The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) was organized in 1926 and originally known as the Boxing Writers Association of Greater New York. The organizational purpose is to "promote better working conditions for boxing writers, as well as hold its writers to the highest professional and ethical standards." The BWAA holds an annual awards banquet where it gives fighter, fight, and trainer of the year, among other awards.
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The Boxing Writers Association of America's Fighter of the Year is bestowed to recognize "an individual who did the most for boxing in the previous year." It was previously named as the Edward J. Neil Trophy and in 2009 the award was renamed after boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson. Starting with the 1990s, the BWAA began to recognize an award for "Joe Louis Fighter of the Decade."
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The Nominees for the BWAA Fighter of the Year 2019 award are:
1. Manny Pacquiao — outclassing Adrien Broner in January, then won against a younger Keith Thurman in July, where he claimed his twelfth major world title.
2. Canelo Alvarez — won over Daniel Jacobs in May, and then climbed to the light heavyweight division wresting the WBO world title by stopping Sergey Kovalev gaining another world title in his fourth weight division.
3. Naoya Inoue — battered Emmanuel Rodriguez then defeated Nonito Donaire in a dazzling encounter to win the World Boxing Super Series’ bantamweight tournament.
4. Josh Taylor — in the other World Boxing Super Series tournament in the junior welterweight division, he defeated Ivan Barnachyck and then won the title unification match against Regis Prograis by majority decision in the WBSS final.
5. Errol Spence Jr — he completely dominated Mikey Garcia, who climbed up two weight classes and then unified the welterweight titles by outpointing Shawn Porter in an action-packed match.
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The Nominees for Fighter of the Decade 2010-2019 award are:
1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Canelo Alvarez
3. Floyd Mayweather
4. Andre Ward
5. Wladimir Klitschko
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Nominees for Fight of the Year 2019 are:
1. Gennady Golovkin vs. Sergey Derevyanchenko
2. Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire
3. Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman
4. Anthony Joshua vs Andy Ruiz Jr I
5. Josh Taylor vs Regis Prograis
6. Errol Spence Jr. vs Shawn Porter
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Nominees for Trainer of the Year: 2019 are:
1. Jay Deas/Mark Breland (Deontay Wilder)
2. Derrick James (Errol Spence, Jermell Charlo)
3. Brian McIntyre (Terence Crawford, Jamel Herring)
4. Eddie Reynoso (Canelo Alvarez, Oscar Valdez, Ryan Garcia)
5. Manny Robles (Andy Ruiz Jr)
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The winners of the BWAA Fighter of the Year are:
1938 – Jack Dempsey of United States
1939 – Billy Conn of United States
1940 – Henry Armstrong of United States
1941 – Joe Louis of United States
1942 – Barney Ross of United States
1943 – Boxers of the Armed Forces of United States
1944 – Benny Leonard of United States
1945 – James J. Walker of United States
1946 – Tony Zale of United States
1947 – Gus Lesnevich of United States
1948 – Ike Williams of United States
1949 – Ezzard Charles of United States
1950 – Sugar Ray Robinson of United States
1951 – Jersey Joe Walcott of of United States
1952 – Rocky Marciano of United States
1953 – Kid Gavilán of Cuba
1954 – Bobo Olson of United States
1955 – Carmen Basilio of United States
1956 – Floyd Patterson of United States
1957 – Carmen Basilio (2) of United States
1958 – Archie Moore of United States
1959 – Ingemar Johansson of Sweden
1960 – Floyd Patterson (2) of United States
1961 – Gene Fullmer of of United States
1962 – Dick Tiger of Nigeria
1963 – Emile Griffith of of United States Virgin Islands
1964 – Willie Pastrano of United States
1965 – Muhammad Ali of United States
1966 – Dick Tiger (2) of Nigeria
1967 – Carlos Ortiz of Puerto Rico
1968 – Bob Foster of United States
1969 – Joe Frazier of United States
1970 – Ken Buchanan of United Kingdom
1971 – Joe Frazier (2) of United States
1972 – Carlos Monzón of Argentina
1973 – George Foreman of United States
1974 – Muhammad Ali (2) of United States
1975 – Muhammad Ali (3), and Joe Frazier (3) all of United States
1976 – Howard Davis, Jr., Leo Randolph, Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks, and Michael Spinks all of United States
1977 – Ken Norton of United States
1978 – Larry Holmes of United States
1979 – Sugar Ray Leonard (2) of United States
1980 – Thomas Hearns of United States
1981 – Sugar Ray Leonard (3) of United States
1982 – Aaron Pryor of United States
1983 – Marvin Hagler of United States
1984 – Thomas Hearns (2) of United States
1985 – Marvin Hagler (2) of United States
1986 – Mike Tyson of United States
1987 –Julio César Chávez of Mexico
1988 – Mike Tyson (2) of United States
1989 – Pernell Whitaker of United States
1990 – Evander Holyfield of United States
1991 – James Toney of United States
1992 – Riddick Bowe of United States
1993 – Pernell Whitaker (2) of United States
1994 – George Foreman (2) of United States
1995 – Oscar De La Hoya of United States
1996 – Evander Holyfield (2) of United States
1997 – Evander Holyfield (3) of United States
1998 – Shane Mosley of United States
1999 – Lennox Lewis of Canada/United Kingdom
2000 – Félix Trinidad of Puerto Rico
2001 – Bernard Hopkins of United States
2002 – Vernon Forrest of United States
2003 – James Toney (2) of United States
2004 – Glen Johnson of Jamaica
2005 – Ricky Hatton of United Kingdom
2006 – Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines
2007 – Floyd Mayweather, Jr. of United States
2008 – Manny Pacquiao (2) of the Philippines
2009 – Manny Pacquiao (3) of the Philippines
2010 – Sergio Martínez of Argentina
2011 – Andre Ward of United States
2012 – Nonito Donaire of the Philippines
2013 – Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (2) of United States
2014 – Terence Crawford of of United States
2015 – Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (3) of United States
2016 – Carl Frampton of United Kingdom
2017 – Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine
2018 – Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine
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The previous winners of the BWAA Fighter of the Decade are:
1990s: Roy Jones Jr. of United States
2000s: Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines
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The Ring magazine, known as the "Bible of Boxing", was established in 1922 and has named a Fighter of the Year since 1928. The awardee is selected by the magazine editors and is based on a "boxer's performance in the ring for the year."
