ANALYZING TERENCE CRAWFORD’S NINE-ROUND SURGE THAT DISMANTLED CANELO ALVAREZ’S DEFENSE
Terence Crawford retires as 2025's best after beating Canelo. Plus: Mikaela Mayer, Bivol vs Beterbiev 2, and KO of the Year.
Last September, right as the bell kicked off round nine of Terence Crawford’s super middleweight showdown with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Crawford came out looking like a man on a mission. The first eight rounds? Tight. Competitive. Crawford probably edged most of them, but not by much—he knew he had to step it up. “I had to make sure I set a tone,” he said later. And then he did. Those next three minutes were some of the sharpest of his career. Crawford just took over, out-landing Canelo 33 to 10, according to CompuBox, and that burst basically carried him to the biggest win of his life. It was the kind of victory you don’t forget, and it landed Crawford, at 38, Sports Illustrated’s Male Fighter of the Year.
Usually, one win doesn’t cut it for Fighter of the Year, especially with the competition out there. Naoya Inoue, the undisputed super bantamweight champ, went 4-0 in 2025 and just steamrolled Alan Picasso a month ago. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez picked up two big wins in 115-pound title unifications. Inoue and Rodriguez, like Crawford, are both considered top five pound-for-pound.
But sometimes, a single win is just that important. Crawford beating Canelo was one of those moments. He jumped up two weight classes—really, three, if you count that he’d only fought once at 147 before leaping to 168—and took on Canelo, a guy who’s always been more comfortable at that weight. Canelo still had his spot in boxing’s top 10, even if his last fight against William Scull was a little flat. Most people figured size and strength would be too much for Crawford, especially since he barely squeaked by Israil Madrimov at 154 the year before.
But no, Crawford handled business from the start. Early on, he stung Canelo with jabs. Later, he just stood in the pocket and hammered him with power shots. The fight didn’t end with some highlight-reel knockout like his win over Errol Spence Jr. two years ago, but honestly, try telling anyone this win wasn’t even bigger.
And if this really is it for Crawford—he said he’s retiring in December—he’s going out the way every fighter dreams. Undefeated. Undisputed in three weight classes. Pound-for-pound number one. And SI’s top boxing honour is riding shotgun. Maybe boxing’s seen better fighters in other eras, but in this one? Not many.
Runner Up: Naoya Inoue
Mayer, at 35, pulled off a late-career comeback with two of her best performances ever. She got payback at 147 pounds, beating Sandy Ryan clearly in a rematch of their close 2024 fight, and then dominated 154-pound champ Mary Spencer—even though Mayer spent most of her career at 130. She just bullied the bigger woman. Those wins put her in line for huge unification fights in 2026 and put her right back among the sport’s biggest names.
She barely edged out a stacked field. Claressa Shields became the undisputed heavyweight champ this year. Mizuki Hiruta defended her 115-pound title four times. Gabriela Fundora kept knocking everyone out at 112. Elif Nur Turhan showed up as the next big puncher in women’s boxing.
But Mayer made herself impossible to ignore. She’s had some tough years, losing close ones to Alycia Baumgardner and Natasha Jonas, which left her career in limbo. The move up in weight changed everything—she brought real power with her to fill out her 5'9" frame. This upcoming year? Even bigger. She’s got a shot at unified 147-pound champ Lauren Price, or maybe a rematch with her old rival Baumgardner. Both are huge fights.
Runner Up: Mizuki Hiruta
Death, taxes, and Robert Garcia turning out top fighters. His gym had another monster year. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez added two more belts at 115. Vergil Ortiz got the hardest win of his career against Israil Madrimov, then followed it up with a statement knockout over Erickson Lubin. Raymond Muratalla grabbed a piece of the 135-pound title, and Óscar Duarte moved a step closer to a shot at 140. The best fighters seek out Garcia, and he just keeps making them better.
Runner Up: Shingo Inoue
After years of frustrating negotiations, Bivol and Beterbiev finally met again in February in Saudi Arabia, just four months after their epic 2024 clash. Beterbiev barely grabbed the decision in the first one and started strong in the rematch, looking like he might win even more convincingly. But Bivol flipped the script in the second half with slick footwork and clean, punishing combos. One judge had it a draw, but the other two gave it to Bivol, crowning him the undisputed light heavyweight champ.
Runner Up: Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn I
Last June, Norman Jr. defended his 147-pound title for the second time and gave fans the biggest moment of his career so far. He flew out to Japan to take on Jin Sasaki, and from the start, he pretty much owned the fight. Then, in the fifth round, Norman lunged in and smashed Sasaki with a brutal left hook—dropped him cold, right in the centre of the ring. That was the kind of performance Norman needed to really put his name out there, especially with the welterweight division so wide open.
Runner Up: Fabio Wardley knocks out Justis Huni.
NAOYA INOUE SURVIVES JUNTO NAKATANI CHALLENGE TO KEEP UNDISPUTED FEATHERWEIGHT CROWN
Naoya Inoue retained his undisputed junior featherweight title in a classic unanimous decision victory over Junto Nakatani in Tokyo.
Naoya Inoue showed up at the Ohashi Boxing Gym in Yokohama with a big smile on his face; everyone could tell he was riding high after last night’s fights.
He sat next to his brother, Takuma Inoue, the WBC bantamweight champ, and both of them had just defended their world titles at the Tokyo Dome. For Naoya, the night was all about facing his toughest opponent yet at junior featherweight. He managed to edge out Junto Nakatani in a fight that went back and forth and walked away with a unanimous decision to keep his undisputed crown.
