Sun.Star Cebu

2017’S best knockouts

And when you talk about knockouts, nobody does them better than the big boys. All that torque produced by sheer body mass, punching power, accelerati­on and timing is unparallel­ed.

- JINGO QUIJANO jingo_quijano@yahoo.com

Everybody loves knockouts. A perfectly timed punch or the accumulati­on of a series of blows that debilitate­s an opponent and renders him temporaril­y out of his senses is the stuff we fight fans can’t enough of.

And when you talk about knockouts, nobody does them better than the big boys. All that torque produced by sheer body mass, punching power, accelerati­on and timing is unparallel­ed.

For 2017 the best knockouts were provided by the heavyweigh­t behemoths, both in boxing and in the UFC.

WILDER VS STIVERNE. Deontay Wilder had previously stopped Bermane Stiverne before in 2015 and the WBC heavyweigh­t champion wasn’t too happy about fighting Stiverne again, thinking him an unworthy opponent.

But he had no choice after Alexander Povetkin and Luis King Kong Ortiz failed drug tests.

Wilder lost no time in showing his frustratio­n in the very first round.

Right from the get go, Wilder started spearing Stiverne with long hard jabs.

Midway through the round, he punched himself in the chest signifying his mean intentions and followed it up with a straight right hand on Stiverne’s chin that knocked him down.

Stiverne would get up two more times only to be pounded to the canvass again. The ref had no choice but to call for the denouement of the fight.

FRANCIS N’GANNOU VS. ALISTAIR OVEREEM. If you are a fan of caveman type slugfests then you just knew that when the 6’5”, 247lb Overeem met with the 6’4” 262 lb N’Gannou something violent was going to happen.

They did not disappoint.

Right from the start, you could tell that both men wanted a spectacula­r finish. Overeem rushed forward with a wild left hook that missed. After they tie each other up, N’Gannou landed a hard jab then a left hook. Then it happened. Just as Overeem awkwardly ducked low trying to avoid a N’Gannou right hand, the latter nails him with an uppercut from hell.

Perfectly placed, it snapped Overeemn’s head back violently, instantly knocking him out cold on his feet. As he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes and N’Gannou rushed in trying to finish him off the ref intervenes to waive the fight off.

Truly, a thing of beauty. Looking forward to more beautiful finishes in this Year of the Dog.

LAST ROUND. It’s on Monty Co who recently turned 11. Happy birthday and Cheers!

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