Boxing has never been a sport for the faint of heart. From Mike Tyson infamously biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear to Canelo Alvarez flattening Amir Khan with a devastating overhand right, the sport has delivered its share of brutality—and then some. But what if these moments were only scratching the surface?
What if there were injuries far worse, ones that didn’t just end fights but forever changed lives? Throughout boxing history, countless fighters have stepped into the ring, fully aware they might not leave the same. Some injuries were gruesomely visible, while others slowly destroyed careers and lives long after the final bell. But which one stands out as the worst injury in boxing history?
Vitali Klitschko’s Torn Eye Against Lennox Lewis (2003)
If you want to see pure grit and determination, consider watching the June 21, 2003 fight between Vitali Klitschko and Lennox Lewis. Despite coming in for the fight on short notice, the Ukrainian heavyweight was dominating the English boxer. However, in the third round of the fight, Klitschko suffered a severe cut above his left eye, resulting from one of Lewis’s punches.
The gash worsened over the course of the next few rounds as Lewis targeted the injury with precision punches. While Klitschko wasn’t slowing down, the cut had started bleeding heavily, and a second cut had opened up under the same eye. In the sixth round of the fight, the ringside physician was brought in to examine Klitschko’s injury, which resulted in the fight getting stopped at that point.
Later reports revealed that the Ukrainian required 60 stitches to repair the torn eyebrow. But the most alarming part—the injury came dangerously close to ending Klitschko’s career.
Billy Joe Saunders’ Broken Orbital Bone Against Canelo Álvarez (2021)
Now, this one is an example of why one should not anger Canelo Alvarez with relentless trash talk. The loudmouth Brit, Billy Joe Saunders, came into his May 8, 2021, fight against Alvarez taunting and making fun of the super middleweight king. While Saunders was performing decently in the mid-rounds, the critical moment that changed Saunders’ life came in the eighth round.
Alvarez, who used to be known for his devastating power, landed a cracking right uppercut to Saunders’ right eye. The shot had an immediate impact on Saunders’ eye, with visible swelling around the eye, impairing his vision. When the round came to an end, Saunders was lucky to be able to get to his corner on his own two feet.
Billy Joe Saunders is set to have surgery after suffering multiple fractures to his orbital bone #CaneloSaunders pic.twitter.com/QZ8d1KF8CJ
— BOXRAW (@BOXRAW) May 9, 2021
However, once there, he never came back to fight, not in that fight, not in any other fight since then. Saunders’ trainer, Mark Tibbs, examined his injury, and some sources say Saunders told his corner that he wasn’t able to see. So, Tibbs made the call to stop the fight then and there to save his boxer from further damage.
Only later reports revealed the real severity of the damage. Saunders had suffered a quadripod fracture to his right orbital bone, which basically means the bone around his eye had broken in several places. The Brit had to go under the knife to fix the extensive damage caused by Canelo’s punch.
Arturo Gatti’s Swollen Eye Against Micky Ward (2002 – First Fight)
While Saunders decided to quit, this incident didn’t end that way. The trilogy fight between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward is one of the legendary stories often heard in boxing circles. While all three of their fights were as brutal and bloody as they can get, one particular incident during their first encounter was especially gruesome and one that might have given a casual nightmares for days.
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – JULY 14: Trainer Mickey Ward (L) puts the mouthpiece into Arturo Gatti’s mouth between rounds against Alfonso Gomez during their Welterweight fight on July 14, 2007 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
During their first fight on May 18, 2002, the bout began with both fighters exchanging heavy blows. The damage had started to show immediately, but by the fifth round, a nick had opened up near Gatti’s right eye. This was made worse by Ward’s crisp headshots that exacerbated the damage. By the next two rounds, the nick was now a swollen mess.
In the eighth round, Ward’s precision punching had resulted in the swelling to escalate very quickly. From live accounts of the fight, several people claimed that in the later rounds, Gatti’s right eye was shut, and blood was trickling down from the cuts. Despite the severity of the injuries, Gatti kept fighting, showcasing his grit. In the end, Ward, who had also taken heavy damage, won the fight via majority decision.
Paulie Malignaggi’s Broken Jaw Against Miguel Cotto (2006)
Most people today might know Malignaggi as the analyst for ProBoxTV, but in his day, he was a formidable fighter. And it was on full display when he took on legendary Miguel Cotto in June 10, 2006, where he suffered several facial injuries. An accidental head clash in the first round cut his right eye, impairing his vision.
In the second round, Cotto’s left hook dropped Malignaggi, likely fracturing his right orbital bone and damaging his jaw. The jaw injury caused swelling and speech difficulty, alongside a confirmed orbital fracture. Despite the injuries, Malignaggi went the full 12 rounds against Cotto but lost the fight via unanimous decision.
Muhammad Ali’s Swollen Jaw Against Ken Norton (1973)
The legendary Muhammad Ali has had some of the greatest boxing matches in the history of the sport. However, his greatest injury came from his first fight against Ken Norton on March 31, 1973. Ali suffered a broken jaw, which likely happened in the second round of the fight due to a right cross from Norton. However, some debate that it happened later in the fight.
Regardless, Ali’s jaw swelled profusely, and later X-Ray showed a clean fracture, which required surgery. Enduring the pain from his jaw, Ali continued fighting for twelve rounds but lost the fight via split decision. A 90-minute operation helped Ali recover from the injury, and later that year, Ali defeated Norton in a rematch.
That said, these were some of the most brutal injuries boxers have suffered in the ring. But with boxing’s long and storied history, we had to leave out a few equally disastrous moments. Can you guess which ones didn’t make the list?
The post Muhammad Ali’s Swollen Jaw to Vitali Klitschko’s Torn Eye: 5 Most Brutal Boxing Injuries That Will Leave You in Shock appeared first on EssentiallySports.