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By Ben Cohen: Two months ago, I penned an article listing the heaviest punchers in heavyweight history. My views were not embraced by all of the readers at Secondsout, but it did create a bit of attention (many of you emailing in with your own opinion on the matter). Quite a few of you liked the article, and expressed interest in a list of the heaviest punchers lb for lb in history. Given the tens of thousands of boxers in the past and present, the hundreds of greats, such a list would be more difficult to assess. However, there are some names in boxing history that have stuck out more than others, given their awesome ability to generate devastating power.
These fighters are the ones people pay to see, because they express the raw brutality of the sweet science like no one else. They can turn a fight around with a single punch, and exemplify the unpredictable and exciting nature of the sport.
There are many explanations for the generation of power, muscle, speed, strength, size, but no one really knows how the best generate their concussive force. Balance, timing and leverage are attributes equally important to the creation of punch power, and often those who are the best at it often look nothing like the muscle bound fighters we would assume carry such might.
Ironically, some of the hardest punchers were also the most vulnerable, adding only to their mystique and incredible drawing power.
Fun to debate, (and write about!), here are my top ten picks for the greatest pound for pound punchers in boxing history.
1. Julian Jackson
Jackson's power at 154-160lbs was absolutely freakish. Despite lacking elite boxing skill, the ****** Island Middleweight tore his way through 55 opponents, knocking out 49 of them. His one punch knockout of Herol Graham was one of the best in boxing history, especially as Jackson was badly losing in their title bout in 1990. The almighty right hand that knocked Graham out before he hit the canvass has been replayed in every knockout compilation worth watching. Graham lay unconscious for 5 minutes after being caught, and was never really the same afterwards. Jackson had extremely well developed shoulder muscles, fast hands, and superb leverage that created perhaps the most fearsome punch power ever seen in a ring.
2. Earnie Shavers
No doubt the hardest punching heavyweight of all time, Shavers power was absolutely ferocious. Most amazingly, he weighed under 210lbs for most of his fights, suggesting the Liverpudlian based American could have fought at the modern day cruiserweight limit. He destroyed Ken Norton in one round, dropped Larry Holmes, and landed one of the hardest punches ever seen against Ron Lyle. Shavers right hand was the sort of punch the caused audiences to turn away when it landed. Both Holmes and Ali stated that Shavers hit them harder then anyone else, and given their combined Curriculum Vitae (Foreman, Tyson, Frazier, Liston), it would be hard to disagree.
3. Prince Naseem Hamed
After Hamed destroyed tough South African Vuyani Bungu in March of 2000, referee Joe Cortez stated that the Prince was the hardest punching featherweight he had ever seen. Weighing a mere 126lbs in his prime, Hamed's power was nothing short of incredible. Not only did he have knock out power in both fists, the young Prince could generate fight-ending force from a bewildering array of angles. After clinically knocking out Augie Sanchez with some hammering blows in 2001, many ringsides could not believe that the diminutive Hamed did not have something in his gloves. So amazing was his power, that his sparring partners regularly reported it being equal to that of a middleweight or above. Stories of bashing up heavyweights in his gym spread like wildfire, and coupled with some of the most awesome knockouts the featherweight division has ever seen, it would be fair to place Hamed's power alongside the very best.
4. Tommy Hearns
Tommy Hearns was one of those rare fighters who managed to carry their power up through different weight categories. From 147 to 190lbs, Hearns possessed crunching power that could KO a fighter with one punch. Perhaps the most frightening display of his power came when he fought Roberto Duran at 154lbs. It was one of the most one-sided beatings ever seen between two great fighters, with Duran tasting the canvass three times. The final knockout came while Duran was pinned against the ropes where Hearns landed a right hand that would have felled most heavyweights. Duran was out before he hit the canvass, and the fight was promptly stopped.
Hearns gangly 6ft1 frame was enormous, and the kinetic power he could generate was genuinely scary. As he filled out in weight, Hearns had no problem turning the extra pounds into extra force, retaining devastating power up to the cruiserweight division.
5. Sugar Ray Robinson
Not only was Ray Robinson one of the most skilled boxer of all time, he was one the best punchers as well. Lithe and slender, Robinson generated his power from his perfect technique. He pivoted on his feet, torqued his hips and maintained perfect posture while delivering pinpoint accurate punches. Robinson scored one-punch knockouts all the way from lightweight up to middleweight, proving that power was not just a product of muscle size. His most famous knockout came over the teak tough Gene Fullmer at middleweight. After losing a decision to Fullmer a few months earlier, Robinson landed the most perfect left hook ever landed in the 5th round of the rematch.
"I still don't know anything about the punch," Fullmer said years after the bout, "except I watched it on movies a number of times. The first thing I knew, I was standing up. I asked my manager, 'What happened?' and he said, 'They counted ten.' Up to then, I probably got to thinking I couldn't be knocked out. And all at once, I realized that anybody can. It's just got to be in the right place at the right time and you're gone."
6. Bob Foster
Foster was a monster puncher at Light heavyweight, and one of the division's best champions. Foster was a tall and rangy fighter with superb technique and incredible knockout power. Foster was not successful in his attempts to fight heavyweights, but his achievements at Light heavyweight were nothing short of phenomenal. His one punch knockout of **** Tiger and Mike Quarry will go down as two of the best in history.
