Tony Pietrantonio Knockout: The Brutal Art of the Perfect Knockout Punch [SLIDESHOW]

Tony Pietrantonio was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a knockout punch from Lavarn Harvell during their light heavyweight boxing match in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Pietrantonio, 34, came crashing down on to the canvas in the third round after receiving the blow, which a well-timed photo captured perfectly, conveying the sheer impact of the punch.

The punch was so hard that Pietrantonio's face became heavily distorted and his mouth looked like it was about to twist off his face. Even his flapping ears appeared to absorb the full force of the blow.

Harvell, 23, said after the fight: "I felt that punch all the way up my shoulder and back, so I knew he wasn't getting up."

He was completely right. The devastating blow, delivered after 31 seconds in the third round, gave him the fight. It was his second straight knockout in four weeks.

Pietrantonio, who only agreed to fight three days beforehand, had previously won six of the 17 bouts in his boxing career, but did not stand a chance after the dramatic jab from Harvell.

He was unconscious as he hit the ground, prompting referee David Fields to immediately stop the fight and call for medical assistance.

After a few minutes, Pietrantonio was then able to climb on to the stool in his corner and eventually shook off the injury to leave the ring under his own power.

Pietrantonio is not the only boxer to have a painful punch in the face captured for posterity on film. IBTimes UK takes a look at some other memorable moments in the ring.

Boxer Lavarn Harvell leaves mark on Tony Pietrantonio during third round of light heavyweight boxing match in Atlantic City, New Jersey on 28 April, 2012.

Punch was so hard that Pietrantonio instantly fell to the canvas and lost the fight.

Photo captures moment of impact as Christian Esquivel of Mexico recieves a punch from Shinsuke Yamanaka of Japan during their World Boxing Council (WBC) bantamweight title bout in Tokyo, Japan, on 6 November, 2011.

Yamanka emerged as the victor following this decisive blow.

Lucian Bute of Romania lands punch on Glen Johnson of Jamaica during their International Boxing Federation (IBF) super middleweight championship fight in Quebec City, Canada, on 5 November, 2011.

Bute won the fight to claim the IBF super middleweight championship.

Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine connects perfectly with Samuel Peter from Nigeria during their title WBO and IBF heavy weight title fight in Frankfurt, Germany, on 11 September, 2010.

Klitschko won with a technical knockout in the 10th round.

Mexico's David De la Mora is left gobsmacked following this punch from Japan's Koki Kameda during their World Boxing Association bantamweight title bout in Tokyo on 31 August, 2011.

Kameda won the fight after receiving a unanimous decision at the end of 12 rounds.

Ireland's Matthew Macklin lands on the ropes after being knocked down by a punch from Sergio Martinez of Argentina, in the 11th round of their middleweight world championship fight at Madison Square Garden in New York on 17 March, 2012.

Martinez won the fight when it was stopped after the 11th round.

Lenny Zappavigna of Australia takes a hit from Miguel Vazquez of Mexico during their IBF lightweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 12 March, 2011.

Vazquez went on to win the match.

Yesica Bopp of Argentina connects a punch to Yesenia Martinez of Mexico during their WBA/WBO light flyweight title boxing bout at the Luna Park arena in Buenos Aires on 11 June, 2011.

Bopp eventually won the fight by TKO.

Challenger Steve 'USS' Cunningham is on the wrong end of a heavy punch from Yoan Pablo Hernandez of Cuba during their IBF cruiserweight world championship title rematch in Frankfurt, Germany, on 4 February, 2012.

Hernandez won the fight after 12 rounds by a 3-0 judge decision

David Diaz takes a punch from Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines during their WBC lightweight title fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 28 June, 2008.

Pacquiao defeated Diaz in round nine.