Who was the strongest heavyweight puncher of all time?

[whdempsey]

every1 knows louis can hit but compared to these heavy weights as foreman and like tyson fuuuuuuuuck nooooooooo!!!!!

You're so ****in ignorant. I don't even have to justify this statement, you've done it yourself.

[whdempsey]

I suppose you mean Joe Louis.

You are the ignorant. Dempsey is a medium size cruiseweight today, and Louis is a small heavyweight, no way they hit like Foreman or Tua.

Oh my God! A typo! You have certainly proven yourself more knowledgeable by pointing out a typo! You must be a motha****in genius, mustn't you!?

How in the world can you say that two of the all-time great hitters, who knocked out men 40 and 50 pounds heavier than they were, can't hit like more contemporary fighters? It seems like your argument has everything to do with era, and not punching power. And I disagree. I sincerely believe that I am not "the ignorant."

[whdempsey]

Oh my God! A typo! You have certainly proven yourself more knowledgeable by pointing out a typo! You must be a motha****in genius, mustn't you!?

How in the world can you say that two of the all-time great hitters, who knocked out men 40 and 50 pounds heavier than they were, can't hit like more contemporary fighters? It seems like your argument has everything to do with era, and not punching power. And I disagree. I sincerely believe that I am not "the ignorant."

Actually, it seems like Imira is all over this. I guess I don't have to continue arguing.

[rge]

Oh my God! A typo! You have certainly proven yourself more knowledgeable by pointing out a typo! You must be a motha****in genius, mustn't you!?

Man, I only asked you a question, no need to get angry!

How in the world can you say that two of the all-time great hitters, who knocked out men 40 and 50 pounds heavier than they were, can't hit like more contemporary fighters? It seems like your argument has everything to do with era, and not punching power. And I disagree. I sincerely believe that I am not "the ignorant."

I'd like to discuss that, in peace. We can have different ideas and not necessarily one ignorant. My idea is that the guys they koed weren't built like Rahman (235lb muscle+bone), Lewis (same), for example, Willard of Dempsey fight wasn't all muscle+bone, because, in part, other training methods were used these times, and in Willard example, he was getting older.
So they ko guys big, but differently built. Size affects on taking a punch: if Ricky Hatton balloons up to 187lb, he won't take the same punch as Dempsey, who is naturally bigger.
Census shows that people is getting bigger in developed countries: in Holland shows that currently average height is 6'1" for men (same as Dempsey), and 30 years ago it was 5'7".
Before 1905 a 160+lb guy were heavyweight, William Joppy enters the ring at that weight, do you think he can take a Lewis punch, or that he can beat Lewis? eras changed.

Also, the gloves were different.

[rge]

Only Max Baer and Joe Louis ever KO'd him when he was in his prime. So, I'd have to say that you've made an unfair observation.

It's fair.

Oscar de la Hoya was the first (maybe the only) to kd Hector Camacho at welterweight, but he hasn't the power of, say, Trinidad, at that category. What happened is that Oscar made a precise, and at the right moment, 45º punch. Same for Carnera being ko by Louis, note that Louis is a fine puncher, with high precision and timing.

Also, Carnera, before facing Louis boxed in maybe the worst era of heavyweights, the beginning of 1930 decade was bad.

[Kid Achilles]

You guys are obsessing about muscle mass too much and neglecting skeletal size. Skeletal size and bone structure is the reason lightweights cannot put on a few pounds and beat the crap out of the welterweights, or the middleweights the light heavyweights etc. It is not hard to put on muscle mass in this day and age. If you are dedicated, gaining 30 or more pounds of muscle without the use of steroids is very possible.

However, muscle mass does not allow you to punch much harder and has very little effect on your ability to take a punch. Look at the 350 lb Bob Sapp. If muscle mass really helps a man absorb a punch than explain to me why he is routinely knocked out or at least hurt by men half his size? His neck and trap muscles would make Mike Tyson envious, and yet it doesn't help his chin at all.

