The Hardest Punchers of the 90s Ranked from Quotes

This post is gonna be a lot of logical fallacy and is gonna be easy to poke holes in, I'm simply going off of what certain fighters have said through the years, with attention to consistency.


Getting statements out of the way:

-Larry Holmes and pretty much any man that fought him claims Earnie Shavers as the hardest puncher:
"Earnie hit me harder than any other fighter, including Mike Tyson. He hit me and I was face down on the canvas hearing saxophonist Jimmy Tillis"
-Larry Holmes

"Hardest he's ever been hit: Earnie Shavers. The ground came up and met me. That's all I remember."
-Ron Lyle

"The baddest motherf*cker I fought was Earnie Shavers. That motherf*cker can make July into June and made me jump over the motherf*ckin' moon. That motherf*cker hit so hard, he'll bring back tomorow. He hit me so hard, I thought I was on the corner smoking cigarette and eating a spam sandwich. That's how hard that motherf*cker hit."
-James Tillis (if anybody questions the validity of this claim by saying Tillis never said Shavers hit the "hardest", i will laugh)

-Holyfield claims Foreman hit him the hardest

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-Ray Mercer claims Morrison hit him the hardest

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-Mercer ALSO claims that Lewis hits harder than Wlad:
http://mid-south-boxing.2299399.n4....hers-Knockout-Percentages-1977-td4663174.html

-Foreman claims Ron Lyle hit him the hardest (This is one of the things he's actually consistent on so ill take it)

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-Byrd states that Wlad hit harder than Vitali

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-Marvis Frazier states that Tyson hit him the hardest (kinda obvious)
http://mid-south-boxing.2299399.n4....hers-Knockout-Percentages-1977-td4663174.html

-Leroy Caldwell (getting desperate here), loosely claims that Foreman hit harder than Lyle, though says Shavers hits the hardest
https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/who-george-foreman-earnie/87251


Based on all of this, we can come to the (loose) conclusion that:

Shavers (due to everyone) > Foreman (due to Caldwell) > Lyle (due to Foreman) > Morrison (due to Mercer) > Lewis (due to Mercer) > Wladimir (due to Byrd) > Vitali

Tyson (due to Frazier) > Holmes (still obvious)

Foreman (due to Holyfield) > Tyson, though Tyson has no definitive place on this list.

Though i know hes a forum favorite, i could not find any definitive quotes on David Tua. I couldn't find any definitive quote comparing Tyson to the Klitschkos, Lewis, etc, minus one from Freddie Roach saying the Klitschkos hit harder, but it isn't a good source. There's also a loose statement from Foreman implying that Cooney hit harder than Morrison. Lewis was asked multiple times about the punchers he faced but he always dodges the questions, so that created a divide.

Seems that the Klitschkos are overrated, and that Morrison is underrated.

 

Foreman is inconsistent in the moment alot, and on a few other things, but he most always says Lyle hit the hardest. Both in the interview from Hanza's Cleveland Williams vid to the tweet I posted

Also gonna point this out again:

 

Luckily for me, Williams didn't fight in the 90s

Bruno's power is legitimate, a look at his resume would tell you that, but I didn't know it was THAT legitimate. I might need to do more research

 

Shaver's prime was during that period (same as Lyle), but they actually fought during the 90s as well. Shavers himself making a mediocre comeback

 

I can see that, honestly. Holy never had great power, just a good workrate to swarm.

I get that. Same with me and Liston/Foreman

 

Integrity is an important thing to keep in mind when chosing who to quote, I agree. I'd personally trust a quote from Louis rather than, say, Holmes

 

He's almost like a more well-managed Bob Satterfield