REAL COMBAT MEDIA 2025 BOXING AWARDS
Welcome to the Real Combat Media Boxing 2025 boxing awards. Our editorial staff spent the past few weeks voting on who should win these prestigious awards in a commercially successful year for boxing, marked by a blend of high-profile crossover bouts and elite championship fights. Check out the Real Combat Media boxing award winners below, videos, and the year in review. Feel free to comment below and share your boxing award winners or opinions.
2025 Year in Review & Notable Boxing Fights:
Terence Crawford reached legend status for his single, dominant performance against Canelo Álvarez, moving up two weight classes to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion.
Naoya Inoue also had a stellar year, going 4-0 and defending his undisputed super-bantamweight title across three continents to cement his place as a top pound-for-pound star.Inoue defended his undisputed super bantamweight title by defeating Ye Joon Kim, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, and David Picasso in December.
Gabriela Fundora established herself as a future star with two knockout victories to retain her undisputed flyweight championship. Other notable female boxers included Mikaela Mayer, who made a successful move up in weight to set up future unification bouts.
Alycia Baumgartner also had a successful year by defending her IBF, WBO, and WBA titles against Canadian fighter Leila Beaudoin at the Kaseya Center in Miami as part of the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua undercard. Alycia also had a successful debut with Most Valuable Promotions in July 2025, where she beat Jennifer Miranda.
Claressa Shields remained undefeated in 2025, defeating Danielle Perkins and later defending her titles against Lani Daniels in July, making history as the first woman to be an undisputed world champion in three weight classes.
The deeply personal grudge match between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn in London was named the fight of the year, exceeding the hype with its dramatic back-and-forth action. Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn fought twice in 2025, with each fighter securing one victory by unanimous decision. Benn won the most recent rematch in November 2025 to avenge his first professional loss to Eubank Jr.
In December of 2025, Jake Paul fought former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on December 19, losing by a sixth-round knockout in a major event broadcast on Netflix, which also saw him hospitalized with a broken jaw.
Unfortunately December 29th, Joshua was a passenger in an accident in Nigeria, in which two of his friends died: Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, who were also his teammates. Joshua suffered minor injuries in the accident.
Other Major Bouts in 2025:
Oleksandr Usyk secured a knockout victory against Daniel Dubois in July to maintain his dominance in the heavyweight division.
Katie Taylor defeated Amanda Serrano in their highly anticipated trilogy fight via majority decision in July.
A major upset occurred in May when Rolando “Rolly” Romero defeated Ryan Garcia for the WBA welterweight title. Romero was a +680 underdog. A rematch may take place later in 2026.
Devin Haney won a major bout, winning the WBO Welterweight title on November 22nd in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by defeating Brian Norman Jr. via unanimous decision, becoming a three-division world champion; this fight occurred on the undercard of David Benavidez vs. Anthony Yarde.
David Benavidez stopped Anthony Yarde in the seventh round to retain his WBC light-heavyweight title on November 22, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, overpowering him with sustained pressure and heavy combinations, leading to a TKO victory.
In 2025, Abdullah Mason became the youngest active male world champion by winning the vacant WBO lightweight title in November, defeating Sam Noakes via unanimous decision at age 21, solidifying his status as a top prospect with a 20-0 record and being named a joint Breakthrough Boxer of the Year.
In 2025, Shakur Stevenson remained an undefeated champion, defending his WBC Lightweight Title successfully in July against undefeated William Zepeda.
In 2025, Manny Pacquiao ended his 4 year retirement to fight Mario Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas for the WBC Welterweight Title, aiming to become the oldest welterweight champion and first Hall of Famer to win a world title, headlining a PBC on Prime Video PPV event, which ended in a draw. Many at ringside felt Pacquiao won the fight. Manny could possibly rematch Floyd Mayweather in a real professional fight later in 2026, since talks have already started.
Amateur Boxing & Events:
The inaugural World Boxing Cup was held across various locations, with the finals in New Delhi, India, in November. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan topped the medal tables across the stages.
The World Boxing Championships took place in Liverpool, England, in September, featuring over 540 boxers from 68 nations. The United States team had a strong showing, with Yoseline Perez earning a silver medal. Other amateurs who have strong campaigns in 2025, based on recent rankings and standout performances, include US standouts like Joseph Awinongya Jr. (Heavyweight) and Marcus Luther, alongside world-ranked fighters such as Uzbekistan’s Akmaljon Isroilo and GB’s Tegan Stott.
Overall, 2025 featured compelling storylines driven by historic accomplishments, major upsets, and the continued rise of new talent across both professional and amateur ranks.
International Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2025:
The International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) Class of 2025, announced in late 2024 and inducted in June 2025, features legends like Manny Pacquiao, Vinny Paz, and Michael Nunn (Men’s Modern); Yessica Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis, and Mary Jo Sanders (Women’s Modern); plus trailblazers, non-participants (referees, cutmen), and observers (broadcasters/journalists) like Cathy Davis, Kenny Bayless, Randy Gordon, and Ross Greenburg, honoring significant figures in boxing history during their ceremony in Canastota, NY.
Real Combat Media 2025 Male Boxers of the Year:
1. Terence Crawford, 38, (42-0, 38 Kos) is the Real Combat Media Boxer of the year for moving up two weight classes to defeat the legend Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight title. Terence recently retired; however, many expect him to return for a rematch with Canelo in September. We picked Crawford because he was an underdog going into the fight, and many experts felt he did not have the power to defeat Canelo or be able to withstand his power.
2. Naoya Inoue, 32, (32-0, 27 Kos), finished a close second for completing a 4-0 campaign and matching records for undisputed title defenses. Inoue is the first fighter to defend the Ring Title since
Real Combat Media Women’s Boxer of the Year:
Elif Nur Turhan, 30 (12-0, 8 Kos), who fights out of Istanbul, Türkiye, had three major upset wins, including a TKO victory over former unbeaten champ Beatriz Ferreira.
Real Combat Media 2025 Fights of the Year:
The deeply personal grudge match between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn in London was named the Real Combat Media fight of the year since it exceeded the hype with its dramatic back-and-forth action.
1. Chris Eubank vs. Conor Benn Fight #1
Chris Eubank Jr. won the first fight against Conor Benn on April 26, 2025, via unanimous decision (116-112 on all cards) in a thrilling battle, overcoming a tough challenge from Benn, who never went down but pushed Eubank throughout the intense middleweight bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, settling a long-awaited rivalry with a historic family legacy at stake. Eubank Jr. lost the rematch in another exciting match.
2. Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez
Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez resulted in a split draw on September 13, 2025, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The thrilling super middleweight contest was a back-and-forth “war” where both undefeated fighters had their moments
Real Combat Media 2025 Knockout of the Year:
Brian Norman Jr. records a dangerous championship KO over Jin Sasaki.
Brian Norman Jr. scored a devastating fifth-round knockout (KO) over Jin Sasaki to retain his WBO welterweight title on June 19, 2025, in Tokyo, Japan. The brutal one-punch finish, widely considered the 2025 Knockout of the Year by multiple boxing outlets, left Sasaki unconscious and reportedly caused temporary memory loss. Below, you can watch a collection of the best knockouts of 2025.
Real Combat Media 2025 Boxing Upset of the Year:
Rolly Romero, 30, (17-2, 13 Kos) defeated Ryan Garcia, 27, (24-2, 20 Kos).
Romero was a +680 betting underdog. Rolando Romero defeated Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision in a major upset to win this RCM boxing award on May 2, 2025, in New York City for the WBA welterweight title, with Romero knocking Garcia down in the second round and controlling much of the fight despite Garcia’s higher punch output, securing scores like 115-112, 115-112, and 118-109. Romero landed the more effective punches while being able to evade Ryan’s patented left hook. Expect them to rematch in the future.
2025 Real Combat Media Boxing Prospect of the Year:
Very young 6-foot-4 power puncher, Moses Itauma, 21, (13-0, 11 Kos), who knocked out Dillian Whyte in one round, wins this award. Whyte has been one of the best heavyweights in the world for many years, and Itauma made it look easy. Expect Itauma to fight for a world title at the end of 2026 or early 2027. Itauma possesses unusual speed with unique combinations at heavyweight, combined with world-class power. Some boxing trainers have compared his potential to a young Mike Tyson.
Real Combat Media 2025 Boxing Trainer of the Year:
Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, who was the mastermind behind Crawford’s win over Canelo, and Lester Martinez from Guatemala, who fought to a draw against Christian Mbilli in one of the best fights of the year. He also helped Chris Eubank Jr. defeat Conor Benn in their first fight.
Real Combat Media 2025 Promoter of the Year:
Turki Al-Sheikh wins the RCM Boxing Promoter award from (Riyadh Season) for hosting boxing’s largest events in 2025. Turki promoted several major boxing events in 2025, including the undisputed super middleweight championship between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford in Las Vegas and the light heavyweight rematch between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev in Riyadh. Turki has been responsible for saving the sport of boxing for the past few years.
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