So listen to me, Joe Louis was a heavyweight. He weighed 195-200 in most of his fights because that's what he trained down to, but in spite of that he was more than competitive with the 220+ lb heavyweights he fought. If Rahman fought in that era he'd weigh around 200 lbs as well, and would have much better stamina and almost as much power.

In fact, the only thing the modern Rahman has against a 200 lb version of himself is strength in the clinches and a bit of punching power. This is a significant advantage but the loss of stamina and handspeed he recies for beingthat size completely nullifies it.

I would absolutely put my money on a 205 pound Hasim Rahman who never picked up a weight over a bloated 240 lb meathead who benchpresses 500 pounds (in a boxing match I mean, not in a streetfight where he can grab and hit). His jab would be snappier, his footwork much smoother (joints such as the knees never get bigger or stronger, they just become more stressed with more weight) and overall he would be a more lethal opponent.

Bigger is better in boxing, but only if it's natural size. Overloading your frame with muscle mass does not make you a better boxer. Look at Muhammad Ali, who only did calisthenics and had a strong athletic body, one of the best bodies in heavyweight history in my opinion. Are you telling me Ali would have been better at 240+ lbs and 18" biceps? Not a chance.

If more fighters stuck to their natural weights, the sport would be better off.

[rge]

Kid Achilles, thanks for your reply, in post 104 I considered bone, I agree with you on that. I agree that (generally, not always) bigger is better, if naturally, I commented about it before too.

We are talking about punching power, so all what you said about Ali at 240, Rahman at 240, etc., I don't comment, I agree with most though.

About Rahman would have been 200 instead of 235 in Louis era, I didn't consider it, it depends on your fantasy matchup, I consider the guys like we knew them, you seem to adjust weight.

[phallus]

You guys are obsessing about muscle mass too much and neglecting skeletal size. Skeletal size and bone structure is the reason lightweights cannot put on a few pounds and beat the crap out of the welterweights, or the middleweights the light heavyweights etc. It is not hard to put on muscle mass in this day and age. If you are dedicated, gaining 30 or more pounds of muscle without the use of steroids is very possible.

However, muscle mass does not allow you to punch much harder and has very little effect on your ability to take a punch. Look at the 350 lb Bob Sapp. If muscle mass really helps a man absorb a punch than explain to me why he is routinely knocked out or at least hurt by men half his size? His neck and trap muscles would make Mike Tyson envious, and yet it doesn't help his chin at all.

So listen to me, Joe Louis was a heavyweight. He weighed 195-200 in most of his fights because that's what he trained down to, but in spite of that he was more than competitive with the 220+ lb heavyweights he fought. If Rahman fought in that era he'd weigh around 200 lbs as well, and would have much better stamina and almost as much power.

In fact, the only thing the modern Rahman has against a 200 lb version of himself is strength in the clinches and a bit of punching power. This is a significant advantage but the loss of stamina and handspeed he recies for beingthat size completely nullifies it.

I would absolutely put my money on a 205 pound Hasim Rahman who never picked up a weight over a bloated 240 lb meathead who benchpresses 500 pounds (in a boxing match I mean, not in a streetfight where he can grab and hit). His jab would be snappier, his footwork much smoother (joints such as the knees never get bigger or stronger, they just become more stressed with more weight) and overall he would be a more lethal opponent.

Bigger is better in boxing, but only if it's natural size. Overloading your frame with muscle mass does not make you a better boxer. Look at Muhammad Ali, who only did calisthenics and had a strong athletic body, one of the best bodies in heavyweight history in my opinion. Are you telling me Ali would have been better at 240+ lbs and 18" biceps? Not a chance.

If more fighters stuck to their natural weights, the sport would be better off.

great post, as always kid

[Mr. Violence]

George Foreman had the strongest one punch power of all time

[bor2shan]

Rocky marciano could shatter a chin like no one else could. He definitely got my vote. I have noticed that the Rock was much more of a brawler than a boxer though.