Ray Rice — ELEVATOR KNOCKOUT … Fiancee Takes Crushing Punch (Video)

EXCLUSIVE

This is what a two game suspension looks like — Ray Rice delivering a vicious punch to his fiancee’s face, knocking her out cold … and TMZ Sports has the shocking video. 

We’ve already shown you the aftermath further than the elevator … Rice dragging the unconscious woman on the floor.  But we’ve now obtained video of the punch that put her down, raising the question … What was the NFL thinking when it wrist-slapped Rice with such feeble punishment?

The incident took place Feb. 15th at the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City — after Ray and then-fiancee (now wife) Janay Palmer got into a heated argument on their way into the elevator. 

Inside the elevator it’s apparent he strikes first … she hits back … and then Rice delivers the knockout blow.

The punch knocks Janay off her feet — and she smashes her head on the elevator hand rail … knocking her out cold. Ray doesn’t seem phased … and when the door opens, he drags her out into the hotel.

An employee of the hotel  – which just shut down for excellent – tells TMZ Sports he was effective there at the time and says the NFL saw the elevator footage before imposing the 2-game suspension.

We reached out to the NFL for note several times — so far, radio silence. 

FYI — Ray and Janay got married one month after the attack. 

This video is a cleaned up version of the raw surveillance elevator video — the raw is jerky … so we smoothed it out.