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10 Best KOs You Might Have Missed in 2025
Photo by Giorgio VIERA / AFP via Getty Images

Boxing has a funny way of delivering chaos when you least expect it. While most fans spend the year chasing pay-per-view main events and championship drama, some of the most jaw-dropping moments happen quietly—on undercards, international shows, or streams that never quite crack the algorithm.

One second a fight looks routine, the next someone is horizontal, the ref is waving it off, and social media is scrambling to catch up. With 2025 winding down, it’s the perfect time to shine a light on the knockouts that didn’t get the spotlight they deserved. These finishes aren’t ranked in any particular order—because trying to rank violence is a losing game—but every one of them earned a spot on the list.

Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images

Hard-hitting cruiserweight Dominic Barry wasted no time against Luis Villalpando, needing less than two minutes to make a statement. Barry jumped on Villalpando immediately, unloading heavy power shots and refusing to give him any breathing room. The pressure was relentless, and the finish came quickly, extending Barry’s unbeaten run in emphatic fashion.

Former world champion Masataka Taniguchi reminded fans that timing beats everything when he faced Condor Inaba. The bout was competitive early, but in Round 3 Taniguchi landed a perfectly placed one-punch knockout that ended the fight instantly and erased any doubt about his power.

Irish prospect Callum Walsh delivered one of the most frightening finishes of the year against Dean Sutherland. Walsh controlled the action from the opening bell before detonating a brutal shot with just 20 seconds left in Round 1, ending the fight in sudden and violent fashion.

Croatian standout Marko Milun announced himself to the pro ranks by stopping Emrullah Kaya in under two minutes. A nasty left hand shut the show down quickly and signaled that Milun’s power was going to translate immediately at the next level.

Puerto Rican puncher Alexis Chaparro dominated Daijohn Gonzalez before unleashing a terrifying right hand in Round 4. The knockout was sudden, emphatic, and left no doubt about who controlled the fight from start to finish.

After a back-and-forth battle, Constantin Ursu ended things late against Eithan James. A sharp counterpunch in Round 7 shut the lights off instantly, bringing a dramatic conclusion to a competitive contest.

One of the biggest surprises came in Misfits Boxing, where Ckari Mansilla shocked Dylan Price with a perfectly timed counter in Round 8. Price had been in control, but one mistake flipped the entire fight on its head.

Heavyweight drama followed when Fabio Wardley staged a late comeback against Justis Huni. Trailing on the scorecards, Wardley landed a clean counter in the 10th round to score a stunning stoppage and claim interim gold.

The matchup between Frank Martin and Rances Barthelemy ended abruptly after sustained pressure created an opening. Martin capitalized on Barthelemy’s defensive lapse, delivering a decisive fight-ending knockout that left no room for debate.

These are the knockouts that slipped through the cracks in 2025—unranked, unforgettable, and impossible to ignore once you see them.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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