KO King: Artur Beterbiev’s top 10 knockouts

1 Oleksandr Gvozdyk

Still the biggest win and toughest fight of Beterbiev’s career, Gvozdyk, from Ukraine, was undefeated in 17 fights when facing Beterbiev in 2019. He was also winning the fight until he found himself worn down and stopped by Artur in the 10th round.

2 Joe Smith Jr

This, Beterbiev’s most recent scalp, saw Beterbiev at his most cruel and clinical. Using Smith’s ambition and aggression against him, Beterbiev dropped the American in the first round before taking him out in the second.

3 Marcus Browne

Beaten only by Jean Pascal (on a cut) before challenging Beterbiev in 2021, American Browne had no answer for Artur’s punch power throughout the eight and a bit rounds they shared. Knocked down in the seventh, he was then floored again and stopped in the ninth.

4 Callum Johnson

Britain’s Johnson, a huge puncher in his own right, gave Beterbiev a scare and a half in 2018, when knocking down the scary Russian in the second round. This, though, only sparked Beterbiev into life and by round four it was Johnson in need of rescuing.

5 Enrico Kölling

A durable German, Kölling battled bravely against Beterbiev in 2017 and came closer than anyone to hearing the final bell. Alas, knocked down twice in the 12th round, he was stopped with just 27 seconds remaining.

6 Adam Deines

Deines, a southpaw from Germany, lost a decision against Fanlong Meng in 2019 but found Beterbiev a far tougher proposition in 2021. He lasted into the 10th round, having been dropped in round one, but never saw the 11th.

7 Radivoje Kalajdzic

Bosnia’s Kalajdzic had lost just once – an eight-round split-decision against Marcus Browne – when fighting Beterbiev in 2019. But he was dropped in the third by the Russian, then stopped in the fifth.

8 Tavoris Cloud

Cloud may have been coming off defeats to Bernard Hopkins and Adonis Stevenson when he met Beterbiev in 2014, but he was still a former IBF belt-holder and few, for that reason, expected Beterbiev to sweep him aside in just two rounds.

9 Gabriel Campillo

A former WBA belt-holder from Spain, Campillo was past his best when Beterbiev got hold of him in 2015 and was duly broken up and stopped inside four rounds.

10 Isidro Ranoni Prieto

Paraguayan Prieto went the full 12 rounds with Eleider Álvarez in 2015, yet the following year succumbed quickly to Beterbiev, who knocked him down twice in the first round to record a first-round stoppage.