decision making. Nakamura is one of the busiest referees in Japan and is also an official who gets international assignments. With the ending of Kenshiro Teraji-Seigo Yuri Akui, you can see why he is highly regarded. 

In a terrific, grueling and fast-paced fight between two flyweight champs, Teraji hurt Akui at the beginning of the 12th. Now keep in mind, neither fighter had been down previously in the fight and Akui was very competitive throughout the matchup. It was not a fight where Teraji was gradually getting the better of the action and/or pulling away. In fact, it was Teraji who needed to do something dramatic in the 12th. 

After hurting Akui early in the round with a lead right hand, Teraji followed up with menacing body shots as Akui was stuck on the ropes. Akui was able to escape but didn't look great on his feet. However, he was still throwing punches and evading shots. Moments later in the round, Teraji connected with a right hand during an exchange. The punch didn't even appear to be a particularly huge shot, but Nakamura abruptly ended the fight.

In real time it looked like a quick stoppage, but as soon as it was called off, it was clear that Akui was in bad shape. He needed assistance in getting back to his corner and then collapsed. There was no protesting the stoppage, just immediate attention given to the hurt fighter.  

Nakamura clearly observed that something was off with Akui, even if the fans couldn't necessarily see the same thing from the camera angle on the broadcast. Whether it was a facial expression, a problem with his legs, or something else, whatever it was, Nakamura was right on it. It turned out to be the perfect call. Yes, Akui was moments away from possibly winning the biggest fight of his career, but Nakamura made the correct call to project the fighter who needed protecting. It was a gutsy decision and a fine example of refereeing at its best.  

Previous SNB Referees of the Year:

• 2024: Thomas Taylor
• 2023: No award given
• 2022: David Fields
• 2021: Mark Lyson
• 2020: Michiaki Someya
• 2019: No award given
• 2018: Jack Reiss
• 2017: David Fields
• 2016: Raul Caiz Sr.
• 2015: David Fields
• 2014: Steve Smoger
• 2013: Tony Weeks
• 2012: Eddie Claudio

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Opinions and Observations: Canelo-Crawford

Let's start by answering the essential question posed by Saturday's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Terence Crawford matchup: even though Crawford was moving up two weight classes from junior middleweight to super middleweight, his chin held up just fine. Whatever else Crawford accomplished in the fight, he was able to succeed because he could take Canelo's power. 

But even more telling, Crawford didn't show visible signs of distress from Canelo's power punches. He was never dropped or wobbled or seriously buzzed. He didn't have those rocky moments where he needed to survive or clear his head. Yeah, he got hit with some solid shots, but that had happened in other fights before. There was nothing particularly special to Crawford about Canelo's power.

Crawford after the fight
Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland/TKO Boxing Promotions

And once it became clear that Canelo didn't hold a significant power edge, the bout came down to simple math. Canelo mostly could only throw one punch at a time. And in the second half of the fight, where Crawford was more expansive with his offense, leading and countering with combinations, Canelo couldn't match Crawford shot for shot. 

In addition to Crawford's chin holding up, I also believe that his defense was as good as I can remember, and I haven't always loved his defense. Even Bivol was hit by Canelo with bigger shots than Crawford was on Saturday. Crawford essentially limited Canelo's home run bombs. Maybe Canelo landed one or two devastating punches, but most of what he landed were solid connects thrown more for accuracy than for destructive power.

*** 

Crawford started the fight with a basic offensive output. Exclusively out of the southpaw stance, he'd throw a jab, a single lead punch or a counter, but not much more than that. He was mostly on his back foot or using lateral movement to be evasive. He didn't want to show Canelo too much of his offensive arsenal, but he also didn't want to give Canelo much to work with either. His essential missions early in the fight were to ensure that his defense was on point and to observe what Canelo was bringing to the table.

By the sixth round he had seen what he had needed to see. He realized that Canelo wanted to lead with single shots and wasn't looking to counter. Crawford also perceived that once he countered a single Canelo power shot, that Canelo wasn't ready to counter the counter. Canelo also wasn't throwing combinations. Crawford was now ready to open up more. It was time to let the hands go.

