Boxing has long been crying out for another true knockout artist after Deontay Wilder’s gradual decline towards the end of his career.
There are still champions and challengers in the heavyweight division, but it’s increasingly arduous to find the kind of raw knockout threat that once made Wilder must-watch TV.
Thomas Narmo may still be a long way from that level, but early signs suggest the Norwegian known as ‘The Last Viking’ could finally enter the conversation if his current form continues.
The 31-year-old knocked out all 14 of his opponents in just 26 rounds, a devastating start that made the heavyweight division another uncommon artist who can boast a 100 percent knockout record.
He turned professional in 2022 following his previous MMA career.
The heavyweight numbers stand out
Much of the heavyweight buzz at the moment centers around undefeated prospect Moses Itauma, a teenage sensation who has been carefully developed by promoter Frank Warren into one of the UK’s most talked-about prospects.
Itauma’s rise has dominated the headlines, but an unknown like Narmo coming out of European competition with a perfect knockout record provides a refreshing contrast.
However, the effectiveness of Narmo’s work to date cannot be ignored.
The statuesque Norwegian is 180 cm statuesque and in the distance he broke through 14 professional opponents. That works out to roughly 1.8 rounds per fight, which is a remarkable finishing rate for any potential heavyweight.
Many of these attacks barely had time to develop.
Seven of Narmo’s wins have come after the opening round, highlighting the strength of the early fight that defined his perfect knockout record.
This destructiveness traditionally turns heavyweights into attractions. Fighters who can end fights before they actually start quickly attract attention, even if they operate outside the sport’s main promotional spotlight.
Two years of operation
Activism also played a role in building Narmo’s momentum. The Norwegian fought ten times in just two years, fighting mainly in Germany and Central Europe, constantly extending his knockout streak.
At a time when many prospects are sluggish to come along and only show up a few times a year, this level of activity adds extra substance to his record.
It doesn’t answer all the questions, but it shows that Narmo doesn’t stay idle between appearances.
@narmothomas | Black Wolves Fighting Club
Still a lot to prove
Narmo’s most notable win at the moment is probably that of Mark De Mori, the veteran campaigner who lasted just 131 seconds in a match against a semi-injured David Haye over a decade ago.
The victory was respectable, but not necessarily a statement.
There is still a lot to prove. In the heavyweight division, many fighters have broken impressive records before discovering that the leap to world-class competition is much more arduous than expected.
For Narmo, the real test will come when matchmaking inevitably pushes him towards higher ranked opponents capable of weathering the early storm.
However, if knockouts continue at this rate, boxing’s “Last Viking” may not remain an unknown for long.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Shakur Stevenson is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, but one reigning world champion believes the Newark southpaw is ‘terrified’ of him.
Stevenson looked to be a level above Teofimo Lopez when they collided back in January, as Stevenson became the third-youngest four-division world champion in the rich history of the sport.
However, the unbeaten superstar is yet to fight since, despite informing O’Shaquie Foster that he could get his shot if able to defend his WBC super-featherweight world title against good friend, Raymond Ford, back in May.
Foster claimed a majority decision win to continue his second 130lb title reignbut talks for a clash between he and Stevenson then went quiet as the latter signed with Zuffa Boxing, whilst Foster eventually moved on to a three-belt unification with Emanuel Navarrete.
Speaking to Fight Hub TVFoster fumed at Stevenson for going back on his word and declared his belief that the 29-year-old is ‘terrified’ of him.
“I think that he is terrified of me and I think that he hopes that somebody else beats me so that he won’t have to ever fight me. He said it on Twitter, after Lamont [Roach] fought he was talking about ‘it is your time coming, I can’t wait to clown you on it.’ He is goofy.
“He is hoping that somebody else beats me, that is why he was hoping Ray Ford beat me, so that he can chat about it online instead of hopping in there himself with me.
“I am not a bully, but real guys know real guys. You sons, your mans, I beat ‘em up, why you ain’t trying to fight now?”
Navarrete-Foster takes place on Saturday, October 24, where ‘Ice Water’ could inch closer to becoming the first undisputed super-featherweight world champion since Hiroshi Kobayashi in 1969; a feat which Vasiliy Lomachenko is also trying to achieve.
Canelo Alvarez spends some time talking to Mike Coppinger on behalf of Ring Magazine about this state of his career, his October 31 title fight with Christian Mbilliwanting a rematch with Terence Crawfordand more. Read some excerpts from Canelo below with the full video in the link at the bottom.
“He’s a champion and he’s a very aggressive fighter. He go forward, throws a lot of punches and that make me excited because it’s good styles to make a good fight. Could be Fight of the Year.”
On why the fight was delayed from September
“Because I wasn’t ready. I have a little bit of problems with the family I need to fix and everything. And I like to have a pre-camp and then come to the training camp, so that’s why I postponed that fight because I learned from the past, you know…At this level [there’s a tiny margin for error] between win or lose.”
On what motivates him at this stage of his career
“I love boxing. Sometimes I try to say ‘why am I here if I accomplish everything?’ but I love boxing. That’s why I’m here, because I still love boxing and I enjoy it a lot.”
On a rematch with Crawford
“I hope so. If you realize that I always did good in my rematches. So, I always do good in the rematch so I hope that fight happens again…I just try to learn how much I can from the loss and from the other fights and get better, learn more and do better in the ring.
“[I’ve rewatched the Crawford fight] like five times, and it was very close. It’s not that much [that separates us]. But, yeah, it’s very [fine line between winning and losing] but I know what happened and I know my mistakes, and plus Crawford is a great fighter and you need to be 100%.”
Japan’s traditional year-end title bonanza appears to be underway, as U-Next announced a trio of championship bouts on November 29th at Tokyo’s venerable Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Leading the way is some variety of WBA bantamweight title rematch between “world” champion Riku Masuda (11-1, 9 KO) and former titlist Seiya Tsutsumi (13-0-3, 8 KO), who beat Masuda by unanimous decision when both were on the rise in 2023. The timeline here is, as best as I can tell:
And now, here we are. Tsutsumi, who by all rights should be owed a shot at Rodriguez, fights for a crappier version of the belt he never lost in the ring.
On the bright side, odds are we’re in for a treat. Two aggressive finishers with history between them should make for fireworks.
Three pounds south, multi-weight champion Kenshiro Teraji (26-2, 16 KO) makes his first super flyweight title defense against no. 10 contender Jassiel Ramon Amador Gamez (15-0-1, 13 KO). The 25-year-old Amador fights for the first time outside his native Mexico and for just the second time outside his home state of Baja California Sur; his strength of schedule is about what you’d expect, but unheralded Mexican knockout artists cause stirs on the regular and Teraji’s lost a step, so who knows.
Also at 115, WBA champ David Jimenez (18-1, 12 KO) faces former flyweight titlist Seigo Yuri Akui (23-3-1, 13 KO), whom you may remember from his Fight of the Year candidate against Teraji last year. There’s some f***ery at play here; the sanctioning body ordered Jimenez to rematch mandatory challenger John “Scrappy” Ramirez, only to turn around and grant Jimenez a “special permit” for this voluntary defenseclaiming it “has the authority to modify mandatory defense deadlines and grant special permits under justified circumstances.”
At no point in the press release does it say what those “justified circumstances” are. It claims that the winner must fight Ramirez within 120 days, but note their purported authority to “modify mandatory defense deadlines.”
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