Nothing excites a boxing fan like a good knockout. He has delivered his KO goodies in style this year, achieving some truly impressive knockouts almost every weekend.
CBS Sports’ combat experts sat down to look at some of the biggest knockouts of the year to determine the winner of our annual Knockout of the Year. We settled on a brutal knockout that ended weeks of trash talk, a dramatic comeback KO, and the return of boxing’s biggest one-punch powerhouse.
Let’s take a look at the knockouts that topped the list.
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Winner: Caleb Plant knocks out Anthony Dirrell
There was a lot of bad blood between Plant and Dirrell heading into battle this October.Trash talk, custom t-shirts, and endorsements of violence flowed from both fighters, but it A plant that proved its claim in the ringAfter becoming a generally superior fighter round after round, Plant dipped himself in the body with a hook, then came back with a hook to the head, causing Dirrell to crash unconsciously into the canvas. Plant went into some frenzy after the ‘Grafdigger’ celebratory knockout against an unwitting foe, but it was a big statement win for Plant and probably the best single punch of his career. .
honorable mention
Lea Wood knocks out Michael Conran
Conlan knocked Wood down in the first round of the March clash and continued to have great control of the fight as the rounds ticked away. Even as he piled up rounds on his card, he continued to fight back. Then in Round 11 things changed dramatically. Towards the end of the round, Wood managed to land his left hand, sending Conlan to the canvas. It’s likely still on the scorecard, but Wood had more work to do in the final round of the fight, and after some back-and-forth action, Wood put Conlan back on the ropes and grabbed his right hand. It landed, knocking Wood out cold and out of the ring. secure a dramatic come-from-behind win.
Deontay Wilder knocks out Robert Helenius
There is no denying that Wilder is one of the hardest punchers in boxing history. After ending his rivalry with Tyson Fury, Wilder was looking to get back on the winning line when he faced Helenius. He did so emphatically in the wildest way and landed one of his right hands. Put Helenius to sleep in the first roundIt wasn’t the hardest and most brutal punch of Wilder’s career, so maybe that’s why it was so impressive. Not many men can claim to have the power to do what Wilder did on October Night.
Other voters: Jordan Gill knocks out Karim Gelfi