Floyd Patterson said Johansson hit him harder than Liston

[Monkz]

Patterson and Johansson were great friends maybe Floyd is just giving his friend some praise.

[StarshipTrooper]

I never would've guessed that, but I think it's similar to: Shavers hit harder than Tyson, but as a HW I'd sure as hell rather face Shavers, because of Mike's ferocity, quickness and ability to string together effective combinations.

Liston was intimidating as hell, didn't care about what was coming back at him, and went after Patterson like he smacked his mama or something.

Yeah, people are a bit obsessed with power. The truth is, it's the better fighter who usually wins not the harder puncher. I'd personally rather face an average fighter with great power than a great fighter with average power.

Poet

[Jim Jeffries]

Yeah, people are a bit obsessed with power. The truth is, it's the better fighter who usually wins not the harder puncher. I'd personally rather face an average fighter with great power than a great fighter with average power.

Poet

Yeah you might be able to avoid that average fighter's money punches, but the great fighter is going to be hitting you all night.

[StarshipTrooper]

Yeah you might be able to avoid that average fighter's money punches, but the great fighter is going to be hitting you all night.

Exactly

[Benny Leonard]

Yeah, people are a bit obsessed with power. The truth is, it's the better fighter who usually wins not the harder puncher. I'd personally rather face an average fighter with great power than a great fighter with average power.

Poet

Speaking of Tyson, I've always felt that although he had power, if we really look at it, it was the training that made him so effective.

D'Amato's philosophy was about punches in bunches, hitting key "vital" points on the opponent with speed and accuracy, and to hit the opponent with a punch he doesn't see coming. Tyson had natural speed and power, but both, specifically the speed, was trained specifically to reach peak levels. That is what the "Willy" is for. I posted up an article about it.

Compare how he fought while with Rooney and after. As he got away from Rooney, it was already noted in the Ruddock fight how Tyson seemed a bit slower...and of course, less effective with his punches.

Now why was that?

Well, he tended to loop his punches. A little decrease in speed, and you can see the punches a little better. Also, he could be telegraphing his punches more because they are not longer "perfect" in the way he throws them. He is giving hints on when he is going to throw. And of course, especially, throwing one shot at a time, adding in all of the above, you can brace yourself for the shot unlike before when he is throwing a right-hook to the body, followed by an uppercut to the chin, followed by a left-hook to the head.

Plus, where was the Jab to get in the eyes of the opponent?
No longer there.

Although I do have to say, by the second Ruddock fight, he finally got that straight-right to really work on a solid level. But still, still not quite set-up like it should have been.

It's more about how effective you are as a fighter and how you can get those punches to the target before the fighter knows you are there.

[Benny Leonard]

Yeah you might be able to avoid that average fighter's money punches, but the great fighter is going to be hitting you all night.

Floyd Jr.

Even now, although he doesn't put together the combinations like he used to, and is more of a 1, 2, type fighter...he is so damn accurate with his punches I think it makes fighters cautious.

[CarlosG815]

I wonder which hurt worse, toonder or lightning?

[Benny Leonard]

Patterson and Johansson were great friends maybe Floyd is just giving his friend some praise.

I'm wondering if you could just see Liston's punches better. Maybe he was getting tagged by punches from Johansson he didn't see coming.

Although, would there still be an issue about feeling the power of them?

[StarshipTrooper]

Speaking of Tyson, I've always felt that although he had power, if we really look at it, it was the training that made him so effective.

D'Amato's philosophy was about punches in bunches, hitting key "vital" points on the opponent with speed and accuracy, and to hit the opponent with a punch he doesn't see coming. Tyson had natural speed and power, but both, specifically the speed, was trained specifically to reach peak levels. That is what the "Willy" is for. I posted up an article about it.

Compare how he fought while with Rooney and after. As he got away from Rooney, it was already noted in the Ruddock fight how Tyson seemed a bit slower...and of course, less effective with his punches.

Now why was that?

Well, he tended to loop his punches. A little decrease in speed, and you can see the punches a little better. Also, he could be telegraphing his punches more because they are not longer "perfect" in the way he throws them. He is giving hints on when he is going to throw. And of course, especially, throwing one shot at a time, adding in all of the above, you can brace yourself for the shot unlike before when he is throwing a right-hook to the body, followed by an uppercut to the chin, followed by a left-hook to the head.

Plus, where was the Jab to get in the eyes of the opponent?
No longer there.

Although I do have to say, by the second Ruddock fight, he finally got that straight-right to really work on a solid level. But still, still not quite set-up like it should have been.

It's more about how effective you are as a fighter and how you can get those punches to the target before the fighter knows you are there.

Good analysis! The old saying boxing is it's the punch you don't see coming that gets you out of there regardless of the power behind it.

I personally thought his combination punching was good against Rudduck although he may not have been quite as active with it as he had in years past. Also, the straight right was really Tyson's key weapon and Mike himself always said it was his best punch and watching his fights I'm convinced he was correct. People like to say his left hook was his money shot but the truth is if you watch his KOs it was usually the right that put his opponents lights out and the left hook was just gravy.....kind of a coup de grasse on the already finished foe.

Poet

[boxing boy]

I think if you asked the fighters at the time who they would rather fight Johansson or Liston,you would get a quick answer.

Although Eddie Machen managed to go 12 rounds with Liston,and Johansson KO'd Machen in the 1st round.