1) Smith vs. Luke Blackledge
This fight from 2016 ended in dramatic fashion when Blackledge marched forward and looked to throw a right hand only to find himself nailed by a counter left hook from Smith. The shot finished the fight in round 10, no count necessary, and this remains one of the scariest knockouts seen in a British ring.
2) Smith vs. Gilbert Castillo
A more recent Smith special, this second-round knockout of Castillo was produced by his right hand rather than his left. It landed following a series of jabs and with such force Castillo collapsed immediately, after which both his legs began to tremble in a quite disturbing manner.
3) Smith vs. Mathieu Bauderlique
Always quick and spiteful with his left hand, Smith’s 2022 knockout of Bauderlique owed to that particular weapon. It was used, first, to attack Bauderlique’s body, before a second left hook, thrown immediately after, cracked the Frenchman’s chin and sent him through the ropes.
4) Beterbiev vs. Gabriel Campillo
This fight from 2015 essentially ended when Beterbiev, in round four, landed two vicious rights which stiffened the legs of Campillo against the ropes. That he then followed these shots with a wild left hook, which brushed Campillo on the way down, only made the final image all the more gruesome.
5) Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jnr
There was nothing hesitant or wary about Smith when he challenged Beterbiev in 2022. Instead, he went after him from the get-go, finally running into two Beterbiev uppercuts in the second round, a left and a right, and finding himself so discombobulated he didn’t know where he was.
Beterbiev nails Joe Smith Jnr (Elsa/Getty Images)
6) Beterbiev vs. Adam Deines
In round 10, after measuring his German opponent with a few softer shots, Beterbiev then cracked Deines with a brutal counter left hook, which had Deines staggering to the floor. He bravely got up on one knee but the towel would save him from any further punishment.
7) Beterbiev vs. Callum Johnson
After a back-and-forth firefight, which saw both men hit the deck early, Beterbiev, in round four, caught a desperate Johnson with a right hand coming in, the impact of which had Johnson slumping wearily to the canvas, with all his threat punched out of him.
8) Beterbiev vs. Anthony Yarde
Following several fierce exchanges, Yarde, eyes swollen, copped a short Beterbiev right hand in the eighth round and was unable to find his feet. He tried moving, but was hit again by a Beterbiev right and eventually went down. He was then saved shortly after this by his corner.
9) Smith vs. George Groves
Well in control of the fight, Smith waited for Groves to unload in round seven, then countered expertly with a left hook which landed high on his opponent’s head. Legs unsteady, Groves wobbled back to a corner, where he was pummeled until the only thing left to do was fall to the canvas.
10) Smith vs. Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam
Too big and too strong, Smith used N’Dam as target practice in 2019, dropping him in rounds one and two before finishing him with a fast and accurate right cross in the third.