Best boxing knockouts 2023: Who gets the best knockout of the year in boxing? – originally published on Sportslens.com
With the year coming to a close, we’ve put together a list of the five best boxing knockouts of 2023. These five knockouts were some of the most chilling, jaw-dropping, and heartbreaking knockouts you’ve seen in recent boxing memory. .
The list includes the likes of Luis Alberto López, Junto Nakatani and Mark Magsayo, to name just a few. So, without further ado, here are five of the best boxing knockouts of 2023, selected by our boxing experts at SportsLens.
5 best boxing knockouts 2023
Counting down from 5 to 1, here are the five best boxing knockouts of 2023…
5. Yoenis Tellez KO vs. Liván Navarro – December
At number five on our list of the best boxing knockouts of 2023 is prospect Yoenis Tellez’s sensational finish over Liván Navarro on the Jake Paul vs Andre August undercard on Friday, December 15.
Tellez entered the fight as the favorite, having beaten former European champion Sergio Garcia by early knockout in the previous fight. Téllez was the favorite at the best offshore sportsbooks, and he did not disappoint when he shut out Navarro’s lights in the final round of the fight.
Tellez was winning the fight up to that point, but he landed a left hook perfectly timed with an uppercut, causing Navarro’s limp body to fall back to the canvas. Tellez had knocked his opponent unconscious, sending him back to the canvas and into the shadow realm.
A knockout of this nature is unlucky not to make our Top 3 Best Boxing Knockouts of 2023, but it just goes to show the caliber of knockouts and sensational finishes we have on this list!
4. Luis Alberto López KO vs Michael Conlan – May 27
The fourth best knockout in the sport of boxing this year for us here at SportsLens comes from IBF featherweight world champion Luis Alberto López. ‘The Deer’ made a successful first defense of his world title in Belfast on May 27, knocking out local hero Michael Conlan in emphatic fashion in the process.
Conlan was actually a marginal favorite among boxing betting apps to become world champion, but the Mexican broke that script and made a sensational first defense of his 126-pound world title on his trips to Northern Ireland.
The end came in the fifth round for Lopez, who was touching Conlan at will before turning out his lights and sending him tumbling to the canvas. Lopez landed a peachy right hook, which Conlan walked to midway through Round 5.
The right hook/uppercut landed perfectly on the Irishman’s jaw, leaving Conlan flat on his back in front of his hometown fans. Lopez truly silenced the enthusiastic Belfast crowd, securing one of the best boxing knockouts of 2023 in the process.
3. Brian Mendoza KO vs Sebastián Fundora – April 8
Embarking on the top three boxing knockouts of 2023, this one certainly deserves to be near the top. Of course, we’re talking about Brian Mendoza’s stunning knockout of Sebastian Fundora back in April in their super welterweight fight.
What makes this knockout even more special is the fact that Mendoza was a pretty handy underdog on the moneyline with America’s best sportsbooks. The fight lasted just 30 seconds in the seventh round, with Fundora on top for the previous six rounds.
That was until Brian Mendoza landed the perfectly timed left hook on top of Fundora’s left-handed jab, staggering the favorite’s legs before following up with a big knockout blow.
It was clear that Fundora was on his feet after the original left hook, but Mendoza sent his man to the canvas with a follow-up right hand and another left hook. A truly remarkable knockout victory for a man who was the underdog before the fight and was trailing on the judges’ scorecards at the time of the KO.
Fully deserving of a spot in the Top 3 Best Boxing Knockouts of 2023.
2. Mark Magsayo KO vs Isaac Avelar – December 9
At number two, and extremely unlucky not to claim the top spot, is Mark Magsayo’s sensational left hook knockout of Isaac Avelar in their super featherweight fight in early December.
Magsayo came into this fight after consecutive losses to Rey Vargas and Brandon Figueroa respectively in two consecutive world title fights. Magsayo was clearly in no mood to waste time this time, as he unleashed a left hook straight to Avelar’s jaw.
This knockout was made even better thanks to the disguise and feint used by the former WBC featherweight world champion. The Filipino ducked to his right, with Avelar clearly thinking he was going to come with a right. Avelar turned to his right to get out of the way, but instead he backed into Magsayo’s trap.
As soon as the hard left hook landed, Avelar flew towards the mat at high speed, landing on the flat of his back under the bottom rope. Avelar was clearly unconscious, unconscious on the deck, with the lights well out. A rather chilling knockout by the former world champion.
Normally, a knockout like this would be the hands-down first place, but that can’t be the case this year. So without further ado, here you have the best boxing knockout of 2023…
1. Together Nakatani KO vs Andrew Moloney – May 20
Coming to the top spot and lifting the SportsLens title for best boxing knockout of 2023 is Junto Nakatani’s impressive 12th round knockout of Andrew Moloney in their WBO super flyweight world title fight in May.
Nakatani was 24-0 entering the fight, with 18 major wins by knockout. From the first bell it was evident that Nakatani was a level above Moloney. The Japanese boxing phenom knocked down his Australian opponent in the second and eleventh rounds of the fight, before the final finish in the twelfth and final round.
Nakatani was backing away and Moloney was evidently pursuing the fight. Nakatani then turned to his right in the southpaw stance before delivering a ferocious left hook. The perfectly timed left hook landed clean on the Australian’s jaw, and he fell to the canvas in chilling fashion.
Moloney’s leg even buckled as he lay on his back in the center of the ring, as Nakatani walked away celebrating his victory in becoming two-weight world champion. Moloney was left shaking on the canvas, before getting up moments later, thankfully, after the fight was brutally stopped.
This knockout will probably go down in history as one of the best and will surely be a common choice as one of the best boxing knockouts in recent years. A rather fitting winner of the best boxing knockout of the year. Not to mention it was also in a world title fight.
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