Best boxing knockouts of 2023: Liam Smith over Chris Eubank Jr., Mauricio Lara over Leigh Wood lead the way

2023 has been a great year for boxing, with the list of fights of the year growing seemingly every weekend. But along with a bunch of full-scale battles, there were also big knockouts.

From championship throws to lesser-known fighters making a name for themselves with some serious one-punch punches, there have been plenty of knockouts to please even the most discerning boxing fan.

Below is the current list of the best boxing knockouts in 2023. This page will be constantly updated throughout the year, so check back often to see new entries.

Liam Smith def. Chris Eubank Jr. (January 21)

Smith entered the Eubank fight as a very lively underdog. Few, if any, believed that Smith’s upset would come from an early stop. After a strong start from Eubank, Smith turned things around in the 4th round, landing a strong flurry that sent Eubank to the canvas. While Eubank was able to beat the count, Smith’s subsequent flurry resulted in one of the most shocking knockouts in years. Eubank was also left with a grotesque swelling under his eye as a result of Smith’s attack. Eubank’s team was quick to say they would activate a rematch clause for the fight and the pair are expected to have a rematch later in 2023.

Alexis Rocha def. George Ashey (January 28)

Rocha was originally scheduled to face Anthony Young but ended up behind the ring instead after being replaced by Esha at short notice. It didn’t take long for Roche to realize that Eshi couldn’t hurt him. Realizing this, Rocha decided to charge forward into Esha’s attack to land his strong strikes before the right bomb laid out Esha and ended the fight. After the win, Rocha called for a fight with Terence “Bud” Crawford, and a month later the WBO booked the fight, putting Rocha in position for the biggest fight of his career.

Mauricio Lara def. Lee Wood (February 18)

For almost all seven rounds, Wood showed that most of those entering the fight did not pay attention to him. However, it only takes one hit from Lara to change the fight, and that hit came late in the seventh round. chin and sent him back to the canvas. Wood beat the score, but his corner gave up the fight. Given that Wood had become the WBA featherweight champion, a rematch clause was included in his contract, and Wood said after the fight that he “absolutely” wanted a rematch.

Eduardo Nunez vs. Jesus Martin Cheika (March 4)

Nunes vs. Jakey wasn’t a fight on anyone’s radar, but that didn’t stop Nunes from using it to gain a foothold in the knockout of the year conversation. In the second round, Nunes jumped forward and landed a right hand that immediately put Jake to sleep. The knockout was Nunes’ 24th, maintaining his 100% career knockout rate and giving Jake the first loss of his professional career.

Diego Pacheco vs. Jack Cullen (March 11)

Some knockouts are achieved with one powerful punch, others with a combination of punches. Pacheco’s victory over Cullen is firmly in the second camp. First, a brutal left hand strike to the body laid Cullen on the canvas. Cullen managed to get to his feet, but instead of returning to his body, Pacheco landed a five-punch combo to the head that broke Cullen and caused the referee to jump up and stop the fight in the fourth round. Pacheco went undefeated with the win and took the opportunity to enter the main event when Callum Smith was injured and forced to pull out of the fight with Pavel Stepien.