in the 70s if we were to rank top 3 hardest punchers

P4P you´d have to think of Alfonso Zamora and Danny Lopez.

 

Was Gerrie Coetzee ranked in the top 10 in 1979? Then he could be it. Otherwise, Lyle.

 

Weaver?

Not a harder puncher than Liston, but maybe than Lyle?

 

Gerry Cooney.

 

You think he was a harder puncher than Weaver?

 

Unsure. Coetzee had a big right hand. I will have to rewatch Weavers fights.

 

Ernie, George, Lyle, Coetzee and another guy for the conversation is Bernardo Mercado. He could absolutely crack.

 

I guess it also depends on how much of a fighter’s resume resides within the 70s and if their power was exhibited against a reasonable number of quality opposition within that defined resume.

Cleveland Williams poked his head into the 70s but wasn’t quite displaying the same power of old (at least not consistently applied) but was still packing a strong punch.

Same story for Liston.

We know Cooney was an elite puncher but is his resume, within that period, sufficiently reflective of that power to include him in 70s?

Jeff Merritt should be part of the conversation also.

Although Terrell was at the end of his career, Merritt saw him off in just 1 round. Merrit was also the only guy to drop Ron Stander - enroute to stopping Ron.

Merritt then went on to break Shavers jaw in sparring.

Of course such an injury isn’t always necessarily caused by the power of an absolute, elite puncher (see Al-Norton 1) but Merritt was a reputable puncher and Archie Moore was consequently sacked from Shavers camp for allowing Jeff to spar with Earnie.

 

Strangely, Joe Frazier’s name hasn’t come up. I would not want to get caught with that left hook. For that matter, I would not want get caught with Kenny Norton’s overhand right either. There were some bad dudes in the 70’s

 

Considering only HWs who did the bulk of their best work in the 70's, I'd guess Mac Foster as 3rd to Shavers and Foreman in terms of raw power.

 

All things considered, I might go with Ron Lyle.

But kudos to the OP, @NewChallenger , it’s an excellent question (and will likely generate informative discourse) as to who should hold the # 3 spot among the hardest punchers of the 70s.

Remember, George Foreman afforded that “kid” Cleveland Williams to be one of the hardest punchers he encountered (albeit in sparring).

Never mind that the “kid” happened to be 15 odd years George’s senior. Lol.

 

Does Duane Bobick deserve a mention? He hit pretty damn hard.

 

Really? I've always found Lyle laughably overrated but I would take him over Foster in a heart beat. Has Foster ever stopped (or even beaten) any top tenners?