Avila Perspective Chap 358: Boxing - The Best of 2025

Avila Perspective Chap 358: Boxing – The Best of 2025

By David A. Avila

It took place in Las Vegas, of course, when the biggest boxing card of the year featured Terence Crawford and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a battle for the undisputed super middleweight championship, pride and recognition as the best of the best pound for pound fighter in the world.

We all know what happened this past September and following his win Crawford announced his retirement from the sport, after months of speculation.

Prizefighting resumes after a rather slow year with a few exceptions such as the emergence of Jake Paul as a ratings grabber and a British family feud that popped.

Here is the list of Pound for Pound Best in December 2025 and some outstanding moments and fighters this past year.

Pound for Pound List

1 Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 Kos) – The Ukrainian southpaw eliminated all doubt on who controls the heavyweight division with another win by knockout over Daniel Dubois. Usyk is 38 years old now and seems unbeatable.

2 Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 Kos) – Japan’s longtime champion fought four times and won four times in 2025. No male world champion had accomplished the feat since Larry Holmes in 1983. Inoue is now 32.

3 David Benavidez (31-0, 25 Kos) – Known as the “Mexican Monster” the light heavyweight champion has agreed to move up to cruiserweight to challenge Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez for the world titles in May 2026. Benavidez is 29.

4 Jesse Rodriguez (23-0, 16 Kos) – Known as “Bam,” he seems to have grown into his man strength. Rodriguez, 25, has knocked out the last five foes and does it with skill. Reminds some of the great Ricardo “Finito” Lopez the way he lures someone into slumber.

5 Dmitrii Bivol (24-1, 12 Kos) – The stylish light heavyweight champion fights only once a year. He avenged his only loss last February against Artur Beterbiev. Where does he go now? Needs to be more active.

6 Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 Kos) – clearly one of the most gifted boxers today, Stevenson is 28 years old and heading to a major clash with Teofimo Lopez. It could mark the start of a spectacular career or the end. It all depends if either fighter is willing to put in all their chips.

7 Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 Kos) – the southpaw slugger from Japan moved up in weight and engaged in a war of the ages with Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez. The brutal super bantam affair had fans transfixed in Riyadh and worldwide.

8 Saul Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 Kos) – The Mexican redhead engaged in the most important fight of the year and maybe of the decade against Terence Crawford last September. Though Canelo lost by decision, he cannot simply be dismissed. Crawford is one of the most talented fighters of his era. So is Canelo who is 35.

9 Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 Kos) – The super lightweight with electric skills faces a daunting challenge at the end of January when he meets Shakur Stevensin at Madison Square Garden. Each fighter can either boost or bust their careers with an uninspiring performance. The boxing world is waiting.

10 Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0-1, 28 Kos) – The Baltimore fighter was forced to pull out of a match with Jake Paul due to legal problems. Despite the setback Davis, 31, remains one of the most popular fighters of this generation due to his deadly fighting skills. Hopefully Davis returns quickly to the boxing stage.

Honorable Mention

Keyshawn Davis, Rafael Espinosa, Jaron Ennis, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, Virgil Ortiz Jr., Devin Haney, Raymond Muratalla, Jai Opetaia, Nick Ball, O’Shaquie Foster, Conor Benn

The Fighter of the Year

Terence Crawford proved he was more than just talk when he leaped to the super middleweight weight class and defeated boxing legend Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico by unanimous decision. Their match was the most watched fight of the year.

Crawford recently announced his retirement from boxing. Fans were mixed by his decision. Some wanted a rematch with Alvarez, but realistically he had reached the top of the mountain.

Best Fight of the Year

Conor Benn vs Chris Eubank Jr. They met each other April 26, in Tottenham, England. The sons of boxing greats had traded loaded barbs with each other and finally met. Their super welter clash was explosive for all 12 rounds.

The smaller Benn fired away at the much bigger Eubank but could not match the power. Despite the big blows landed by Eubank the smaller Benn attacked and attacked like a guard dog throughout the contest. Fans were riveted across the world.

Runner up – Christian Mbilli (29-0-1) and Lester Martinez (19-0-1) traded brutal punches for 10 incredible rounds on the undercard of Terence Crawford and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on Sept. 13, in Las Vegas. Their fight was the Fight of the Night. The match ended in a split draw. What a fight.

Spectacle of the Year

Terence Crawford vs Saul Alvarez on Sept. 13, 2025 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Their match was the most watched fight in 2025 and saw Crawford prove to the world he indeed is the best fighter Pound for Pound.

Despite absorbing blows to the body early in the fight Crawford stepped on the gas in the second half of the match and took over the fight with his speed and skill.

Their fight drew more than 70,000 fans at Allegiant Stadium and was watched by more than 41 million viewers according to Netflix.

Most Respected Fighter

Japan’s Naoya “The Monster” Inoue fought four times and won four times in 2025. The four-division champion continues to be a massive draw in Japan and dominates each weight division he participates.

Fans worldwide acknowledge Inoue’s boxing prowess.

Most Overlooked Fighter

Mexico’s Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez is the unified cruiserweight champion and the first Mexican to ever hold a world title in the division. He was also the first Mexican to hold a super middleweight world title too.

This past June the cruiserweight champion defeated Cuba’s Yuniel Dortico by unanimous decision. Ramirez is now set to meet David Benavidez in Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo. That will be worth watching and the biggest cruiserweight fight in decades.

Best Puncher

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, 25, holds the unified super fly world titles and has knocked out five consecutive foes. All were world title fights. No other champion can match that feat. Knocking out five consecutive opponents is a big thing, but knocking out five elite fighters challenging for a world title is amazing.

Best Defense

Shakur Stevenson has long been one of the most difficult fighters to land a blow on. But of course, he can also be the most boring. Fans want action and Stevenson does the opposite. But his reflexes, footwork and ability to avoid a blow in close range are exceptional. His win over William Zepeda was textbook stuff.

Avila Perspective Chap 358: Boxing – The Best of 2025

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