Its like betting hedge your bets on who you think is number 1 and why?
If you think 1 guy had the strongest uppercut one the strongest straight right etc then pick the guy that you guess had the hardest punch period.
My Pick is Earnie Shavers! Since everyone said it, even those that lost to him, and had fought other hard hitters like foreman n lyle. Also most experts agree.
The hardest hitter I ever knew of was Bob Johnson. You never heard of him. He never lifted a weight in his life but was built like a toy super hero. He had so many muscles that one of them seemed to be an original, as I have never seen it on another individual. In street fights his body punches lifted or threw his opponents through the air as they collapsed in rag heaps.
His fist, at 15", made Liston's look small. They actually were like hammers. The palms were black from redwood sap. All day Bob loaded boxcars with raw lumber by hand, never using any gloves. Slivers he simply carved out with his jackknife. The size of his finger and hand callouses would have made karate masters cry with envy. All the streetfights he was in, he never hurt his hands.
He was not interested in athletics and he was not interested in how tough you thought you were. He worked hard and he wanted to have a good time in the bars afterwards. He had a wit, and no restrictions on what he said, though he was not a tease and a button pusher. Guys would get offended anyway, then they would stand back not quite knowing how they should proceed, eyeing him, keeping a lookout on those muscles. Quite often, one would get his nerve up and launch a Sunday punch. Then all bets were off. It was almost a requirement that the other guy hit him first, then came some comment such as, is that it, and then came the end of the other guy.
Like I said, he was not interested in seeing who could outbox the other. Even his stance was a mockery of the idea and of his opponent, being the exact picture pose popular with old time bareknuckle fighters, fists upturned.
He would hit you if he got a chance, he broke ribs and even collar bones with his punches, but any part of your body captured by his hand was enough to end the fight. Since you have already punched him in the face without warning, her feels justified whether he breaks your collar bone or your face, or merely seizes your windpipe and squeezes as you gurgle and beg. After a short speech a la Achilles in the Illiad, he releases his victim and goes back to the dance.
usually Joe Louis comes up in a thread of this nature.
like Christeo I change my mind often. lets go with max Bauer's right cross. This singular punch executed tore a man's brain and was indirectly responsible for the death of another (allegedly).
of course if this was not heavweights i would have to say Lazlo pap.
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