Is Joe Louis the Greatest Pure Puncher of All Time?

[joseph5620]

All around punching ability. Combination of speed, power, accuracy, technique, etc.

Oh ok. I would say Robinson.

[Wild Blue Yonda]

All around punching ability. Combination of speed, power, accuracy, technique, etc.

By this definition, Louis is as good an answer as any man in history. The area he pulls away from some other contenders for the mantle is in technique.

[Steak]

Ive always considered Thomas Hearns the overall best puncher in the history of boxing. I mean, this is a man with frightening power, and yet could outbox the likes of Wilfredo Benitez, Ray Leonard and then go up to LHW and outbox Virgil Hill.

I dont know of any other Welterweight to go up to Cruiserweight and get a KO win over a former Cruiserweight champ either.

Hearns' problem was defence and durability...offensively I might have to consider him the best offensive fighter of all time.

[cja07007]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKA8f0Oya3k

This was posted a wile back somewhere on the site but watching Louis in such good quality really makes you appreciate him as a puncher.

[RubenSonny]

Ive always considered Thomas Hearns the overall best puncher in the history of boxing. I mean, this is a man with frightening power, and yet could outbox the likes of Wilfredo Benitez, Ray Leonard and then go up to LHW and outbox Virgil Hill.

I dont know of any other Welterweight to go up to Cruiserweight and get a KO win over a former Cruiserweight champ either.

Hearns' problem was defence and durability...offensively I might have to consider him the best offensive fighter of all time.

Sam Langford was knocking out better opposition from LW to HW imo he should be number 1.

[RubenSonny]

Barbados Joe should be mentioned, he never weighed above WW and knocked out HW.

[Steak]

Sam Langford was knocking out better opposition from LW to HW imo he should be number 1.

I have extremely limited video of him, and most of it is distorted. I can not conclusively state how good of a puncher he is without seeing proof of it in video.

also, in those days guys like Tommy Burns(who was Light Heavyweight size naturally) were Heavyweight champs, so it wasnt like Langford was doing something unheard of before.
Ive seen (scarce) footage of Burns, and from the little Ive seen....not very impressive.

Not to discredit Langford, who seemed to fight everyone from lightweight to heavyweight, but I dont think much of the Heavyweight division that existed back then.

[Perfect Plex]

I have extremely limited video of him, and most of it is distorted. I can not conclusively state how good of a puncher he is without seeing proof of it in video.

also, in those days guys like Tommy Burns(who was Light Heavyweight size naturally) were Heavyweight champs, so it wasnt like Langford was doing something unheard of before.
Ive seen (scarce) footage of Burns, and from the little Ive seen....not very impressive.

Not to discredit Langford, who seemed to fight everyone from lightweight to heavyweight, but I dont think much of the Heavyweight division that existed back then.

Even though Jack Johnson is considered by most a top 5 HW ATG?

[RubenSonny]

I have extremely limited video of him, and most of it is distorted. I can not conclusively state how good of a puncher he is without seeing proof of it in video.

also, in those days guys like Tommy Burns(who was Light Heavyweight size naturally) were Heavyweight champs, so it wasnt like Langford was doing something unheard of before.
Ive seen (scarce) footage of Burns, and from the little Ive seen....not very impressive.

Not to discredit Langford, who seemed to fight everyone from lightweight to heavyweight, but I dont think much of the Heavyweight division that existed back then.

For a very short time after Jeffries retired and he was beaten by Johnson after 2 years, thats a very unfair summary of Langfords era. Langford KO'ed an ATG HW in Wills and an Iron-chinned great in Jeanette (footage has recently come out, I'll have a look for the link tomorrow), not to mention KOing John Lester Johnson(a man who gave a young Dempsey hell) in a round, and an all time great LHW in Philadelphia Jack O'brien. Theres so much more I could go into aswell, just read up on himand definately watch the Jeanette fight.

[louis54]

joe louis . no doubt. power, speed, accuracy with short brutal power and combos. everybody else second. imagine if louis was a welter.