As one pound for pound number one and King retires the new ones hands him a prestigious award in the sport of boxing.
Awards ceremonies are not always the best.
Sure. Some of them are just PR things often times.
But some are quality and highly rated by many people. Even after all these years.
Maybe the Oscars in the movies — although Hollywood as an industry has gone to oblivion in recent decades in America.
But the Ring Magazine fighter of the Year awards and the Boxing Hall of Fame in our own sport are still quite good.
Crawford won the Fighter of the Year for 2025 and Usyk himself gave him the award here:
Oleksandr Usyk for us is now ranked number one pound for pound boxer on Earth since Crawford has retired.
A befitting moment of the passing of the torch almost between the two above.
Usyk continues on and should be fighting Deontay Wilder next up this summer.
Wilder will fight Derek Chisora first in the UK this coming April.
On Usyk and Crawford — let’s compare some facts a minute there on their resumes in boxing:
- Record:
- Usyk: 24-0 (15 KOs) — 100% win rate, 62.5% KO rate.
- Crawford: 42-0 (31 KOs) — 100% win rate, ~74% KO rate.
- Weight classes / Titles:
- Usyk: 2 divisions (cruiserweight & heavyweight) — undisputed in both (first/only in four-belt era for cruiser & heavy).
- Crawford: 5 divisions (lightweight to super middleweight) — undisputed in 3 (light welter, welter, super middle); first male to be undisputed in 3 divisions in four-belt era.
- Key achievements:
- Usyk: Olympic gold (2012 heavyweight); undisputed cruiser (2018); beat Joshua (x2), Fury (x2), Dubois (KO) for multiple undisputed heavy reigns; two-time undisputed heavyweight (first since Ali in four-belt era).
- Crawford: 5-division world champion (one of only 6 men); beat Canelo Álvarez (UD for undisputed super middle); 20-0 in world title fights; retired undefeated after Canelo win.
