Has a fighter ever landed a more important punch...

[MightyWarrior]

Yes, Mike Weaver. Well behind on points, in the last minute of a 15 round fight, Weaver knocks out champ John Tate with one punch to win the WBA world heavyweight title. That was some punch.

[THEBUTCH]

Danny Williams' true "wonderpunch" against Mark Potter. Possibly saved his career from an injury point of view (because disgracefully no one was going to stop that fight).

Danny was carrying a far worse injury than A-Farce was, and look what Williams went on to be involved in for years afterwards.

[stujones]

Well behind on points, in the last minute of a 15 round fight, Mike Weaver knocks out champ John Tate with one punch to win the WBA world heavyweight title. That was some punch.

Yeah, one of my favourite KO's. John just completely gassed and it didn't seem like much of a punch at the time. John just leaned forward (out of it) on Weaver looked like he was just smothering the Weaver moved away and John just lied faced first.

[oliverfennell]

Danny Williams' true "wonderpunch" against Mark Potter. Possibly saved his career from an injury point of view (because disgracefully no one was going to stop that fight).

Danny was carrying a far worse injury than A-Farce was, and look what Williams went on to be involved in for years afterwards.

True, Danny's injury was worse/more delibilitating, but as immediate rewards for the win, fighting Kali Meehan at York Hall is not quite as good as a PPV world title shot at a sold-out MEN.

[Wrists]

The short, snappy right hand that Naz landed against Kelley in Round 2 springs to mind.

Momentum shifter and let Kelley know he was in a fight which previously he had dominated.

[MightyWarrior]

Well behind on points, in the last minute of a 15 round fight, Mike Weaver knocks out champ John Tate with one punch to win the WBA world heavyweight title. That was some punch.

Yeah, one of my favourite KO's. John just completely gassed and it didn't seem like much of a punch at the time. John just leaned forward (out of it) on Weaver looked like he was just smothering the Weaver moved away and John just lied faced first.

He was out cold before he hit the canvas - such a shocker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfZdD27TZjY

I was watching it live on TV, and that night there were about 4 or 5 world title fights being televised from around the US - Larry Holmes was one, and Dave Boy Green getting cold cocked by SRL was another.

[oliverfennell]

The short, snappy right hand that Naz landed against Kelley in Round 2 springs to mind.

Momentum shifter and let Kelley know he was in a fight which previously he had dominated.

I think you're missing the point...

[THEBUTCH]

Maybe not immediately, but that wasn't the only point of your thread. I think, when you weigh it up, Williams was more important in terms of what played out afterwards. A-Farce's is an unknown quantity, which will hopefully end in a quick blowout shambles and then he can be consigned to the dust bin

[oliverfennell]

Maybe not immediately, but that wasn't the only point of your thread. I think, when you weigh it up, Williams was more important in terms of what played out afterwards. A-Farce's is an unknown quantity, which will hopefully end in a quick blowout shambles and then he can be consigned to the dust bin

The point of the thread was how much ONE punch changed a career around. Ultimately Danny will probably prove to have had the more fulfilling career, and yes, without the Potter win he may not have achieved as much, but I'm talking about how much ONE punch IMMEDIATELY changed the fortunes of Audley Harrison. Even if he gets blown out by the very first shot from Haye, it wouldn't lessen the gap between going from the verge of retirement to a world title shot, which is what I'm talking about.

[Manchester Massive]

Bonecrusher Smith v Bruno, from journeyman to world title challenger, and 5 of his next 6 fights were against current, former or future world champions

[stujones]

It doesn't really compare to the Harrison one and it might be an odd choice, but the shot/s that Francis landed against Pele Reid were pretty important to his career. Francis was on a losing run, although was British champion. He had just been whacked out in 2 by a very raw Wlad Klitchsko - expected to be fodder for the up and coming Reid. Reid was even calling out Holyfield at this point!

After this fight it was Francis who was put into the bigger picture, and not long after was given a shot vs Tyson.

[tonyevs]

in all fairness - as much as that punch turned things around for Audley.

Does anybody really believe he would have packed it in if he didn't land that punch?

