Buster Douglas's second best performance ?

For some reason McCall was always very impressed by Douglas and often called him the hardest puncher he ever fought.

 

I don't think I believe that. Not coming from the man who took 12 rounds of punches from Frank Bruno, withstood the best of Seldon, took shots from a prime Lewis, and was a sparring partner for Tyson... There must have been something behind that statement.. Maybe he was just being kind or paying the guy respect.. Some of these " this guy hit me harder than that guy" statements are questionable at times.

 

I don't think Douglas was the hardest hitter McCall fought but McCall himself evidently does, occasionally since he tends to name a different fighter every time he's asked the question. Buster did have a very strong jab and a brutal uppercut.

ESB: Which of the many great opponents you faced had the greatest punch?

Oliver McCall: In my past? I think one guy had a pretty good punch on him, and that was Buster Douglas. Thankfully, I didn’t get hit with a lot of really big shots in that fight, but from what I recall, he had nice power, and leverage on them. So I would say Buster Douglas.

Boxinginsider.com: You are renowned for being able to take a big punch. Who was the hardest puncher you faced?
Oliver McCall: “Bert Cooper. Left hook. That was the hardest punch that I ever felt and that I had to overcome. It felt like a truck had hit me. I never got hit by a truck but it felt like if a truck would have hit me.”
Boxinginsider.com: Who else was up there? Lennox?
Oliver McCall: “No, Lennox wasn’t one of the hardest punchers that I – Buster Douglas hit me harder than Lennox did. Right hand.”


CW: What was the toughest fight of your career so far?

OM: Let me see…the toughest fight of my career would probably have to be the Buster Douglas fight I would say. The reason that was a tough fight is because at the time I was sparring Mike Tyson for Buster Douglas, and Buster Douglas is 6’4’’ and very strong. I think I only had like 15 professional fights. He was ranked # 2 in the world. We took the fight on. We lost the fight even though I thought that I won that fight. It was a close fight and what not. It was the toughest fight I think of the fights I’ve had throughout my career.

 

sometimes you walk onto a shot from a lighter puncher and it hurts more than getting the tail end of a punch from a guy with more of a reputation for punching harder. Maybe douglas caught mccall sweeter than lewis did? they were both big guys its not like either was feather fisted is it?
mr magoo is quite right boxers do give credit when it best suits them, I bet lenox lewis would say rahman hit him harder than mccall did since he got to knock rahman flat in the rematch.

 

This thread puts to rest that Douglas had only one good fight, he was a very good very skilled fighter who punched deceptively hard, he was inconsistant though.

 

1) McCall was green against Douglas and didn't face the massive punchers he did until far later in his career where he was more then likely more ready and experienced.

2) Said Cooper hit him harder regardless.

 

Agreed,

he actually fought several men who ranged from decent to very good, and did fairly well against most of them. There is a good reason in my opinion why he was a rated fighter for most of the 5 years between 1985-1990.

 

Sparring probably.