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The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year winners are:
1928 – Gene Tunney of United States
1929 – Tommy Loughran of United States
1930 – Max Schmeling of Germany
1931 – Tommy Loughran (2) of United States
1932 – Jack Sharkey of United States
1933 – no award was given
1934 – Tony Canzoneri and Barney Ross all of United States
1935 – Barney Ross (2) of United States
1936 – Joe Louis of United States
1937 – Henry Armstrong of United States
1938 – Joe Louis (2) of United States
1939 – Joe Louis (3) of United States
1940 – Billy Conn of United States
1941 – Joe Louis (4) of United States
1942 – Sugar Ray Robinson of United States
1943 – Fred Apostoli of United States
1944 – Beau Jack of United States
1945 – Willie Pep of United States
1946 – Tony Zale of United States
1947 – Gus Lesnevich of United States
1948 – Ike Williams of United States
1949 – Ezzard Charles of United States
1950 – Ezzard Charles (2) of United States
1951 – Sugar Ray Robinson (2) of United States
1952 – Rocky Marciano of United States
1953 – Bobo Olson of United States
1954 – Rocky Marciano (2) of United States
1955 – Rocky Marciano (3) of United States
1956 – Floyd Patterson of United States
1957 – Carmen Basilio of United States
1958 – Ingemar Johansson of Sweden
1959 – Ingemar Johansson (2) of Sweden
1960 – Floyd Patterson (2) of United States
1961 – Joe Brown of United States
1962 – Dick Tiger of Nigeria
1963 – Muhammad Ali of United States
1964 – Emile Griffith of United States Virgin Islands
1965 – Dick Tiger (2) of Nigeria
1966 – Muhammad Ali (2) of United States (retroactively awarded in 2016 due to draft controversy)
1967 – Joe Frazier of United States
1968 – Italy Nino Benvenuti of Italy
1969 – Cuba José Nápoles of Cuba
1970 – Joe Frazier (2) of United States
1971 – Joe Frazier (3) of United States
1972 – Muhammad Ali (3) of United States and Argentina Carlos Monzón of Argentina
1973 – George Foreman of United States
1974 – Muhammad Ali (4) of United States
1975 – Muhammad Ali (5) of United States
1976 – George Foreman (2) of United States
1977 – Mexico Carlos Zarate of Mexico
1978 – Muhammad Ali (6) of United States
1979 – Sugar Ray Leonard of United States
1980 – Thomas Hearns of United States
1981 – Sugar Ray Leonard (2) of United States and Salvador Sánchez of Mexico
1982 – Larry Holmes of United States
1983 – Marvin Hagler of United States
1984 – Thomas Hearns (2) of United States
1985 – Marvin Hagler (2) and Donald Curry all of United States
1986 – Mike Tyson of United States
1987 – Evander Holyfield of United States
1988 – Mike Tyson (2) of United States
1989 – Pernell Whitaker of United States
1990 – Julio César Chávez of Mexico
1991 – James Toney of United States
1992 – Riddick Bowe of United States
1993 – Michael Carbajal of United States
1994 – Roy Jones Jr. of United States
1995 – Oscar De La Hoya of United States
1996 – Evander Holyfield (2) of United States
1997 – Evander Holyfield (3) of United States
1998 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. of United States
1999 – Paulie Ayala of United States
2000 – Félix Trinidad of Puerto Rico
2001 – Bernard Hopkins of United States
2002 – Vernon Forrest of United States
2003 – James Toney (2) of United States
2004 – Glen Johnson of Jamaica
2005 – Ricky Hatton of United Kingdom
2006 – Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines
2007 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. (2) of United States
2008 – Manny Pacquiao (2) of the Philippines
2009 – Manny Pacquiao (3) of the Philippines
2010 – Sergio Martínez of Argentina
2011 – Andre Ward of United States
2012 – Juan Manuel Márquez of Mexico
2013 – Adonis Stevenson of Canada
2014 – Sergey Kovalev of Russia
2015 – Tyson Fury of United Kingdom
2016 – Carl Frampton of United Kingdom
2017 – Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine
2018 – Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine
2019 – Canelo Alvarez of Mexico
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The previous winners of The Ring Fighter of the Decade are the following:
1910s: Sam Langford of Canada
1920s: Benny Leonard of United States
1930s: Henry Armstrong of United States
1940s: Sugar Ray Robinson of United States
1950s: Sugar Ray Robinson of United States
1960s: Muhammad Ali of United States
1970s: Roberto Durán of Panama
1980s: Sugar Ray Leonard of United States
1990s: Roy Jones Jr. of United States
2000s: Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines
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