RINGSIDE By Doug Fischer MIDYEAR AWARD CANDIDATES
September 2025 Volume 102, No. 10
Founder Nathaniel Fleischer (1888-1972) Owner His Excellency Turki Alalshikh
Editor-in-Chief Douglass Fischer Managing Editor Tom Gray Senior Editor Brian Harty Creative Director Lamar Clark Controller Deborah L. Harrison
T ime flies putting out a wrapped production on this issue during the first days of August that I realized that we’re already past the halfway mark of this year. Seven months went by in a blur due to the magazine grind and a busy travel schedule, but I’ve been taking notes on the best fights, rounds, knockouts and upsets, as well as the standout performers so far. That’s right, it’s already time to start thinking about candidates for The monthly publication, so it wasn’t until your favorite boxing magazine staff Ring’s 2025 awards. Apart from Fighter of the Year, there are frontrunners for most of the categories. Fighter of the Year is still wide open, which isn’t surprising, given how inactive elite boxers are these days. But part of the anticipation for the second half of 2025 is seeing who wins the major showdowns to earn The Ring’s most prestigious honor. Here are my candidates for the annual awards:
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FIGHTER OF THE YEAR Terence Crawford (if he beats Canelo) – If Bud can pull this off (and many think he can), it will be the boldest move since Manny Pacquiao jumped from his pitstop at lightweight to take on Oscar De La Hoya at welterweight in December 2008. The peak PacMan – who outpointed Juan Manuel Marquez for the Ring/ WBC 130-pound championship, brutalized David Diaz to lift the WBC 135-pound strap and then retired the faded Golden Boy in 2008 – was an easy choice for Fighter of the Year. Crawford can achieve the same recognition with one fight if he beats Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight championship. Dmitry Bivol (if he beats Artur Beterbiev again) – Bivol brilliantly outpointed his formidable countryman to win the undisputed light heavyweight championship in their hotly contested February rematch. If he can emphatically win the rubber match, he could be in the running to become the first two-time Fighter of the Year from Russia. Jesse Rodriguez (if he beats Fernando Martinez) – There has only
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THE RING (ISSN: 0035-5410) September 2025, is published 12 times per year by The Ring Magazine FZ, LLC P.O. Box 90254 Brooklyn, NY 11209. Postmasters: Send change of address Notices to: The Ring Magazine Subscriber Service Dept., PO Box 16027, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6027, Phone: 818-286-3101; rngcs@magserv.com. Single copy price $9.99 in U.S.A. ,10.99 Canada (£10.99 in the U.K.). Global Subscription price $60.00 for 12 issues plus S&H. Not responsible for the loss or non-return of unsolicited articles or photographs, which will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope bearing the proper amount of postage. The entire contents of this magazine are copyright ©2025 The Ring Magazine FZ-LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of advertisements appearing in this magazine, nor the delivery or quality of merchandise or services offered. No endorsement of any such advertisement is intended or implied. Advertisers and agencies assume liability for claims arising from the content of their advertisements. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES AND RATES: advertising@ ringmagazine.com. U.S. / Canadian and International distribution by Comag Marketing Group LLC, 155 Village Blvd #200, Princeton, NJ 08540. UK distribution by Seymour Distribution Ltd., 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, England, EC1A 9PT. Printed In USA and the UK.
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