would definately say Holy and Tyson both had better hooks than Tua - in that we actually saw them showcase theirs much more successfully in multiple fights against a much higher pedigree of fighter than Tua generally showcased his against - just think Tua isn't all that proven - and he was in my opinion one of the top ten worst title challengers in history against Lennox Lewis - he was absolutely awful in that one - I know them Holy hooks you're talking about against Bowe aswell - that was great determination from Vander backing up a guy like Bowe - Bowe was a great fighter that night too
dempsey's left was a brutal KTFO weapon, scary **** right there. frazier was once described as having "the best left hook since jack dempsey" so take that for what it's worth
Frazier was an accumulative puncher, his hook took time against the best, still a great shot. Dempsey had murder in his hook, but then again who was the best pelt he took out with it using one shot? Fulton? A distracted Sharkey? Morris? Tua took out Ruiz and Moorer pretty much with single shots and Maskaev with a couple rights and a hook... Tua may not have been able to set up his hook as well as Frazier or Dempsey, but when it landed it was ridiculous... And by the way, Louis' hook was every bit as hard.
Fraziers was great, but if I would say Tua's punch is harder if it would land. I do not know anyone who can take a clean Tua left hook.
Look at Holyfield got ****ing mental, at the 3min 20sec mark..........He starts throwing Left Hooks like a Heavyweight Roy Jones......with allot of power on them. Sometimes Roy Jones threw all them 7 hooks in a row, just for a show sometimes. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXRG3c7Z8bk[/ame]
Vander's hook was emphatic and well-executed, but as a former sparrer with Tua I think he would happily admit Tua's was harder. Please.
They kind of used it in different ways but I'll say "Smoking Joe". He could throw the left hook at will and hit his opponent any where. He used it for offense and defense. He used his left hook better than any other fighter. But Dempsey's and Tua's left hooks could take you out with one blow.
Dempsey really shouldn't be in the poll with these two. Tua had prodigious power in his left hook and could probably put anyone two sleep...if he landed it. So I guess if I had to break it down...Tua's hook is more like a Halberd, Frazier's is more like an aluminum baseball bat...not quite as much force but much more effective.
He was asking what fighter's could take a flush Tua left hook and those were my only obvious answers. Big George absorbed a non-stop 10 round barrage of left hooks from Tommy Morrison and Toney has the skull thickness of a Rhinoceros.
Toney was natural from 160-168. He is and has always been a tiny Heavyweight reliant on his defensive abilities. His wouldn't rate among the 10 to 20 best chins in the division's history.