What Is a Knockout Punch in Boxing?

A knockout punch in boxing is a punch that knocks an opponent to the canvas and renders him unable to get up before the count of 10, thus ending the fight. A knockout punch is usually but not always in the form of a power punch such as a hook or an uppercut to the head or the body. Knockout punches are seen as one of the most exciting moments that can happen in a boxing match.

  1. Manny Pacquiao

    • Manny Pacquiao amazed the boxing world in April 2009 with his knockout punch against Ricky Hatton in their welterweight title fight. Bryan Armen Graham of "Sports Illustrated" wrote of the punch, "It was a clinical finish, a hook devastating in its force, speed and precision, a shocking demonstration of power from a man who made his pro debut at a slight 108 pounds."

    Body Blows

    • While many knockout punches are blows to the head, body shots can be just as lethal. Bernard Hopkins became the first person to ever knock out Oscar De La Hoya, in 2004, with a perfectly executed knockout punch. Hopkins hit De La Hoya with a left hook to the kidney in the ninth round, sending him to the floor.

    Through the Ropes

    • In heavyweight legend Joe Louis' last fight in 1951, Rocky Marciano knocked him through the ropes and out of the ring with a straight right-hand knockout punch.

    Sugar Ray Robinson

    • Sugar Ray Robinson knocked out Gene Fullmer with a left hook in 1957 that many boxing historians believe is the best knockout punch ever. Fullmer had defeated Robinson in their first match, and Robinson's fifth-round knockout in the rematch regained him the middleweight championship.

    The Phantom Punch

    • Some famous knockout punches are not as clean and devastating as those from Robinson and Pacquiao. Muhammad Ali's knockout punch in his 1965 rematch with Sonny Liston became the source of controversy because it is not clear whether or not Ali's punch actually landed. Many believe that Liston threw the fight for various reasons involving gambling debts, the mafia and the Nation of Islam. Many feel that Liston simply wanted no more part of fighting Ali.