Who hit harder? Cleveland Williams or Rocky Marciano?

Marciano appeared to be the more effective power puncher.

 

well maybe Williams if the hardest of their shots were compared but I would bet Rocky threw more overall hard shots than most heavy weights including Williams

don't forget, Rocky wasn't that great overall, if he didn't hit hard he would not of been champ in the first place

 

This keeps coming up.

Williams was a huge puncher for certain, but he could not catch world class fighters with his best punches so I say Marciano is the better puncher.

Also Keene Simmons who fought both Rocky Marciano and Cleveland big cat Williams said Rocky hit harder in an interview with Ring Magazine that I have.

 

Simmons became a long term sparring partner for Marciano he may have had some loyalties there?
Archie Moore said Yvon Durelle hit harder than Marciano.:think
It's a question that will never be resolved.
Marciano certainly has the more impressive signature stoppages.

 

Due to his fanatical training regime Marciano could continue to throw his hardest shots right until the last bell.
This is imo, a big factor in his record of stoppages , he wore people out because he was non-stop, relentless aggression and always fitter than his opponents.

 

Exactly, one man can only speak as he finds. Durelle caught Moore cold and unsuspecting. Perhaps Moore paid the price for being less wary against Durelle than against Rocky? Either way is it better for Moore to promote Durelle since he won that fight and lost to Rocky?

My definition of a better puncher is one who knocks out fighters through all the levels (not just at the lesser to fringe range) but I fully accept that it is possible for a harder punch to be recorded scientifically on a machine by many other men not called Rocky Marciano.

To my mind, When it comes to punching power there is effective, consistent knockout power and hardest punch. Often they are two different things. Hardest punch is only ever any use if it can be consistently applied effectively. Just my opinion.:good

 

Marciano was hitting harder and more effectively. The results speak for themselves.

 

The thread asks who hit hardest, not who was the better puncher. As for Marciano having the highest KO percentage of all Heavyweghts. His fans ought to be very grateful Foreman came out of retirement after 10 years, because before that I'm almost sure his % age was either the same or better, with 44 - 2 ( 41 KO's )

 

20 men survived the distance with Cleveland williams, and a good number of them in 10 round fights. Aside from Terrell ( who beat him in the rematch ) who did Williams KO that was any good ?

 

Two things

If George Foreman had a slightly better KO percentage, this proves exactly what about Marciano?

And would Foreman have had a better KO percentage against rated fighters? One of the most impressive facts about Marciano is that his KO percentage did not fall significantly as he moved up in competition.


as for hitting hardest, I don't know how that can be measured outside of effective punching in the ring.

 

The answer is getting hit by both of them - Something I'm not exactly keen on trying.

 

Is there any impressive Cleveland Williams KOs even on film?

Most of the ones I've seen are just him clubbing over matched guys over and over again with crisp flush punches until a ref stoppage or they eventually slump over.

I know he has a good KO% against overmatched fighters, but I'm more impressed with his hand speed than actual power. Good snap no doubt, but more like a Holyfield style puncher, than a Foreman, Liston, or Marciano type that knocks guys over and puts them to sleep with visually powerful looking shots.

 

It can't, that's why I said it's a question that can never be resolved.

You can take opponents of either that went the distance and ask would they have done so against the other man?
If my life depended on an answer I'd guess Williams had better one shot power, but that Marciano threw more power shots and for the duration of his fights.

 

I think this sums it up for me.