Few issues in all of sports activities are as electrifying because the one punch knockout and these are probably the most consequential and gorgeous of all of them. To make the lower right here, the KO should not solely be spectacular and dramatic, however it should be really a single, devastating, bolt-from-the-blue punch deciding the end result, versus the ending of a one-sided beat-down (ie. Hearns vs Duran). So with out additional ado, listed below are the best one shot knockouts ever. Click on on the hyperlinks for movies, or in-depth articles (or each). Examine ’em out:
12. Sergio Martinez KO2 Paul Williams, Nov. 20, 2010: The earlier December these two southpaws had given followers twelve rounds of thrilling motion and a Combat of the Yr candidate, with Williams taking a detailed factors win. So for those who had needed to wager that both, not to mention Martinez, would win the return by gorgeous, one-shot KO in simply the second spherical, you’ll have had folks eagerly lining as much as take your cash. However actually you’ll be the one including cabbage to your bill-roll after “Maravilla” caught Williams with a superbly timed, overhand left that detonated on Williams’ jaw and knocked him out chilly, “The Punisher’s” eyes extensive open as he lay insensate on the canvas. Williams had by no means been stopped earlier than, however he didn’t transfer a muscle as he was counted out. It was a surprising end result and one which solidified the Argentine’s standing as the most effective middleweight on the planet.
11. Hasim Rahman KO5 Lennox Lewis, April 22, 2001: Rahman was a fifteen-to-one underdog when he confronted Lewis in South Africa, however he didn’t appear to be one as he gave pretty much as good as he bought by means of 4 rounds. Within the fifth he backed Lewis to the ropes, feinted, after which unleashed a proper hand from hell that toppled Lewis and relieved him of his world heavyweight championship. Rahman upended all expectations and compelled everybody to re-evaluate the standing of the supposedly dominant Lewis.
10. James J. Jeffries KO23 James Corbett, Might 11, 1900: Everybody loves an underdog, particularly a former champ who unexpectedly summons up a few of his previous glory. Corbett had been written off by most after his losses to Bob Fitzsimmons and Tom Sharkey, however for 22 rounds, and to the delight of the assembled spectators, he gave the hulking Jeffries a boxing lesson and appeared on his method to an historic victory. However a single proper to the jaw knocked “Gentleman Jim” unconscious in spherical 23 and silenced the group. The punch put an finish to Corbett as a respectable title risk and cemented the standing of Jeffries, aka “The Boilermaker,” as the most effective heavyweight on the planet, a standing that remained unquestioned for nearly a decade.
9. Julian Jackson KO4 Herol Graham, Nov. 24, 1990: Probably the most brutal and awe-inspiring one-punch knockouts ever witnessed received lead-fisted Jackson his second divisional title and additional cemented his repute as an all-time nice puncher. The favoured Graham had dominated the primary three rounds to such an extent that Jackson’s eyes had been swelling shut and after the third around the ringside physician knowledgeable “The Hawk” that he would quickly haven’t any selection however to cease the battle. The one-sided boxing lesson continued in spherical 4 earlier than Jackson out of the blue struck with a vicious proper hook that immediately knocked Graham out chilly.
8. Antonio Tarver KO2 Roy Jones Jr., Might 15, 2004: For years a really cocky Roy Jones Jr. appeared unbeatable. Then, very out of the blue, he wasn’t. He had by no means been significantly damage, not to mention stopped, and his lone defeat up up to now was by disqualification; scores of followers regarded him as a contemporary nice whose identify may very well be uttered in the identical breath as that of Willie Pep or Sugar Ray Robinson. So think about the shock once they noticed a single left hook from underdog Tarver finish their battle in solely the second spherical. (Word: In contrast to the opposite knockouts on this checklist, the report ebook exhibits this to be a TKO because the referee stopped the bout earlier than ending the depend and with Jones on his ft. Nevertheless, instantly after the stoppage a dazed Roy needed to be prevented from toppling once more. For all intents and functions, a clear knockout.)
