Rate these HW champions' punching power

ribtickler68 · Nov 17, 2014

Boxed Ears said: ↑

Trying to go by my usual criteria for 1-10 on punching power, ten is a guy that regularly puts out one-shot kayo danger on his punches, wherever, whenever, whoever, grazing, dull, sharp, be afraid, very afraid and five being dead average, none of these guys being under average or even quite as low as dead average, in my opinion:

Liston - 10 Period. The only thing I've never nitpicked on Liston. You had to fear every single thing he ever threw.

Ali - 6-6.5, when he sat down on shots. His timing, technique when he was going for it and bit above average power together made him dangerous with either hand over the distance.

Frazier - 7-8 Frazier is the ultimate missing link between a guy who is just heavy-handed and an elite puncher. He's more than just a heavy-handed banger with his best shot, but he's clearly not your Liston or your Wlad.

Foreman - 10 He didn't land like Liston, it was a different kind of power. He was more likely to displace you than make you nap but he could do either without even hitting the button. But even if he punches at the target instead of through it, even if he hits you in places that don't normally do the most damage, you know you're in danger of losing it at any time. He's a genuine freak specimen, like Liston.

Holmes - 6-6.5, similar to Ali. The skill, timing and speed of his shots effectively got knockouts. But he could still have the odd distance fights with guys he had every advantage over which he was beating up. Above average power, but not a puncher. Just off it.

Tyson - 8-9. Tyson might land a ten on you at times and when he wanted it the nines were always there but it was mostly eights fired in rapid, expert combinations that made him a dangerous puncher and knockout artist. Not quite the top brute force, on average, but a true puncher, just a notch off the tiniest group.

Holyfield - 6-6.5 Another Holmes and Ali type puncher. Stronger than average but the accuracy and technique made him dangerous. Not quite a puncher but such a deadly combination puncher who can get so much leverage into the right shots, few would dare being careless with him. Produced some KD's over very durable men but also had his times where if a true puncher was landing his weight behind his shots on some of the guys Holy did, they'd be out, plain and simply. A notch off heavy-handed.

Bowe - 7.5-8 Probably here, right between a Holy and a Tyson. Heavy hands, capable of finding the odd fireworks, very hurtful, lots of weight behind well-delivered shots.

Lewis - 9-10 All that weight behind the will when he had the switch turned on to being aggressive, get the hell back. Always had the stopping power for an early blowout, not the tops at carrying it late but before it gets late, he's an elite puncher for sure, if not quite the highest number. Just tremendous force from a huge man.

Vitali - 7.5-8 at his best, Bowe-like, but one of the few whose power wasn't the last to go, probably dropped back to a 7 later, maybe even a 6. When his technique was at its peak for delivering the power, he was a puncher. Not an elite one, but more than modestly heavy-handed. You shouldn't be deceived by the drastically different model that showed up against the likes of Sosnowski, who I seriously doubt goes two rounds against the Danny Williams Vitali.

Wlad - 9-10 - Not quite enough early, early deals with a shot to say 10 for certain, but if he's not, he's damned close and he carries it late like very few. Any time the fight is on, you might be abruptly ended, so he's at least a nine. He's put down too many durable guys with a shot, and put away some who went a fairly full career without going down into a brief sleep. Still hard to gauge if you're splitting hairs with his constant attention to never over-extending himself, therefore not getting some knockouts he maybe could've scored in dramatic fashion against opponents trying to bait him out of balance.
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Excellent summary! Spot on, in my opinion.

Flea Man · Nov 17, 2014

Big Ukrainian said: ↑

From 1 to 10 (1 means completely pillow-fisted, 10 means the hardest possible hitter)

Liston 8
Ali 6
Frazier 7
Foreman 10
Holmes 6
Tyson 9
Holyfield 7
Bowe 8
Lewis 10
Vitali 7
Wlad 10
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Off the top of my head.

Mendoza · Nov 17, 2014

Liston 10
Ali 6.5
Frazier 8
Foreman 10
Holmes 7
Tyson 10
Holyfield 7.5
Bowe 9
Lewis 10
Vitali 9
Wlad 10

ForemanJab · Nov 17, 2014

Liston 8
Ali 3
Frazier 6.5
Foreman 10
Holmes 6.5
Tyson 9
Holyfield 6.5
Bowe 8.5
Lewis 10
Vitali 8.5
Wlad 10

Entaowed · Nov 18, 2014

Liston rated not above an 8 by several? Too low. His freakish proportions, massively long arms, huge hands, & just watch the leverage he gets into some shots....Hard not to rate him a 10.

As I said above, some lesser fighters likely hit about as hard. Very few, but another likely is Butterbean. Single shot power, not overal boxing skill or H2H match up.

ForemanJab Ali 3? Absurd, sitting down on punches he hit just about as hard as Holmes. I think you have Frazier low too, deserves ~ an 8.

jcr22683 · Nov 18, 2014

Foreman stated that Gerry ****ey was one of the hardest punchers he ever faced

Mendoza · Nov 21, 2014

Steward:

He’s the most accurate, single-punch knockout guy I have seen.

Roach:

Punch for punch I think Klitschko probably hits a little bit harder but Mike’s much more explosive.

Tommy Brooks:

Wladimir Klitschko has higher single-punch power than Mike Tyson!

Ronnie Shields claimed:

Wladimir hits harder than a prime Mike Tyson.

