How hard did Foreman punch?

Watch what he did to Frazier in 73 and Norton. Nobody manhandled Frazier that way. Foremans power literally bowled Norton to the canvas...overwhelming him. Amazing how the years go by and people do their best to change what is clearly understood. Dempsey is now not a great fighter when he was by those that saw him for 80 years...Foremans power is overrated .....some now call Louis and Ali overrated. All are revisionism in its worst form. Its so clear to those that lived through the period ....those that did not think they are being provocative or intellectual by taking an opposing view no matter how blatantly incorrect.

 

David Tua easily hit harder than Foreman, young or old.

 

Ive watch Tua in training and attended several of his bouts in vegas over the years. He does not hit harder than prime Foreman.

 

i was actually a little underwhelmed when seeing foreman spar and then hit the bag as i used to box and been around to alot of gyms in alot of years. . but yes, foreman had a thudding jab and timed those body shots very well. seamus is correct , you have to be good effective hitter/boxer to go anywhere, as well as good chin, shape etc. or hitting hard means nothing

 

On film Tua easily hits harder based on paralyzing effect his punches have when he lands clean, as compared to prime Foreman. Tua's punches are not as heavy, but harder, it's pretty obvious to any objective person. Same for Shavers.

 

False about the holyfield part, he said bowe hit the hardest but foreman was the strongest.

 

Surely George Foreman won the very same championship that Holyfield won off Bowe a year earier. :good

If Lennox or Bowe had beat Moorer, you'd have no problem with that.

 

Lineal has nothing to do with being the best hwt. Foreman beat the lineal champion so he and he alone became the new lineal champion.

 

Yeah, I read an interview once that Holyfield gave to GQ magazine right before his first fight with Lennox Lewis. Holyfield was asked who was the hardest puncher he had faced, and Holyfield replied: "That's easy -- Riddick Bowe!"
He also stated that Larry Holmes was the trickiest and most defensive.
In an earlier interview (just after his fight with Foreman), Holyfield stated that Michael Dokes probably hit him harder than Foreman; and that Dokes hit him so fast he (Holyfield) didn't have time to put his hands back into proper defensive position.

As far as Shannon Briggs, he gave an interview right after the Vitali fight and said that Vitali was the strongest puncher he had ever faced.

Take it for what you will.

 

Let's put it this way: George hit very hard.

 

Foreman had displays of devastating precision and timing like the Norton fight. I know he KO a bunch of bums and cruisers, but there were some decent wins as well. The fact that his punching power got him the win against Morrer at 45 is a testament to his power, and one of the greatest sports moments ever. The gold medal, the reign of destruction to the title and the comeback, and his power was the main factor. Of course he had one of the greatest jabs, deceptive speed, craftiness etc. The heavy bag
footage, fighter testimonies, the weight and condition of his opponents, etc are all valid points to consider I mean Louis, Tyson, Liston, Bowe, Louis ad nauseum must punch with as much power if not more based on footage alone. But for me the sheer sound of that heavybag, Frazier 1 win, and his aura, physique, and performance in the Ali fight
put him as the hardest hitter on my list. Louis, Bowe, maybe Lewis could outbox Foreman. Tyson, Wlad,etc have more one punch power, but aside from Ali, noone is surviving the Foreman of Zaire. There is something to be said for all of his achievements and his reliance on his power more than the aforementioned fighters. Is there any knowledge of Foreman, Tyson etc ever being measured by punching the machine from Rocky 4? haha that would settle it!

 

Foreman was so heavyhanded he did not need much technical precision to hurt his opponents. Other fighters with average strength can produce single explosions of technical precision but George did not have to.

Yes he hit heavy bags hard... He was a big man. He usually had a weight advantage too.

George did knock out world class fighters though and that is the key.

Trying to quantify who hits hardest is kind of pointless and childish. The point is who could land their best shot on the best fighters? George Foreman qualifies in this department. He was super dangerous because he hurt and put down fighters of all capabilities.

 

George did do a lot correctly from a technical point. He really shrunk the ring with his footwork and in his second act he was so efficient. For his set of assets he employed the correct technical approach and did it very well. The Ali and Young losses were not due to problems of technique but mental framework and game plan.

This is the point. It is a childish approach to consider the issue of power in a vacuum. There are tons of guys who look scary against a heavy bag. The ones who can do the same against world class opponents are but of slight fraction of these.

 

I guess someone already stated it, but I was going to mention it anyway, so I will just 2nd it...
After the Shannon Briggs fought Vitali, not only did he have fractured cheek bones and concussion, but he specifically stated "I have fought Foreman and i have fought Lewis, and Vitali is the best" and "His hand speed, his mobility, his power... I mean, I have been hit by George Foreman and now I've been hit by Vitali, and Vitali definitely hits harder".

So, after fighting Vitali, apparently he thought it was not only appropriate to call Vitali the best, but he went as far as to specifically say he is better than Foreman and Lewis, and then once again made it a point to clarify that Vitali "definitely hits harder" than Foreman.

 

Lifting Joe Frazier off the canvas comes to mind. Joe had a solid chin and was 215lbs that night.

Foreman had the ability to move fighters with glancing blows sometimes setting up a follow up shot. He could get concussive power seemingly with arm punches. That was uncommon.

Outside of Sonny Liston probably the heaviest puncher of alltime.