Michael Moorer claimed David Tua hit harder than George Foreman. Who punched harder in your opinion?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by MarkusFlorez99, Mar 13, 2021.



Who hit harder

  1. George Foreman

    39 vote(s)
    69.6%
  2. David Tua

    17 vote(s)
    30.4%
  1. Toney F*** U

    Toney F*** U Boxing junkie Full Member

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    He also said Cooper had faster hands than Holyfield and old Foreman had the best defense...
     
  2. MarkusFlorez99

    MarkusFlorez99 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Lol
     
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  3. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Moorer looked pretty out cold against foreman. Maybe he doesn’t remember
     
  4. Bronze Tiger

    Bronze Tiger Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Moorer was stretched out by both of them ...so I’ll gladly take his word LMAO
     
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  5. Bronze Tiger

    Bronze Tiger Boxing Addict Full Member

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    When I watch tapes of George Foreman it’s not his punching ability that impresses me ....it’s his brute physical strength....he wasn’t like Felix Trinidad or Julian Jackson. He would literally just beat guys until they collapsed
     
  6. Bronze Tiger

    Bronze Tiger Boxing Addict Full Member

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    George Foreman....Reggie White ...and Shaquille O’Neal are the 3 strongest athletes I’ve ever seen in their respective sports
     
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  7. Glass City Cobra

    Glass City Cobra H2H Burger King Full Member

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    Kind of an iffy response. I mean, he claims Cooper had faster hands than Holyfield which I find hard to believe. Also claims Cooper was the physically strongest opponent. He claims Foreman had the best defense and while 90's Foreman did have underrated defense, I don't see how he could possibly rate him higher than Holyfield. He then says Botha had the best chin even though he stopped Botha and couldn't put a dent in Foreman. :lol:

    As for Tua's power compared to Foreman, at close range I wouldn't be shocked if Tua's left hook was more powerful than Foreman's hook. A short armed stocky fighter will be able to get more snap and leverage into a short range power punch like a hook than a taller guy like Foreman who had very long thick arms and punched very slowly. A short arm doesn't have to travel very far to deliver the power from point A to point B and long arms take longer to pivot and turn over a hook, thus slower acceleration, thus less snap and explosiveness. Taller guys with longer arms tend to have more power in straight shots like the jab and right cross. There's a reason some of the best hook specialists at heavyweight were the come forward aggressive short type like Dempsey, Tyson, Frazier, etc. Their bodies and styles are perfectly suited for loading up hooks.

    However, Foreman clearly had the better power overall and better punch selection with theright cross, uppercuts, body shots, etc. On a punching machine, with both men putting their everything into it, I'm pretty sure Foreman would register higher since he is heavier, stronger, bigger fists, has better punching technique and more experience (although Tua does have more acceleration and snap, especially at close range). Tua also fought a way past his prime Moorer and blitzed him from the opening bell, something the slow old heavy Foreman simply didn't have the speed to do anymore like how he blitzed Norton for instance. That undoubtedly left a more jarring impression of Moorer's mind.
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2021
  8. Glass City Cobra

    Glass City Cobra H2H Burger King Full Member

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    Yeah that's the best way to describe his punching style. There's "explosive" guys with fast twitch muscle like Joe Louis, Tyson, Roy Jones, etc who throw blinding combinations and make your brain rattle from a barrage of blows thrown at odd angles at high speed and bad intentions. It becomes even more devastating when they vary their target from body to head, left side to right side to up the middle, etc. They are very devastating because they combine blazing hand speed with weight transfer and superb technique.

    Foreman was so heavy handed he didn't put much, if any snap behind his shots and yet guys would stumble around from glancing blows and punches that barely had much weight behind them. A true clubber who made the most of his dense bone structure and big hands to bludgeon you all over. To quote Holyfield: "when I fought Foreman, I was throwing rocks and he was throwing boulders. He didn't care if he was even landing flush on the jaw, he would hit you in the shoulder, arms, or neck just to make sure he landed on you and kept you at the end of his punches".
     
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  9. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I am willing to believe that Tua hit as hard as any version of Foreman.

    Obviously that alone would not have got him very far!
     
  10. KidDynamite

    KidDynamite Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    Tuas left hook may have been slightly more forceful but overall it seems to be Foreman. Foreman's power comes from his dense bone structure especially of his forearms and hands. Tua uses leverage and his lower body and shoulders to generate power.

    There is a boxer who posted about his sparring experiences on another forum and claimed to have sparred both Tua and older Foreman.