This was a huge deal: two guys from Kanagawa squaring off in what people called the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history. Honestly, the match delivered. The momentum swung between them; both had their moments. In the end, Inoue did just enough to pull ahead on the scorecards.
After such a close fight, everyone’s talking about a rematch. Nakatani seemed to be finding his rhythm in the middle rounds, but then there was an accidental head clash in the 10th that cut him. That’s when Inoue took control and finished strong.
“I’m not sure yet. If enough people want it, a rematch could happen." Inoue said he’s now 33-0, with 27 KOs. “Like I said last night, I’ve got options, but nothing is decided. I’m thinking about a new stage, and I’ll talk with Mr Ohashi about that.”
That “new stage” probably means moving up in weight. But judging by Saturday, he might still have business to settle in his own division.
There was one moment that summed up the fight. Both guys were trading punches at a high level, slipping and countering at the same time. Nobody landed, and they stopped to share a quick smile. It was surreal, but it showed just how much respect they had for each other.
“I was fighting while really feeling Nakatani’s skill and spirit,” Inoue said. “I’m pretty sure he felt the same. We both enjoyed that little space where neither could hit the other. That smile just happened.”
Despite all the mutual respect, Inoue took over when he had to. After Nakatani got cut in the 10th, Inoue had his best round; he hurt Nakatani several times and messed up his orbital bone with a sharp left hand.
“I didn’t go in with the sole intention to knock him out,” Inoue admitted. “It was complicated, a feeling I’ve never had before.”
DAVID BENAVIDEZ KNOCKS OUT ZURDO RAMIREZ TO UNIFY WBA AND WBO BELTS
David Benavidez captured the WBA/WBO cruiserweight titles with a 6th-round TKO of Zurdo Ramirez before calling out Canelo Alvarez.
David Benavidez put on an unforgettable show Saturday night, stopping Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez in the sixth round at T-Mobile Arena to grab the WBA and WBO cruiserweight belts.
Benavidez (32-0, 26 KOs) jumped up to cruiserweight after winning belts at super middleweight and light heavyweight, and he didn’t just win; he dominated. Mike Tyson dubbed him the “Mexican Monster", and honestly, Benavidez lived up to that name.
"My combination, my punch selection, is unlike anything else," Benavidez said. "Whoever it is, man, I don't care who it is: nobody can f--- with me."
At 29, Benavidez came in ranked No. 5 pound-for-pound by ESPN, but for years, he’s wanted to snatch the Mexican holiday spotlight from Canelo Alvarez. He’s chased that fight for ages.
This time, he finally got to headline on Cinco de Mayo weekend, facing another Mexican star. And with the beating he laid on Ramirez, Benavidez might have just snatched the title of Mexico’s top boxer.
Afterwards, a Golden Boy Promotions spokesperson confirmed Ramirez was taken to the hospital for a head scan. "He's in good spirits and has a swollen eye," the spokesperson said. "There's no determination of a fracture at this point."
Ramirez (48-2, 30 KOs) had only lost once before against Dmitry Bivol in 2022 for the WBA light heavyweight title. He’d been rolling at cruiserweight, piecing together four straight wins and hauling in two titles. But against Benavidez, Ramirez just couldn’t keep up with the blistering hand speed.
"I knew that the combination was going to be able to land easily," Benavidez said.
The way Benavidez broke Ramirez down was something else. He kept finding openings, landing combo after combo, pounding away until the crowd couldn’t help but react.
These two actually go way back. When Benavidez was 19, he sparred with Ramirez close to 300 rounds, apparently when Ramirez was prepping for Arthur Abraham in 2016. But real fights are a different world. Ramirez learned that the hard way Saturday night, leaving the ring with his right eye nearly swollen shut.
"I love Ramirez. We came up together," Benavidez said. "I'm kind of sad it had to happen like this. I love 'Zurdo' Ramirez, but that's what it is in here. There's only one 'Monstro'."
From the opening bell, Benavidez wouldn’t give Ramirez any space, picking his shots and then letting his speed loose, which has always set him apart. By the fourth, Benavidez started landing at will. He rocked Ramirez with an uppercut that put him on his heels, then pounced, firing off a flurry that forced Ramirez to take a knee.
Ramirez pulled himself together for the fifth round, but Benavidez just waited for his next chance. In the sixth, Benavidez battered him again with uppercuts; another brutal combo had Ramirez staggering, his eye swelling as the ref waved it off with a second left in the round.
With this win, Benavidez looks ready to stay at cruiser weight. Still, he used the moment to call out Canelo Alvarez, who was watching at ringside.
"I just want to give the fans what they want to see," Benavidez said. "I see Canelo in the building. Hey, let me just ask the fans this: Do you guys want to see Canelo versus David Benavidez? Enough said. That means that we can't leave that fight on the table. And I respect Canelo. He's a good champion. But I'm a great champion too. Let's do it."
Sure, a fight with Alvarez would be huge. But honestly, after the way Benavidez dominated here, nobody knows if Canelo will actually want to risk it. Canelo fights at super middleweight, and Benavidez probably isn’t dropping back to 168 pounds after this.
Still, Benavidez took his swing, then made it clear he’s coming for Dmitry Bivol as well.
"Bivol is No. 1 on my hit list," Benavidez said. "Bivol is a great competitor, a great champion. But I'm a great champion too. I just want to test myself every single fight."
