Is KO power more about technique or genetics?

Pacquiao is like a typhoon with gloves, comin’ at you from angles you didn’t even know existed. He’s got that God-given speed and explosiveness, sure, but what makes him a knockdown artist is he’s always setting traps, baby! He’s in and out, feintin’, movin’, and then—BAM!—he detonates a left hand you never saw, your brain’s still tryin’ to process the footwork. That’s not just technique, that’s instinct and deception, the art of surprise!

 

Timothy Bradley

 

That knockout in the first video is as vicious of a KO as anything we ever saw out of Golovkin, frankly.

 

Hearns had 10% percent KO in amateurs, and 78% in pros, he learned proper technique! Genes also have a lot in equation, but I think its more in proper technique, accuracy, timing and all of that which to some people also comes as natural, so the punch power is not the only thing coming from genes.

 

David Lemieux punches harder.

 

Genetics play a part. But most of it is belief and technical wisdom. If you visualise the outcome and want it bad enough you can execute that and if you have a trainer with knowledge they can take you to the place you need to go.

Key example, Tyson Fury.
Coming up, never seen as a KO artist. Compared to Price, seemed underpowered.
Then he got with Sugar Hill, of Kronk pedigree, and untapped potential was tapped yo!

Fury explained that his technique had been all wrong but Sugar taught him how to throw the big RH and get dem outta there.
And the results are pretty clear.

First Wilder fight Fury got no KD's of Wilder, but to be fair did hurt him with a single punch in the 12th and had him clinging on.
Second Wilder fight, Fury punched Wilder repeatedly for 8 rounds and though he couldn't actually stop him, the towel was thrown in.
A KO artist was born!
Third Wilder fight, Fury punched Wilder repeatedly for 11 rounds and got a KO.
Basically, as Sugar explained, Fury was now a true KO artist due to him.

Now, Fury in the old days did stop Cunningham with a small series of uppercuts after 7 rounds or so. He also dropped and got a towel stoppage of Hammer who was a tough guy Price/Povetkin couldn't get out of there. People could argue Fury's power looks really no different these days to his earlier years.
But then he stopped Whyte with one punch. Can that be explained?
Afterwards, he failed to even drop the mma fighter and Usyk in the next three fights, but probably just unlucky.

 

As someone noted earlier, a lot is commitment. But I'll add that it's commitment based on the experience that they can hurt opponents and are willing to risk more to land a fight-turning shot. Of course, they need the basics of power, twitch, a feel for leverage, good balance doesn't hurt. But a lot of it is being the dog that knows it can hurt it's opponent and believing in that.

 

its a combination of many things that fall under both technique and genetics. you need strong solid connection at your joints so you dont lose any energy at time of impact and it all gets transferred. that falls under genetics. and you need proper balance to create the maximum amount of leverage and torque in your punches. that requires proper positioning and extension of your body to deliver the energy. that takes technique.

 

The difference between Naoya and Takuma Inoue KO percentage is insane

 

Eimantas Stanionis has really solid fundamentals and turns his hands over properly, twists through his hips, and puts a lot of weight into his punches but just isn't much of a puncher. He can wear guys down via sheer volume but he just doesn't generate much power even when he hits guys square on the jaw.

Shakur Stevenson is another guy with good punch technique who can only really score clean KDs off of timing and balance. He rarely has his opponents hurt, even though he barks on his punches and steps in or sits down on his punches.

Takuma Inoue.

Vernon Forrest.

Tim Bradley.

Stephen Fulton.

Miguel Canto.

Caleb Plant.

Josh Warrington.

They all punch hard enough to get respect but none of them really tend to their opponents hit even when landing flush and rotating properly.

 

I think both are important factors.

Some boxers have a good physique and are explosive but don't know how to transmit power in their punches. By rotating their hips and torso, transmitted through their back, because it's the back and hips that are most important for having good power and a huge knockout rate. I'm thinking of Christian Bacasegua Rangel, for example, who doesn't know how to transmit power. But genetically the Mexican has even an enormous physique for the Super Flyweight (115 lbs ).

 

His power certainly improved...

But KO artist is still a bit of a stretch - he fought in that style only 5 times, winning mostly by TKO stoppages rather than knocking guys out so they couldn't beat a count.

For me it's more that... One of Fury's defining characteristics was always laziness - he'd never train hard for an opponent he didn't respect.

After the first Wilder fight, Fury didn't really fear Wilder's ability to knock him out if he wasn't gassed... And knew he could hurt him without punching all that hard.

So for the second, he could simply go in more aggressively, play it less safe in terms of avoiding getting hit and commit more to his punches and he'd get a stoppage win without needing 12 round stamina... And he was right.

Third? Same but further - he turned up in much worse shape knowing he was fighting someone who didn't deserve his respect and even if it took longer, he was still right.


For Usyk he trained much harder, but seemed to lose the sloppier aggressive style - and didn't get close to really hurting Usyk badly.

I think it comes down to that mindset and commitment again - he expected an exhibition against Ngannou, didn't really train properly and got hurt himself... Against Usyk, much bigger punchers hadn't stopped him and he'd have had zero chance on the cards (Fury's better, more developed style) if he'd been more aggressive and open, IMHO

 

I think it's all genetics, if power is something that can be gained later in boxing, then everyone would work on increasing punching power...