Top 5 Boxers With Most Knockouts in History

A great indicator of a boxer’s dominance inside the ring is the number of knockouts produced. In today’s modern era of online sports betting, fighters with impressive finishes and the fastest knockouts will almost automatically assure them of being favorites in boxing odds.

However, the record for the most knockouts in boxing history might be hard to break due to the fewer fights today. Heavyweight contender and former title challenger Deontay Wilder is one of the few boxers today to have as many knockouts in all his fights.

Here’s a look at the top five list of boxers in history who scored the most TKO/KO victories.

Top 5 Boxers With Most Knockouts in History

Buck Smith – 121 TKO/KOs

Sitting at the number five spot is Buck Smith. The “Tombstone” had a 22-year professional career and was able to compete in 229 bouts throughout its duration. He began fighting as a 145-pounder and slowly moved up in weight to compete in various divisions until he fought in the cruiserweight. Smith finished with an overall record of 183 wins, 20 losses and two draws.

Of his total fights, he won 183 fights, including 121 TKO/KOs. This number made him the fighter with the fifth-most knockouts in history. Despite this incredible feat, Smith didn’t capture any major titles as he only managed to win the USA Oklahoma State Welterweight Title in December 1994 over Verdell Smith via unanimous decision.

Sam Langford – 126 TKO/KOs

Sam Langford has the fourth-most knockouts in boxing history with 126. He fought from 1903 to 1926 in 314 total professional fights. The Canadian won 178 fights, was defeated 30 times and had 38 draws. He began competing in the lightweight division and gradually moved to the heavyweight division. Unfortunately, he never won a major boxing title.

Langford won multiple minor boxing titles, including the National Sporting Club British Middleweight Title, Commonwealth Boxing Council Middleweight Title, Australian Heavyweight Title and Mexico Heavyweight Title. The “Boston Bonecrusher’s” biggest boxing achievement was when he fought a draw with welterweight great Joe Walcott in 1904.

Young Stribling – 129 TKO/KOs

Young Stribling was a professional boxer who hailed from Georgia. He had 12-year professional boxing run from 1921 to 1933, where he competed in 291 total fights. Stribling finished with 224 wins, 13 losses and 14 draws, including 129 knockouts, putting him in the third spot in boxing history with the most finishes. Like Smith and Langford, he never won a major title.

Stribling started as a featherweight and ended his career as a cruiserweight. In fighting in various divisions, the “King of the Canebrakes” collected minor and regional titles such as the USA Georgia State Featherweight Title, Southern Featherweight Title, Georgia Lightweight Title and the Southern Middleweight Title. Stribling had one opportunity to win the World Light Heavyweight Title, but he lost to Paul Berlenbach in June 1926 via unanimous decision.

Archie Moore – 132 TKO/KOs

The great Archie Moore holds the record for the second-most knockouts in boxing history with 132. Moore had a total of 220 fights, winning 186, losing 23 and drawing ten of them. He began his career as a middleweight in 1936 and finished as a heavyweight fighter in 1963. He claimed his first boxing title in 1943 when he won over Jack Chase to become the California State Athletic Commission Middleweight Champion. His professional boxing career lasted for 27 years.

A decade after that triumph, the “Old Mongoose” captured the World Light Heavyweight Title against Joey Maxim and successfully defended it over Harold Johnson with a 14th-round TKO victory. After that, he challenged Rocky Marciano for the National Boxing Association Heavyweight Title but was defeated via 9th-round knockout. This illustrious career enshrined him in the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1980, the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990 and the California Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.

Billy Bird – 139 TKO/KOs

The record-holder for the most knockouts in boxing’s history belongs to UK’s Billy Bird, who had 139 knockouts out of his 356 professional fights. Bird racked up 260 wins, 73 losses and 20 draws. This record is more impressive because he only needed 18 years to accomplish this incredible feat as the Briton fought from 1920 until 1948.

Bird fought the majority of his fights in England and only competed outside of the country twice, when he faced Joe Ralph in Belgium in September 1928 and Mario Bosisio in Italy in January 1929. The Chelsea, London native competed in the welterweight division but never won a minor or significant title. His farthest he came into a title shot was when he participated in a title eliminator match against Johnny Quill in December 1934 but lost via points.