Is KO power more about technique or genetics?

Genetics.
Julian Jackson and Foreman said it's genetics. If they don't know, who does?

 

Little bit of both. Pac had tree trunks for legs and hard, straight punches.

 

Genes, technique and kinetic chain obviously matters and you can train for explosion and speed but it's 75% genetics, maybe more

 

Part of it is commitment and style.

Harder punches will mean more commitment - the heavier the punch, the more easily you're going to get hit back if it misses completely...

If you're aiming to hit whilst avoiding getting hit at all costs, you're not going to be able to commit hard to punches - Haney, for example, is desperate not to get hit, so he can't put inertia behind punches (and it's why he cuddles so much, too).

The polar opposite is someone like Wilder - throwing 100% behind it, usually safe in the knowledge that your opponent is trash and you don't have to worry about missing or the consequences of missing.


Some of it is mental, some is just about how a fighter knows how to perform to be successful - but it can't really be ignored if you're not comparing similar styles.

 

I always loved how much Shavers would commit to punches. He'd purposely overcommit sometimes to put extra oomph behind it, then trip over his own feet if he missed.

 

Anyone can punch hard if they learn the proper technique. But clearly some people have that god given power.
Even Paulie Malignaggi could have developed world class power if he had the proper technique. In fact he started off his career scoring KOs.

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Here is Paulie in his second fight. Look at how he turns over his right hand and clearly puts power behind it. He turns his hips with his power punches and it works. Is his technique perfect? No, far from it. But just by moving his hips he is able to create enough power to hurt his opponent. Even when he throws his left hook, which is more of an arm punch, you can see that he is trying to punch through his opponent. Later on in his career Malignaggi would start pulling back his punches as fast as he could, so he could get that snap and the speed.
It´s actually a good fight, I recommend watching it.

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Now lets look at the Judah fight. Notice how Malignaggi often seems to move his hips before right hand lands? That´s because he is trying to snap back the punch so that he can have speed. He is not using his hips to drive his punch through the opponent. He immediately pulls back his punch upon impact.

Calzaghe is known as another pillow hands boxer. But he actually started off his career 22-0, with 21 T/KO´s. His hand injuries later on forced him to change his style.

And then you have this freak:

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I think it’s both, and not mutually exclusive. Different type of shots have different effects, thudding power can put you down even if you see it from a mile away, whereas for some of the lighter hitters it’s about speed, placement and timing, which you can attribute to technique.

 

It's all about twitch muscles, so genetics. You can refine techinque to make that power more effective but you can't teach having higher twitch muscles.

 

Mostly genetics.

You can improve your power and score more stoppages with better technique. But you don't become a murderous puncher with just technique.

By contrast, you can be a huge puncher with little technique at all.

 

Trying to figure out what determines punching power is, oftentimes, a largely futile effort. Some KO artists have horrible punch technique, and plenty of pillow-fists have beautiful punch technique, proper body mechanics, and weight shift correctly when they punch yet still can’t put a dent in guys. The shape of your hands, wrists, and the share of fast twitch to slow twitch fibre you have all contribute of course, but sometimes it’s just a case of being born with huge power or not.

 

You better start naming examples. Or better that you don't, because I am going to shred them one by one.

 

Genetics for sure
Punchers are born

We all have that one friend who can just put people's lights out with zero training. One of my best mates looked like a young devon larratt (armwrestler) and by God could he punch, throw a ball, shot put etc. Never boxed, but he has the most natural punch power I've seen and God knows how hard he would hit if he trained.

 

Hearns had skinny legs but wide shoulders. I think most all ko artist have timing and accuracy. That's all I can say.

 

There have been examples of both.

There are examples of people who weren’t known as punchers becoming punchers, showing that technique plays a big role (Tommy Hearns, according to Manny Steward), but there are also technical cavemen who can hit you on the top of the head and ice you….

…I don’t think it’s a “this or that” type of thing, personally.