There’s few things in professional sports that can match the excitement and power displayed on a knockout during a boxing fight.
The power, speed and brutality of seeing a person fall down after getting hit by another human being is undescribable. That’s probably one of the reasons why people pay big bucks to see that kind of action live.
And that’s probably one of the reasons why boxing fans will much rather see a great knockout than a display of technique in the boxing ring. Mike Tyson, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Vitali Klitschko are just some of the names that come to mind when we think about knockouts.
Usyk and Joshua get impressed by a brutal knockout
Russian boxer Dmitry Bivol took the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring titles from Artur Beterbiev – also from Russia -, the man who became the undisputed champ in October 2024 when he defeated Bivol by majority decision.
The fight was the main event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The bout right before the Bivol vs. Beterbiev rematch saw New Zealand Joseph Parker take on Martin Bakole, from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The battle gave fans all around the world one of the best knockouts of the year.
During the second round, Parker‘s right hand clipped Bakole on the head, causing his legs to buckle and eventually, the boxer fell to the canvas, struggling to regain his balance. Even though he attempted to use the ropes to recover, the ref stopped the match, declaring Park the winner.
The hit delivered by the boxer from New Zealand was so impressive that it left fans in attendance screaming in awe of the perfect execution. Among those in attendance were Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, who holds the undisputed heavyweight championship belt.
Seated next to Usyk was former heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua. Both men couldn’t hide their shock when they got to witness the brutal knockout via Parker.
Joshua is under pressure as Tyson Fury’s possible return looms
One of the most disappointing missed opportunities in boxing was the much-desired fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, which English fans waited years for. Despite multiple negotiations, the British heavyweight clash never materialized, and talks repeatedly broke down. Finally, it was Fury who dealt the final blow.
In January 2025, the former WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury, announced his retirement from the sport, thus closing any possibility of a fight against Joshua. This came after he suffered his second career defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last December in Riyadh. Everyone expected that with Fury’s defeat, he would be on equal terms with Joshua.
Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua was also succumbed three times: once against Usyk, once against Mexican Andy Ruiz and finally by Daniel Dubois last year at Wembley. So a fight between Fury and Joshua seemed possible, but Fury’s retirement announcement, which he had announced well in advance, dashed all hopes.
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