There is just something about witnessing a knockout punch that is unrivaled by any other sport. Football has the jarring blind-side hit by a defensive player on an unsuspecting ball carrier, baseball has the dramatic walk-off home run to end a long game, and basketball has the high-flying slam dunk which lights up an arena. However, none of these plays rival the knockout’s sheer suddenness and impact. To take a line from the cult classic film Friday, there is no event like watching someone get “knocked the f***k out!” Top ten lists have been overused and are often too long. As I result, I have narrowed my list down to five. Here are “the top five reasons we love the knockout:”
1. Whether we like it or not, seeing someone knocked unconscious is the simple re-enactment of one of the most primal responses known to man – violence. No one has ever admitted to wanting to watch a train wreck, but they can’t take their eyes off one either – the appeal of watching a knockout is no different.
2. Prize-fighting epitomizes the popular phrase “mano-a-mano.” In comparison to other sports, the power associated with knocking out an opponent is unmatched. When you knock someone out, you are not only the master of your domain (the ring), you have also mastered your opponent figuratively and literally by beating them into submission.
3. Knockouts are definitive outcomes – not bound by any subjective criteria used to determine the winner of a match. Cries of foul play, inept judges or controversial decisions need not apply. The winning fighter’s fists are the judge and jury when the opponent is left “seeing stars.”
4. The simplicity of knockouts is a quality that can not be understated. It’s what I call the “least common denominator” aspect of boxing – a simple, yet dramatic, close that even a non-sports fan can understand. It is much easier to re-tell the events leading to a guy getting KO’d as opposed to how many receiving yards a running back gained, how many three-pointers a hoopster netted, or how many unearned runs a pitcher yielded. And it makes for much more interesting water cooler conversation.
5. A knockout leads to the conclusion of a fight. The finality of a felled opponent not beating the 10-count is as clear as Vodka, the fight is over. There is no need for an overtime or extra-innings…that’s all folks.
