How did Michael Spinks hit so hard at light heavy

It's funny how some people will acknowledge Spinks having power until they discuss him fighting Tyson and then he's made out to be a waif all of a sudden.

 

Personally i don't think he carried that much of his power up to heavyweight. He hit Holmes more times than a horse has hair and never remotely affected him. People point to Cooney but he laid into him with flush punches of all sorts for an eternity and he was still stopped on his feet. Sure he dropped him twice but Cooney looked extremely coherent even at the end. If he landed that many that cleanly on a light heavyweight he would have knocked him out half a dozen times or more.

It was completely bizarre watching a previously terrifying puncher have to fight such a cautious spoiling fight against Holmes. On the flipside it showed what a tremendously versatile and multi faceted fighter he was. I'm not entirely sure you could outright favor anyone in history over him at 175. They'd be razor slim favorites if so.

Edit - I'm not trying to take away any credit away from Tyson's ridiculously dominant win over Spinks and totally get where you are coming from. One would think his legs were chopped off at both knees going by some of the things you read. Funny thing Spinks never preferred any excuses except that he was waited out.

 

Holmes ate a point blank hit from Shavers, admitted he was knocked out by the hit and only woke up after his head hit the canvas.

If you can survive Shavers, you can survive Spinks.

 

You didn't read what i wrote. I don't expect Spinks or any ex light heavyweight to ever KO Holmes. I said Spinks punches "never remotely affected him". Plenty of people buzzed Holmes and if Spinks did, even a teeny little bit, i'd say well he's got a little bit of pop at heavyweight.

I also substantiated with Cooney.

 

I know what you mean but you guys aren't getting what i mean. Holmes was hurt or buzzed from a little to being almost out by a number of guys over a long career. Spinks didn't look like doing it.

 

I always thought all things being equal, fast twitch muscles made the difference as far as punching power is concerned as fast-twitch muscle fibers are responsible for explosive movements. Anybody can learn proper punching technique to maximize power. However, if you lack those fast twitch muscles, you many not punch with the explosiveness of a Spinks or Foster.

 

How these skinny looking guys can hit so hard is a mystery of different body parts acting together in certain ways. Whatever it is, Bob Fitzsimmons evidently had it, too. To look at his legs you would think "This guy HAS to be feather-fisted. There seems to be no foundation there to build on." I do think fast twitch muscles, tendon strength (especially in energy storage), and bone density may have a lot to do with it, as well as the way the muscles and joints coordinate naturally (from the top of the head all the way down to the bottoms of the feet).

 

Wilde
Jenkins
Fitzsimmons
Trinidad

 

Don't try to relate the power of boxers, to any sort of physical attribute, because you will always fail.

Power is a neuromuscular thing, and a murderous puncher can be of any build.

For example the two hardest punchers in teh history of teh Welterweight division, might be Barbados Joe Walcott, and Thomas Hearns.

They could have weighed the same on the same night, and there is a foot difference between them in height.