Harder puncher, Liston or Foreman?

[Aidanboxing]

I got foreman on this one

[Fury4daWIN]

" I’ve fought George Foreman, I’ve fought Lennox Lewis and Vitali’s the best. He hits harder than Foreman, he’s got incredibly fast hands.” Shannon Briggs

Anyone making claims the 6'7 250 pounder was not at least slight heavy handed is truly not in sync with reality , Vitali hurt guys with even more arm punching than Foreman did which made him harder to hit without putting much body into it letting him throw from a longer distance. Foreman i think has the power edge but who knows how hard Vitali could have hit with more committed punching technique ?

I think it's clear Foreman generated more power per shot than Vitali ever did, no matter what Briggs might say (and for the record, I don't automatically take what a fighter says about another fighter's power at face value: too many factors involved).

Thing with Foreman is people like to paint him as some sort of stiff arm punching robot. The majority of his shots were actually thrown with a loose whipping style of motion that generated a lot of torque and got a lot of his bodyweight behind it. This isn't obvious in comparison to someone like Tyson or Tua who were all about generating maximum torque from their legs, torso, shoulders etc, but compare him to someone like Arreola (a genuine arm puncher IMO) and it becomes very obvious.

Foreman was strong as hell, of course, and that played a factor, but his shots were by no means all brute power.

[juggernaut666]

I think it's clear Foreman generated more power per shot than Vitali ever did, no matter what Briggs might say (and for the record, I don't automatically take what a fighter says about another fighter's power at face value: too many factors involved).

Thing with Foreman is people like to paint him as some sort of stiff arm punching robot. The majority of his shots were actually thrown with a loose whipping style of motion that generated a lot of torque and got a lot of his bodyweight behind it. This isn't obvious in comparison to someone like Tyson or Tua who were all about generating maximum torque from their legs, torso, shoulders etc, but compare him to someone like Arreola (a genuine arm puncher IMO) and it becomes very obvious.

Foreman was strong as hell, of course, and that played a factor, but his shots were by no means all brute power.

Foreman of the 70's was tight and stiff as can be and part of his stamina issues, 90's Foreman had the relax motion.

[AlexKid]

George had a more impressive KO % and highlight reel, he was also bigger and heavier. Foreman it is.

[Anthony342]

Heavy handed would be guys like Vitali, Bruno, Peter, Coetzee, not especially quick guys but massively powerful and concussive in their force. Marciano would fit this category as well, though I wouldn't rate him on the same level due to his size.

Wlad's more an explosive technique based puncher. He punches nothing like his brother.

Liston had snap? Since when?

Woops, meant to say that as a question. So heavy handed category it is for Liston. So I got Foreman, Vitali and Liston for heavy handed and for explosive punchers with snap what notables do we have? Tyson, Wlad, who else? Hearns? Holyfield? Possibly Louis?

[jackson8]

Big George!!

[Ricky Bahl]

Foreman definitely. Foreman spoke very highly of Liston's power though.

[MrRolltide91]

Foreman...

[MALCOLM CHEESE]

Best not to get on the end of either of these 2.
Jab and move and move some more, take them deep and let their gas tank empty.
Foreman had a strange style first time round, with wide swinging punches, Ali took advantage and punched straight through him, while taking alot of wild shots on his arms and sides.Liston was a more correct fighter.On modern film we dont see the best of him, he won the title when maybe past his peak and then bad living and inactivity finished him.

[them_apples]

Sonny was a little more technically correct than the heavier Foreman. That probably makes their power about equal.

Foreman certainly hit harder. But sonny did have better technique and was a more skilled boxer. Foremans legs were long and powerful, he got some amazing leverage.

I agree they are similar being both naturally strong and heavy boned. You can usually tell because these guys were huge cats even when they were 16. Foreman looked like a monster even at 18.