7. Felix Trinidad
Trinidad had a punching style similar to Ray Robinson. Although not anywhere near the boxer, his power came from the ground up, and was a result of technique rather than muscle. Trinidad's arching hooks and whip like right hands looked as if the Puerto Rican had lead balls in his gloves, rather than fists. Trinidad's vicious punches ruined more than one fighter in his superb career. Fighting the upcoming David Reid, Trinidad floored the American 5 times delivering a horrible beating that ruined Reid's career forever. Possibly his best knockout win came over William Joppy at 160lbs. Joppy was visibly shocked when he first felt Trinidad's power, and would go down 4 times throughout the 5 round bout.
8. Roberto Duran
'Hands of Stone' had just that, hands of stone. Duran was an absolute beast at Lightweight with one of the best body assaults in history. Although his punch did not go up with him, the Panamanian tough man managed to compete with the very best all the way up to middleweight, a testament to how physically strong he was. The savage beating he gave Davey Moore was one of the worst in history, the punishing body shots physically lifting Moore off of the canvas from the force.
9. Rocky Marciano
It is important to remember that Marciano was not a heavyweight by today's standard, so his stature as a puncher rises given his weight. Marciano was no more than 189lbs at the height of his professional career, but wielded one of the hardest punches the heavyweight division has ever seen. And for that reason, he deserves to go down as one of the hardest punchers pound for pound ever. Marciano bludgeoned his way through his opponents with a fierce determination and toughness rivalled by none. His power came from his tree trunk legs, thick torso and superb leverage. Joe Louis said of Marciano: "It hurt to bump into him....He hits harder than Max Schmeling...this kid is tough enough to beat anyone."
10. Joe Louis
Again. Louis would have probably been a cruiserweight by today's standards so it is only fair that he ranks above some of the biggest Heavyweight punchers in terms of power pound for pound. Louis had an amazing ability to knock people out from close range. Louis could torque his body like no one else, putting his entire body weight behind his punches. Louis's left hook was bone shattering, and his right would simply put people to sleep. The punches that knocked out Max Schmeling in 1938 were some of the hardest seen in a heavyweight ring, with Louis hitting the German with a series of right hands that would have felled an ox. One of Joe Louis spar mates, Seal Harris said : "As he comes toward you, he seems to get smaller the closer he comes and then, he explodes at you. When he hits you, you think you been shot, and if he hits you right, you think you are dead."
By Ben Cohen: Two months ago, I penned an article listing the heaviest punchers in heavyweight history. My views were not embraced by all of the readers at Secondsout, but it did create a bit of attention (many of you emailing in with your own opinion on the matter). Quite a few of you liked the article, and expressed interest in a list of the heaviest punchers lb for lb in history. Given the tens of thousands of boxers in the past and present, the hundreds of greats, such a list would be more difficult to assess. However, there are some names in boxing history that have stuck out more than others, given their awesome ability to generate devastating power.
These fighters are the ones people pay to see, because they express the raw brutality of the sweet science like no one else. They can turn a fight around with a single punch, and exemplify the unpredictable and exciting nature of the sport.
There are many explanations for the generation of power, muscle, speed, strength, size, but no one really knows how the best generate their concussive force. Balance, timing and leverage are attributes equally important to the creation of punch power, and often those who are the best at it often look nothing like the muscle bound fighters we would assume carry such might.
Ironically, some of the hardest punchers were also the most vulnerable, adding only to their mystique and incredible drawing power.
Fun to debate, (and write about!), here are my top ten picks for the greatest pound for pound punchers in boxing history.
1. Julian Jackson
Jackson's power at 154-160lbs was absolutely freakish. Despite lacking elite boxing skill, the ****** Island Middleweight tore his way through 55 opponents, knocking out 49 of them. His one punch knockout of Herol Graham was one of the best in boxing history, especially as Jackson was badly losing in their title bout in 1990. The almighty right hand that knocked Graham out before he hit the canvass has been replayed in every knockout compilation worth watching. Graham lay unconscious for 5 minutes after being caught, and was never really the same afterwards. Jackson had extremely well developed shoulder muscles, fast hands, and superb leverage that created perhaps the most fearsome punch power ever seen in a ring.
2. Earnie Shavers
No doubt the hardest punching heavyweight of all time, Shavers power was absolutely ferocious. Most amazingly, he weighed under 210lbs for most of his fights, suggesting the Liverpudlian based American could have fought at the modern day cruiserweight limit. He destroyed Ken Norton in one round, dropped Larry Holmes, and landed one of the hardest punches ever seen against Ron Lyle. Shavers right hand was the sort of punch the caused audiences to turn away when it landed. Both Holmes and Ali stated that Shavers hit them harder then anyone else, and given their combined Curriculum Vitae (Foreman, Tyson, Frazier, Liston), it would be hard to disagree.
