An actual attempt at organizing a list of historys all time hardest hitters

Earnie Shaver's is an important figure in this list for a variety of reasons. So is the commentary of a handful of individuals throughout boxing history (Muhammad Ali, Archie Moore, various fighters that fought Shavers including men like James Tillis who also fought the likes of Tyson.)

Earnie was a bright fixture in boxings heavyweight Golden Era and having a gauge for his power, in my opinion, is a good starting point for sorting through some of the more likely candidates for making up a quality, realistic list of boxings biggest hitters. He's the consensus hardest hitter (I believe) among the men he fought, and also the fans.

I'm attempting to start doing this by organizing the fighters into tiers, as opposed to ranking them numerically. Ranking them so specifically is in my opinion unnecessary, beyond things becoming impossible to rank and quantify at a certain point I don't think there's much of a difference between many of the fighters I'm going to offer up as candidates. The 70's and there abouts really were a quality time in boxing and they the era was rife with massive punchers.

And I'm having a computer freeze up and need to save this in some format before I lose it. I'll continue in post two.

 

So here is my initial rough draft, including fighters who fought around Shaver's time that were said to be of comparable power. Am I missing anyone?

Bernardo Mercado - a 6'4 Colombian with massive power. Had a wild shoot out with fellow puncher Earnie Shavers and came out on top. Knocked out the iron chinned Trevor Berbick in 79" with a single punch in the first round, something no other fighter, even a primed young Mike Tyson several years later, would ever even remotely duplicate. I recall reading a story years ago about the referee, or other some experienced official ringside commentating on how it was the hardest punch they had ever seen land in their years following boxing, like a gun going off.

Jeff Sims - Another lanky puncher at 6'3 who would dish it out a whole lot better than they could take it. Broke a young Tyrell Biggs collarbone with a punch, and I believe who's power drew comparison's to Shaver's.

Jeff "Candy Slim" Merrit - Another fighter who I believe drew comparisons to Shavers and shared a certain period of time with career wise. I want to say I recall a story of Merrit breaking Shaver's jaw in the ring during a sparring encounter? His life is like something out of a movie. He took out the once iron chinned Ron Stander just a few years after Stander had taken Shaver's best and rallied back to stop "The Acorn". Stander was never the same after the likes of Merrit and Frazier put him through the meat grinder.

And then of course there's Earnie himself. Others on the list would have to be the likes of Joe Louis, George Foreman, Wladimir Klitschko, David Tua. Who else to round out a top 10 for sheer power?

There's also old time punchers like Choynski, Fitzsimmons, Maher, Langford to an extent, who are all really something like modern super middleweights or light heavyweights, if that in some cases. I'm not quite sure whether to rank them in their own separate category while trying to figure all of this out, or what.

 

I think some of the South African bombers might quantify for their raw power... the likes of Kallie Knoetze and Johnny Du Plooy. Hmmm.

 

There are also men that are set apart in their own era as being the games numero uno puncher, one without equal... Such was the case for Bob Satterfield, who I believe Archie Moore cited as the hardest puncher he had ever faced. So, while making an all time list, I've come to the conclusion that there's going to be some 180 something pound (at the heaviest) guys on it one way or another

 

Was he ever as highly touted for his power as some of the more crude African bangers were? Did they really make the right hand into that much of a gimmick?

 

In a top ten list?

Surely (lol airplane joke) you've got to think that a lot of the boxers that you mentioned, well, their ability comes from other attributes beyond just their power, like punch placement, perhaps just skill in general. Blazing speed and accuracy in say Tyson's case.

I'm talking about raw power, other attributes be damned. Surely not the very best were also the hardest all time punchers?

 

What do you feel are the best displays of his powers, best showings of it?

 

I believe you're correct about the "Hatchet Man". My mistake.

Archie did fight Satterfield though, I saw the bout on boxrec just yesterday. Just checked and they fought in 49'.

Thanks for your thoughtful and well constructed contribution. I'll mull it over some and get back to you.