How would you rate Ali's punching power?

[yt]-t6fmJ3ogwg[/yt]
4:40



would never refer to him as a banger but when he sat down he could bust walls. lead rights then the stinging left hand....too fast to block and had as knowledge of when to hit you and what to hit you with.

 

I think it's a very strange thing to say after actually watching the punches. Suffice it to say, I disagree.

No, not "just". They were hit by terrific shots as well, which is very easy to see on the films. Foreman was exhausted many times during his career (actually more exhausted against Holyfield), but this only happened to him once. On the film it's very easy to see why. He was hit by a very sharp and hard combination. Punctuated by a great a punch.

 

What I mean is that they don't count as evidence for his power. They count as evidence of his ability to wear out his opponent because of his skills. There area exceptions, obviously.

 

For me it's quite clear to see that Ali's punching were excellent in the fights and the moments where it mattered (and in many other fights as well).

His best 10 opponents would probably be Frazier, Liston, Foreman, Norton, Patterson, Folley, Terrell, Quarry, Lyle and Ellis. Of these he stopped 8. And in most of these cases he displayed excellent punching IMO. I don't think that's a coincidence.

 

Ali had good power. Compared to all time great punchers, probably not, but he still had a good punch and stopped very durable men. Nobody else really had stopped Lyle, Foreman, Liston, or bonavena. also, Ali was also very good at finishing his man off, with obviously must require good power. He was very good at getting his man drunk, and stopping them. Most of the big names he fought he knocked out. He beat Frazier by TKO, he beat Foreman by ko, he beat liston by ko, he beat cooper by tko, he beat bonavena by TKO, and he beat wepner by tko. all these guys are pretty durable. I think he could punch.