How would you rate Ali's punching power?

I'd say 7 out of 10. The speed he threw at probably helped.

 

Ali didn't NEED power. Until he arrived NOBODY had EVER seen such fast AND accurate combination punching from a Heavyweight.

People just don't seem capable of grasping the simplicity of Ali. He was quite simply the most athletically gifted Heavyweight that had EVER lived, and possibly still is, up until this time.

 

Good point Foxy...but Ali had some pop in his punches nonetheless. I'd rate him around a 6 or a 7 on the power scale. Ali had hand problems also which would prevent him from really leaninig into his punches but when he chose to he could hurt someone.

 

I totally agree with you. Particularly with regard to the post ban Ali, who when he set himself could certainly punch with some pop. I just prefer the pre ban version who prided himself on not being hit, and threw faster less powerful punches when everything in the book said he shouldn't have been able to from the positions he was in, and his being off balance as he threw them.

 

Yeah,seven is right on the money. Not a one punch ko artist but hardly a powder puff puncher either

 

I think Ali's power is underrated.

He's the only person to knock out George Foreman. He knocked out Zora Folley with one punch. He destroyed Cleveland Williams. He's the only guy to knock out Oscar Bonavena. He stopped Ron Lyle. He stopped Sonny Liston (in fight one). He had Jerry Quarry stumbling all over the ring like a drunk in their rematch at a time when Quarry was beating everybody. He had Frazier stumbling all over the ring in the second round of their second fight and he had Frazier out on his feet in their third fight. All those guys were known for taking good shots. Same with Buster Mathis. Ali was obviously pulling his punches late in the fight with Mathis, and Buster was still staggering all over the ring. Mathis was known for his good chin. He warred with a lot of guys.

If you can stop Foreman, Bonavena, Lyle, Liston, Quarry, Frazier, Mathis, Cleveland Williams, Foley ... you have very good power.

Ali took it easy on a lot of his opponents, particularly the overmatched ones. Ali didn't enter the ring looking for an early knockout really ever. And against guys who he could've put away at any time - like Coopman - he reportedly leaned over the ropes in after the first round and told someone at CBS something to the effect that: "You're going to have hard time getting all your commercials in." Meaning he was even going to have difficulty carrying this guy.

Ali's sparring partners were also known to have a very easy job. He rarely opened up against them. As long as he knew you presented no threat, he'd even fake going down to get a rise out of people. But, if he got pissed, he could hurt people, even in the gym. He got mad about something when he was sparring with Rodney Bobick before the Richard Dunn fight, and in front of a bunch of reporters he beat the holy hell out of Bobick in a round - busting up his face and battering him all over. It actually shocked the reporters watching, because Ali didn't tend to do that.

Like Wlad Klitschko would years later, I think Ali got spooked early in his career when he got dropped a couple of times by Daniels and Cooper, so he preferred to play it safe. Even if he could stop a guy, he'd wait around until his opponent started to wear down.

At his best, I'd rate his power at 8 or 9 out of 10. If you knock out guys in their primes (like Foreman and Bonavena) who no one else could stop, that has to rate pretty high.

 

Ali's power may well have being underrated by many but surely 8 or 9 out of 10 is too high? I mean, where does that leave guys like Foreman, Tyson, Marciano, Frazier, Louis, Liston, Lewis and so on? 10+?

 

If I was choosing a number mine would rate a 7 as well. He hit you so much that before you know it you're dizzy and down. Ali, was known to have bad hands, I don't know if that may have prevented some KO's. (Though Pacheco numbed them up as well)

 

I don't think it's too high. Did Frazier hit harder than Ali? Frazier fought 25 rounds with Bonavena and never had him down. Frazier fought Foreman twice and never had him down.

And Frazier planted his feet and threw everything he had in most of his shots. Ali RARELY did that, and still knocked out a lot of guys. Hell, he brutalized Cleveland Williams and many times Ali's feet weren't even planted in the canvas. He knocked Williams down one time while he (Ali) was on his toes backing up. How many guys ever did that to Williams-before or after his shooting?

Did Marciano hit harder than Ali? Marciano had to land 100s of punches to knock most guys out, like Ali usually did, but Marciano put everything he had into shots. Ali didn't. And Ali beat better fighters for the most part.

I'd rate those other guys you listed as 10s in the power category.

Ali's just below them at 8 or 9.

Ali was arguably the best heavyweight who ever lived. He's near the top in every category - quality of opposition, boxing ability, speed, ability to take a punch and, yes, power.

That's why he's at the very top.

 

Ali's stoppages for the most part were based on accumulation of punches, rarely single or a few shots.

 

Probably hit about as hard as Holyfield, maybe a little harder. Obviously Ali didn't sit down on his punches that often, but when he did a combination of speed and accuracy meant he was a pretty hard hitter

 

Ali lost to Norton twice, effectively. Losing 2 out of 3 to one guy & after your pime when the other guy is prime in no way disqialities him from possibly being the best ever.

But the rest of the Juggernaut post seems well reasoned re: his power.
I would call it a 7, with the caveat that the EFFECTIV Epower, due to accumulation, accuracy, speed that prevented reducing the impact of blows, was sometimes higher.

A quibble I have is with the simplistic view that fluid around the brain is the only or main cause of punch resistence. First things like hydration help; rolling with punches, minimizing exhaustion/preserving energy...Even practive, absorbing more punches including in sparring. Foreman's chin was better in his comeback, he was never close to down with much less speed & taking tons of punches.

Power & punch resistance is something that you can maintain for years. And someone like Foreman can do things to increase the effectiveness of these natural gifts,
It is speed & reflexes mainly that decline, & earlier.

 

I'd have him about 7. He probably hurt every fighter he faced his power was quite surprising. Liston was thought to be virtually indestructable but Ali clearly hurt him in the first fight irregardless of what people think of that fight.
His chopping right hand was a powerful weapon and he put very tough and durable fighters away.
For the most part being a knockout puncher is a mentallity thing,Ali simply didn't have that mindset in his approach to a fight, he essentially liked to beat his opponents with science, but the power was in the locker when needed.