Some news hits you and you catch yourself thinking: “Yeah, makes sense… but still, that was kind of sudden.” That’s exactly how it is for me with Terence Crawford: the guy jumps into a completely new weight class for himself, scoops up everything that’s lying around (the stuff that’s lying badly, and the stuff that’s lying nicely too), and then goes: “Alright, folks, I’m done.” And then Konstantin Tszyu — the man who knows championship math better than most couch experts combined — calmly says: Crawford is the best boxer of 2025. No “maybe,” no “if,” no “let’s see how it goes.”
“Boxer of the Year? You Don’t Even Need a Vote Here” — What Tszyu Said
Konstantin Tszyu put it as straight as it gets: in his view, the boxer of the year is Terence Crawford. And his arguments aren’t the “I just like his style” kind (though, sure, the style is absolutely candy), but the pragmatic, champion-level kind:
- Crawford became the undisputed champion in yet another weight class.
- He did it in a division that was completely new to him — not in his comfy “own sandbox,” but where other guys have been building castles for years.
- And after pulling that off, he retired — clean, loud, and without turning it into a “comeback for a paycheck” series.
Tszyu basically draws the line: if you become undisputed and then walk away — come on, that’s a bid not only for the year, but for the whole era’s “best of the best” conversation.
September: Crawford vs. Alvarez — And the Judges Didn’t Even Do Drama
The key moment of the whole story is the September fight, where Crawford beat Saul “Canelo” Alvarez by unanimous decision. And this matters: it wasn’t a split decision, it wasn’t “controversial,” it wasn’t “let’s rewatch it in slow-mo.” It was the kind of night when all three judges nod in sync: “Yep, this guy did the job.”
And yes, we’re talking super middleweight, where belts aren’t handed out for free. Beating a top opponent there is already an event. Beating him and becoming the undisputed world champion is “bold print in the textbooks” level.
Why “Undisputed” Isn’t a Pretty Label — It’s a Real Monster Status
Sometimes “undisputed champion” sounds like marketing, but in boxing it’s extremely specific: you’re not just a champion under one sanctioning body — you’ve collected all the major belts in the division. In other words, you shut down the “who’s the boss here?” question so hard that arguing feels awkward.
And here’s what adds weight to Tszyu’s point: before this, Crawford had already unified titles at junior welterweight and welterweight. So this isn’t a “got lucky once” story. It’s a habit — show up, clean out a division, and move on.
December 17: “I’m Done” — And That’s Where It Gets Really Interesting
Then comes another twist: on December 17, Crawford announced he was retiring from the sport. And I had two reactions at the same time.
The first one (the rational one): “Correct. Left at the peak, health intact, legacy rock-solid.”
The second one (fan mode, slightly hysterical): “Wait, where are you going?! There were still a couple massive fights left! What about the whole ‘come on, test yourself one more time’ thing?”
But if you look at it coldly, the logic is brutal: become undisputed, beat a dangerous opponent in a new weight class, put a period on it — and don’t turn your final years into a circus of endless “returns.” And that’s probably what Tszyu respects most: a champion’s move, not a never-ending series.
“The Best Boxer of 2025” — Why It Sounds Less Like an Opinion and More Like a Fact
If you line it all up, Tszyu’s stance doesn’t even look controversial:
- Crawford beat an elite opponent.
- He did it in a new weight class.
- He became undisputed.
- And he closed the book in a way that feels like a final stamp: “mission accomplished.”
So yeah — argue all you want about “the most entertaining,” “the most hyped,” and “the most media-friendly.” But when we’re talking the best — in the pure sporting sense, honestly — Crawford’s case looks like the answer key at the back of the book.
And honestly, it’s kind of refreshing when a legend like Tszyu keeps it simple: “That’s the guy.” No extra glitter, no extra noise.