Wishfull thinking. Certainly would not have followed the Audley path he has been plodding.

[ERIC GUY]

Mickey hughes 1 punch KO of Gary Jacobs, got a commonwealth title fight out of it,

[wrimc]

John Thaxton 1 punch ko of paul "scrap iron" ryan who was on the verge of a world title shot Thaxton was elevated from losing southern area title fights to intercontinential fights and British title level

[THEBUTCH]

Agree with tonyevs, it's wishful thinking that Audrey would have packed it in. He would have whipped out the "injured arm" reasoning straight away and continued to walk boxing through the muck.

The Bonecrusher punch was also more important in terms of how it turned his career around at that point. You can clearly measure the follow up.You can't with A-Farces...yet.

Come back in two years time with the same thread and you will get a clear outcome to your post, oliverfennell.

[Deserter]

OK. Final offer from me....!

George Foreman KO 10 Michael Moorer

1) Foreman was trailing on points at the time
2) It was a single-punch KO - from memory Moorer went down like he'd been shot
3) If he'd lost he would certainly have retired at that point given his age
4) He captured two belts not one (WBA and IBF)
5) He went on to make a successful defence (something I can't envisage Harrison managing, even if he somehow manages to get past Haye) and won two further fights despite being stripped of those titles

[frankwarrenfan]

i also agree that audley would have continued his career even if he hadn't landed that punch.

he'd already lost to sprott by ko in 3 rounds so the fact the rematch lasted longer would have been used by audley as evidence that he was improving as a fighter and definitely on course to become world champion

[n1ebf]

It's a lovely question, and notwithstanding everything u have just said, I have a 99% gut feeling that the answer to your question is YES. Been going on a long time boxing, in a lot of places. If you're talking from a purely financial perspective, then you'd lean towards no, but in a general sense I am sure the answer is yes.

[n1ebf]

massive similarities in the way Sprott lost to the way Enzo lost at the weekend....for this poster anyway.

[bennie]

Millionaire Audley beating the much-beaten Sprott with one punch to earn a crack at the WBA heavyweight title ranks as a career turnaround, I suppose, but hardly one to 'move' you. This is Harrison we are talking about, a giant of a man who could have finished the job much sooner but was getting tagged and did what he always does when he gets tagged: duck into his shell. Only when did little Sprott begin to flag did Audley feel brave enough to chance his arm.
I won't delve into the long history of one-punch career turnarounds that put Harrison's into its proper perspective, such as Jersey Joe Walcott's against Ezzard Charles, but I will cite Carl Thompson's one-punch finish of Sebastiaan Rothmann as much more inspiring in this country, particularly as Rothmann had licked all his previous British opponents in style and because Thompson looked all through as a fighter. More than that, Thompson outlasted Haye a fight later, and rumour has it that Harrison's own mother is laying odds against her son doing the same.

[Chambers2]

... than Audley Harrison's which KO'd Sprott?

Good call, I can't think of one

[orbtastic]

John Thaxton 1 punch ko of paul "scrap iron" ryan who was on the verge of a world title shot Thaxton was elevated from losing southern area title fights to intercontinential fights and British title level

The irony of that win is that the board didn't think Thaxton good enough to contest the British title, so it was a non title fight.

One of my all-time favourite KOs that.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Yes, Mike Weaver. Well behind on points, in the last minute of a 15 round fight, Weaver knocks out champ John Tate with one punch to win the WBA world heavyweight title. That was some punch.

Bah! Beat me to it.

Think that was the first boxing match I ever watched. It was on a sunday night repeat, and I ran into the kitchen to tell my mum that Mike Weaver had one, interrupting her ironing. That moment has never left my mind, can picture it now.

[Exoddus]

Jersey Joe Walcott was well ahead against Rocky Marciano until Rock caught him in the 13th round of their first fight. Who knows how things might have changed for Marciano had he not pulled that punch out of the bag.

That's the first one that came to my head when I read the opening post. For the sake of Marciano's immortal legacy. That was a very important punch.

[tonyevs]

Arthur Abraham v Andre Dirrel

The winner lost - but the loser could very well be the winner..