KO: The Best One Punch Knockouts in Fighting History
If you like combat sports like boxing, kickboxing, MMA, and so on, you probably spend a fair amount of time watching fights. Any contact sport is exciting to watch; you get to see two brilliant fighters taking each other on with their best moves. They dodge, they duck, they block, and parry…. it’s breathtaking!
There is one move; however, that kicks all the others out of the top spot each and every time: the knockout. Even better if it’s a one-punch knockout! The boxers with the most KOs in history know it’s a remarkable skill to lay your opponent out completely, especially with only one hit. A knockout takes power and smarts: you need to know when to really apply the pressure and what kind of hit is most likely to take down your opponent. Few fighters have the power and ability to drive a hit like this, and it’s something mesmerizing to watch! Join us as we list six of the craziest one-punch knockouts in fighting history.
1. Sergio Martinez KO Paul Williams Nov 20, 2010.
This was the second time these two fighting giants faced off against each other, so fans were practically salivating at the thought of a rematch. The one-shot KO that Martinez delivered in the second round knocked Williams out cold. It was a one-of-a-kind hit to the jaw that felled Williams. While he lay on the canvas with his eyes wide open, contemplating his fate, and the countdown was called out, The Punisher stayed dead still. This was the outcome that solidified Martinez’s standing as the best middleweight in the world. It was a moment in fighting history that no one will ever forget, and it was a career maker for Martinez.
2. Hasim Rahman KO Lennox Lewis Apr 22, 2001.
This one was a serious surprise because Rahman was the underdog to the tune of fifteen to one. When these two titans faced off in South Africa, he looked to be getting more than he gave for the first four rounds. It was only in the fifth round when he backed Lewis all the way up to the ropes and feinted at just the right moment, that he was able to pull off this spectacular knockout. That right hand screamed through the air like a bat out of hell and snatched the heavyweight championship away from Lewis. It was a punch that made history!
3. Julian Jackson KO Herol Graham Nov 4, 1990
This has got to be one of the most brutal takedowns on the list! A moment that has inspired boxers in the decades since it took place. This knockout gave Jackson his second divisional title and etched him into the history books as one of the greatest fighters ever. Jackson took heavy hits before his incredible comeback, to the degree that his eyes had begun to swell shut. The sudden strike was a complete surprise to everyone, including Jackson himself!
4. Antonio Tarver KP Roy Jones May 15, 2004
Roy Jones has been a cocky fighter for a number of years because he felt unstoppable. Well, that attitude came to as sudden a stop as did his unbeaten streak when Antonio Tarver landed a one-punch knockout that most fighters can only dream of. This knockout was actually a TKO: the ref stopped the countdown with Jones still on his feet. That changed nothing, though, as Jones had to be saved seconds later from toppling over.
5. Rocky Marciano KO Jersey Joe Walcott Sept 23, 1952
Before this bout started, Walcott made sneering comments about the possibility of him losing, which he felt was zero. He said, “take my name out of the record books if I lose.” But that was a statement he would later have to eat. During the fight, he taunted Marciano and dared him to take a swing. Well, Marciano did, and it was this well-timed right hand that destroyed Walcott and rendered him completely unconscious. This one punch destroyed Walcott’s hubris and essentially ended his career.
6. George Foreman KO Michael Moorer Nov 5, 1994
We end with what is said to be the most incredible knockout in any combat sport ever. It is certainly one of the best-known knockouts and probably the best-known in boxing. This monumental single blow came from the fist of a 46-year-old fighter who has fought for two decades to reclaim the crown he lost to the god-like Muhammad Ali. Foreman was way behind on points and, the audience felt, a few minutes from certain defeat and the possible end of his career. His perfectly timed right hook forever altered everyone’s perception of Moorer’s abilities and elevated Foreman to a hall-of-fame status.
Wrap Up
These fighters really know the meaning of a hard hit! We hope that we will one day witness knockouts as powerful as these.
