Boxing Betting / Dan Fitch / 22 June 2011 /

Dan Fitch takes a look at the greatest examples of the boxers who finished a fight with one savage punch.

One of the great things about boxing is that even if a fighter is being beaten up round after round, they can change the course of the match with just one perfectly timed punch.

This is especially true of the big hitters in the heavyweight division, so when David Haye meets Wladimir Klitschko on July 2nd, we wouldn't recommend taking your eyes off the action for even a second.

Here are some great examples of fights coming to an abrupt end with a single shot - the top 10 one-punch knockouts.

10. James Thunder v Crawford Grimsley

Crawford Grimsley had built up an impressive record of 20-0 before being outpointed by the veteran George Foreman in 1996. His comeback fight came against James Thunder and was over in just 13 seconds as Grimsley was knocked sparked out by the first punch thrown in anger.

9. Wayne Alexander v Mehrdud Takaloo

The Iranian born and Margate based Mehrdud Takaloo was stopped in his tracks in chilling style, during the second round of a WBU title fight against the unpredictable puncher Wayne Alexander.

8. Mike Tyson v Reggie Gross

In 1986 Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Earlier that year he had knocked out Reggie Gross with one punch, in response to a flurry of blows from from his opponent - like King Kong swatting away an irritating fighter plane.

7. Sechew Powell v Cornelius Bundrage

When the two unbeaten fighters Sechew Powell and Cornelius Bundrage met each other, the action was fast, furious and farcical. Both boxers threw simultaneous right hands to each others chin, resulting in both of them hitting the deck at the same time. They then both got off the canvas, only for Powell to knock out Bundrage with a straight left. Bundrage managed to get his career back on track by winning the reality show The Contender and is now the IBF light middleweight champion. His first defence of the title will be againt Sechew Powell in September.

6. Hasim Rahman v Lennox Lewis

If Lennox Lewis had spent more time preparing for his world title defence against Hasim Rahman, instead of filming a part in Ocean's Eleven, then he might have avoided being knocked out in the fifth round of this fight.

5. Mike McCallum v Donald Curry

The Jamaican fighter Mike McCallum was the longest reigning world champion when Donald Curry challenged for his light-middleweight crown. Curry was bossing the fight until the fifth round, when McCallum proved that he wasn't ready to lose his title and threw a winning punch from nowhere.

4. Manny Pacquiao v Ricky Hatton

You don't often see boxers throw a punch that lands smack in the centre of their opponent's chest, but on the evidence of Manny Pacquiao's second round knockout of Ricky Hatton, it's very difficult to breathe after you've been hit by one.

3. Rocky Marciano v Jersey Joe Walcott

In 1952 Rocky Marciano challenged for the heavyweight title against the 38-year old Jersey Joe Walcott. The champion knocked Rocky down in the first round and was heading for a points victory until Marciano unleashed a savage right hand shot in the thirteenth, to become the new world champion.

2. Roy Jones Jnr v Virgil Hill

There's nothing that takes the wind out of someone's sails than a perfectly executed body-shot, as Roy Jones Junior proved when he knocked down the previously unstopped Virgil Hill with one glorious punch to the ribs.

1. Julian Jackson v Herol Graham

Herol 'Bomber' Graham was dominating his fight against Julian Jackson for the vacant WBC middleweight title, until his opponent caught him with a punch that knocked the British fighter out cold before he could even hit the canvas.

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