In rounds eight and nine, Canelo decided to throw with more abandon. There were a number of fiery exchanges where both fighters had success. But by the 10th, Canelo was back to one punch at a time. He didn't want to deal with Crawford's five-punch combinations. He lacked the athletic agility to match Crawford and he had to protect himself from Crawford's incoming firepower. 

By the 11th round, Canelo was visibly frustrated. At multiple times in the round, he looked away from Crawford. Whether he was trying to eye his corner or just mentally reset, he understood that he was being outfought and he couldn't figure out how to turn the tide.

It was Crawford's work in the championship rounds that won him the fight on my scorecard and those of the judges. Flowing freely with combinations and multi-punch counters, Crawford clearly separated himself from Canelo during these rounds. He didn't just win them 10-9; they were easily the best rounds from either fighter in the match. 

Crawford celebrates with his team
Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland/TKO Boxing Promotions

It had been a long time since a fighter opened up on Canelo with four- and five-punch combinations. Clearly Crawford felt more than comfortable taking those types of risks. By the end of the fight, he had solved Canelo's defensive construct and mindset for the fight. His combinations dissuaded Canelo from countering with ferocity. In short, Crawford had tamed Canelo.   

As good as Crawford was late, Canelo wasn't summarily outboxed during the entirety of the fight. Like two of the judges, I scored the bout for Crawford 115-113 (the other judge had it for him 116-112). To my eyes, I had Canelo winning rounds 1, 4, 5, 8 and 9. Especially early in the fight, I was impressed by Canelo's hand speed with landing single shots. When they both were throwing one punch at a time, Canelo more than held his own. His left hooks to the body were punishing and he landed a few sneaky straight rights and right hooks that got Crawford's attention. 

***

In talking to a friend after the fight, we highlighted similar details from the bout. One key we both focused on was that Canelo could no longer counter like he once did. Now we may need to go back several years here, but there was a time when Canelo was among the best counterpunchers in the sport. Not only was he accurate but he was creative. He threw multi-punch counters with unusual punch sequences. He could be incredible in the pocket when someone came to him. 

But clearly Father Time and the higher weights have caught up with him. Though he was the younger fighter in the matchup chronologically, Canelo had hundreds of more professional rounds than Crawford and had endured many tougher fights in the ring. He just isn't the athlete that he once was. 

Furthermore, as Canelo moved up to 168, he had physical disadvantages that precluded him from being a counterpuncher. He was short and had short arms. He was dealing with much longer punchers who could pick him off from the outside. Thus, Canelo found a walk-down pressure style that suited him perfectly against super middleweights. The dimensions of his opponents didn't allow for Canelo to open up with threes and fours like he once did, but Canelo understood that the single, hard, well-placed shot could do a lot of damage. 

As he got older, he also refined other parts of his game. His defense became far more advanced. He also knew how to cut the ring off on an opponent with agile footwork, despite not having the best athletic ability. These additions to his game helped him offset the decline of his athletic gifts. Unfortunately for Canelo, against Crawford, more was required to win. Maybe the Canelo of the second Golovkin fight (a bout that took place at middleweight) could have done more with this version of Crawford. There Canelo actually outslugged Golovkin in the pocket through large stretches of the fight. However, that bout was seven years ago!

***

Whenever a fighter accomplishes the unfathomable, it takes a long time to process the achievement in an appropriate context. The absurdity of the same fighter winning a title at lightweight and super middleweight seems more myth-like than reality. But Crawford in fact has accomplished this. Even when considering recent greats who have made similar leaps through weight classes, like Pacquiao going from flyweight to junior middleweight or Ray Leonard going from welterweight to light heavyweight, those fighters took losses along the way, whereas Crawford's record remains unblemished. Even the great Roy Jones had a loss to Montell Griffin on his way from middleweight to heavyweight, and we can all agree that John Ruiz wasn't lineal or undisputed when Jones beat him. 

