Do Heavyweights punch harder today...

My guess is that the difference in power between, say, Lewis and Wlad compared to Shavers, Foreman and Tyson is pretty marginal. The differences in reach and height are much more important.

 

I'd agree with that. But that's one case. Would you say that the top 10 CWs today hit as hard on average as the top 10 HWs? I probably wouldn't. Not even if Wilder went down to CW (which he could without sacrificing too much).

 

I would pretty confidently point out the 90's as the decade with the biggest punchers. Tyson, Foreman, Lewis, Wlad, Ruddock, Bruno, Morrison, Tua, Briggs... huge bangers all of them. Incidentally, testing for PEDs was almost non-existent.

 

Meh. This is conjecture and there's been many, many times that pro boxers have talked utter sh1te so I'm going to go from the opposite view to the anecdotal one.

A bigger man has more momentum and therefore force behind an equally speedy shot roughly speaking.
People were having many more fights further back into the past and were much more 'shop worn' when fighting at the tail end of their careers. That could be a reason why they 'felt' punches were harder.
Having more many more fights puts a wear and tear on the hands and wrists so that's another argument against a Dempsey or Louis being comparatively hard hitters today.

From a logical stand point, I find it very hard to believe that Dempsey or Louis or Liston could generate more brute force than a Joshua, Wilder or M Tyson.

Just look at Tyson hitting Holmes over with that overhand right. I cannot believe that wasn't a harder punch than anything Marciano or Dempsey ever threw just because someone says unsubstantiated stuff like 'punchers are born' or 'so and so hit me the hardest of my career.' I have eyes ffs.

 

Do average contenders hit harder now......perhaps but perhaps not......check out shaq oneil trying to hit a punch machine on you tube....if so....by a low percentage.....better to be good...tough...and circa 200 pounds

 

Yup …. And the false myth about Whitaker .. He won fights with his power to the body

 

On average I would say yes. In many timelines, there were 1-3 really big hitters. In the 1990s or 2000s, you have several.

Most of the fans here have no idea how hard heavyweights hit. You either have to spar with them, or to be safer, hold the heavy bag for them, thumbs in.

To illustrate my point, I have held heavy bags for various weight classes. Lightweights barely move the bag. You have to stop yourself from laughing. Welters, have slightly more power, but its still easy work to hold the bag. Middles have some pop. You can feel it. Light heavies, okay they will make you work to hold the bag, and you might go back a step even if you're over 215 pounds. Heavies, even if your feet are planted you'll move back a little, and it's much harder to hold the bag tight. You can also feel the shot, even if the bag took the brunt of it if your chest is up against he bag. I used to be able to jolt welters clean of the bag when I hit it. Good fun.

Now just imagine one of those heavyweight shots crashing into your body or head, and you'll get an idea of how hard heavies can hit. There is a reason why heavies really don't like hard sparring often.

 

I did read somewhere that anyone of 12 stone or more is capable of KO ing anyone of any weight ! ? Maybe I dreamt it ?

 

Exactly, you can have a massive punch when you're set in position but having the same power when your feet are not set against an elusive target is a different matter. It's all good and well hitting a bag with big power, it's another thing all together doing it against an opponent.

 

Maybe the longer reaches of heavyweights stops them from throwing shorter, more explosive punches like the kind that Louis, Dempsey and Marciano where able to deliver, as they would need more leverage. I think also fair to conclude that the names I listed probably wouldn't be able to deliver them same short, compact and explosive punches at any regularity, due to the impressive reach and outside games, some of the best heaves of the last 20 years have developed, as well as a resounding advantage in strength allowing them to tie much smaller men up, even man handle in some cases.

Another point worth touching on is this argument people want to use about a good big fighter beats a good small fighter, then why do we want to ignore this when we are making arguments for someone like Ali or Louis against Wlad and Lewis. Everyone is so quick to dismiss the idea of someone like Whitaker or Mayweather beating someone like Hagler or Monzon etc because of that exact reason, but not in the match ups I listed previously.

I am fully aware that the disparity in weight changes as we go up, just seems odd that we'll use that analogy in certain circumstances and not others.

 

A punch could be harder but also less effective. If it's slower and you can brace for it. I'm sure all heavyweights can hit hard when their fresh. How many carry that power late. Does their punch out put drop because they came in at 245 instead of 226?

 

I mean theoretically they should hit harder, if they are generally larger.
However, they may lack power in part due to their size, as they may not have the technique/ability to properly shift their weight into punches. I mean Miller isn't exactly a monster puncher, is he?

Also, speed, technique and ring IQ is a factor. 'Its the punch you don't see that hurts ya'.