Best boxing knockouts of 2023: Junto Nakatani delivers KO of the Year
2023 has been a great year for boxing, with a Fight of the Year list that has grown seemingly every weekend. But alongside the heaps of all-action battles, there have been some big-time knockouts.
From championship-winning shots to lesser-known fighters making a name with serious one-shot power, there have been plenty of knockouts to please even the most discerning boxing fan, including in the biggest fight of the year, when Gervonta Davis put Ryan Garcia down with a body shot on April 22.
Below is a running list of the best boxing knockouts in 2023. This page will be continuously updated throughout the year, so check back frequently to see new entries.
Liam Smith def. Chris Eubank Jr. (Jan. 21)
Smith entered his fight with Eubank as a very live underdog. Few, if anyone, believed a Smith upset would come by early stoppage. After a strong start by Eubank, Smith turned things around in Round 4, landing a hard flurry that sent Eubank to the canvas. While Eubank was able to beat the count, a follow-up flurry from Smith resulted in one of the more shocking knockout upsets of recent years. Eubank was also left with grotesque swelling under his eye as a result of the Smith assault. Eubank’s team was quick to say they’d activate the rematch clause for the fight and the pair are expected to rematch later in 2023.
Alexis Rocha def. George Ashie (Jan. 28)
Rocha was originally set to face Anthony Young but instead ended up across the ring from short-notice replacement Ashie. It didn’t take Rocha long to realize that Ashie didn’t have the power to hurt him. After that realization, Rocha chose to charge face-first into Ashie’s offense to land his own big shots before a right-hand bomb laid out Ashie and ended the fight. After the win, Rocha called for a fight with Terence “Bud” Crawford and one month later, the WBO ordered the matchup, putting Rocha in position for the biggest fight of his…
