Always tough to gauge an ambiguous question like above. Is a big puncher the same as a KO artist? I guess you just try to find some kind of balance between "natural hitting ability" and success at the world level. So who do you think carries the biggest punch at 140 pounds? Regis Prograis obviously comes to mind, receiving a push amid the WBSS. Taylor's got a nice KO ratio going for him. Baranchyk? My heart tells my Troyanovsky but can you really give the honor to someone who is a notch and then some below elite? Couple years maybe it'll be Dadashev or Jukembayev. Got me thinking about Ritson. Ohara Davis would tell ya it's Ohara Davis.
Hardest single punch goes to Regis Progais. However, Taylor is the best in terms of hardest and fastest combination puncher. His ability to deliver a fast combination of 3+ punches where they are are hard shots is second to none at 140. Good to see someone recognising Dadashev or Jukembayev as rising stars in the game. Not sure why you have to have a dig at Ohara Davies, anyway Davies and Ritson are not top 5 or 10 fighters, they don't really come into this debate tbh.
As far as single, one punch raw power goes and the ability to land it on a world class opponent then i think it has to be Regis Prograis. I think Taylor throws better combos and is a better body puncher. For straight up murderous power though I don't think anyone has a claim like Prograis does though or is anywhere near as proven in landing it on world class opposition.
Taylor's hooks are brutal, those are his money shots, especially when he digs them to the body and really turns over on them. Hes the only one i think -- at the moment -- who has any claim to the title over Prograis and has proven it more against better or equal opposition.
Couldn't even drop Crolla's female dog Darleys Perez who beat his ass but was robbed blind by the 3 American judges. Crolla should have 2 wins over Perez, Perez who fought Hooker the following year after Crolla KO'd him should have Hooker's zero. This content is protected 'The Sky Sports pundits were surprised Maurice Hooker was awarded a draw against Darleys Perez and felt the judges scorecards did not reflect the fight. Maurice Hooker held on to his unbeaten record by claiming a controversial draw with Darleys Perez in Las Vegas. The American super-lightweight made a sluggish start and struggled to match the man that lost his WBA lightweight title to Antony Crolla a year ago, yet somehow avoided his first defeat. Hooker did wake up in the latter stages of the 10-rounder at the T-Mobile Arena, but even the American fans were stunned when the judges called it level at 97-93, 93-97 and 95-95. 'Darleys Perez dominated his fight with Maurice Hooker tonight on HBO pay-per-view. There’s really no other way to put it. The Colombian veteran, a former titleholder at 135 pounds, moved up to 140 and gave a boxing lesson to a 27-year-old fringe prospect, who was, for some reason, sold as something more this week. Hooker (21-0-3, 16 KO) got out with a draw, though, keeping his “0” and, with the help of judges Glenn Feldman and Robert Hoyle, robbed Perez (33-2-2, 21 KO) of a clear victory. The scores were 97-93 Perez (Adelaide Byrd), 97-93 Hooker (Hoyle), and 95-95 (Feldman). BLH had it 99-91 for Perez, and HBO’s Harold Lederman had it 97-93 for Perez. Perez landed 146 of 414 (35%) total punches, and 77 of 174 (44%) of his power shots, with Hooker at 104 of 486 (21%) total punches, and 62 of 156 (40%) on power shots. There was never a time in the fight where Hooker had any momentum, where the fight was really going his way, and Perez simply picked him apart with counters from the get-go, finding it terribly easy to hit Hooker clean. For Hooker, it’s a lucky break. For Perez, it’s a devastating miscarriage of justice, something that just should not have happened.'
I like Jukembayev great fan friendly style but hes going nowhere sadly. Not sold on Dadashev either but I have a bit more hope for him.
Yeah I know it was, Hooker's a career 140 pounder who has only boxed at that weight or above and Perez is 135 pounder. To be fair to Hooker, a 22-0 Gamboa couldn't stop Perez a couple of years before Crolla KO'd him either. Perez gave Gamboa a real tough nights work and that was the Cuban leprechaun's fight prior to facing gigantic 130 pounder Bud Crawford. Gamboa did manage to drop Perez in their fight though, but replays showed the punch had clearly sailed round the back of Perez's head and it was the wrong call by the ref. The ref chose not to count a KD in the 11th in favour of Perez after Gamboa hit the canvas, but to be fair it looked like Gamboa's foot had slipped on the canvas even though a scoring punch did land prior to him going down.
