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I was looking through an old video of Earnie Shavers, and a lot of people were talking about him as one of the hardest hitters of all time in the division. So I've drawn up a top 5 list. And this is not meant to be P4P hardest, but pure power.
And yes, there is a little left for the Klitschko lovers to appreciate.
1. George Foreman
- Seeing that hole in the heavybag after Foreman had stopped training has got to be one of the most resounding training scenes of all times. His trainer literally hopped off his feet when Foreman was punching. He's also the only person who I've seen knock a man up, then down. And he did it to the late, great Joe Frazier.
2. Lennox Lewis
- Some might disagree, but Lennox's straight right was deadly when he used it. Seeing him completely destroy up and comer Golota in a round was brutal. His one-two vs Rahman in their second fight is probably one of the most vicious one-two KOs I have ever seen in the HW division.
3. Vitali Klitschko
- Vitali's brute strength is probably close to Lennox's, but he hasn't proved it against the same level of opposition. Danny Williams once remarked that every time Vitali hit him, it was like being hit by a running train. This man has dished out some brutal beatings in his day, and though his power may have diminished a bit over the years, he can still KO virtually anyone.
4. Mike Tyson
- A lot of people are underestimating the technique behind Tyson's punches, but in the late 80's this guy perfected the Cus Damato school of boxing. His two hook combos to the ribcage then to the head is probably as good as anyone I've seen. Even though vintage Mike fought in a poor era, he was still knocking out undefeated guys in the first couple of rounds.
5. Earnie Shavers/Wladimir Klitschko
I was in a bit of a dilemma with this one. Earnie Shavers KOd 68 of his 74 wins, including a 1 round KO of Ken Norton. This guy was serious and had KO power in both hands. Wladimir Klitschko has undoubted power in his straight right hand, and could potentially KO anyone when it lands. However, he's too infrequent with it and a lot of his opponents get KO'd via 2-3 knockdowns as opposed to lights out KOs.
Honourable mentions go to: Sonny Liston, Marciano, Baer & Louis (i'm sure i'm leaving someone out).
And yes, there is a little left for the Klitschko lovers to appreciate.
1. George Foreman
- Seeing that hole in the heavybag after Foreman had stopped training has got to be one of the most resounding training scenes of all times. His trainer literally hopped off his feet when Foreman was punching. He's also the only person who I've seen knock a man up, then down. And he did it to the late, great Joe Frazier.
2. Lennox Lewis
- Some might disagree, but Lennox's straight right was deadly when he used it. Seeing him completely destroy up and comer Golota in a round was brutal. His one-two vs Rahman in their second fight is probably one of the most vicious one-two KOs I have ever seen in the HW division.
3. Vitali Klitschko
- Vitali's brute strength is probably close to Lennox's, but he hasn't proved it against the same level of opposition. Danny Williams once remarked that every time Vitali hit him, it was like being hit by a running train. This man has dished out some brutal beatings in his day, and though his power may have diminished a bit over the years, he can still KO virtually anyone.
4. Mike Tyson
- A lot of people are underestimating the technique behind Tyson's punches, but in the late 80's this guy perfected the Cus Damato school of boxing. His two hook combos to the ribcage then to the head is probably as good as anyone I've seen. Even though vintage Mike fought in a poor era, he was still knocking out undefeated guys in the first couple of rounds.
5. Earnie Shavers/Wladimir Klitschko
I was in a bit of a dilemma with this one. Earnie Shavers KOd 68 of his 74 wins, including a 1 round KO of Ken Norton. This guy was serious and had KO power in both hands. Wladimir Klitschko has undoubted power in his straight right hand, and could potentially KO anyone when it lands. However, he's too infrequent with it and a lot of his opponents get KO'd via 2-3 knockdowns as opposed to lights out KOs.
Honourable mentions go to: Sonny Liston, Marciano, Baer & Louis (i'm sure i'm leaving someone out).
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