Who hit the hardest: Ali, Holmes, or Usyk?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Rollin, Jul 20, 2025.


  1. OddR

    OddR Well-Known Member Full Member

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    I feel like Ali had missing potential with his power his style wasn't based on fully sitting on his punches.
     
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  2. MixedMartialLaw

    MixedMartialLaw Fight sports enthusiast Full Member

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    Great points with the provided contexts, and this topic is not even asking about stoppages per se but power in hits.

    Shot for shot, I think it's Usyk just for the fact of the size of men he's had to go up against. His opponents have averaged near 250 lbs, while Ali and Holmes were facing much smaller men overall.
     
  3. PRW94

    PRW94 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    How did the Bonavena KO have anything remotely to do with stamina? It was the 15th round and both of them were certainly tired, but Bonavena was pressing Ali and throwing punches and didn’t seem to be at the point of collapse. Then Ali slammed him with one punch, to the exclusion of every other punch thrown in that fight, and he was thoroughly and completely ruined. Something that no other opponent, including a couple of other former heavyweight champions, was able to do.
     
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  4. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Because like you said it was 15th round and it took three knockdowns to finish him. Thats not say that Ali wasn’t hitting him with some good direct punches but Bonavena was finished
     
  5. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    People claiming that Muhammad Ali’s stoppage of Oscar Bonavena was the result of “ power” need to watch it. Oscar was faltering and looked gassed long before those punches landed. At one point he went to swing at Ali, missed and stumbled into the ropes.

    This content is protected
     
  6. PRW94

    PRW94 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    My point is he was not finished until the initial knockdown. That single punch finished him. The other two knockdowns were just icing on the cake but he kept getting up because he was a tough MF that was only knocked out once. By Ali. Frazier couldn’t even knock him down in 25 rounds.

    I think you are trying to denigrate Ali and I saw the video completely different than you.
     
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  7. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    I have already debunked this. What are his notable stoppages vs cruisers?
     
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  8. Mark Anthony

    Mark Anthony Internet virgin Full Member

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    Usyk or Holmes, Ali didn`t punch hard, Usyk and Holmes were/are better finishers than Ali.
     
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  9. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    I’m not trying to denigrate Ali. I have him ranked as the #1 best heavy of all time, am a fan and acknowledge that he DID have power. But if you watch the clip with an unbiased eye, Bonavena was ready to go long before those three knockdowns. He was sluggish and faltering. Completely gassed. Not hard to see at all
     
  10. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    Which durable fighters has Usyk finished? That are comparable to Foreman, Bonavena or Liston?
     
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  11. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Norton reckoned Holmes was a harder puncher than Ali.

    SO i'll go for Holmes.
     
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  12. BCS8

    BCS8 VIP Member

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    How big were the guys Ali stopped?

    Foreman was probably the biggest and he was like 220lb soaking wet.

    The smallest guy Usyk fought at heavy was Dubois at 233lb. Other weights were Chazz Witherspoon at 242lb. Dubois2 at 243lb. Chisora 255lb. AJ 240-244lb. Fury 262lb and 281lb.

    As usual Classic DEMANDS to know "how many heavies Fighter X faced / beat / KOd" while conveniently hiding the fact that their champion fought the equivalent of Dopey, Sleepy, Grumpy and the rest of the seven dwarves :rolleyes: Man if Fury was around in the 70s he'd have eaten half the heavyweight fighters with ketchup when he got hungry and there was no lunch ready.
     
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  13. themaster458

    themaster458 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    By an objective measure Usyk hits the hardest of the three he's the only one consistently hurting and stopping big strong SHWs which none of the others were able to do.
     
  14. SouthpawsRule

    SouthpawsRule Active Member Full Member

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    I'd go Holmes, Ali and Usyk, but Usyk probably hits as hard as Ali did with his best shots.
     
  15. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    Ali and Usyk hit hard enough for anyone's needs.

    Holmes is probably a step behind them but was a hurtful hitter, more than sufficient for the division's elite.
     
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