Where did Rocky Marciano get his amazing power from? He wasn't ripped or huge like Anthony Joshua

I don't think either one was the most devistating puncher and neither lifted. Genetics.
Back muscles can play a small roll arm muscles dont make any difference

 

Marciano was ripped when in ring shape. But his power came from the same place as any big puncher.....bad intentions, leverage, timing, and genetics.

[url]https://images.app.goo.gl/MC3GcHSuwuF2LNu76[/url]

 

Marciano had a heavy build and seemed to have large, dense bone structure.

He would step into his punches and use his lower body to generate torque. Also put a lot of shoulder into his punches and would commit fully into them.

He honestly seemed to be born with power. You don't need massive arms to punch hard but forearms seem to be important. Most big punchers have well developed forearms.

 

Low center of gravity and shorter reach.
While that may work against you in a lot of other aspects, if you do manage to get inside on your opponent and land, you can generate incredible power behind your punches

 

Don't try to find a correlation between punching power, and a fighters physique, because you won't succeed.

The two hardest punching welterweights of all time, are probably Barbados Joe Walcott, and Tommy Hearns, and they are about as different physically as you can get.

The hardest puncher that ever lived, could pretty much look like anything!

 

Rocky didn't chop wood...Joe Louis did for one! Jack Dempsey soaked his face in brine to toughen his skin...not Marciano!!!

 

And there it is @mark ant.

End thread.

 

He was ripped for the times, he was around 5'11" 190lbs

 

Throw Sam Langford into that equation as well. Built like a beer barrel, freakishly long arms. Ko'd guys left and right.

 

You're onto something Rules. Some guys intuitively know how their body mechanics work. It's similar to when you might see a little kid instinctively figuring out how to sprint and use a tremendous explosive speed when running on the playground. It could be a subconscious thing, like how we many of us use our right hand and favor it when lifting things as we develop and end up right hand with power in right straight as we punch.

Holmes and Foreman are a perfect example of how drastically different two boxers can hit despite being the same height, weight, and age. Sure Foreman was bulkier than Holmes but it wasn't like was dwarfing him and Holmes actually had underrated physical strength. I've seen it happen personally in the gym, 2 guys in the same weight class, similar size, same trainer, yet 1 hits way harder than the other somehow.

Transferring weight is a big factor, but also the way you are taught how to punch. Some trainers have you hit the mitts/heavybag but fail to mention that you aren't aiming "at" the target but to follow through and aim for what's behind the target. If you do not teach this lesson then boxers may hold back without realizing it, punching more like a whip as opposed to a battering ram. This is part of the reason we have so many different kinds of punchers. You've got sharp counter punchers, guys that bludgeon you with heavy clubbing shots, explosive fast twitch dynamite punchers, guys who are feather fisted, etc. Some guys are aware of this and alter their style on purpose, others are doing it unintentionally because they were taught poorly or they just can't get the hang of things naturally.

 

I thought this was very clear, but some people are under the weird belief Rocky somehow had devastating 1 punch KO power while simultaneously throwing lots of shots with volume over 15 rounds. I guess the guys he fought had the greatest chins of all time?

Rocky's own opponents commented that it was his stamina and non stop aggression that got them, not so much just the raw power.

 

I think where people start maybe exaggerating his power is in reaction to posters understating his knockout ability and using it as a weapon to detract from his h2h ability. Personally I think Marciano was a significantly hard hitter. Was he the hardest hitting heavyweight ever or punched through walls? Absolutely not. However he had great power but an even better ability to put that to use which is why he was so great. He could put most any fighter out if he landed flush on the chin but so could alot of fighters.

 

Not quite. Earnie Shavers and George Foreman were the most devastating punchers in history. Shavers wasn't particularly muscular, while George definitely had some noticeable mass.

Heck, Wilder punches harder than Tyson and Lewis and he's a stick.

Leverage first. Mass can help, but leverage first.

 

Lennox Lewis did not have very muscular arms. Maybe relative to the average couch potato... He actually is a guy I would bring up for muscles being over rated in boxing. He was always very lean, even when older. A true ectomorph.

Wlad and Joshua are tall boxers with very muscular arms.

 

A lot of throwing with power is having the balls to be in range and dig down to your feet for leverage on your shots. Marciano did this over and over again. Totally fearless. He committed to his punches absolutely and endured the return fire.