

Here he won the WBC title from the excellent Carlos Palomino, January 1979, again by a split decision. After making 3 defenses, he forfeited the belt and chose to compete as a welter. El Radar Benitez is still the youngest boxer to become a world champion, being 17 when he defeated another legend, Antonio Cervantes, by a split decision to take Cervantes' WBA light welter title in 1976. He was a defensive genius, as most of you know already, but also was fast, willing to brawl and had underrated power as well. It isn't exactly easy choosing between so many greats, but this guy just seemed to have it all. From Wilfred Benitez to Macho Camacho, Puerto Rico has given us so many wonderful and exciting boxers as well. Lomachenko survived the knockdown and in true fashion, figured Linares out and came back in round ten to deliver a nasty body shot that ended the fight.Ĥ) Erik Morales vs.Yes sir, I've decided to undertake that task! This archipelago has truly produced some great boxers and in comparison to Mexico, PR boxers have been known for their technical finesse and ability, instead of just toughness, machismo and power. Linares even sent Lomachenko to the mat in round six, courtesy of a well-timed right hand down the middle. In 2018, Lomachenko took on veteran Jorge Linares, a fellow tactician and a problem for almost everyone he’s been in the ring with. Lomachenko likes to dig to the body often in order to slow aggressive opponents down and take some steam off the edge of their punches. One of the keys to victory for Lomachenko has always been attacking the body. Featuring a diverse offensive repertoire combined with surgical precision, the man they call “The Matrix” is an overwhelming force in the ring. His sublime skill and technical mastery are, quite frankly, unmatched at this time. There is no doubt that Ukrainian sensation Vasiliy Lomachenko is one of the most talented boxers of this generation. With the victory, Hopkins became the first boxer in history to unify the belts of all four major sanctioning bodies.ģ) Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. A slightly delayed reaction caused “The Golden Boy” to take a knee, and within seconds, he was in absolute agony.Īt the time of the finish, two judges had Hopkins ahead while the third judge had it for De La Hoya. In the ninth round, Hopkins delivered a beautiful left shovel hook that smacked De La Hoya right on the liver. But Hopkins showed in this fight just how important technique and skill are to the overall equation. Of course, De La Hoya came into the fight the favorite, with his legions of Mexican fans behind him. In 2004, Hopkins took on legendary Mexican-American Oscar “The Golden Boy” De La Hoya in a bout for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world - a fight that turned out to be the biggest payout of Hopkins’ career. Multiple-time boxing world champion Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins is one of the most successful boxers of all time, having held multiple world titles across several weight classes. Today, Evolve Daily shares five crushing body shot knockouts that will make you cringe.ġ) Micky Ward vs. Let’s take a look at some of the more notable ones. There have been many amazing body shot finishes in the history of the sport. In fact, it doesn’t even matter how tough a fighter is, one body shot is all it takes to send them crashing to the canvas. Simply put, there are many targets on the body, and a fighter who isn’t well prepared will often go down when a punch makes contact with any of these points. You can also target the sternum, just above the solar plexus, and stomach itself, which can suck the wind out of anyone’s sails. There’s the liver, located in the upper right-hand sector of the abdominal cavity. You have the solar plexus, a complex system of radiating nerves and ganglia which sits at the pit of the stomach. There are many sensitive targets that can incapacitate any opponent almost instantly. Body shots are an incredible phenomenon in boxing, and are in many ways, a lost art. What’s even better than a stone-cold knockout finish? A body shot knockout. The possibility of a knockout - that’s what makes boxing so exciting. Any fighter, at any given time, can get hit with a shot that instantly separates the body from its senses. One minute, an intense back-and-forth battle is in progress, and the next minute, it’s over. Boxing is often called the ‘theater of the unexpected,’ because you just don’t know when something crazy will happen.
