Terence Crawford’s spectacular performance in the boxing ring in 2023 was not enough to secure him the Fighter of the Year title, according to Ring Magazine. Instead, Naoya Inoue, a fellow two-division undisputed champion, took home the prestigious award.
Inoue, known as ‘The Monster,’ defeated Stephen Fulton earlier in the year to claim the WBC and WBO super-bantamweight champion titles. He later overcame Marlon Tapales in December, becoming the undisputed king of the division. Boxing Editor for talkSport, Michael Benson, announced Inoue’s award and cited the boxer’s victories over Fulton and Tapales as the reason for his recognition as a two-weight, four-belt undisputed world champion.
Crawford’s only fight in 2023 came against Errol Spence Jr., with the pair facing off in July to determine the first undisputed welterweight champion in the ‘four belt era’ of boxing. Both men entered the ring undefeated, and Crawford ultimately emerged victorious with a ninth-round TKO win over Spence Jr. This made him the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in two divisions, an accomplishment that Inoue quickly followed by defeating Tapales.
In 2023, Crawford and Spence Jr. went head-to-head in one of the most anticipated boxing matches of the 21st century. Both fighters aimed to make welterweight history and maintain their undefeated records in a fight that was expected to be incredibly close. However, Crawford dominated the match from the beginning and eventually secured a career-defining victory over Spence Jr., stopping ‘The Truth’ in the ninth round.
A month after their initial clash, Spence Jr. activated the rematch clause in their fight contract, leading to speculation about the weight at which their second bout would be scheduled. Recently, Crawford confirmed that he would be facing ‘The Truth’ in his next match. Though no date has been set for the rematch, Crawford praised Spence Jr.’s championship mentality and willingness to prove himself in a second bout.
