How hard did Foreman punch?

He did fight a 47 year old version of Foreman. Had he fought a 27 year old George Foreman he may be telling a different story. You cant`t land the same kind of punches when your that slow. Its telling that most people felt he beat Briggs anyway even at close to 50 years old.

 

Oh of course the age is a factor, but unlike the performance in other sports, I have noticed (from personal experience as well as observation) that even after boxers retire, gain weight, get old, etc, they may lose a lot of what they had, but they can always hit.

I used to train with a guy named Wes. He is a retired boxer who had been in the ring since he was in diapers, and who's dad used to help train Marciano. Wes was not a big guy, he never was. But even in his 70's, smoking heavily, having a beer gut, and LONG retired, he was still crazy fast with his hands, and could land some bombs.
Even though George foreman was 47, and might not be what he once was, he is still Foreman, still knows how to hit (as he always did), etc.

George Foreman was a powerhouse no doubt, but I think people start getting nostalgic and creating more legend around his abilities than reality supports. The same idea behind "Babe Ruth is still the best" kind of thing.
Punching power, like boxing, is a science. Mass x Acceleration = Power. Vitali has more mass than Foreman (taller and heavier) and is no doubt faster as well. So we have more mass being accelerated faster, is seems he should hit harder. Then we have a guy with first hand experience saying that Vitali hit harder. Yes Foreman was 47, but Vitali is currently in his 40's as well. Vitali also has a higher knockout rate than Foreman, even though Vitali is a cautious fighter and Foreman is more of a puncher/brawler.

 

Nonsense. When Foreman beat Moorer, Lewis had just been knocked silly by McCall, and Bowe had done nothing since losing the title to Holyfield (except foul Buster Mathis Jr.) ...

Foreman was THE most legitimate champion in heavyweight division. Of course that didn't last long, when he took of virtually unknown Axel Schulz and needed a gift to get by.

 

Yes, Axel Schulz was the better than Bowe, Lewis and Holyfield... And so was Alex Stewart.

 

I agree Moorer wasn`t the best heavyweight in the division but he was the legit Heavyweight Champion. He won the belt fair and square from the man who beat the man etc. He was also undefeated.

We know Moorer`s chin was suspect but nobody ever put him to sleep like that while he was near his prime. He also could hit himself and had nice boxing skills.

Foreman walked through some serious fire that night to win the title at 45 years. Just saying can`t diminish that win. Im not saying Foreman himself was ever the best in the 90s but he won THEE title.

 

I agree, George did a lot corectly from a technical point but it was not traditional or text book. I was talking about his punching. He did not require traditional punching techniques to generate explosive power because he had it already. He could produce the sAme effect without timing his entire momentum or producing double impact. He would often cross his feet and simply walk up to a guy with a left right left right walking step and punch the guys chin without setting himself.
It still worked. There is no wrong way to win.

:good most observers do not get this at all. power only counts if it lands.

 

Difference is Foreman pounded the heavy bag...a 300 pound heavy bag like no other....he also knocked Frazier, Norton silly as if he was taking a walk in the park.

 

i go by hardest hitting heavyweight champion ever.

shavers/williams/lyle etc may get hardest at heavy and julian jackson at p4p level.

i am happy to say he is a destructive puncher with little accuracy. but he knew what he was doing with it. which makes him hard to beat at times.

 

I'm sure Gerry Cooney will argue that Foreman is the hardest puncher he ever faced/sparred with. I agree that he wasn't a sharp puncher, but I can't think of any fighter with heavier hands. Where a seemingly effortless jab would snap his opponents head completely backwards.

 

Also most experts today...2013.....still feel Babe Ruth was the best baseball player ever to live. The society for American baseball research among many many other feel that way and it's hard to argue with the numbers.

Again any thought that Foremans power is overrated is nothing but revisionism. This shows everyone how easily time and those trying to rewrite history tend to distort everything.....

 

Tho I agree, I know many astute followers of the sport who do not.

What is overrated? If it is saying that no one is in the ballpark of his power, ten you are in fact overrating him.

 

I've seen him live and in person....you have not. Speak of things you know of.

 

Seen him, interviewed him, talked to a good 5 or 7 folks who have sparred with or fought him, including Ali when he was still cogent.

Suck it.

 

But so did Ferdie Pacheco, Houdini. And he rated Sonny Liston as a harder puncher. So did Chuck Wepner and Scrap Iron Johnson, both of whom VERY MUCH saw him live and in person (and in a way that you and I have not). Same story.

So I think we can all agree that there is reasonable dissension on the popular opinion of GF on this site as being the hardest HW puncher ever

 

Well Foreman flat out admitted that he was actively ducking Bowe and Lewis on live HBO. He wanted nothing to do with either of them and was happy to admit it. Moorer may have been the champ but as far as Im concerned he didnt beat Holyfield and Ive always suspected he tanked it to Foreman. Bob Arum was busted paying well over $100,000 just to get Axel Schulz (who beat Foreman) ranked so Foreman could get an easy defense. If hes willing to pay that much to get some bum ranked for a nothing defense how much is he willing to pay Moorer (who had a bullseye on his back for every talented HW out there) to tank it so he could have a mega gazillion dollar Cinderella fairytale with Foreman, which is what he got. The whole thing stunk, was crooked, and eventually devolved into a mockery with Foreman facing bought and paid for "contenders" that if he wasnt winning gift decisions he was barely able to beat. Foreman gets easily outboxed by glass jawed, no stamina Tommy Morrison for twelve rounds yet somehow after dominating Foreman Moorer gets hit with a lazy ass one two and collapses... atsch Great story but this aint my first rodeo. If its too good to be true it likely is and with all the stink sorrounding Foreman and Arum at the time...