3. Prince Naseem Hamed
After Hamed destroyed tough South African Vuyani Bungu in March of 2000, referee Joe Cortez stated that the Prince was the hardest punching featherweight he had ever seen. Weighing a mere 126lbs in his prime, Hamed's power was nothing short of incredible. Not only did he have knock out power in both fists, the young Prince could generate fight-ending force from a bewildering array of angles. After clinically knocking out Augie Sanchez with some hammering blows in 2001, many ringsides could not believe that the diminutive Hamed did not have something in his gloves. So amazing was his power, that his sparring partners regularly reported it being equal to that of a middleweight or above. Stories of bashing up heavyweights in his gym spread like wildfire, and coupled with some of the most awesome knockouts the featherweight division has ever seen, it would be fair to place Hamed's power alongside the very best.
4. Tommy Hearns
Tommy Hearns was one of those rare fighters who managed to carry their power up through different weight categories. From 147 to 190lbs, Hearns possessed crunching power that could KO a fighter with one punch. Perhaps the most frightening display of his power came when he fought Roberto Duran at 154lbs. It was one of the most one-sided beatings ever seen between two great fighters, with Duran tasting the canvass three times. The final knockout came while Duran was pinned against the ropes where Hearns landed a right hand that would have felled most heavyweights. Duran was out before he hit the canvass, and the fight was promptly stopped.
Hearns gangly 6ft1 frame was enormous, and the kinetic power he could generate was genuinely scary. As he filled out in weight, Hearns had no problem turning the extra pounds into extra force, retaining devastating power up to the cruiserweight division.
5. Sugar Ray Robinson
Not only was Ray Robinson one of the most skilled boxer of all time, he was one the best punchers as well. Lithe and slender, Robinson generated his power from his perfect technique. He pivoted on his feet, torqued his hips and maintained perfect posture while delivering pinpoint accurate punches. Robinson scored one-punch knockouts all the way from lightweight up to middleweight, proving that power was not just a product of muscle size. His most famous knockout came over the teak tough Gene Fullmer at middleweight. After losing a decision to Fullmer a few months earlier, Robinson landed the most perfect left hook ever landed in the 5th round of the rematch.
"I still don't know anything about the punch," Fullmer said years after the bout, "except I watched it on movies a number of times. The first thing I knew, I was standing up. I asked my manager, 'What happened?' and he said, 'They counted ten.' Up to then, I probably got to thinking I couldn't be knocked out. And all at once, I realized that anybody can. It's just got to be in the right place at the right time and you're gone."
6. Bob Foster
Foster was a monster puncher at Light heavyweight, and one of the division's best champions. Foster was a tall and rangy fighter with superb technique and incredible knockout power. Foster was not successful in his attempts to fight heavyweights, but his achievements at Light heavyweight were nothing short of phenomenal. His one punch knockout of **** Tiger and Mike Quarry will go down as two of the best in history.
7. Felix Trinidad
Trinidad had a punching style similar to Ray Robinson. Although not anywhere near the boxer, his power came from the ground up, and was a result of technique rather than muscle. Trinidad's arching hooks and whip like right hands looked as if the Puerto Rican had lead balls in his gloves, rather than fists. Trinidad's vicious punches ruined more than one fighter in his superb career. Fighting the upcoming David Reid, Trinidad floored the American 5 times delivering a horrible beating that ruined Reid's career forever. Possibly his best knockout win came over William Joppy at 160lbs. Joppy was visibly shocked when he first felt Trinidad's power, and would go down 4 times throughout the 5 round bout.
8. Roberto Duran
'Hands of Stone' had just that, hands of stone. Duran was an absolute beast at Lightweight with one of the best body assaults in history. Although his punch did not go up with him, the Panamanian tough man managed to compete with the very best all the way up to middleweight, a testament to how physically strong he was. The savage beating he gave Davey Moore was one of the worst in history, the punishing body shots physically lifting Moore off of the canvas from the force.
9. Rocky Marciano
It is important to remember that Marciano was not a heavyweight by today's standard, so his stature as a puncher rises given his weight. Marciano was no more than 189lbs at the height of his professional career, but wielded one of the hardest punches the heavyweight division has ever seen. And for that reason, he deserves to go down as one of the hardest punchers pound for pound ever. Marciano bludgeoned his way through his opponents with a fierce determination and toughness rivalled by none. His power came from his tree trunk legs, thick torso and superb leverage. Joe Louis said of Marciano: "It hurt to bump into him....He hits harder than Max Schmeling...this kid is tough enough to beat anyone."
10. Joe Louis
Again. Louis would have probably been a cruiserweight by today's standards so it is only fair that he ranks above some of the biggest Heavyweight punchers in terms of power pound for pound. Louis had an amazing ability to knock people out from close range. Louis could torque his body like no one else, putting his entire body weight behind his punches. Louis's left hook was bone shattering, and his right would simply put people to sleep. The punches that knocked out Max Schmeling in 1938 were some of the hardest seen in a heavyweight ring, with Louis hitting the German with a series of right hands that would have felled an ox. One of Joe Louis spar mates, Seal Harris said : "As he comes toward you, he seems to get smaller the closer he comes and then, he explodes at you. When he hits you, you think you been shot, and if he hits you right, you think you are dead."
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