Boxing has had a fantastic year in 2023, with the list of Fights of the Year apparently growing every weekend. There have been a few of significant knockouts, yet there have also been numerous all-action clashes.
There have been enough knockouts to please even the pickiest boxing fan, from championship-winning blows to lesser-known competitors creating a name for themselves with devastating one-punch power.
The top boxing knockouts of 2023 are listed here in chronological order. Through the course of the year, this page will be regularly updated with fresh content.
Chris Eubank Jr. loses to Liam Smith (Jan. 21)
Smith was a significant underdog going into his battle with Eubank. Few, if anyone, thought Smith would be surprised by an early pause. Eubank made a good start, but Smith changed the tide in Round 4 by landing a hard flurry that knocked Eubank to the ground. Eubank managed to beat the count, but Smith’s subsequent barrage led to one of the most unexpected knockout upsets in recent memory. The Smith attack also left Eubank with a hideous swelling beneath his eye. The pair is anticipated to rematch later in 2023 after Eubank’s team quickly announced they would activate the rematch clause for the fight.
George Ashie is defeated by Alexis Rocha (Jan. 28)
Rocha was supposed to fight Anthony Young, but instead found himself standing against a last-minute replacement named Ashie. Rocha quickly came to the conclusion that Ashie couldn’t harm him. Rocha made the decision to attack head-on into Ashie’s offense after realizing this and landed his own huge blows before a right-hand bomb knocked Ashie out and ended the bout. Following the victory, Rocha requested a fight with Terence “Bud” Crawford. A month later, the WBO approved the contest, putting Rocha in the best possible position for the fight of his career.
Leigh Wood loses to Mauricio Lara (Feb. 18)
Wood demonstrated that he had been overlooked prior to the bout for practically all seven rounds. But, Lara only needs one punch to turn the tide of a fight, and that shot came late in Round 7. Both fighters dived and twisted their hips to deliver left hooks, but Lara landed the first and hardest, hitting Wood on the chin and sending him to the mat flat on his back. Despite winning the count, Wood’s corner decided to stop the fight. Wood had a rematch provision built into his contract because he entered the battle as the WBA featherweight champion, and he declared after the fight that he “definitely” desired a rematch.
Jesus Martin Ceyca is defeated by Eduardo Nunez (March 4)
Nobody had anticipated Nunez vs. Ceyca, but it didn’t stop Nunez from using it to firmly establish himself in the running for Knockout of the Year. Nunez rushed forward during the second round and unleashed a right hand that instantly knocked Ceyca to sleep. Nunez’s 24th knockout kept his career knockout percentage at 100% while dealing Ceyca his first professional loss.
Jack Cullen is defeated by Diego Pacheco (March 11)
Some knockouts occur from a single strong hit, while others result from a series of punches. Cullen’s defeat by Pacheco certainly belongs in the latter category. Cullen was first knocked to the ground by a vicious left hand to the body. Cullen was able to stand up, but Pacheco instead of returning to the body, launched a five-punch combination to the head that rendered Cullen helpless and necessitated the intervention of the referee, who stopped the fight in the fourth round. With the victory, Pacheco maintained his undefeated record and took advantage of the chance to compete in the main event after Callum Smith was hurt and had to withdraw from his match with Pawel Stepien.
