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Knockouts of the Year So Far: The most devastating finishes of 2025
Nothing lifts a boxing crowd off their seats in raptures than a stunning knockout punch, with many fights defined by the perfect blow.
The very nature of boxing causes both fighters to risk it all everytime they step into the ring, each looking for - and hoping to avoid - the devestating shot.
Throughout 2025, we at The Independent and DAZN will be highlighting the best fight-ending punches of the calendar year.
In no particular order, here are 10 of the best knockouts we have seen so far in 2025.
Aloys Junior vs David Jamieson
The undercard of Josh Taylor’s shock loss to Ekow Essuman featured non-stop knockout action, with seven fights finishing within the distance.
Moses Itauma grabbed headlines with his first-round stoppage of Mike Balogun, whilst Scots Lee Walsh and Aston Porter also ended affairs within the first three minutes after knocking their opponents down twice.
Aloys Junior took a more prolonged approach, but was in total control of his cruiserweight contest against David Jamieson, putting the Scot to the canvas in round one and again in the second.
In the third, Aloys found the winning blow, a beautifuly swung left hook that had Jamieson flat on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
Dave Allen vs Johnny Fisher
This rematch between the experienced Dave Allen and prospect Johnny Fisher was an opportunity for the former to avenge a controversial loss, or for the latter to prove he was a worth winner in the first place.
Allen had demonstrated his power in the original match-up, knocking Fisher to the ground, but was unable to find a finish out in Saudi Arabia last year.
Fisher had started the 2024 contest in controlling fashion, up until the fifth-round knockdown, and he repeated that in front of a sold-out Copper Box arena.
Once again, Allen released his power in the fifth, knocking Fisher down, before finishing the affair seconds before the bell.
The fight could have been stopped three ways – as Fisher was falling to the canvas, down and out, his corner threw in the towel, just as the referee was waving the contest off.
So impressive was the knockout, an arena full of Fisher fans cheered the successful Allen.
Emiliano Vargas vs Juan Leon
Son of former super welterweight champion Fernando Vargas, Emiliano Vargas posseses knockout power. Including his victory over Juan Leon, Vargas has 12 knockouts from 14 wins, showing stoppage ability perhaps not shared by most in the super lightweight division.
On the undercard of Naoyo Inoue’s victory over Ramon Cardenas, Vargas perhaps demonstrated that one day he might fight for world titles.
Having already toppled his Spanish opponent over, Vargas sent down Leon once more, with the referee quickly stepping in. If that appeared premature, Leon’s inability to get to his feet instantly vindicated the decision.
Fabio Wardley vs Justis Huni
A lot of the knockouts on this list came from fighters in complete control of their contests, wearing their opponents down before finding the finishing punch.
For Fabio Wardley, a stoppage was needed in order to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The unbeaten heavyweight had been soundly outboxed by Australian Justis Huni in his own backyard, Wardley headlining a show at his hometown stadium, Portman Road in Ipswich.
10 rounds in, Wardley at best could have claimed one or two rounds, meaning that he had to find a stoppage to find a win.
A slight mistake from his opponent, Huni walking square on, saw Wardley take huge advantage, demonstrating his power by sending the Aussie to the canvas.
Huni could not beat the punch, seeing Wardley become the WBA interim heavyweight champion.
Agit Kabayel vs Zhilei Zhang
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Zhilei Zhang and Agit Kabayel added further prestige to the Bivol-Beterbiev II card, with two of the heavyweight division’s top contenders going head-to-head.
Both fighters landed heavy blows throughout the contest, but Zhang quickly tired and looked gassed in the fifth.
That did not prevent the Chinese boxer from finding Kabayel’s chin and sending his German opponent to the floor.
However, Kabayel recovered, and quickly resumed putting pressure on the ailing Zhang, targeting the body.
Flooding the basement was a valid tactic that paid off, with a bodyshot from Kabayel winding Zhang.
The 42-year-old was unable to get up, producing a rare knockout from a bodyshot for Kabayel.
Cayden Griffiths vs Fernando Ruiz
Since making his debut in 2024, Griffiths has earned five wins, all five of which have come by way of knockout.
The American arguably has two contenders for knockout of the year, his last victory against Edgar Guiterrez from a devastating left-hook.
Back in March, Griffiths fought outside of the USA for the first time, taking his talents down to Cancun in Mexico.
His opponent Fernando Ruiz lasted until the fifth round when a wicked uppercut from Griffiths saw his opponent keel over and drop to the canvas.
In a sport of exaggeration, this knockout truly was brutal, in an almost sickening way.
Janibek Alimkhanuly vs Anaeul Ngamissengue
Steve Marcus/Getty Images
The world is already well aware of Janibek Alimkhanuly’s power and ability, with the Kazakh the IBF and WBO middleweight champion.
Since properly earning his WBO title with a unanimous decision over Denzel Bentley, ‘Qazaq style’ has been on a knockout streak, which now stretches to four stoppages in a row.
He was allowed to get one left hook off in the fifth round, before quickly realising he was open for another.
He caught Anaeul Ngamissengue flush with the second, toppling his opponent and issuing a statement to the other champions at middleweight.
Yoali Mosqueda vs Ivan Garcia
The biggest knockouts do not always happen on the biggest cards. This all-Mexican affair at flyweight saw Yoali Mosqueda in full control against Ivan Garcia, but seemingly unable to find an 10th knockout win of his 13-bout career.
That changed in the fifth round, where he released a left hook to the side of Garcia’s head, before quickly following with the same shot to his body.
Garcia took a knee, and was hunched over both legs as the referee reached the 10 count.
Brian Norman Jr vs Jin Sasaki
Joe Setley / Top Rank / Naoki Fukuda
Brian Norman Jr defended his WBO welterweight championship in emphatic fashion in Japan, defeating Japanese challenger Jin Sasaki with a devastating blow in the fifth round.
The knockout was a gruesome reminder of the consequences each fighter faces when they step into the ring, with Sasaki suffering memory loss due to the punch.
After initially failing to remember the six weeks leading up to the fight, thankfully Sasaki now has some recognition of the fight, telling supporters in a video update in the following days that he could recall up to the third round.
Joseph Parker vs Martin Bakole
Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Joseph Parker had been set to face Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight world championship on the undercard of Dmitry Bivol’s rematch with Artur Beterbiev, only for his opponent to fall ill.
With Turki Alalshikh promising one of the best cards in boxing history, a worthy replacement was needed, although there were only days before the event.
Up stepped Martin Bakole, who rushed over to Saudi Arabia from the heart of Africa, flying commercially in a pair of jeans.
With little preparation, perhaps Bakole never stood a chance against one of the heavyweight division’s top contenders.
But mitigating circumstances do not earn a fighter sympathy inside the ring, with Parker making quick work of his stand-in opponent.
It did not take long for Parker to unleash an arcing blow, glancing off Bakole’s temple. A delayed reaction saw Bakole stumble, then stagger backwards, his fall accelerated by all 310 pounds of the heavyweight.
The Congolese did manage to get back to his feet, wandering back to his corner with a dazed look. If the referee did not call the fight off, his trainer Billy Nelson was ready to thrown in the towel.
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