Crawford has not just won belts in multiple weight classes. He has been undisputed in three of them. He has settled the argument of his greatness in his era. He beat a guy in Canelo who had four titles at 168. In Errol Spence he defeated an opponent who held the other three belts in the division. 

You still won't see a long list of great names on Crawford's resume. He has a win over a clear Hall of Famer in Canelo and another over a solid candidate in Spence. There are several fighters such as Gamboa, Porter, Khan, Brook, and others who were sterling for the era but don't really have claims to be among the best boxers of their time.

So, much about Crawford is still subject to speculation. We know that among those he has fought, he has beaten all. There was a deep bench of welterweights when he was there and didn't have opportunities to fight Pacquiao or Garcia. The division he just left after one fight, junior middleweight, has tons of talented fighter. Would he have still remained undefeated against a few of those other top fighters? We will never know. 

But in those all-time conversations, it's time to add Crawford to the mix. A man who can be undisputed at both 140 and 168 lbs. has forced himself into all sorts of serious discussions. Is Crawford the best of his era? Which fighters are we sure can beat him from 135 to 168? These are of course parlor games, but they are the eternal conversations among boxing fans. Crawford is now in the historical category. He's a data point in comparison for how future fighters will be measured. His attributes must now be considered and measured against the best who have done it. 

But more than conjecture, Crawford is a fighter who has accomplished. He refused to accept the limitations placed on him by others. Never anyone's first choice for boxing stardom, or even greatness, Crawford ignored those who didn't believe in him and tore down those who stood in his way. He wouldn't be denied, by opponents, the boxing industry or even himself. He pursued a singular path to greatness and succeeded. His dreams were big, but his talent was even greater. He no longer has to worry about fantasy fights or what ifs. He has conquered.

Crawford is the supreme interloper of his era in boxing. He wasn't invited to the party, but he crashed it, leaving an impressive trail of wreckage along his way. No cash cow or beltholder has been safe near his presence. He has bent the sport of boxing to his will. He is a Hagler figure with a Ray Leonard pedigree, a package that has been unsolvable for any of his contemporaries. It is his reign. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook 

Canelo-Crawford: Preview and Prediction

The best fighters in the world all believe in their supremacy. Their confidence is what helps drive them to be what they are in the ring. And when fighters jump up multiple weight classes to challenge a top opponent, this scenario illustrates unshakeable self-belief. Who needs weight divisions when a fighter thinks that he possesses greatness? 

Or is it deception? And might the deception swing both ways? How does the guy moving up beat the bigger man? Does he have a legitimate game plan? If he's not the more powerful puncher, what can he do to deceive the bigger man? What tricks can he bring to the table, or is he deceiving himself? And does the bigger man perceive the threat? Is he taking the threat seriously? Is he deceived by his own superiority? Does he understand the risks in play?

The showdown between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) and Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) takes place on Saturday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The fight will be contested at 168 lbs., where Canelo is the division's undisputed champion. Crawford, who has only had one fight at 154 lbs., will be moving up two weight classes for the bout. Both are among the top fighters in the sport. Both believe that they have what it takes to win. But when the opening bell rings, who will be the fighter that gets the better of the action and which fighter will be guilty of deceiving himself?

Image courtesy of Sela Promotions

Let's start with a basic question: Is Canelo-Crawford a legitimate fight or are we as boxing fans being deceived? Will Canelo-Crawford be Spence vs. Garcia, where Garcia was completely uncompetitive, or might this matchup contain a bit of magic, such as when Bernard Hopkins moved up two divisions to beat Antonio Tarver?

Canelo-Crawford has divided opinion among boxing fans, not just in terms of who might win, but whether or not the fight should even be taking place. To some observers, Crawford moving up two divisions at age 37 is a bridge too far. Although he had been a champ at 135 lbs. and undisputed at 140 and 147, he struggled to beat Israil Madrimov in his last fight, which was his lone appearance at 154. Whereas Crawford was a pulverizer at welterweight, his power didn't carry the same oomph at 154 lbs. And Canelo has been at 168 for years and has even fought, and scored a knockout, up at 175 lbs. To these observers, this fight is boxing deceiving its fans. It's not a real contest.

