Boxing
Leigh Wood? Joe Cordina? Who features in the DAZN Knockout of the Half-Year awards?
Check for Canelo-GGG 3 on DAZN in your country
We have only just reached the halfway point of 2022 and already there have been some thrilling knockout finishes in the world of boxing.
Members of the DAZN team pick their favourite knockouts from the past half-year, do you agree with the picks?
Christopher Walker
Knockout of the half year – Joe Cordina TKO2 Kenichi Ogawa
A toss-up between Joe Cordina’s stoppage of Kenichi Ogawa and Leigh Wood’s heroic late victory, but it’s the former that gets the nod. Ogawa arrived in Wales with a reputation as one boxing’s toughest operators, but that image was brutally unravelled as Cordina’s fantastic right hand ended matters in round two and gave Cordina the IBF super-featherweight title.
Matt Astbury
Knockout of the half year – Leigh Wood TKO12 Michael Conlan
Some fans will have this as their fight of the year contender, but when it comes to knockout of the half-year, this moment is certainly up there.
Up until the final round, Leigh Wood was in danger of losing his WBA ‘regular’ featherweight title in front of his own fans. Conlan managed to soak up the hostile Nottingham atmosphere and was on top from the opening bell.
Flooring Wood in the first round, it looked like Conlan was on course to make it a memorable night for Irish boxing on foreign shores, but then as the fight reached the twelfth and final round, Wood unloaded, realising the only way he would be able to win was with a stoppage.
This strategy worked for Wood who knocked out Conlan before the Irishman fell out of the ring. A sensational end to what was a night to remember at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena.
Liam Happe
Knockout of the half year - Joe Cordina TKO2 Kenichi Ogawa
This finish had absolutely everything. It surprised many when the technically-gifted Olympian one-punched the tough-as-nails defending champion.
It looked as brutal as it did spectacular. And even the triumphant Welshman's walk to the neutral corner added to the highlight reel qualities of this truly tremendous jackpot shot.
George Lacey
Knockout of the half year - Joe Cordina TKO2 Kenichi Ogawa
Joe Cordina in front of a packed Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff realised a childhood dream with a knockout for the ages.
The Welsh Wizard blew IBF Super Featherweight champion Kenichi Ogawa away with a devastating right hand to end it in the second round.
A star was born and Wales welcomed a 13th world champion to their ranks.
