Power has never been a problem for me. If I really put my weight and commit to a shot I can rock a guy or score a knockdown. I thought I had ko power until I met my friend Fermin. When I shook his hand it was literally heavy, like his hand was weighing down my hand and he wasn’t forcing it, I thought it was crazy because he’s only around 135. He found out I boxed and wanted to train with me to learn self defense. I sparred with him the first day and first round he threw an arm punch that rocked the hell out of me. It was the first time I ever took a knee because I was hurt. I get up and we were gonna finish the round but I got intimidated and hit him with a hard body shot. Right after he stopped and said he had to use the restroom. I was like damn maybe I don’t have ko power. What are the times when you found out you have or don’t have ko power?
I noticed whenever I played baseball with my friends I was always the one throwing the closest. Then one day at the gym the coach told me to hit the bag with the right hand. He said I had nothing behind it tbh. I'm more like sog strong in the clinch but not power punching. Another example would be Mosley. I usually do my chest exercises with a bar and 2 plates on each side max 9 sets 3 flat 3 incline 3 decline. But I haven't touched a weight in ages. I had some hernias in my belly that needed to be fixed. It wasn't like I was doing all ten reps with them lol.
It takes roughly 45 pounds to knock someone out. Ask your trainer how you can improve your technique.
Sparred Sakio Bika once, I was 25+ kg heavier but it did not matter one bit. The man is rock solid and punches like a horse's boot. Rag dolling experience
I can hit a lot harder than most, but if I could I'd pick exceptional speed, timing, accuracy or even natural stamina over power. All of those are much more important than power imo.
People were quitting sparrings with me when they were getting hit too often, but I never put somebody to sleep, so I'm probably feather fisted. My club friends told me that I have a good punch, but I think they are too kind, and don't want to offend me with telling the truth when I hit the bag with full power, my hand starts to hurt, so probably I have a good technique, but body of a granpa...
For most people, this is down to circumstances. Who you're sparring. What level you're at. etc etc. Take time & many spars to really understand where your strengths/weaknesses lie. Wilder thought he was gods gift to power knocking out all them taxi drivers and old men...Fury made him curl into a ball. Easily took it away from him. Obviously Wilder hits hard but circumstances and perspective changes things. Plenty of fresh new boxers probably thought they had decent power etc etc...then you fight that guy who it doesn't matter against. Whether they have better footwork or are just TOUGH AS NAILS. Stick Paulie Malignaggi in an amateur gym he'd make the best strongest hardest-hitting well-respected guy in there cry.
The reward for good technique is power, however, other variables come into it such as a mental willingness to inflict hurt on an opponent. There is also the confidence to back yourself and commit 100% to the punch knowing full well the live opponent in front of you could punish you for that commitment if you overdo it. All too often we see fighters in gyms unloading big punches on mitts and bags and yet fail to take that power into the ring. I do believe that a good trainer can improve your punching power, it could be related to breathing, hip rotation, balance, stability and more than anything timing amongst other things. Having trained dozens of boxers from novices to right up to the highest level, my opinion is that there's a certain % of fighters that have natural heavy hands, the rest of us must keep working to gain that power. In the boxing world today I believe you must have KO power and that's just to keep decisions away from judges.
My jab was heavy, my right hand not as much. staggered people with jabs in sparring. the right hand takes alot more timing and speed to land dropped a few with the body shot, speed i didnt have, timing i was getting better at. never had or achieved KO power in the time i spent boxing, respectable power id say.
When coach started policing the gloves I wore for sparring and having to remind me not to hit hard when I was sparring guys who were 50 lbs heavier than me.I used to wear 16 oz imf tech ringside sparring gloves and had to relegate them to bag gloves because I was told they were too small. I bought some other ringsides that were wider.
