The late 1990s to mid 2000s was the golden age of heavyweight boxing. - Lewis - Vitali - Wlad - Byrd - Mesi - Ike - Tua - Ruiz - Holyfield - Tyson
I believe that the right hand that Shavers decked Holmes with was harder than the one that he hurt Ali with.
I don't think that's strange at all. He stepped in as Holmes stepped forward with his hands down and there was zero rolling with the punch to take steam off it. It landed clean with full impact as both men were stepping into eachother. He hurt Ali with a helluva right hand, but the scenario was completely different.
Wladimir Klitschko's jab is overrated. Vitali Klitschko's punching power is overrated. Roy Jones Jr was a great lightheavyweight but not a head to head monster compared to previous greats of the division.
Both were easy to beat---if you could time the bouncing of the fro. OK when the fro bounces down-JAB!!! He's using too much afro-sheen and shine, don't time the feet, time the Fro! & get him on the down bounce!
Thank you. IMO Holmes never gets the benefit of a doubt about this. Holmes chin is often judged inferior to Ali's because of comparative right hands scored by Shavers. Like they were the same identical punches taken by both men.
I agree. I do wonder if, say, 70s comeback Ali could have taken Tyson's prime left hook and stayed standing. Tyson had that explosive power in the hook not unlike Frazier and Cooper's (though arguably not quite as good overall as the former's). That said, FOTC Ali makes Mike look reeeal bad imo. Beyond UD. I guess it goes without saying for some folks here that 60s Ali would have mopped the floor with him.