Which of these first round knockout wins is the greatest?

Louis stopping Schmeling was huge, the political ramifications at the time made it the biggest fight since Johnson vs Jeffries and one of the three biggest fights ever.

Tyson over Spinks was a surprise, not so much the result but the speed in which it was done. Spinks was great.

Liston over Patterson was not a surprise at the time I don't think, Floyd's chin was always suspect.

 

Schmeling was about seven years removed from being champion when he lost to Louis. That shouldn’t be more significant than Tyson beating Spinks, who was lineal and undefeated.

Patterson wouldn’t beat Holmes or Louis, so he’s out.

If you want to make “cultural significance” arguments, have at it. It’s not my thing.

 

Yeah, I think Schmeling was intimidated by the crowd and fighting in a foreign country. Joe would have won anyway, and it was a great performance, but you have to give it to Tyson-Spinks I think. It was seen as pretty much a 50/50 fight at the time. Maybe a 60/40 fight... but the result was very much in doubt before the fight.

 

I'll go with Louis vs Schmeling.
The historical importance of that fight cannot
Be overstated.
Then the Liston vs Patterson fights.
It is very rare, perhaps never has happened
In a World Championship boxing match
Where a fighter was ko'ed twice by the same opponent in
Separate fights in the 1st rd. I can't think
of anytime that's happened before or since.
The Tyson vs Spinks fight is a distant 3rd in my opinion.
Especially since Spinks looked like he was going in front
of a firing squad. Seemed to be resigned to his fate.

 

I don’t remember that fight being thought of as 50/50.
I remember most thought Tyson would ko Spinks early.
And he did.

 

Louis-Schmeling, of course.

Schmeling had already beaten Louis decisively before. People thought Louis had gotten a shot at Braddock that Schmeling should've received.

Spinks said at a press conference before the fight he was afraid of Tyson. Floyd Patterson bought a fake beard to wear so he could sneak out when he lost.

Max Schmeling didn't have any plans to lose.

 

Spinks debuted at 168 and Schmeling debuted at 169. Spinks was about a year older, but also fought in an era where cutting was more common.

Back to the drawing board.

 

Strictly from a boxing point of view, I don't know how either of the other two fights could be bigger than undefeated Michael Spinks, the lineal champ, against undefeated Mike Tyson, the many who had unified the title in devastating fashion. Schmeling was six years removed from being a world champion and any aura of invincibility Patterson had was wiped away by Ingo's Bingo.

This is not to say the other knockouts weren't great. It's just that Tyson over Spinks was greater.

 

Schmeling was only two years removed from knocking out Joe Louis, though. And Schmeling should've received the title shot instead of Louis, there's no doubt about that.

In fact, Schmeling and his team tried to get a fight with Tommy Farr right around the same time Louis and Braddock were scheduled to fight, which the British Boxing Board of Control was going to recognize as a World Heavyweight Title fight, so Joe Louis and his managers had to scramble and offer Farr a shot with Louis just weeks after Louis beat Braddock, instead, in order to block it.

Everyone wasn't sold on Louis as the champ. Joe was kind of playing defense. Schmeling was raising a big stink. People thought Schmeling would've beaten Braddock just as easily as Louis did. And Schmeling had already beaten Louis. And it wasn't controversial, he beat him round after round and KOed him.

Joe had even given Harry Thomas a title shot instead of Schmeling. And Schmeling had knocked out Thomas less than three months earlier.

Louis beating Schmeling in the rematch wasn't a given, while even Spinks and Patterson seemed to prepare for their inevitable losses.

 

Schmeling from an historical significance perspective.

Patterson from a boxing, ATG HW perspective.

Patterson & Schmeling typically appear way above Spinks in all time HW lists. They're usually close, but I think I've seen Patterson ahead of Max more often than vice versa. Schmeling was almost 33 when Louis KO'd him, Patterson was prime.

I voted Patterson.

 

What if Schmeling losing was a fix by president Roosevelt to hype the USA beating nazi Germany

it's a conspiracy, but Schmeling hated Hitler, had a Jewish manager and trainer, helped hide Jews in his hotel in Germany, and was good friends with Louis

 

Max and Joe were not friends before the rematch.
Max was pining up to daddy Adolf for his own gain. He wasn't a Nazi but he wasn't exactly against them during that time period.
Losing to Louis destroyed his relationship with those in power and he ended up in the frontlines.
He lost because he was waiting to counter a jab that never came.
Louis didn't adjust to Schmeling by bringing his hand up after jabbing. He just stopped jabbing.
Max had to fight a completely different fight and he got mauled.