I tend not include very old fighters (1900-1930). I like to start from the Joe Louis era. 1. Earnie Shavers 2. George Foreman 3. Max Baer 4. Sonny Liston 5. Deontay Wilder 6. Wladimir Klitschko 7. Lennox Lewis 8. Joe Louis 9. Ron Lyle 10. Mike Tyson 11. David Tua 12. Curtis Sheppard 13. Rocky Marciano 14. Cleveland Williams 15. Gerry Cooney 16. Ingemar Johannsonn 17. Bob Satterfield 18. Tommy Morrison 19. Razor Ruddock 20. Frank Bruno 21. Joe Frazier 22. Max Schmeling 23. James Smith 24. Mike Weaver 25. Gerrie Coatzee 26. Clarence Henry 27. Jersey Joe Walcott 28. Elmer Ray 29. Riddick Bowe 30. Corrie Sanders 31. Bert Cooper 32. Jeff Merritt 33. Tommy Gomez 34. Mac Foster 35. Tony Galento 36. Nino Valdes 37. Samuel Peter 38. Mike DeJohn 39. Rex Layne 40. Herbie Hide 41. Bernardo Mercado 42. Jeff Sims 43. Anthony Joshua 44. David Haye 45. Alexander Povetkin 45. Ken Norton 46. Floyd Patterson 47. Lamon Brewster 48. Bob Baker 49. Alex Stewart 50. Michael Dokes 51. Zora Folley 52. Gary Mason 53. Lionel Butler 54. Roy Tiger Williams 55. Larry Holmes You guys can finish this list if you want to. I admit, my list kinda looks crappy
It is impossible to know who is exactly where, but it is a good effort! I would break it down into tiers & say what group is at what level-you can put who you suspect hit harder first, with the caveat that no degree iof surety (although maybe at the top you have some). Among your top 10: I would say 8 of those names MIGHT be up there. And some others could also go there, but they are good names! The exception? Ironically near the very best in terms of success, lifteime or peak-Louis & Tyson. They hit very hard indeed. But they did not even hit the hardest of their era: for one punch power. Speed, accuracy, combinations, people not being able to roll with or brace themselves made the IMPACT hreater than the raw force. Baer & Galento & likely a Satterfield & Shepherd hit harder than Joe. Bonecrusher, Tua, old Foreman, Ruddock, Morrison, Butterbean are some who produced more force PER PUNCH than Tyson. It is really easy to confuse excellent power which benefits from top flight boxing skills & delivery systems with being the absolutely most concussive punchers!
I disagree with a lot of these. Dokes and Baker were not big punchers at all. Lionel Butler? Holmes was an underrated puncher but still does not belong in the top 50. Wilder and Morrison inflated by can crushing. And on and on.
It does take a lot of effort so you might be right. Again, I did say could look quite crappy. I thought Top 100 is possible but some how I only manage 50.
Turkey Thompson Archie Moore Buddy Baer Elmer Ray Vitali Klitschko Luis Firpo Jess Willard James Jeffries John Sullivan Sam Langford Hasim Rahman Muhammad Ali Evander Holyfield
Wel he hit Weaver with almost 47 unanswered punches, and Weaver was still on his feet. I think that says everything you need to know about Dynamite, who was anything but. Maybe an attrition puncher of sorts, with the fast hands. But not a puncher by any means, no.
