The 25 Best One-Punch Knockouts in Sports

It's a match of wits, a battle of fearless attacks and a tedious crawl for the finish line. With fans exhilarated for the fight, ready to cheer at any sign of victory, only one thing can suck the energy out of the crowd.

One-punch knockouts may knock the excitement out of fans with surprising fury, but they are sure jaw-dropping in retrospect.

With so much anticipation and a superfluous amount of pre-fight media attention, fighters routinely expect a vicious, albeit strenuous, battle that requires stamina and determination.

However, life can't be planned, and sometimes one punch ends the fight in an instant.

Fans may be quiet at first, but in the end they respect the winner for his jolting power and goal to succeed.

Here are the best one-punch knockouts in history.

Enjoy.

25. Brad Kohler Puts Steve Judson to Sleep

After the two fighters playfully wrestle on the ground for a few moments and decide they're done, they end the fight for good.

Brad Kohler evidently decided he'd had enough of Steve Judson, landing a vicious right hook that gave Judson a gash in his chin and a likely trip to the hospital on a stretcher.

He'd be smart to keep his opponent on the mat for the entire fight next time.

24. Brent Johnson Doesn't Agree with Rick DiPietro's Contract

This is the type of treatment that New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro deserves after signing a 15-year, $67.5 million contract that he knows he doesn't deserve.

With Al Montoya outplaying him, DiPietro most likely won't have to worry about getting knocked out like this anymore, especially from backup goalie Brent Johnson.

Unless the Islanders have another night like this.

23. Big Tree Falls Hard

Timberrr!

While we may not know the name of the winner, or her victim, it's clear that she has an affinity for knocking over tall objects.

Her hands are seemingly the perfect tools to clear out a forest.

22. James Thunder Ends Crawford Grimsley's Night Early

It wasn't a good sign that Crawford Grimsley was still swinging when he finally regained consciousness.

This big tree fell hard against Samoan boxer James Thunder, who finished his career with a record of 35-14.

Grimsley, ironically, had a better record at 22-4, with one draw, and fought the illustrious George Foreman during his career.

It's no coincidence that he looks eerily similar to Ivan Drago in this fight.

21. Aaron Downey Returns Jesse Boulerice's Favor

A half-hearted attempt at a punch from Jesse Boulerice leads to an epic knockout.

Aaron Downey warmly receives the attempted punch with a slight move of his head and eloquently returns the favor to Boulerice. 

This fight quickly becomes a disaster for the 6'2" winger.

20. Mr. Potato Head

This fighter's face truly says it all.

While he may have been down following the vicious punch, the impending kick caused a significant distortion in his expressions.

He's undoubtedly dreaming of a peaceful time.

19. Lennox Lewis Defends His Title Against Mike Tyson

This is a site that is rarely seen, but was enjoyed by 15,327 fans on this night.

It wasn't only the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history ($106.9 million) up until the fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007, but it ended with Lennox Lewis defending his title.

"Iron" Mike Tyson could've needed a metal plate in his face following this knockout.

18. Uppercutting the Fight Short

The victim never seems to have a chance, amidst a wide array of unsuccessful punches.

It's more fitting to say he was flailing about rather than tossing jabs.

As slight as the knockout may have seemed at first, it was quite vicious in slow motion.

Although most things are.

17. Tyler Bryan and Shaun Parker Join Forces

It's safe to say this may never be seen again.

The Legends of Fighting event at the 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis was the spot for these two young fighters to make a name for themselves.

And they sure did. It's likely that no other result could've possibly garnered more media attention.

16. Antonio Tarver Lets Roy Jones Jr. Know Who's Boss

He's rumbling, bumbling, stumbling...he's down.

Following a timely jab by the seemingly mechanical Antonio Tarver, the victimized Roy Jones Jr. crawls and rolls to try and stay up.

Tarver's play-by-play commentary may be longer than the actual fight.

15. Extension Is Key

When a victim's feet rise up off the ground, it's clear he is quickly reaching the end.

He's clearly a fighter who believes it's proper form to walk towards his opponent with hands relaxed and body exposed.

Back to the brutal training regimen.

14. Hasim Rahman Not Impressed with Lennox Lewis

While most fighters were intimidated by the 6'5" Lennox Lewis, there were a few who clearly weren't, headlined by the fearless Hasim Rahman.

This bout, which occurred in South Africa in 2001, showed the vulnerability of the huge target.

Rahman took advantage of his small window of opportunity.

