After watching 40 fights, these are my Alternative Boxing Awards for 2025

2025 may now firmly be in the rear-view mirror, but what a year it was for boxing.

Terence Crawford jumping up two weight divisions to beat Canelo Alvarez – thus becoming the first male boxer in the four-belt era to hold three undisputed titles - was right up there, as was Oleksandr Usyk knocking out Daniel Dubois to become a three-time undisputed world champion.

Yet as we bite down on our collective gumshields and march forward into 2026, the DAZN News columnist Derek Bilton offers up some alternative awards for the year that was, and a few year-end categories you won’t find anywhere else.

Journey of the year

After then IBF heavyweight title holder Daniel Dubois withdrew from his February title defence against Joseph Parker due to illness at the eleventh-hour, Martin Bakole stepped in on two days’ notice.

Bakole flew from Congo to Ethiopia and then to Saudi, where he got in so late that he missed the official weigh-in. It was a bizarre spectacle as videos began to emerge on social media of a relaxed and smiling Bakole – on his own decked out in skinny jeans and a Gucci t-shirt – sauntering through deserted airports alluding he would be there soon.

In the end, concerns over his readiness to face the New Zealander by jumping off the couch to fight - having done no sparring - were justified as he was taken out in just five minutes and 17 seconds.

Alas big Martin could also have won the ‘Lost All Momentum’ award. 12 months ago, in January 2025, he was so well placed for a world title shot both in terms of ranking and career acceleration. He was the guy everyone was seemingly avoiding. The defeat to Parker was bad but there was obvious mitigation.

The majority draw with Efe Ajagba in May was more damaging and meant in little over three months he had lost virtually all the momentum he had built up when blasting out Jared Anderson in America in August 2024.

Bakole's next fight was expected to be in January 2026 on a big Saudi Arabia card, with his promoter aiming to rebuild aforementioned momentum and line him up for a shot at the heavyweight title. Alas at time of writing nothing has been locked in, and we await an official announcement from Team Bakole regarding when we might see him in the ring again.

Round of the year

Round 6 - Callum Smith vs Joshua Buatsi

Not the biggest fight of the year by any stretch, but certainly one of the best fights of the year took place in February in Riyadh as UK pair Smith and Buatsi put everything on the line against each other in Saudi. This fight – and in particular the sixth round of this fight – offered a brutal yet brilliant reminder why it is we love this sport.

Buatsi – the betting favourite and WBO interim world light-heavyweight champion going in – started the fight well enough behind an educated jab. However, Smith was beginning to have regular success with the left hand as the pair began to exchange violently with each other in the pocket.

Round six was just insane. Smith was landing hurtful shots with ease and a massive right hand around the 1:30 mark almost stopped Buatsi in his tracks, prompting a barrage of Smith left hooks as Eddie Hearn jumped from his seat and became very excited from ringside.

Truth be told, the Londoner looked on the verge of being stopped in that sixth stanza but somehow fired back in the final 20 seconds and briefly had Smith in real trouble with a vicious left hook.   

The fight was a show-stealer and one of those contests where us mere mortals find it hard to work out how both men were able to summon up such courage under fire. What an effort, gentlemen. Ordinary people. Extraordinary talent.

Best boxing quote of the year

(Announcing his retirement) “This isn't goodbye. It's just the end of one fight and the beginning of another.” – Terence Crawford. 

Best non-boxing quote of the year

“It could have gone either way, but it was unbelievable the way they took chances and came out on top.” - Ray Parlour discusses WWII with Alan Brazil.

Most unforeseeable outcome award

Manny Pacquiao MD12 Mario Barrios

Full disclosure. I was concerned when it was confirmed that Pacquiao was returning to the ring after a four-year layoff for a crack at WBC welterweight boss Barrios. Yet I was also troubled after watching nine rounds of their July fight, knowing my sizeable lump on Barrios at 4/9 was bang in trouble as Manny rolled back the years in Las Vegas.

PacMan out-threw, out-landed and out-thought a champion fully 16 years his junior for long spells of their captivating fight in Sin City, which ended in a majority draw with two judges scoring it 114-114. Barrios kept the belt, but Manny grabbed the glory and reminded us all why he is an all-time great.

Note to self - never doubt boxing’s only eight-division world champion again.

Unluckiest fighter of the year

Luck and Paddy Donovan are not on speaking terms it seems.

The Limerick southpaw had a severe case of reverse Midas touch in 2025, with everything he touched turning to chaos. In March he dazzled and comprehensively outboxed Lewis Crocker in front of 8,000 fans in Belfast. The bookies could not split them going in, but Donovan - with his speed, peerless footwork and top-notch technique - dominated for most of the fight.

Donovan seemed unlucky to be deducted a point on the cards in both the sixth and eighth rounds for use of the head (both men seemed to be leaning in with the head for most of the fight) but was still on course for the win, such was his dominance.

Indeed, after putting Crocker on the mat with a stinging left hook in the eighth, the win looked a formality (he hit 1/100 with some betting firms in-play at that point).

But, after Crocker hit the deck again following a right-hander, things got crazy. The blow came fractionally after the bell had tolled and Donovan was DQ'd by Marcus McDonnell. Donovan was ahead on all three judges' scorecards when he was disqualified for hitting Crocker after the bell, and the furore was such that the IBF ordered an immediate rematch, this time for their full world title.

The rematch was the first time two boxers from the island of Ireland had fought for a world title, and while this fight was much closer (Donovan was down twice) plenty felt Paddy had still done enough by the end to be crowned champion.  

Veteran lead commentator Adam Smith – calling it for DAZN – said after the final bell “For me, Paddy Donovan is IBF champion of the world.” However, the three scorecards read: 115-111 to Donovan. 114-112 to Crocker. 114-113 to Crocker.

Crocker sank to his knees and was world champion, as tears filled poor Paddy’s eyes. Yet while luck said “No thanks” to Mr Donovan not once but twice last year, he is young enough and talented enough to come again in 2026 and beyond. 

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