    For what it's worth, this is his take on it:

    Hello everyone. I'm a friend of AJ's from another forum. I used to box professionally from time to time, but nowadays I still spar. I've sparred with many legends. AJ asked to me describe what it is like to be in the ring with them and gauge their punching power. I will not reveal my name for personal reasons, but under anoymousity I feel a bit safer. If you want to know my identity send me an email, but I doubt you've heard of me anyway. I only had three professional fights.

    I fought Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe as an amateur.

    Riddicks power wasnt memorable to me. It probably got better as he got older, cause he never even remotely buzzed me in either of our contests.

    Lennox hit like a ****ing tank. He cowed me; I won the first round, and he literally broke my spirit and took my soul with a right uppercut and straight right hand in the 2nd. I tried to stay away, and forgot to punch. He never got me quite as good again, but I will never forget those two punches. When we sparred years later, he hit very hard. Distinctly unpleasant to be hit by the man.

    David Tua was unpleasant. I can't see myself getting stopped by him early, as he never really staggers me, but every shot hurt, and he'd bang. Every other guy I ever sparred would box when I got aggressive, but David would stand his ground and give. I'd get these horrible headaches after sparring with him, and Dave told me once that whenever he knew I was on the dance card, he'd drink extra water for his brain. Nice guy. Hit like a wrecking ball. David Tua hit hard enough to knock my headgear clean around my face. Dude had a pretty limited style, but that left was quick as a cobra when he was sharp, and boy did it have bite. Having sparred them both, Wladimir would school Tua and probably turn out his lights. He just lacks almost any sort of refinement to his violence. Granted, I don't really either unless I'm really, really on that day, but the best heavyweights I've sparred handled me a lot easier than David did.
    Feels kinda bad critiquing the dude, though. He's a fun guy, super hospitable and friendly, hit like a truck and put me through plenty of painful paces. I only hope our careers and lives don't end up with me required to face him with 12's and no mask. I can't afford the surgery.

    Evander Holyfield was a machine gun. He put me on my butt first round we ever sparred with a 7 or 8 punch volley. He just punched well; He'd move around and when he let them go, they hit, hard and fast and in large numbers. He was the weakest of the group since Bowe, but probably the most dangerous. He never found me difficult to find, and turned me into a bobble head more than once.

    George Foreman was tricky. His jab was absolutely numbing-Ive never felt a jab like that, where your whole face would feel like it got novacained after he hit you with it. He'd also throw light punches primarily, almost pitty pat, till he had the opening, and then he'd wallop you. His punches had the most force; They didn't hurt any worse than Tua or Lewis, but I remember how badly they'd screw with my balance. His shots moved me. He also broke my nose with a straight right.

    Wladimir Klitschko hit me by far the hardest, though. I couldn't get past the jab, and his right hands hit like thunder. They reminded me of Lewis', but they were quicker and sharper. Wladimir staggered me regularly in sparring. There are literally whole rounds I don't remember. He also knocked me out with a left hook. Not down, out. Only time in my life I've seen canvas and not been able to stand up by 10 seconds.

    Any other questions about these men, don't hesitate."

    On who hit harder between Tua and Big George.

    "There was a similar feel being on the recieving end of Dave and George's punches. They're both strong--the force from the blow pushes you back. I can't really say who hit harder overall but George had the harder jab.

    Remember that I sparred with both when they were past their best."
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2021
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  11. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    I think Tua's left hook was more powerful than older George's right

    However, i am willing to bet that younger Foreman's right was more powerful than Tua's left.
     
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  12. GOAT Primo Carnera

    GOAT Primo Carnera Member of the PC Fan Club Full Member

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    Moorer is calling 90s Foreman here, who had four stoppages in 10 fights and 2 quick stoppages over abysmal fighters out of ten.

    This is not 70s George here. If it was, I´ll put him obove Tua.
     
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  13. Rumsfeld

    Rumsfeld Moderator Staff Member

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    This.

    But I would also add that by the time Moorer faced Tua, he was well past his best and his punch resistance had declined a good deal in my estimation. So Moorer may well believe this to be true - from his perspective - but that doesn't necessarily make it true. The specific circumstances surely factor in.

    And even if Tua's left hook was more powerful than old George's right, old George was still far more clever and effective when it came to setting up his punches.
     
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  14. Gazelle Punch

    Gazelle Punch Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I teach a boxing class and the coaches and I will argue on occasion who hits harder in our classes. We all do mitts with them but we disagree on the “who hits harder”. Maybe when at that level day to day your opinion could change. Do u think Tua hit harder then Foreman? No but only by fractions. But maybe on the days they both met Moorer maybe Tua did? But career wise I’d hand it to George. The people who used to hold his heavy bag looked scared lol
     
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