Is it safe to say Wladimir got the worst chin of the top 10 heavyweights?

I only mentioned those to show that Louis was capable of taking shots from modern-era sized heavyweights, too.

 

I think it common sense that guys like Sanders etc are big hitters though i dont think Wlad was necessarilly hit with bigger punches by Sanders than Joe was by others.

You make a good pint that a puncher is a puncher and i actually agree with this to a large extent. My question though, " who is the smallest "puncher" that you have ever fought. Is it possible for the greatest middleweights and light heavies to also be "punchers" (not on a pound for pound level but an all out level). I am especially interested in the greats of these divisions as opposed to the very goods.

 

I've seen a little 150 pound Mexican kid boxing for the Airforce folding up 250 lb mountains of muscle. He had GREAT speed, perfect form, punched with a ton of snap, and really let it it rip. He had a terrific, strong core, maximized every single muscle fiber on his little ass, just a phenomenal athlete, supremely conditioned. Big hands, too, which is a HUGE plus.

So, yes, I think, you can be small and punch at an all out level. I don't know that a little guy, no matter the mechanics, can punch like a big guy with those same mechanics, when conditioning is equal. But yes, little guys can generate TERRIFIC force, and they have the speed and the eyes to place it where they want.

****, just this week a saw a career welterweight knock a light heavyweight stupid with a counter right hand in sparring.

 

Smallest "puncher"? I actually can't say I remember well enough to give an exact answer. I've been in with some 210 lbs guys that had some pop...Best guy that didn't have the reputation as a big hitter who I thought had great pop and really gave me a bit of trouble was about 6 foot 2, 215-220 pounds. Southpaw, snuck that left in on me a lot, and it wasn't soft.

 

There always have been and always will be light heavyweights who are able to penetrate the upper echelons of the heavyweight divisions. The only thing that has changed, is that today a fighter can go from fighting under the 175lb limit to weighting 210lbs in a matter of months, then back again in a matter of months. Let us look at the ages at which certain light heavyweights who fought at heavyweight, were forced to abandon the light heavyweight division.

Roy Jones 41

Chris Byrd 38

Thomas Admek 31

Tommy Loughran 31

James Toney 28

Ezzard Charles 27

Gene Tunney 27

Billy Miske 24

 

Show me a middleweight who's able to compete on equal terms with the heavyweight champion of the world and badly hurt him on multiple occasions without putting a pound of muscle on his frame.

 

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Even if I were to believe that mass had no positive effect whatsoever on a fighter's punching power, and/or durability, how does any of this pertain to Wlad? When was he ever remotely buzzed by a middleweight?

Louis was, and from where I'm standing that's a pretty black mark against his ability to take a shot.