Knockout, the most seminal pivot in boxing

Boxers try to get the KO, yet there are many who claim that you don’t have to look for the KO, rather  it comes if you are doing things right. 

A KO causes drama. A precisely landed blow, causes sensation although it also brings us concern about the one on the receiving end and consequences it may provoke.

But what is a knockout? The term means out of combat, and it occurs when one of the contestants is unable to get off from the canvass for after a ten second count. This can be due to a loss of balance and even consciousness.

This type of punch is caused by minor head trauma to the brain. This usually happens when the head moves very quickly due to the punch received. Within boxing, a knockout occurs when a fighter is knocked down and can`t beat the count. 

Knockout consequences

A powerful punch causes the brain to repeatedly impact into the walls of the cranial vault, disrupting the connection between brain and body, causing loss of consciousness. At the same time, the veins and arteries that surround the brain sometimes bleed and form a hematoma, called subdural, which increases the pressure inside the skull.

The WBC versus the KO

The WBC, has always been concerned about taking care of the health and integrity of the boxer and aware of the potential  dangers caused by this dramatic blow. So the  WBC has taken certain protective measures such as the use of the mouthpiece, supervising the materials with which the gloves are made,  and protection count by the referee and even conferring the power to the referee to stop the fight in case the boxer is not in optimal condition even if he or his seconds are agaisnt it. 

Likewise, the WBC regulation specifies that boxers who have suffered a concussion from a KO must NOT participate in boxing sessions in the gym for a minimum of 45 days,. Also, if a boxer suffers a knockout, he must be suspended from bouts for 60 days. A boxer who suffers two consecutive knockouts must be suspended for 120 days and a boxer who suffers three consecutive knockouts must be suspended for 180 days, during which his license must be revoked, confiscated, pending special in-depth medical examinations.

Remembering some of the most famous knockouts

• Rocky Marciano to Joe Louis / October 26, 1951 / Madison Square Garden, New York
• Oscar de la Hoya to Fernando Vargas / September 14, 2002 / Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
• Muhammad Ali to George Foreman / October 30, 1974 / Stade du 20 Mai, Kinshasa
• Sergio Martínez to Paul Williams / November 20, 2010 / Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
• Nonito Donaire to Fernando Montiel / February 19, 2011 / Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
• Kostya Tszyu to Zab Judah / November 3, 2001 / MGM Grand, Las Vegas
• Mike Tyson to Michael Spinks / June 27, 1988 / Convention Hall, Atlantic City
• Muhammad Alli to Sonny Liston / May 25, 1965 / Central Maine Civic Center, Lewiston
•  Mike Tyson to Trevor Berbick / November 22, 1986 / Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas
• Julio César Chavez to Meldrick Taylor / September 17, 1994 / MGM Grand, Las Vegas
• Juan Manuel Márquez to Manny Pacquiao / December 8, 2012 / MGM Grand, Las Vegas
• Jose Zepeda to Ivan Baranchyk / October 3, 2020 / The Bubble, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
• Nonito Donaire to Nordine Oubaali / May 29, 2021 / Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson
• Brandon Figueroa to Luis Nery / May 15, 2021 / Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson
• Oscar Valdez to Miguel Berchelt / February 20, 2021 / The Bubble, MGM Grand, Las Vegas
•  Marvin Hagler to Thomas Hearns/ April 6, 1987 / Caesars Palace, Las Vegas