13. David Reid Knocks Simon Brown Back to the Start of the Fight

Simon Brown sure won't go down without a fight, considering he's still throwing punches after getting knocked out by David Reid.

Brown's gloves never drop and his determination never dissipates.

The fight seemingly never ended for him.

12. Kostya Tszyu Sends Zab Judah Back to the 1970s

Zab Judah may have argued with the referee for a chance to keep fighting, but in the end he loses with class by turning this knockout into a dance lesson.

While it may seem like an adjusted version of the Harlem Shake, Judah is simply displaying his inner feelings following the zealous finish by Kostya Tszyu.

Perhaps an acting career will follow boxing.

11. Joe Lewis Can't Physically Remember Rocky Marciano

While the title says it all, boxer Rocky Marciano took this fight to another level with a brutal finish.

Joe Lewis only had three losses in his career, but this was arguably the most epic.

Marciano finished his career with the World Heavyweight title and an undefeated record (49-0).

10. Joe Walcott Is on the Wrong End of a Rocky Marciano Comeback

With arguably the most famous one-punch knockouts of all time, Rocky Marciano landed a deadly blow to the face of Joe Walcott, with a minor tap after he was down for good measures.

Interestingly enough, Marciano was losing this fight until the 13th round.

Then he found his second wind and jumped on the opportunity to end the night.

Comebacks like this led to an undefeated career for Marciano.

9. Manny Pacquiao Beats Ricky Hatton 24/7

With arguably the quickest hands of all time, Manny Pacquiao leans back, right hand holding his opponent's face, and throws all his energy into one punch.

This fight may have been promoted heavily, especially through HBO's four episodes of 24/7, but Ricky Hatton clearly never had a chance.

All it took was two rounds for Pacquiao to display his domination.

8. Fraser Filipic's Hand Collides with Jean Bourbeau's Face

Nothing quite excites the crowd like an epic fight between two toothless hockey players.

Fraser Filipic doesn't disappoint his fans as he circles around Jean Bourbeau, waiting for the moment to strike.

Bourbeau, however, feels lucky on this night and fearlessly attacks his opponent.

It doesn't quite work out.

7. Carl Daniels Gets a Cheek Swab from Andy Lee

It will be a miracle if Carl Daniels ever smiles again, considering the referee had to forcefully attempt to pull the mouthpiece out of Daniels' mouth after this knockdown.

While Andy Lee certainly exerted a ferocious punch to the cheek of Daniels, it was the head hitting the mat that most likely served the most damage.

He'll be drinking food out of a straw for a long time.

6. Sergio Martinez Whips Paul Williams into Shape

The first punch clearly wasn't a sign of things to come as Paul Williams eventually took a pounding left hand from Sergio Martinez.

"Sensational, shocking."

Numbing, palpable seems to fit better.

5. Tommy Morrison Surprises Razor Ruddock

While Razor Ruddock came out swinging, throwing superfluous jabs wildly, Tommy Morrison waited patiently for his moment.

The opportunity clearly presented itself and Morrison took advantage.

A deadly left hook.

4. Matt Cooke Finds out This Evander Kane Isn't so Sweet

The lesson for NHL agitator Matt Cooke is don't start a fight if you can't finish it.

Known for instigating fights with opponents and being somewhat of an annoyance, Cooke gets trampled by the 6'2" Evander Kane, who was the fourth overall pick of the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2009 NHL Draft.

This youngster is sending a clear message to the rest of the league.

3. Mike Tyson Flattens Michael Johnson's Face

While few had a chance against "Iron" Mike Tyson, Michael "Jack" Johnson truly seemed baffled by his role in this fight.

The look on his face before the punch reeked of fear and confusion, seemingly displaying his lack of confidence against the lightning-quick heavyweight.

His afro was close to becoming corn rows after that punch.

2. Alexis Arguello Pops Kevin Rooney

After throwing a minor jab with his left hand to distract his opponent, Alexis Arguello slams Kevin Rooney with a vicious right punch that drops him immediately.

The sound of Arguello's glove hitting Rooney's face was similar to an Aroldis Chapman 105-mph fastball hitting the catcher's mitt.

Not very gentle.

1. Lautaro Tucas' Approach on Chris Clements Fails Mightily

It's curious as to what Lautaro Tucas thought was going to happen when he ran straight at his opponent with his hands down and blindly jumped at him.

Chris Clements not only knocks his opponent out in exactly three seconds, but he successfully turns Tucas into a faulty whirling dervish.

Back to the drawing board.