The Top 7 Legendary One-Punch KOs in Boxing History

Who made boxing history and got KOed with a single punch?

The anticipation of a one-punch knockout during a boxing match is one of the definitive draws for spectators. And while it’s not seen that often, a one-punch KO can change the course of a fight in a moment.

Considered to be more common in the heavier weight classes of men’s bouts, one-punch knockouts, are by no means limited to these weight classes. In a match between two great technical fighters, a well-timed or lucky punch during a momentary lapse in focus can easily send one boxer sprawling to the mat unconscious.

So, let’s have a look at our top 7 legendary one-punch knockouts in boxing history.

1. Sugar Ray Robinson vs Gene Fullmer II

This rematch in 1957 between battling world middleweight title contenders was highly anticipated. Fullmer, “The Utah Cyclone”, had won the first match and it looked like the rematch was going to end the same way. That was until Sugar Ray launched a deadly left hook that came to be known as his “Perfect Punch” that put Fullmer down for the count.

After losing the previous match, Robinson had studied Fullmer and noticed an opening for a left hook when Fullmer launched his right hook to the body. Sugar Ray duped his training “Operation Left Hook” and focused on taking advantage of this. The spectacular result was the only time that Fullmer lost by KO.

Thomas Hearns vs Roberto Duran

This 1984 fight at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas pitted two of the “Four Kings” against each other. Detroit’s “Hit Man” Hearns knew he needed to make a statement with this fight. Since breaking his hand in his fight against Wilfred Benitez, Hearns had to show the boxing world that he was still one of the so-called Four Kings.

From the beginning, Hearns made full use of his height and reach advantage to keep Duran out of his range. Fans likely knew that Duran was on the way down when the bell rang to end the first round and he walked to the wrong corner of the ring. “The Hitman” then showed he was back by delivering his promised second-round knockout. He felled Duran, and the match was called at an official time of 1:07.

3. Mike Tyson vs Michael Spinks

The richest fight at the time, with gross earnings of $70 million, the “Once and For All” match pitted two undefeated professionals against each other. They both had a claim to the heavyweight championship title. However, the match would determine which boxer was the real champion. It was a star-studded affair and attended by numerous celebrities, including Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stallone. This match-up was also compared to the “Fight of the Century” in 1971 between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.

Tyson claimed victory after 91 seconds with a one-punch knockout that Ring Magazine named 1988’s round of the year. And he didn’t even have to bite anyone’s ear to make a statement.

4. Michael Nunn vs Sumbu Kalambay

1989 saw The Ring magazine’s inaugural Knockout of the Year won by what’s now considered one of the best one-punch knockouts in boxing history.

Spectators were looking forward to a tough match as Nunn had 32 wins and no losses under his belt. However, Kalambay was a formidable opponent too and had never lost by stoppage. Nunn changed all of that by delivering a devastating left hook counter to a jab from Kalambay that ended the fight in less than a minute and a half. Not quite what spectators were expecting, and not the way Kalambay expected it to go down, either.

5. Julian Jackson vs Herol Graham

This 1990 confrontation in Spain between Jackson and Graham resulted in one of the greatest one-punch knockouts the inside of the ring ever saw.

Graham was the favorite for the fight and quickly proved why by dominating the first 3 rounds. These 3 rounds left Jackson with eyes that were swelling shut, and he was behind on points. The ringside doctor also informed Jackson after the third round that he would have to stop the fight.

The fourth round looked to continue in the same one-sided manner when suddenly Jackson unleashed a terrifying right hook that knocked Graham out cold. In Jackson’s own words, he caught Graham on the chin and Graham went to sleep.

6. Juan Manual Marquez vs Manny Pacquiao

“The Fight of the Decade” in 2012 was the fourth showcase for the rivalry between these two great boxers. Marquez came to the match believing he had been previously cheated by judges and wanted to leave no doubt as to his supremacy.

To a packed house, Marquez demonstrated timing, poise, execution, and technique to show the boxing world a brutal knockout. He put Pacquiao down on the mat as the final bell rang, resulting in a one-punch knockout that’s now ranked as the fifth-greatest single-punch KO of all time.

7. Zolani Tete vs Siboniso Gonya

This 2017 WBO bantamweight title fight surprised everyone when 29-year-old Tete ended the fight in 11 seconds with a stunning one-punch knockout of Gonya. Fans at the Belfast SSE Arena looked on in awe as he floored his opponent just seconds after entering the ring.

Making history as the quickest-ever world title fight, this incredibly short bout was expected to be more of an even match. The new 11-second win shaved 6 seconds off the former 1994 record from the fight between Daniel Jimenez and Harald Geier and earned Tete a well-deserved spot in the KO record books.

Round Up

In the boxing industry, there are some trends that stand out, but knockouts are a rarity and one-punch knockouts are even more so. When these impressive KOs do occur, they’re very often unexpected.

Some of our highlighted one-punch knockouts above set records and others brought victory to a boxer who was behind on points and struggling to hold their own. Yet other one-punch knockouts demonstrated pure technique and timing and cemented the fighter’s place in the annals of boxing history.

Whichever way you look at it, these KOs made headlines and changed boxing careers for the better— or the worse.