Who never met anyone he couldn't floor and or KO? Basically, a fighter who through an entire career never met a man who could take his best? Earnie Shavers met Holmes twice, and despite landing probably the very cleanest punch that he ever would against the man, he couldn't keep him down. Also, Shavers/Cobb, but the ring was wet and Earnie supposedly couldn't get many good shots off. Lennox Lewis ran into Tua, McCall & Mercer. Foreman couldn't even put down, none the less KO Ali.
No fighter in history has a 100% KO% to my knowledge, I am sure every fighter has landed clean on some fighters and couldn't take them down, even the biggest of punchers.
Not what I meant. Just because someone was elusive against a big puncher doesn't mean said boxer suddenly can't hit. I'm talking about punchers who layed into another man, and their best was taken. In 49 fights Marciano met all of one person that went 15 with him... Ezzard. That kind of thing.
Marciano said something to the effect that if he faced Tiger Ted Lowry a hundred times, he'd have to go the distance a hundred times. No, there has not ever been an irresistible force in boxing, just immovable objects. As for Tex Cobb, it might be worth keeping in mind that he took all the hardest kicks from "Big John" Jackson in a PKA match without wobbling, and Jackson was known for his ability to take out world class opponents with his kicks. Nobody has a punch which can measure up to a hard kick from a skilled HW martial artist, not even Earnie Shavers. Vitali Klitschko also has a background in kickboxing. There was never any possibility that Lennox Lewis could ever hope to hit him with a punch as hard as kicks he had already withstood numerous times. Assuming one is equally skilled at striking with both fists and feet, fists might be more convenient to use, but I would suggest that it's considerably easier to bash a huge dent in a metal door with a spinning back kick than a fist. (How many boxers have you seen flatten a world class competitor with a punch square to the sternum? It's somewhat more common to do this with a good hard kick to the chest.) There have been martial artists who were impervious to the hardest kicks, and it goes to follow that they would likely be impervious to weaker punches as well.
Shavers lost to light heavy Stan Johnson early in his career, he hit Ron Stander with everything but could not floor him and then Stander Ko'd him, he could not KO lighheavyweight Vincente Rondon(who was KO'd by Bob Foster(and others) in 2, Bob Stalling dropped Shavers in his prime and Earnie could not hurt him losing the nod and Quarry took his best shots and KO'd him. Lennox Lewis could not KO Levi Billups but Corrie Sanders took him out in one round. Foreman vs weak chinned Morrison, Lewis vs Marovic
Young George Foreman met a veteran George Chuvalo, seemingly confident enough in his wrecking abilities at 15-0 with 13 knockouts. But the third round of this fight is pretty amazing. Foreman suddenly lands a tremendous left hook that slams Chuvalo against the corner ropes and Foreman proceeds to unload with colossal, savage hooks on his stationary, upright target’s left side of the body. Chuvalo winces but absorbs it all, finally plodding out to the opposite corner, with Foreman following with mostly ineffective jabs. Now in this corner, Foreman continues to flail away at the statue-like Chuvalo, who still stands mostly straight up, covering to the side and looking for a counter. But Foreman’s blows now lack the authority of just a few seconds prior. He looks tired of hooking away and seeing his opponent still standing there, banged up, but still game. He continues to swing and punch at the air with both hands, and when a swipe lands cleanly but with no effect, Mercante steps in having seen enough. Foreman glowers at Chuvalo as he turns away, as if saying, “I got you, but, you tough SOB, why didn’t you go down?” And his subconscious seems to radiate, “Good thing. I was running out of steam, there.” Chuvalo actually complained mildly to the ref and the New York crowd booed the announced time. Chuvalo took Foreman’s best and survived on his feet, not by elusiveness or speed, but by doing what he did best, which was to stand there and take it like a man. Ali, as usual, said it best, “Chuvalo’s head is the hardest thing I ever punched!” I believe young Mike Tyson never experienced the immovable object. The guys that went the distance with him early on were running like crazy. Of course, Mike’s punches’ accuracy and speed were much more effective than Foreman’s comparatively sloppy loops. I still feel for Pinklon Thomas, harangued on by cornerman Angelo Dundee, trying to be a rock for Tyson over 5-plus rounds, but, just when he seemed to be out of the woods, finally had no choice but to succumb and crash down-and-out to a fearsome, merciless barrage for the ages.
It's a bit of an urban legend that Chuvalo commented to the ref 'What are you doing? This is how I fight!'
I know, because i live 4 doors away from Pele Reid, who he got KTFO by! It was ina kickboxing championship. Pele's just restarted his pro career in boxing, and works as a personal trainer now.
