When the term ‘knockout artist’ is mentioned, boxing fans will likely think of Mike Tyson’s name before anyone else’s.
Tyson started his career with an incredible knockout streak, which would eventually see him become one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
Able to stop even the toughest fighters, the trademark punch of Tyson was his lethal left hook. From Carl Williams to Trevor Berbick, many fell victim to the specific punch from ‘Iron Mike’.
Despite his association with the punch, his former coach, Teddy Atlas, excluded Tyson from his list of the greatest-ever left hook knockouts.
Joe Frazier included in list of all-time great left hook knockouts
Legendary coach Atlas included five left hooks on his list when ranking the greatest examples of the specific punch.
The fifth-place punch on the list belonged to Jersey Joe Walcott. Knocking out Ezzard Charles in their third meeting in 1951, the left hook from the heavyweight would see him win the world title.
In the number four spot was Mike Weaver. The former Larry Holmes and Evander Holyfield opponent became a world champion for the first time when he knocked out John Tate with a left hook in 1980.
For Atlas’s third greatest left hook knockout of all time, he mentioned ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier. Although his huge shot against Muhammad Ali in 1971 was not a finishing blow, the coach felt he ‘had to put it in’ his list.
The 15th round knockdown would send Ali on his way to his first loss, as Frazier was the victor on the judges’ scorecards.
The runner-up place was awarded to Floyd Patterson. The former heavyweight champion’s second meeting with Ingemar Johansson would see him retain his world title thanks to a leaping left hook.
Sugar Ray Robinson’s knockout over Gene Fullmer is Teddy Atlas’s greatest left hook KO
The boxing coach gave the status of the greatest-ever left hook knockout to Sugar Ray Robinson.
Fighting Gene Fullmer in a rematch in 1957, Robinson was able to get revenge for his loss to the fighter with a finish Atlas called ‘beautiful’.
“It was how short it [the left hook] was, it was how accurate it was, how beautiful it was, how effective it was, how devastating it was,” Atlas said.
The knockout win for Robinson came four months after losing to Fullmer via unanimous decision. The finishing blow came in the fifth round, as former ‘Fighter of the Year’ Robinson regained his middleweight titles.