Key points:
- Only one British boxer in the top 10 fastest knockouts list
- Quickest KO ever took just 4 seconds
- Second fastest KO scored by a female boxer
The outcome of a boxing fight usually ends via points or knockout, the latter being everyone’s favourite viewing.
Boxing fans absolutely love a knockout! The most exciting boxers in history are the knockout artists, they will always attract the biggest audiences.
Mike Tyson, Roman Gonzalez, Edwin Valero, George Foreman, Sonny Liston were all hugely popular during their eras for guaranteeing knockouts; and in recent times, Anthony Joshua, Naoya Inoue, Gervonta Davies, Jaron Ennis and Artur Beterbiev all have fans on the edge of their seats trying not to blink.
Below is a list of the top 10 fastest knockouts registered in boxing history:
1 Mike Collins vs Pat Brownson, 1947: 4 seconds
2 Seniesa Estrada vs Miranda Adkins, 2020: 7 seconds
3 Phil Williams vs Brandon Burke, 2007: 10 seconds
4 Jeremy Williams vs Arthur Weathers, 1996: 10 seconds
5 Zolani Tete vs Sibonisa Gonya, 2017: 11 seconds
6 Jimmy Thunder vs Crawford Grimsley, 1997: 13 seconds
7 Nigel Benn vs Ian Chantler, 1987: 16 seconds
8 Daniel Jiminez vs Harald Geier, 1994: 17 seconds
9 Allan Green vs Jaidon Codrington, 2005: 18 seconds
10 David Tua vs John Ruiz, 1996: 19 seconds
Mike Collins vs Pat Brownson – 4s
The famed fastest knockout in boxing history took place during a Minneapolis Golden Gloves tournament in 1947, between Mike Collins and Pat Brownson.
Collins landed just one punch in the opening seconds of the championship amateur bout that was damaging enough for the referee to instantly stop the fight at the official time of 4 seconds!
Seniesa Estrada vs Miranda Adkins – 7s
‘Super Bad’ Seniesa Estrada was making the third defence of her WBC Silver light-flyweight title to unbeaten challenger Miranda Adkins from Kansas, who had the perfect record with five wins – five KOs.
The championship contest took place during lockdown on a Golden Boy Promotions show, live on DAZN.
Spectators were treated to the what was the fastest knockout in female boxing history, as the Californian raced across the ring to meet the slack Adkins in her own corner instantly landing a three-punch combo to stun the unsuspecting, overmatched opponent, another four-punch volley knocking her out completely.
Estrada is now a two-weight world champion and reigning unified WBC, IBF, WBO minimumweight champion.
Phil Williams vs Brandon Burke – 10s
Despite possessing a checkered record, ending his career with 16 wins, 10 losses, and 3 draws, Phil Williams was muscular and powerful, scoring 14 KOs from 16 victories.
‘The Drill’ won his first four fights by first-round knockout, one of which came in just 10 seconds.
Burke mistakenly raced out of the gates to swing a leaping right hand at Williams, who deftly side-stepped to his left, landing a right hook flush as he avoided the crude attack. Burke retired without any wins to his name.
Jeremy Williams vs Arthur Weathers – 10s
Calling himself ‘Half-Man, Half-Amazing’ sounds a bit egotistical, but the American backed up his claim with 43 wins and 35 KOs.
In 1996, at 9-0, he was able to stop Arthur ‘Stormy’ Weathers in just 10 seconds in Long Beach. A right hook to the body made Weathers attempt to hold, but a left hook grazing over the top of his head and a huge uppercut later and he was dropped heavily and out of the fight. At the time, it became the fastest knockout in professional boxing history.
Zolani Tete vs Sibonisa Gonya – 11s
Two-weight world champ Zolani Tete was well-known for his quick KOs, boasting 14 first-round knockouts. On a Frank Warren event in Belfast, it took just one whipping right hook from the South African ‘Last Born’ to stop Gonya in just 11 seconds, and it became the fastest finish ever in a world title fight.
Jimmy Thunder vs Crawford Grimsley – 13s
Samoan-born New Zealander Jimmy Thunder defeated the likes of Tony Tubbs, Trevor Berbick and Tim Witherspoon during his career, but will forever be remembered for his 13-second knockout over Crawford Grimsley in Flint, Michigan.
Grimsley had recently taken one of heavyweight’s biggest ever punchers, George Foreman, the distance, but Thunder knocked him with his very first shot – an overhand right.
Nigel Benn vs Ian Chantler – 16s
In his 11th pro bout, Benn scored his eighth first-round knockout. ‘The Dark Destroyer’ edged forwards, crouching low then landed a huge overhand right and the contest was stopped before it even started.
Daniel Jiminez vs Harald Geier – 17s
Puerto Rican Daniel Jiminez had a very checkered record but he was a proud world champion who took Marco Antonio Barrera the distance in a world title fight.
However, his most notable win was when he needed just 17 seconds to upset Heral Geier in his Austrian hometown with just a single shot.
Allan Green vs Jaidon Codrington – 18 seconds
The ‘Ghost Dog’ Allan Green, from Tulsa, fought Glen Johnson, Mikkel Kessler and Andrew Ward during his career, but was unable to win a world title. However, he will forever be remembered for his stunning 18 seconds KO over ‘The Codrington Don’ in Miami in 2005 on a Lou DiBella show.
A left hook stunned Codrington as they traded early, then he trapped him in the corner and landed a further 11 left hooks to the body and head, but it was a straight right that landed flush that KO’d him on his feet, the last left hook sending him crashing to the canvas.
David Tua vs John Ruiz – 19s
The Samoan-born New Zealander was 22-0 with 18 KOs when he challenged for his first title – the WBC International heavyweight championship.
Huge heavyweight puncher brutally took John Ruiz’s head off with a huge left hook to end the fight in 19 seconds. Conscious of his reach deficit, Tua quickly got on the inside of Ruiz to land a huge left hook to send him backpedalling to the corner where he pounced to land another chin-rocking left hook to finish him off.
He never went on to win a world title, but he took Lennox Lewis the full 12 rounds and will be remembered as one of his country’s greatest ever fighters.
Other Notable Quick KOs:
Bernard Hopkins vs Steve Frank – 24s
Defensive expert and cranial combatant, B-Hop, has already gone down in boxing history as one of the greatest fighters of all-time, but he also boasts one of the fastest knockouts of all-time.
A big right hand had Frank in trouble early until a right uppercut crunched him as he crouched, and although he bravely got back up, it was waved off at 24 seconds.
Mike Tyson vs Marvis Frazier – 30s
‘Iron Mike’, ‘Kid Dynamite’, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’… whatever name you may know him, it’s universally accepted that he was one of the heavyweight division’s most devastating punchers of all time.
Tyson met Frazier when he was 24-0, 22 KOs. The son of heavyweight legend Joe Frazier, Marvis, couldn’t continue his dad’s legacy after Tyson hit him with three huge uppercuts to stop the fight in only 30 seconds, making it the most memorable of his 24 first-round KOs.
Gerald McClellan vs Jay Bell – 30s
Gerald McClellan was one of the most exciting fighters in modern history, ending his career with 29 KOs from 31 victories.
A big left hook to the body dropped and stopped his fellow American within 30 seconds of defending his WBC World middleweight title in Puerto Rico on a Don King show.
Prince Naseem Hamed vs Said Lawal – 35s
British boxing legend Prince Naseem dropped Nigerian Lawal with his very first punch in the first seconds of his WBO World featherweight title defence in Glasgow.
On shaky legs, Lawal moved from side to side until the Prince patiently picked out the perfect uppercut to stop him completely at just 35 seconds on the clock.