German boxer Viktor Jurk delivered one of the fastest knockouts in boxing history, flooring Colombian Edwin Castillo with a single punch just seconds into their fight on Friday night in Mannheim.
Lightning-First Round
The unbeaten fighter entered the bout with considerable hype in his homeland, and he wasted no time demonstrating his power. Moments after the bell rang, Jurk strode to the centre of the ring and unleashed a massive left hook to Castillo's jaw, instantly knocking him out cold.
The stunning victory sent shockwaves through the boxing world, with many amazed by Jurk's raw strength. However, questions have been raised over whether Castillo intended to touch gloves at the start of the round, which may explain why his hands were low. He appeared to extend his left glove toward the 26-year-old German, but Jurk took advantage of the moment.
Controversy and Reaction
Castillo hit the canvas, rolled onto his back, and lay motionless with his arms spread wide as the referee began the count. The DAZN commentator expressed confusion over the need for a count given Castillo's state: 'Unbelievable. Not sure why the referee is counting. I joked it could end in 30 seconds, and it didn't even last that.'
The referee soon waved off the fight, and Jurk improved his undefeated record to 14-0, with 12 knockouts. The bout was part of the undercard for the IBF welterweight title eliminator between Ireland's Paddy Donovan and Ukraine's Karen Chukhadzhian at the SAP Arena.
Main Event Result
Donovan took a significant step toward another title shot by securing a majority decision victory, with the judges scoring the fight 115-111, 114-112, and 113-113.