^^^The above trainers worked with Wlad

VVMM · Nov 21, 2014

obviousalt said: ↑

Wlad, Foreman and Lewis are their own category.
Though I do think Wlad is the harder puncher with single shots than Lewis who was a much better combination puncher.
Foreman is his own sort of puncher, more heavy than sharp but still equally as destructive as the other 2.

Bowe/Liston/Tyson in the second category.
Destructive punchers but not having the same sharpness or brute strength as the previous 3.

Vitali/Frazier in the third.
Frazier had a brilliant left hook but was not as sharp as Tyson, Vitali is a bit of an arm puncher but a 250 pound will hurt you no matter what kind of punch he throws.

Holyfield very closely follows the third. His stoppage over Tyson and dropping Mercer was brilliant.
Smart puncher but doesn't have the raw brute power of the previous ones.

Holmes, respectable puncher but certainly not a banger.

Ali, hampered by hand problems and never showed very good one punch power. I think Liston is the only man he managed to drop in the first and I that knockdown was certainly suspect.

I'd guess category 1 is a 10.
2 is a 8-9
3 is around a 7.5
Holy a 7
Holmes a 6
Ali a 5
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Is your opinion a joke about Tyson?
Check Ruddock's or Golota's health after Tyson.
Tyson could knock Botha out by classic one punch ko but
Lewis and w. klitschko couldn't.
And Tyson fought a better younger Botha.
By a Botha opinion Tyson was harder puncher than Lewis or wladimir.
Botha was in the ring with these fighters at least.I think the wladimir ball-licker trainers weren't.

VVMM · Nov 21, 2014

Ra's Al-Ghul said: ↑

John L. Sullivan 8
James J. Jeffries 9
Jack Dempsey 8
Max Schmeling 7
Max Baer 8
Joe Louis 9
Jersey Joe Walcott 7
Rocky Marciano 10
Ingemar Johannsson 8
Sonny Liston 9
Muhammed Ali 5
Joe Frazier 8
George Foreman 10
Earnie Shavers 9
Larry Holmes 6
Gerry ****ey 8
Mike Tyson 9
Frank Bruno 7
Evander Holyfield 6
Ray Mercer 8
Tommy Morrison 8
Rid**** Bowe 8
Lennox Lewis 8
Herbie Hide 9
David Tua 9
Vitaly Klitschko 10
Corrie Sanders 8
Wladimir Klitschko 9
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Lennox only 8 ? Tyson only 9 ?
Who was v. klitschko best ko victim?
Hide 9 is a joke.
Sorry but your list sucks.

Entaowed · Nov 21, 2014

9 is very high, that is plenty for Tyson. His combinations & accuracy & the fact of his speed making it hard to brace for or roll with impact maximized his force. He hit VERY hard by any standards, except a few hit harder. Tua was one, Foreman, Shavers, likely Lewis & Wlad a bit....

And some 2nd tier fighters who were not nearly as good likely hit harder with 1 punch. Ruddock, maybe Morrison on steroids left hook, Bruno, Butterbean...

Things are not black & white, a guy can hit really hard & his punches have even greater impact due to effectiveness described as above, & volume...

Best KO victim is a terrible way to decide who hit harder, since MANY things & skills go into who you KO & how often.
We are trying to isolate pure punching force FROM all those other factors.

UnleashtheFURY · Nov 21, 2014

obviousalt said: ↑

Wlad, Foreman and Lewis are their own category.
Though I do think Wlad is the harder puncher with single shots than Lewis who was a much better combination puncher.
Foreman is his own sort of puncher, more heavy than sharp but still equally as destructive as the other 2.

Bowe/Liston/Tyson in the second category.
Destructive punchers but not having the same sharpness or brute strength as the previous 3.

Vitali/Frazier in the third.
Frazier had a brilliant left hook but was not as sharp as Tyson, Vitali is a bit of an arm puncher but a 250 pound will hurt you no matter what kind of punch he throws.

Holyfield very closely follows the third. His stoppage over Tyson and dropping Mercer was brilliant.
Smart puncher but doesn't have the raw brute power of the previous ones.

Holmes, respectable puncher but certainly not a banger.

Ali, hampered by hand problems and never showed very good one punch power. I think Liston is the only man he managed to drop in the first and I that knockdown was certainly suspect.

I'd guess category 1 is a 10.
2 is a 8-9
3 is around a 7.5
Holy a 7
Holmes a 6
Ali a 5
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:deal

cuchulain · Nov 22, 2014

In approximate order:

Foreman
Liston
Wlad
Lewis
Tyson
Frazier
Holmes
Bowe
Vitali
Ali
Holyfield

Big Ukrainian · Nov 22, 2014

cuchulain said: ↑

In approximate order:

Foreman
Liston
Wlad
Lewis
Tyson
Frazier
Holmes
Bowe
Vitali
Ali
Holyfield
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I know that cuchulain dislikes Bowe and Holyfield, but come on.

Holmes hit harder than Bowe and Vitali? In what Universe?

I like Holmes, and rank him #3 after Ali and Louis, but Bowe hit much, much harder than Larry. Same with Vitali, especially the younger version from early 2000s.

TheOldTimer · Nov 23, 2014

Big Ukrainian said: ↑

From 1 to 10 (1 means completely pillow-fisted, 10 means the hardest possible hitter)

Liston 9
Ali 8
Frazier 8
Foreman 9
Holmes 7
Tyson 10
Holyfield 8
Bowe 8
Lewis 9
Vitally 9
Wlad 7
Click to expand...

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