Who owned the greatest right hand in boxing?

In the above 200lbs category, I'd say a young Tyson's combination of sheer power, speed, timing and accuracy was something special to behold.

 

Yes, Tyson's right is another to consider, as is Lewis's, but at heavyweight...the overall greatest right hand may be Joe Louis's.

 

It's a process to pick the best right hand per division, and then to decide who's is the best in all of boxing..I haven't decided on that yet.

 

Perhaps so, Louis does have the perfect technique when he unleashes his beautiful yet murderous right hand.
I just wanted to add Tyson to the mix as nobody had thus far, I was about to mention Lewis too if Tommygun hadn't already have in the opening post, the 3 of them are great candidates.

 

Okay, so you are approaching it from a technical standpoint. What is wrong with Hearns' technique in his right-hand?

 

Precisely...at heavyweight (sorry to keep repeating that) you have to go with Louis for the best balance of all the qualities that make for a great right hand. Baer had power, but little stealth, Schmeling had stealth and power, but a bit less torque than Baer, Ingo's excellent heavy right hand had a limited amount of stealth in the first Patterson bout, but it was a bit more predictable and slower thereafter, Lewis's was devastating, but not overall as fast and accurate as Louis, same with Tyson, Shavers was in line with Baer's right, heavy and hard but not as quick or accurate as the Brown Bomber's. So Louis is the heavyweight and maybe the overall great right hand of boxing, IMO.

 

There's nothing "wrong" with it as such, I just think it's not as "right" as some others'. If I had to be really fussy, I'd perhaps criticise the fact that he occasionally over-extended it or ended up off balance after throwing it to a greater extent than, say, Hopkins. It's a great punch. If you had power as a major criterion you could justifiably have Hearns up there.

 

Surely the power compensates for those minor technical flaws?

 

As I stated in my post, that depends on how highly you value power.

 

Alexis Aruello.

 

I'll throw in Mike Spinks and Carlos Monzon. Now, are we discussing only who had the best straight right cross, or are we factoring in how well the uppercut and overhand right were also executed?

For example, Norton had an excellent overhand right as well as a superb right uppercut, but not much in the way of a straight right cross. Arguello's uppercut to both head and body could be lethal, as well as his vaunted straight right, but I don't recall Alexis having much in the way of an overhand right. Dempsey's right could do it all, to both the head and body, as could the rights of Louis and Holmes. (The overhand right Larry used to put out Evangelista was a thing of beauty, and we've all seen the uppercut he used to flatten Weaver.)

 

The right hand that Monzon flattened Benvenuti with to win the crown was devastating and as world class as I've ever seen.

 

Foster KO1 woman-killer.

(Happy birthday, mariti)

 

The hardest right hand kos
In 1935 Joe Louis knocked out Paolino Uzcudun of Spain with a right hand that removed Uzcudun's front teeth and mouthpiece, so powerful was that right hand...Uzcudun was the Chuvalo of his time...Never kod before...A rugged man...
Rocky Marciano's right hand on the button that flattened Walcott in 1952.Distorted Joe walcotts face...
Tommy Hearns, right hand that absolutely knocked out Roberto Duran. A monster shot..

 

a little too modern for you burt but the monster right hand that julian jackson detonated on herol graham is possibly the greatest knockout i've ever seen

the right hand that shavers nailed holmes with is the hardest shot not causing a knockout, follow by the bomb that arguello detonated on pryor