I wanted to know how you would compare Joe Frazier with other punchers in the 70's? I read a quote by Muhammad Ali who said after the Fight of The Century that Frazier was the hardest puncher around. Tell me where would you rank his power from 1-10? He obviously isn't on par with Foreman or Shavers, but I'd like to know where he was in comparison to Lyle and Foster. Also where he was in relation to 70's contenders that he beat like Quarry, Chuvalo, and Bonavena etc I know he had skill and more than just power, I'd like to see how much it really came in to play. I think one thing he had the set him apart was that he could land his hook with such speed and frequency.
Frazier could break bones with his left hook, but it was his fanatical commitment to attack that set him apart. Hugh Mcilvanney said it best in 1971; 'His work in the ring has a cumulative, percussive urgency, a mounting, destructive rhythm that corresponds to some private music in his head.'
No other great heavyweight of the last fifty years could match Joe Frazier when it came to relentless aggressiveness and work rate. - Chuck Johnston
The late 68-71 Frazier was a "wrecking machine". With Ali on the sidelines, it would have been interesting to see how "Old" Liston and Patterson would have fared against that Frazier.
I think Frazier was a noticably harder hitter than Hagler, certainly with his best punch. I think his power is a bit underrated now tbh. Of course i am only speaking of his left hook.
Joe was big puncher w the left hook without question .. what made him a great puncher was his speed and conditioning .. remember he put Ali down w a monster hook in the 15th round of a nasty fight ..
Frazier once said in an interview, that his left elbow had a natural "bend" in it (it didn't straighten all the way out), which allowed him to just "c0#k & fire" his left rapidly. (Bob Foster can attest to that)
Wow, never heard that one, but so well put. Joe didn't have that explosive one punch power, of a Shavers, Marciano, Louis. But they couldnt compare with his work rate (maybe Marciano could,MAYBE) Frazier was like that incoming tide. You know it's coming,not a damn thing u could do about it. And, most have a tendency to forget his excellent head movement, Prime Frazier made the fastest heavy every miss a ton of punches in the fight of the century.Even slipped his jab repeatedly, very few heavyweights were able to do that with a prime (or close to) prime Ali.