Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year

The Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year (or BWAA) Edward J. Neil Trophy was first given in 1938. The trophy was named for Edward J. Neil, an Associated Press sportswriter and war correspondent, who died of shrapnel wounds in 1938 while covering the Spanish Civil War. This award was renamed for Sugar Ray Robinson in 2009.

• 1938 - Jack Dempsey
• 1939 - Billy Conn
• 1940 - Henry Armstrong
• 1941 - Joe Louis
• 1942 - Barney Ross
• 1943 - Boxers in all branches of the armed forces
• 1944 - Benny Leonard
• 1945 - James J. Walker
• 1946 - Tony Zale
• 1947 - Gus Lesnevich
• 1948 - Ike Williams
• 1949 - Ezzard Charles
• 1950 - Sugar Ray Robinson
• 1951 - Jersey Joe Walcott
• 1952 - Rocky Marciano
• 1953 - Kid Gavilan
• 1954 - Carl (Bobo) Olson
• 1955 - Carmen Basilio
• 1956 - Floyd Patterson
• 1957 - Carmen Basilio (2)
• 1958 - Archie Moore
• 1959 - Ingemar Johansson
• 1960 - Floyd Patterson (2)
• 1961 - Gene Fullmer
• 1962 - Dick Tiger
• 1963 - Emile Griffith
• 1964 - Willie Pastrano
• 1965 - Muhammad Ali
• 1966 - Dick Tiger (2)
• 1967 - Carlos Ortiz
• 1968 - Bob Foster
• 1969 - Joe Frazier
• 1970 - Ken Buchanan
• 1971 - Joe Frazier (2)
• 1972 - Carlos Monzon
• 1973 - George Foreman
• 1974 - Muhammad Ali (2)
• 1975 - Muhammad Ali (3) and Joe Frazier (3)
• 1976 - Howard Davis Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Leo Randolph, Leon Spinks and Michael Spinks (U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winners)
• 1977 - Ken Norton
• 1978 - Larry Holmes
• 1979 - Sugar Ray Leonard (2)
• 1980 - Thomas Hearns
• 1981 - Sugar Ray Leonard (3)
• 1982 - Aaron Pryor
• 1983 - Marvin Hagler
• 1984 - Thomas Hearns (2)
• 1985 - Marvin Hagler (2)
• 1986 - Mike Tyson
• 1987 - Julio Cesar Chavez
• 1988 - Mike Tyson (2)
• 1989 - Pernell Whitaker
• 1990 - Evander Holyfield
• 1991 - James Toney
• 1992 - Riddick Bowe
• 1993 - Pernell Whitaker (2)
• 1994 - George Foreman
• 1995 - Oscar De La Hoya
• 1996 - Evander Holyfield (2)
• 1997 - Evander Holyfield (3)
• 1998 - Shane Mosley
• 1999 - Lennox Lewis
• 2000 - Felix Trinidad
• 2001 - Bernard Hopkins
• 2002 - Vernon Forrest
• 2003 - James Toney (2)
• 2004 - Glen Johnson
• 2005 - Ricky Hatton
• 2006 - Manny Pacquiao
• 2007 - Floyd Mayweather Jr.
• 2008 - Manny Pacquiao (2)
• 2009 - Manny Pacquiao (3)
• 2010 - Sergio Gabriel Martinez
• 2011 - Andre Ward
• 2012 - Nonito Donaire
• 2013 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. (2)
• 2014 - Terence Crawford
• 2015 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. (3)
• 2022 - Dmitry Bivol