by James Slater: Back on July 2nd in Germany, fans were both anticipating and hoping for a dose of heavyweight excitement that would be punctuated by a definitive KO one way or the other. Sadly as we know, the much hyped heavyweight unification battle that was Wladimir Klitschko Vs. David Haye wound up being a largely dull affair, with a reluctand “Hayemaker” being dominated by an accurate, steady “Dr. Steel Hammer.”
But the show in Germany did produce a spectacular KO – one that would have possibly won 2011’s KO Of The Year Award had the fight featured two higher profile fighters. British-born Ola Afolabi was battling fellow Brit cruiserweight Terry Dunstan on the under-card that big night in July, and the man known as “Kryptonite” lived up to his nickname in a big, big way.
Dunstan, aged 42, was attempting a comeback after a significant amount of time out; the much younger Afolabi, a former interim WBO 200-pound ruler, was fighting to keep his ranking and to keep alive the possibility of another crack at a major belt. Expected by most to be a long fight, of the chess-match variety most likely, Afolabi instead produced a highlight reel KO that terminated matters in the opening session.
Looking not unlike heavyweight great Lennox Lewis (in facial appearance as well as brutal punching power), Ola uncorked a massive right hand that landed flush on his opponent’s jaw, sending his mouth-piece flying. Down and out before he hit the canvas and staying out for a long time thereafter, Dunstan had been destroyed by a hydrogen bomb – a punch that might have seen off just about any cruiserweight in the world had it hit them instead of the unfortunate Dunstan.
Afolabi knew his man was out the second his hayemaker landed, and so did the crowd.
There have been some great KO’s this past year, but for a fight involving two British boxers you should look no further for the domestic KO Of The year!