Fighters that "arrived" with knockouts

What are some good examples of boxers that took major steps in their careers and in the public conciousness with knockouts.

(The better the knockout, the bigger the step, the better the example.)

Brandon Rios the most recent example...just did it KO'ing Acosta to win world title in a Showtime main event.

Nonito Donaire another recent example...did it a few years ago KO'ing Darchinyan to win a world title on Showtime...did it again KO'ing Montiel to become p4p elite and become a bonafide star in the sport.

Dmitry Pirog did it last year, KO'ing HBO/G prospect Daniel Jacobs in the US, on a ppv card to win a title.

Marcos Maidana similarly KO'd HBO/G prospect in Victor Ortiz...in the US on an HBO main event for an interim title.

 

Mayorga, first with Six Heads, subsequently with Forrest

 

Micheal Nunn and Sumbu Kalambay.

Felix Trinidad/Maurice Blocker.

Terry Norris/John "The Beast" Mugabi

 

Kelly Pavlik

 

Diego Corrales, rallying from behind to knock out Grandpa Garcia to win his first major title - and on a Showtime-televised Tyson undercard, no less.

 

Twice in a row, no less - beating up Miranda the way he did, then Taylor to win the title.

A shame his career hit its peak at that moment.

 

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Corrales and Pavlk are great examples...exciting fights finished off by KO's.

 

Still remember Merchant's line..."Marciano, Frazier and Tyson"...(with Lampley adding in "Tua" ::)... great example.

Lennox Lewis blowing out Razord Ruddock is a similar example...that knockout made him the fighter everybody wanted to see the winner of Bowe-Holyfield fight (not just the expected next opponent)...could almost say the same about when he did it to Golota, that was arguably his biggest fight since losing the title (that or Mercer), Golota was well-regarded given the Bowe beatings, and it was that knockout made Lewis-Holyfield the fight in division.

 

He wasn't exactly a nobody after the Pavlik victory, but Martinez sure stamped his reputation with his KO of Williams.

 

Yeah, I'm surprised old Larry didn't throw in Courage Tshabalala for good measure!:Thumbs:

 

Always liked Garcia. Shame he wasn't upto Corrales' power that night.

Pacquiao stopping Barrera has to be one of the foremost instances of the past decade, given what he's gone onto. When he stopped De La Hoya a little over two years ago, that was another massive leap forward, which was the catalyst for all his big fights at these higher weights which have followed, & it's what made the prospect of Pacquiao-Mayweather a (potential) reality. Hatton of course used a TKO of Tszyu to not only cement Championship status, but secure all future paydays he enjoyed.

 

Larry had a little habit of getting enthusiastic after heavyweight knockouts, but at least he said he wasnt ready to put Tua in that group (the show or restraint was impressive).

BTW, was it just me, or was Kellerman basically using that line after Donaire KO'd Montiel?

 

Yes, he was the most obvious choice.

Thank you for being that guy and starting with it.::

 

Vitali with Hide and Sanders.

Naz with Paul Robinson

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It might have in Europe, but it didn't in the US...clips of it were shown on HBO a month after the fight, following Tua's KO of Gary Bell, I believe.

Not sure about the Sanders win either, it was the Lewis loss that raised the public's awareness of him. The Sanders win won him a title, but he was the heavy favorite to do it, I believe...so it wasn't exactly an "arrival".

But good job including Vitali in this thread...it need a Klitschko.

Naz-Kevin Kelley works.

 

Pavlik and Chico are great examples.

Pacquiao has basically made a career of stopping/KOing people in exciting fashion, especially people he wasn't supposed to.

Ledwaba, then more significantly, Barrera. Then Morales twice.

Then after hitting a lull, he got everyone's mouths watering again with the stoppage of Oscar and brutal KO of Hatton.

I can't think of anyone who has as many stoppages over world class opposition as Pacquiao does.

BTW - Maidana and Rios are good examples. The Ortiz and Ortega KO's certainly marked their arrival on the world stage. And Donaire of course.

 

Morales vs. Zaragoza
JuanMa Lopez vs. Ponce De Leon
Rafa Marquez vs. Mark Johnson II

 

Its a shame that Tua-Tyson never happened.

 

Tyson

"That's it, that's all and WE have a new ERA in BOXING!!"

/Thread

 

Great example.

Marquez-Johnson II wasn't really a step up being a rematch, but since the first fight was ignored by HBO, maybe it can squeeze in. ::

 

FOREMAN v Frazier 1 ?

Wasn't a true KO, as the ref stopped the fight, but the performance as a whole, with 6 knockdowns in total, was devastating, considering he was a 3/1 underdog not expected to win and with this win it propelled him to furthur big/famous fights with Norton and Ali.

 

He was already reasonably well-known, but the fight definitely pushed his image to a much higher level, so it qualifies.

 

Klitschko and Hamed both established themselves in the "public conciousness" {sic} with KO's.

The fact that these fights took place in Europe {London and Cardiff respectively} does not diminish their significance one iota. The global ranking bodies and the boxing public of Europe {which is bigger than that of the USA by quite a margin} paid attention henceforth.

Both men, who would go on to feature in some very big fights, first established themselves with stoppages in the above mentioned fights.

Ironically, it seems that Oleg Maskaev KO of Hasim Rahman, both inferior pfp to either Vitali or Hamed, seems to warrant inclusion more, simply because it took place on US soil.

Newsflash: It ain't all about America, kid.

You then take this perversion to its logical conclusion by dismissing the Sanders stoppage, despite the fact that this fight was widely regarded as being for the title of The Man in the division.

Hamed could not and would not have made the trip to America without first establishing himself in Europe with KO's of Boom Boom Johnson and Steve Robinson.

Yet it is the Kelley fight which announced Hamed to the World. ::

False. It announced him to the American Mainstream which, thankfully, does not encompass the "public conscience".

 

Lewis/Ruddock

 

Mike Watson vs Nigel Benn.

 

Which is why I said "It might have in Europe", kiddo.

But seeing as how the US was still where the biggest money was at the time, entering the American public's consciousness was significant...and Klitscho-Hide didn't do that.

Vitali's first two real entries into American public conscious came on losses to Byrd and Lewis.

Again, how could the Sanders win be mentioned when the step up for Vitali came when he fought Lewis? There weren't any bigger steps up after that. But he didn't win that fight by KO, so it doesn't belong in ths thread. Sorry.

But again, you get credit for trying to make this another Klitschko thread.

 

Well, as an American, it wouldn't make much sense for me to speak to when a fighter entered the European consciousness (or the UK's, or Germany's)...if I tried to, it woudn't be informed and wouldn't add anything useful to the thread...making it more like the b.s. you generally type.

 

O'neill Bell knocking out Jean Marc Mormeck in their unification bout at Madison Square Garden on Showtime was a huge win for him...it seems to lessen it somewhat that Bell lost the rematch and didn't win a fight after that, though. ::

David Haye's win over Maccarinelli was another big cruiserweight unification...I know it was big in the UK (::), wasn't as much so being on tape-delay in the US, but it was still a big fight and the result grabbed people's attention. Could probably include Haye's wins over Mormeck and Macca here, but the UK'ers can address that.

 

James Toney, vs. Michael Nunn

Gerald McClellan, vs. Julian Jackson (first fight)

James "P4P#1" Page, vs. Andrey Pestriav