Surprise omission: Usyk not nominated for The Ring 2025 Boxer of the Year
Alexander Usyk (photo: Getty Images)
WBC, WBA, and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) was not included in the list of nominees for The Ring’s 2025 Boxer of the Year, according to The Ring.
Who’s in the running for the title
This year, The Ring Awards’ final list includes five fighters from different weight divisions. The fight for the award will unfold between the following athletes:
-
Dmitry Bivol – WBA, WBO, and IBF world champion (light heavyweight)
-
Terence Crawford – former three-division undisputed champion
-
Jesse Rodriguez – WBC, WBA, and WBO titleholder in the second-lightest division
-
Naoya Inoue – undisputed champion of the second-lightest division
-
Fabio Wardley – WBO heavyweight world champion
The ceremony announcing the winners will take place soon. The official event is scheduled for January 30 in New York.
Ranking paradox and Usyk’s plans
The Ukrainian’s absence from the nominee list appears controversial, given his positions in other rankings.
In particular, Usyk continues to hold the top spot in the pound-for-pound (P4P) list of the world’s best boxers, both according to ESPN and The Ring itself.
It is worth recalling that 2025 was a landmark year for the Ukrainian athlete, as he became an undisputed champion for the third time in his career. Usyk’s team is currently working on organizing his next mega-fight.
The priority opponent is considered to be American Deontay Wilder, with negotiations now actively underway.
Earlier, we reported that the WBC approved Usyk’s title defense against Wilder.