7. Mike Weaver KO15 John Tate, March 31, 1980: Knockout wins don’t come extra dramatic than this one. Tate could have been a paper champion however he was extremely regarded by many and was being groomed for a giant cash match in opposition to ex-champion Muhammad Ali. All he needed to do was get by Weaver, a journeyman with 9 losses on his report. For fourteen rounds Tate dominated the challenger, however within the fifteenth a determined Weaver bought residence the most important punch of his profession, a left hook that put Tate to sleep. That single hook modified fully the lives of each males. Weaver would stay a drive within the heavyweight division for years to return, whereas Tate rapidly pale away.
6. Jersey Joe Walcott KO 7 Ezzard Charles, July 18, 1951: On this, his report fifth try on the heavyweight crown, Walcott was a nine-to-one underdog, to not point out the oldest challenger ever for the title. Two earlier conferences between Charles and Walcott had been determined by the scorecards, however this time Jersey Joe abruptly landed an enormous left hook in spherical seven that put the good “Cincinnati Cobra” down for the depend. A single, excellent shot redeemed all of the travails of Walcott’s fifteen 12 months quest for the title.
5. Juan Manuel Marquez KO6 Manny Pacquiao, Dec. 8, 2012: Did the fifth best one punch KO of all-time actually occur as not too long ago as 2012? Sure, it did. When a single blow fully alters the careers and legacies of two of the most effective boxers of current a long time and likewise realigns the dynamic of considered one of boxing’s most important rivalries, then it has to rank excessive on this checklist. Add in the truth that Pacquiao boasts a wonderful chin and that Marquez gave the impression to be taking the worst of issues as much as the purpose when his enormous proper hand determined issues, and you’ve got a knockout for the ages.
4. Sugar Ray Robinson KO5 Gene Fullmer, Might 1, 1957: Gene Fullmer was, with out query, one of many hardest boxers of all time. He doesn’t make our Prime 12 All-Time Finest Chins checklist for the straightforward motive that, not like the pugs who do, he suffered a knockout, and a clear one at that. Which is perhaps being a bit onerous on “The Utah Cyclone.” In any case, it was the one and solely time he took a ten depend and it occurred solely after the good Sugar Ray landed his well-known “Excellent Punch.” Robinson had misplaced to Fullmer a couple of months earlier than and it seemed as if the rematch would possibly yield an analogous consequence till BANG! — Sugar Ray’s lethal left hook ended it.
3. Rocky Marciano KO13 Jersey Joe Walcott, Sept. 23, 1952: “If I lose, take my identify out of the report books,” sneered Walcott earlier than his first bout with Marciano, deriding the challenger as a slipshod beginner. Reflecting that lack of respect, all through the battle he held his left hand dangerously low, daring Rocky to clock him. Far behind on factors in a grueling battle, Marciano lastly did simply that, slugging Walcott with a superbly timed proper which immediately rendered the champion unconscious. One punch destroyed Walcott’s confidence and successfully ended his profession, and on the identical time ushered within the greatness of “The Brockton Blockbuster.”
2. Robert Fitzsimmons KO14 James Corbett, March 17, 1897: They are saying a superb huge man all the time beats a superb small man, however when middleweight champ Fitzsimmons challenged Corbett for the heavyweight crown, the surprising occurred in a really surprising method. By spherical fourteen Corbett appeared headed to a one-sided factors win; he had largely managed the bout and had even come near stopping “The Freckled Marvel,” however then, out of nowhere, “Ruby” landed a really historic physique blow. The shot put Corbett on the canvas, writhing in agony, the place he took the ten depend as Wyatt Earp seemed on. This was Fitzsimmons second divisional title as he would later go on to win the light-heavyweight crown and grow to be boxing’s first triple-crown champion.
1. George Foreman KO10 Michael Moorer, Nov. 5, 1994: Arguably no single blow in boxing historical past is as monumental as the fitting hand that happy the 46-year-old Foreman’s Quixotic quest for the heavyweight crown, two full a long time after he misplaced it to Muhammad Ali. Far behind on factors and brief minutes away from each defeat and the seemingly finish of his profession, Massive George lastly bought residence with a proper cross that crashed on the champion’s chin and put him down for the depend. One completely timed proper hand endlessly broken Moorer’s credibility and confidence, threw the heavyweight title image into disarray, and elevated Foreman from an distinctive heavyweight champion to a real boxing icon.