Although more than a few might view Canelo-Crawford as a gimmick fight, I don't place myself in this category. I think it's a highly intriguing battle between one of the absolute best fighters in the sport (Crawford) and a long-reigning popular champion who is probably on the backside of his career (Canelo). 

But can Crawford avoid winding up on HIS backside during the matchup? Well, that is one of the more important questions in this matchup. But there are others. 

It was just two years ago when an undisputed junior middleweight champion (Jermell Charlo) moved up to face Canelo at 168 and despite all the bluster and the belief that Charlo was daring to be great, on fight night, the bout was a dud. Charlo couldn't handle Canelo's power. He was too gun shy to let his hands go and was happy to survive to the final bell. When he felt those first big blows from Canelo, he went into a shell. His confidence left the building in a hurry. Charlo fell victim to his own self-deception.

Well, what will be different for Crawford? 

First of all, I think that Crawford has the X-factor of having an almost pathological need to win. I don't see him being happy to pick up a paycheck. We've seen him get hit hard, we've seen him lose early rounds, but he has done whatever it takes to turn a fight in his favor. Even against Madrimov, what saved Crawford in the end was his jab. He couldn't land his power shots consistently to the head, so he just scored with that stick over and over in the fight's closing rounds. Crawford isn't considered a jabber by nature, but when the situation required it, he understood that the jab was what was going to get him to victory. 

But that's Crawford. He has always found a way. He has every tool in the toolbox. He can win going forward or backward, southpaw or orthodox, leading or countering. He has a punch for every scenario. 

And although Crawford will be the older fighter on Saturday (37 to 35), he probably has far fewer miles on his odometer. Consider that Canelo has gone the 12-round distance 20 times in his career, while Crawford has only fought 12 full rounds just four times, a staggering difference. And it's also clear that the late-model Canelo doesn't let his combinations go like he once did. He's a guy who loads up on single power shots. But even when he does hurt an opponent, he no longer goes for the stoppage with abandon. It's been eight fights since he's had a stoppage (Caleb Plant) but since then, he's knocked down Ryder, Charlo, Munguia and Berlanga, but has been content to go the distance. 

This, in my mind is the crucial aspect of Saturday's fight. I have no doubt that Canelo will land something hard; he always does. But he may no longer have the gas or the willingness to get Crawford out of there. Furthermore, you will have to go back past ten fights since Canelo has had a one-shot knockout. In short, I think if Crawford is hurt, he will have an opportunity to survive. 

Crawford and Usyk are the two fighters in boxing who I believe make the best adjustments in the ring. But that doesn't always mean that Crawford gets it right from the jump. Crawford has had more than a few fights where he started orthodox and just wasn't up to par defensively, so he turned southpaw. In addition, he's given up rounds early in fights. It can often take him several rounds until he really understands what's working for him in the ring. 

Despite Crawford having the athletic advantages in the matchup, I believe that Canelo could make the early statement in the fight. Crawford, despite sparring bigger guys in camp, will not have had the reps taking power punches from a big hitter at 168 with 10 oz. gloves. Canelo will have the element of surprise. In addition, Canelo has more than one big power punch. The left hook is his money shot, but so many forget the overhand right that ended Sergey Kovalev's night. I have no doubt that Canelo's first few connects of the fight will have a real effect. 

On Saturday Crawford must minimize damage early in the fight. Canelo's big connects must be few and far between. Crawford also needs to make sure that he's really out-of-reach when backing away; Canelo has surprising range.  

But Crawford is going to get hit. Let's not pretend that he will be able to shut Canelo out. Even against Bivol where Canelo clearly lost, he still landed four or five absolute bombs. Crawford's going to have to take those punches. He'll need to think clearly under duress and execute his game plan. 

