I'm no expert on bio-mechanics, but there strikes me as a clear difference in the way a taller leaner fighter punches compared to a shorter stockier one, assuming both are of equal "athleticism" (a vague term I know).
A tall fighter seems to be able to generate much more snap and leverage on his shots, straight shots in particular, and tends to engage his shoulders and upper body more, whilst generally punching down on opponents. A shorter stockier fighter can get tremendous explosivity out of hooks, uppercuts and other punches which require torque and is generally punching upward with the legs and core. Both are capable of dealing tremendous damage to opponents, though it sometimes seems that fighters are more vulnerable to one and more resistant to the other. That's why I find it difficult to just rate someone's power on a linear scale.
What separated Tua from the crowd, IMO, was his physical strength, which struck me as immense. Like Foreman, Tua just seemed like a really strong dude, but unlike Foreman he also had handspeed, technique and explosive power to go with it. Unfortunately, his height limited his chances to truly land the devastating blows on better opponents, as well as his poor boxing abilities. As a pure puncher though, Jesus!
True. I sometimes get the same impression with Mayweather, that he could throw much harder punches if he wanted to but chooses not to compromise himself or give his opponents any unnecessary opportunities. At the very upper level of the sport, punching power becomes secondary to a lot of other things that could cost you the fight if you ignore them, things like ring control, maintaining your defence and distance, and so on. Whilst there have of course been hard punching champions, I think you're more likely to see the hardest punches thrown at the mid level of the sport, where fighters can sell out on shots to get the win.
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