HW Punchers - Who Faced The Five Best?

As I said, take your pick.

"Only Max Baer could hit harder than Jimmy Braddock."-Joe Louis. (I don't know when Joe said this, but it mush have been before Marciano.) Max Baer was known to have a granite chin, but Jimmy stunned him on more than one occasion, and dealt with the fast starting Louis on more than even terms over the first four rounds.

 

He was actually just a fat light-heavyweight too !
Or a "super middle" even.

He was a gutsy fighter.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1eqqKUy17g[/ame]

 

I have not watched that fight since 1989!! And WOW Bigfoot was a proper WARRIOR. :!:

 

True Story, Ali by far! no one else is close.
This fact of facing 5 of the heaviest punchers in the universe is evidenced by how ****ed up Ali is now. None of them could KO Ali, but the effects caught up with him later.

 

Holyfield fought

Lewis
Tyson
Foreman
Bowe


... fifth place is up for grabs, I'd say Bert Cooper or Michael Moorer.

 

Holyfield fought some big punchers too.

Foreman
Bowe
Cooper
Tyson
Lennox

 

Just thought I'd add on behalf of the great man Muhammad - he also dealt with Big Cat Cleveland Williams who personally I'd put in the same bracket as Shavers in terms of power - watched a documentary about the build up to Bruno Vs Jumbo Cummings where one sparring partner and one Opponent both of whom had tangled with Cleveland Williams (and Foreman & Shavers) both mentioned Cleveland Williams with those two as the biggest punchers they'd ever been in with - interestingly tho both wouldn't go as far to say Bruno was as powerful they both said he was not 'too dissimilar' - but yeah I'd put Big Cat pretty high on the list of Ali's punchers possibly on par with Shavers

 

Was Leroy Caldwell one of those guys ?

 

Speaking of Leroy Caldwell, his credentials stack up well for this thread :

He fought :

Earnie Shavers
Cleveland Williams
George Foreman
Gerrie Coetzee
Ron Lyle

 

Yeah Leroy Caldwell yeah he was the guy they had Bruno sparring with then and he said and I'm paraphrasing here but something like "I've sparred with with some of the hardest punchers like Shavers and Big Cat Williams an I'd say Bruno is not far off those guys in punching I honestly would"

 

Interesting :think
Is he the same guy who said George Foreman hit about the same as Ron Lyle and that Shavers hit harder than both togethor?

 

70's journeyman heavyweight Ted Gullick fought:
Cleveland Williams
Earnie Shavers
George Foreman (He fought Foreman and Shavers in b2b fights !!)
Duane Bobick (yeah I know he was no great shakes but he was 18-0 {18 ko's} going in)

 

As well as Moorer and Mercer, although Mercer wasn't a real huge hitter, but he could crack.

 

Exactly who i thought of when i saw the title.

 

Hmm, i wouldnt say Mercer was a big puncher, he was a more all round tough guy with a decent right hand.

Although ill never forget Mercer unloading on the poor dude who was already hanging off the ropes