I'm not convinced that Prime Foreman hit any harder than Lennox Lewis

This is an old thread, but recently seen Shannon Briggs’ ‘Best I faced’, and he said Lewis was the hardest puncher he faced, and he fought both.

 

After watching Forman live destroying a 300 lb heavy bag in 1973 I am convinced no one hit harder. He just played with that bag, toyed with it and you could hear his blow like thunder all over the gym. This was at a resort in northern NJ mind you where I was staying with family. Later that evening I walked by the now empty gym with friends and I hit that same bag with a few punches. Could not budge it and my shoulders felt as if they were dislocated the next morning.

Foreman had absolutely frightened power. Off the charts.

 

I think what might muddy the waters for people a bit is the fact Foreman did not punch well, scientifically. He hurt guys in spite of the laws of biomechanics & the book of Boxing. Had he been a more correct puncher of the Lewis variety, there would be no doubt about who hit harder. For me & for most, there already isn’t.

 

I wonder what he’d say if he fought a 48-year-old Lewis, & a prime Foreman?

 

Power doesn’t diminish very much, the reason Forwman didn’t have as many knockouts in his last fights was that his speed had diminished and timing.

 

Raw power diminishes slowly yes, but factoring in speed & energy, there’s not a prayer Briggs felt the types of shots that cast Frazier asunder.

 

Probably as much a much between the two at their most powerful but you could perhaps give prime Foreman the P4P nod.

 

I don’t know what else you’d call it. Did you want him atomised?

 

This is an old post but for other people who haven’t made up there mind it doesn’t matter, it’s possible neither punched harder then Jack Dempsey either, if a guy can KO you with a good punch it’s enough.

 

Their right hands had similar power, both with straight rights and right uppercuts.

However, Foreman definitely had more power with his left hook.

 

Foreman fought a very controlled fight throwing predominantly short or shorter blows and a great straight from the shoulder jab. Hard to find fault with his technique here. The uppercut that caused the, I believe, second knockdown, was Herculean. Frazier was unconscious until he hit the canvas.

Fast forward to both Roman and Norton and George is throwing blows with more abandon. I’ve read he was actually trying to kill an opponent to shut up his critics. So instead of controlled fury we saw blows thrown with more wild but evil intent.

 

Holyfield said that an old Foreman was the hardest puncher he faced definitively, and he faced Tyson, Lewis, Bowe, and otherwise.

 

He wasn’t especially accurate vs Frazier, but it does appear he’s working hard to control himself. Still misses a lot…but then we go to his next fight (Roman), & he looks like he’s trying to throw his arms off his body a dozen rows deep into the crowd.

 

That’s via Fraziers head movement which was very good. No one can make every blow miss and when each one is an atomic bomb it only takes one.

Yes I absolutely feel that Foreman was trying to do what he now says he was trying to do….kill an opponent in the ring.