Terence Crawford’s win over Canelo Alvarez secured him 2025 Fighter of the Year honors from The Ring and the BWAA. It belonged in the Performance of the Year discussion instead. Beating an aging champion in a lone appearance was simply not enough to capture the sport’s top annual award.

Mike Coppinger raised that point on X, agreeing with Stephen “Breadman” Edwards that boxing needs a recognized Performance of the Year category. Coppinger argued Fighter of the Year should require at least two bouts, noting he backed Naoya Inoue for that reason. One spectacular night does not equal a complete twelve-month campaign.

Crawford’s backers cite the climb from 154 to 168 pounds to claim undisputed status in a third division. Those accomplishments carry historical weight, but the state of the opponent cannot be ignored. Canelo was 35, well past his physical prime, and later had surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. How much the joint limited him remains up for debate, yet it belongs in any honest assessment of the night.

The win also failed to answer key questions about Crawford at super middleweight. Taking on a dangerous contender like Osleys Iglesias would have tested him against prime physical power rather than an older, damaged champion. Crawford walked away and retired instead, leaving the Canelo bout as his sole 2025 appearance.

A factual detail also got lost in the online back-and-forth. Crawford did not capture the Ring or BWAA awards in 2023. Inoue swept both honors after stopping Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales, delivering two elite victories while Crawford fought just once against Errol Spence Jr.

Crawford earned recognition for beating Canelo, but Fighter of the Year went too far. Proving himself against an active, dangerous contender at 168 would have built a real case instead of relying strictly on the star value of a single name.