For Canelo, he must change his recent calculus about how to win a fight. Although he has a great understanding of when he has prevailed in a round, that won't be enough for him early in the match. Crawford is a terrific second-half fighter. It's not sufficient for Canelo to win a few 10-9 rounds in the early rounds of the bout based on coming forward and unfurling a couple of huge punches that excite the crowd. No, he must do damage. He must deplete Crawford. He must punish him with head and body shots. Winning a cagey boxing match through six rounds won't cut it. He needs to make Crawford a lesser fighter for the second half of the bout. 

While Canelo must try to deplete Crawford, Crawford must fatigue Canelo. He needs to move around enough to frustrate Canelo so that Canelo won't feel comfortable letting his hands go with regularity. He must be the better athlete in the fight and not try to slug it out during the early rounds when Canelo is at his freshest. 

I do expect Crawford to become more liberal with incorporating his punch arsenal in the second half of the fight. I also think that he will find opportunistic moments to let combinations go. He will pick up on Canelo not wanting to throw his own combinations. Crawford will have the ability to get in and out more as Canelo tires and waits for one, hard counter. 

Ultimately, I like Crawford to peck and claw his way to a victory. I think that his jab, lateral movement, single straight lefts from the southpaw position, and quick-strike combos will be enough to frustrate Canelo and get the better of him on the scorecards. Certainly, Canelo will have the crowd on his side and judges have been kind to him at many moments throughout his career, but I think that Crawford will do enough to get the victory in a competitive fight. I expect Canelo to land some telling punches in the fight, and it wouldn't surprise me if he gets a knockdown, but I believe that Crawford is cagey enough to survive the rough moments. Most importantly, Crawford will be the fresher fighter with more tools at his disposal down the stretch. He will need to keep the fight close early, not get caught with too many big shots, and then use his superior athletic and technical gifts to pull out the victory in the second half. 

Terence Crawford defeats Canelo Alvarez 7 rounds to 5, which could be 115-113 or 114-113, depending on if Canelo scores a knockdown. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

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Canelo-Crawford Article in Ring Magazine

September's edition of Ring Magazine hits newsstands this week. This month's edition is a special issue previewing September 13th's Canelo-Crawford fight. I have an article in the magazine analyzing the fight from Crawford's perspective, what he must do to win and what he has to avoid. I enlisted trainer Stephen "Breadman" Edwards for his perspective on the fight.

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook  

Opinions and Observations: Ennis-Avanesyan

Like many sports, boxing involves the combination of offense and defense. Although both elements are necessary for victory, they need not be equally distributed to win. Think about the times that a team or an individual has so much offensive firepower that the opposition just can't match them. And it works the other way too. Defensive masters can be so adept that they can neutralize whatever the opponent brings. 

Jaron "Boots" Ennis is to the left of the offense/defense continuum in boxing. His offense is so advanced, so fluid and so spiteful that it more than covers up for his defensive shortcomings. To this point in his career, he is 32-0 with 29 KOs. But his dominance is even more comprehensive than that; he barely loses rounds. Contrast Ennis with Terence Crawford, a fighter to whom Ennis is frequently compared. Crawford has lost his fair share of rounds in fights. He doesn't mind giving an opponent a couple of early rounds while he figures out the openings. He's had to come up with knockouts in close fights. 

Boots goes about his business differently. He attacks opponents from the opening bell. Featuring a much higher volume than Crawford and a willingness to mix it up, Boots welcomes a firefight. He's not trying to defuse a conflagration. He wants the proceedings to get a little ragged and nasty. He knows that few can compete with his blistering offensive arsenal. 

Boots Ennis (left) in full flow
Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Matchroom Boxing

But Boots gets hit in a way that is concerning. Whether it's Thomas Dulorme, Sergey Lipinets or now David Avanesyan, Boots has given his opponents the type of free shots that create a degree of peril in his performances. Make no mistake: it's not that he gets hit; everyone gets hit. It's how he gets hit. 

Throughout portions of the fourth and fifth rounds in Saturday's fight, Boots was slugging it out with Avanesyan in close range, landing spectacular combinations and power shots. Yet after throwing, his hands were nowhere near his head, leaving himself unguarded for Avanesyan's return counters. And Avanesyan connected with some impressive straight rights and left hooks. Boots took them all and took them well. And it should be noted that Avanesyan is not some light-hitting foe. But it wasn't a stray shot or two for Avanesyan during the fight. He landed his best shots at an unprotected target.

