The Boxing Writers Association of America announced their winners for 2019 on January 17, 2020.
The biggest winner was Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. who was voted the “Fighter of the Decade” for 2010-2019.
Mayweather who retired with a record of 50-0, last fought in the boxing ring on August 26, 2017 against UFC star Conor McGregor.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan native ruled the decade with his dominating performances and became the highest grossing Pay-Per-View star in history.
The undefeated Mayweather held championship belts from super-featherweight all the way to junior middleweight, a total of five different weight classes.
Mayweather won the award over fellow nominees Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Manny Pacquiao, Wladimir Klitschko, and Andre Ward.
What likely gave Floyd the edge to secure the award is having a win over fellow “Fighter of the Decade” nominees Canelo and Pacquiao in the same decade.
Roy Jones Jr. won the Fighter of the Decade for 1990-1999, Manny Pacquiao won the award for decade of 2000-2009, and Mayweather became the third fighter to win the prestigious award.
The Fighter of the Decade means the fighter dominated the era and must win a majority vote by the boxing writers of America.
The 2019 “Fighter of the Year” award went to Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez.
Alvarez had a stellar year beating IBF middleweight champion Danny Jacobs to unify the WBC/WBA and IBF titles in May before moving up to light heavyweight in November to dethrone power punching WBO 175 lbs champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev to become a four-division world champion.
Some fans felt Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao deserved to win the “Fighter of the Year” award over Canelo because at 40 he beat prime 30-year-old undefeated WBA champion Keith Thurman to become the oldest fighter to win a welterweight title in history.
The 2019 BWAA Award Winners List
Joe Louis Fighter of the Decade: Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Sugar Ray Robinson Award Fighter of the Year: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
Female Fighter of the Year/Christy Martin award: Katie Taylor
Muhammad Ali – Joe Frazier Award Fight of the Year: Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire
Eddie Futch Award Trainer of the Year: Eddy Reynoso
Cus D’Amato Award Manager of the Year: Keith Connolly
Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award: Norm Frauenheim/Tim Smith
Sam Taub Award Excellence in Broadcast Journalism: Andre Ward
Barney Nagler Award Long and Meritorious Service: Bob Canobbio
John McCain-Bill Crawford Courage Award: Marc Abrams/Adonis Stevenson
Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism: Graham Houston
