Knockout

Knockout (K.O.), or simply knock, iswinning criteriummany ringsports, such as boxing, kickboxing, muay thaiothers. A knocked participanteither unconscious or sufficiently unbalancedconfusedbe unablecontinuefight fortime being, technical knockout (T.K.O.).

Since knockoutsnot always possibleachieve, other winning criteriausually employed as well.

Repeated blows toheadknownproduce damage tocerebrum, such as concussion,in extreme cases internal bleeding withinbrain. Becausethis, many physicians advise against knockout sports.

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In certain other sports, there isknockout rule, also called mercy rule or slaughter rule, which can bringlopsided gamean early conclusion. See slaughter rule.

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"Knockout"alsocommon abbreviationgene knockout.