To this point in his career, Boots has relied on his chin during firefights instead of defensive technique. He has already taken some big bombs in his career, but they haven't dissuaded him from continuing his offensive onslaughts. However, I can't say it's the best long-term strategy. 

But let's also offer up the possibility that Boots may happen to have a great beard. We've seen several fighters with immovable chins. Gennadiy Golovkin could take anyone's punches. Canelo can as well (not that he is in the business of giving away free shots). Maybe Boots will fit into this category.

Let's return to Crawford, who more closely resembles Ennis than do Golovkin or Canelo. Terence has had his own defensive issues in some of his fights. I wouldn't call him a defensive savant, especially when in the orthodox position, but it's worth pointing out that Crawford has yet to lose a fight. What I'm getting at here is that a potential weakness is not the same as a real weakness. So, I think it's important to note the obvious, that Boots' can be gotten to, but it's not necessarily a tragic flaw at this point...as long as he can take the shots. 

However, let's also not lose the forest through the trees. The offensive display that Boots put forward on Saturday was majestic. By the second round, he had already dominated Avanesyan with his jab from the orthodox stance and violent right hooks out of the southpaw stance. By the end of the second, Avanesyan's left flank was already reddened by the hooks to the body. In addition, a significant knot arose on Avanesyan's face, more evidence of Boots' power punching success. 

Boots with his belt after the victory
Photo courtesy of Amanda Westcott/Matchroom Boxing

So many fighters are programmed with their combinations. How about a left hook to the body and right hand to the head? How about the jab, straight right and the left hook? These sequences have been drilled into fighters since they were kids, and they throw them like they have mastered a particular test. 

But Boots isn't playing that game. His combinations come from a sort of improvisatory genius that combines athletic mastery, sterling punch technique, creativity, supreme speed, and opportunism. I doubt that Boots knows what he's going to throw until the second he unleashes a combo. I don't think he says to himself "left hook, left hook." He sees an opening and then unfurls a combination that could incorporate any of his punches at a given time. He always has everything in his arsenal ready to go. 

And he's not burdened by orthodoxy. How about a double rear uppercut followed by a rear hook? How about a rear uppercut followed by a looping back hand (this was the combination that floored Avanesyan in the fifth)? How about a straight right hand, a left uppercut to the head and a left hook to the body? A Boots opponent has no idea what's coming and consequently can't get his defense aligned to stop the oncoming foray. 

Saturday's crowd in Philadelphia literally oohed and aahed multiple times a round during Boots' combinations. And Philadelphia boxing fans are not easily impressed. They have seen champions and talents of all stripes. Yet there Boots was putting together combinations of beauty and wonder. He had them eating out of the palm of his hand; they were enraptured.

The fight was stopped after the fifth round as Avanesyan sustained damage to his jaw and had gotten beaten up to the body. Ennis retained his welterweight title, but Avanesyan played his role well. After the fight, Boots admitted that he was a little rusty and wasn't pleased with all aspects of his performance. Avanesyan gave Boots things to think about, to realize that his performance was insufficient, and there haven't been too many of Boots' opponents where that has been the case. 

The Boots train is now in full swing. Armed with a new promotional deal with Matchroom, a division at welterweight that sees few legitimate threats, and now a loyal home following that can generate real box office, Boots can continue to mow down willing opponents in front of a big home crowds for good money. He's in the sweet spot. 

But the risks are there. And although I have mentioned a couple of outliers, the fighters who can remain at the elite level while giving away free shots are few. In the end, Boots' offense might be so good that my concerns may be moot. Or maybe not. But I know one thing: we'll all be watching to find out. The Boots Ennis Show is unmissable. 

Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com. 

He's a contributing writer for Ring Magazine, a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Panel, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Email: saturdaynightboxing@hotmail.com

snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook