ESPN: Terence Crawford 2017 Fighter of the Year

[Pigeons]

The annual ESPN #boxing awards kick off with the 2017 fighter of the year. Cong**** to @budcrawford402, who wins it for the 2nd time! My story: https://t.co/jHdX2q7nu8 @trboxing @CarlMoretti @ToddDuboef @BobArum @TooFred

— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) December 26, 2017

[E-Thug]

What a joke, Rungvisai deserved it

[EL_GRINGO]

congratz to Crawford!

[Blu]

Nice. I think he deserved it.

[GhostofDempsey]

No arguments there. Cong**** to him.

[1hourRun]

I have said some bad things about ESPN, but these guys have started to see the light ; Deontay 'Bronze-Bomber' Wilder is now in their P4P and the U.S.A wins fighter of the year -- what a great way to start off the new year. No doubt T-Raw is going to be a top candidate for this award and many other in 2018.

[Grimmer]

Yup, it’s not every year a fighter becomes WBC/WBO/IBF/WBA/RING (and could have added IBO to that list had Crawford paid their fee) champion.

It’s really an impressive achievement and you get the feeling he’s going to be a P4P great for years to come.

[Pigeons]

What a joke, Rungvisai deserved it

Rungvisai's issue is that most observers felt he lost the first fight against Gonzalez. His KO win in the 2nd fight is great, but the first fight is going to cost him.

For example, last year on paper Andre Ward should have been a shoe-in for Fighter of the Year with decision wins vs. an undefeated Kovalev and an undefeated Barrera, but because most observers felt he lost the Kovalev fight, he wasn't even nominated by the BWAA for the award, let alone won.

As for other contenders:

I don't think Joshua is going to get it because Klitschko was 41, coming off a loss, and 1.5 years of inactivity.

Lomachenko is going to be the real competition for Crawford because he had 1 more win on the year and even though Rigondeaux was coming up 2 weight classes, he's a much stronger name than either Diaz or Indongo. I think it's going to come down to whether the BWAA ranks either Sosa or Marriaga over Diaz or Indongo. If they view that Diaz and Indongo are superior to Sosa and Marriaga , then Crawford will win.

[Grimmer]

What a joke, Rungvisai deserved it

It was an impressive 2nd win over a great fighter. But that first fight took a lot out of Gonzalez and he arguably should have been given then win as well. He lost to the bigger man, but not the better man.

The 2nd win shouldn’t be discredited, but Gonzalez just didn’t have enough in him to battle it out again.

What Crawford has done it something that happens once a decade at best, and deserves to be recognised.

[richardt]

I remember Crawford's first appearance against Prescott and knew then he was going to do great and he has - 12 fights later and poised for some serious matchups at 147. Cant wait to see!.