Is KO% a reliable indicator of a fighters power?

No, because some guys with godly power may have poor stamina or finishing skills to follow up when they hurt someone, on the other hand there are lots of guys who may not be the hardest one shot guys who know how to close the show or wear down guys.

 

I dont think so because KO% isn't just KO's, it's TKO's, stoppages, corner retirements etc.

 

KO% can be very deceptive as alot of people have already said, there are numerous reasons that can make a light puncher have a high KO % and a hard puncher a low one.

Dick Tiger is one of favourite examples, being a big fan, the man had a good punch particularly a crushing left hook but practically never went in for the kill after decking or hurting someone and so he didn't have a very high KO%.

 

KO% shows how good of a finisher you are IMO

Doesn't necessarily represent power

 

Exactly.

High kayo percentage means a fighter is good at stopping opponents. Calzaghe actually was. Look at the Manfredo fight. Swamp a guy, and the ref will step in.

See the knockdowns caused, and against who, to measure a fighters ability to generate impact.

 

Yep. :good

I like I said, it depends on the definition of "power".
Someone might consider power to primarily mean power to cause a stoppage result.
Another might just say power is the impact or force generated by a single punch, the "hardness" of the punch.
And various definitions in between.

 

No, it is not a reliable indication.

Ike Williams 38.85%
Jimmy McLarnin 30.58%
George Ko Chaney 43.58%
Lew Jenkins 42.86%
Bud Taylor 22.42%

 

for the most part it is. When a fighter moves up in weight it can be deceptive since his first few fights at a new weight can go the distance. Hearns was 32-0 (30) when he fought Leonard. He was 46-3 (30) for the rematch and retired at 61-5-1 (48
You can still see he was a knockout puncher. Hagler retired at 62-3-2 (52) yet Hearns punched harder.

 

Slam Dunk :good

 

Of course we can go to the other side . Carnera ,72 kos out of 88 wins for a near 70% record.

 

Could also add Kid Gavilan to that list. Below 20% but he certainly had respectable power at the least. Pretty sure he was the first to floor Chuck Davey and Gil Turner and one of only both fighters to stop either of them.

 

Given that Juan Laporte's knockout ratio is only 38.6%,it's probably fair to say that it isn't.It's not uncommon for guys with power to be relatively poor finishers,or even guys with average or below average power to be decent finishers.

 

No it's not.
You can lose power at different rates if you go up/down in weight.
Also it's easier to knock out bums with worse chins than it is to knock out good fighters who's chins have helped them establish themselves at the top level.

 

I'd say that most heavy punchers have a good KO ratio, while lighter punchers don't. There are of course exceptions as it is far from an exact science. Accuracy, timing and output are also very important.

But another fact to consider is that fighters' KO ratio generally declines as they move up in weight, where their relative power diminishes.