Greatest KO puncher using single punches

[Arminius]

Maybe Foreman or Shavers qualifies but the best I ever saw was Julian Jackson. They way he flattens Negron, Norris, Cardamone and Graham is remarkable. Too bad his defense was not better.

[Bigcat]

one word.........

Foreman.

[ChampionsForever]

Hearns??

[tliang1000]

Rocky

[brooklyn1550]

I'd say Julian Jackson from what I've actually seen in my lifetime.

[ChrisPontius]

Why Foreman? He only knocked out one man using a single punch in his entire career. He was an extreme hard puncher, no doubt, but there are harder single punch-punchers.

[JimboDs]

Why Foreman? He only knocked out one man using a single punch in his entire career. He was an extreme hard puncher, no doubt, but there are harder single punch-punchers.

I agree for the most part. A lot of that has to do with style too. Every punch from Foreman hurt though. He'd stun guys with his jab all the time. Tyson got most of his KO's from barrages.

It's usually guys who are freakish for their weight who have the memorable one-punch KO's. Jackson and Hearns came to mind for me as well.

[heerko koois]

Mike mcCallum.....

[Senya13]

David Tua and Julian Jackson

George Foreman should be the last fighter to answer this question.

[sugarkills]

Rocky Marciano.

[Duodenum]

Hearns?? I think Tommy gets more credit for perceived potential than actual achievement. Cuevas beat the count by a comfortable margin, and Hearns had previously stunned and dropped Duran, prior to that final body stiffening right.

Shavers probably is the hardest puncher in boxing history, but most of his opponents were prepared for his power, and his accuracy left something to be desired. Aside from Ellis, I can't think of a situation off-hand where Earnie dropped an opponent for a count of at least ten with a single punch.

Arguello could do it with perfect placement, rather than sheer force of power. His left hook in the Escalera rematch and measured right cross against Rooney are good examples of this.

One punch knockout power in both hands is exemplified by SRR/Graziano (with Ray's right) and SRR/Fullmer II (with Robby's "perfect" hook).

From the clips I've seen of Julian Jackson, he might be an excellent candidate.

Marciano and Cuevas are supposed to have done this frequently when moving up through the ranks.

Weaver did it with the hook against Tate, then the right against Coetzee.

[LeonMcS]

From the few fights I've seen of his, Jackson. You feel like calling 'Timber' when Herol Graham falls. Not too far behind him I'd include Nigel Benn and Gerald McClellan, was watching some of Benns early fights today, I was ducking in my chair. Certainly not a purists delight but undoubted power.

[mcvey]

Maybe Foreman or Shavers qualifies but the best I ever saw was Julian Jackson. They way he flattens Negron, Norris, Cardamone and Graham is remarkable. Too bad his defense was not better.
Louis?
Uzcudun
B Baer
Braddock

One punch Kos.

[ChrisPontius]

Aside from Ellis, I can't think of a situation off-hand where Earnie dropped an opponent for a count of at least ten with a single punch.



Mike Tyson, Rocky Marciano and Lennox Lewis have more one-punch KO's AND faced much better opposition.

[PowerPuncher]

Hamed

[Bummy Davis]

Julian Jackson,Bob Foster,Hearns,Marciano,Louis,Tyson,Lewis

[Duodenum]

Louis?
Uzcudun
B Baer
Braddock

One punch Kos.
Louis is a good answer, but Uzcudun, strictly speaking, was not a true one punch knockout in the sense of going down for the count. Paulino got back to his feet by Arthur Donovan's count of seven (shocking both Donovan and Louis), but Donovan waved the action off rather than motioning Louis in for the kill.

[The Kurgan]

Hamed

That's a good pick. I'd have never thought that anyone could knockout Steve Robinson with a single punch. Hamed rarely threw combinations at all; he was all about knocking people out with uppercuts that started at the knee and short hooks that could barely be caught on camera.

Julian Jackson is another candidate. He'd be losing a fight, and then BANG! one single right hand would at least have his opponent on the way out. Herol Graham looked like he was doing stage theatre when that right hand landed. Combine his power with the fact Jackson was a brilliant finisher, and his success in spite of all his faults becomes clear.

[Duodenum]

Mike Tyson, Rocky Marciano and Lennox Lewis have more one-punch KO's AND faced much better opposition.Right, but that doesn't mean they punched as hard as Shavers. Marciano and Tyson were faster and quicker, with shorter arms. Lewis had far better skills, and a superior delivery system. All three possessed greater durability than Shavers. (Although I have been critical of both Lewis and Tyson, they were certainly more prolific one punch knockout producers than the much cruder and far more unidimensional Shavers).

Sheer power is always trumped by greater speed, impeccable timing and perfect placement. Although I consider Shavers to clearly be the hardest puncher in boxing's history, I do not consider him to have been a great knockout artist (or Max Baer, for that matter). Arguello and Louis were much better in this respect, as was Marciano (and Tyson and Lewis, from what others have indicated).

[Bill1234]

Rocky Marciano. His 1 punch KO over Walcott in their first fight has to be in the top 3 of all time. Another one is Julian Jackson.

[janitor]

I think most of the choices so far have been poor to been poor to be honest.

How many fighters have regularly knocked out an oponent with a single well timed punch specificaly inteded to be the knockout punch?

Joe Choynski

Bob Fitzsimmons

Sam Langford

Jersey Joe Walcott

Ingemar Johansen

Keep em coming

[My dinner with Conteh]

Bob Foster.

[Duodenum]

How many fighters have regularly knocked out an oponent with a single well timed punch specificaly inteded to be the knockout punch?Cuevas is the first name which comes to my mind. As Howard Cosell calmly intoned during Pipino's final successful title defense against Harold Volbrecht (with SRL at his side), "Every punch Cuevas throws is an intended knockout blow." The jam packed crowd in Houston was raucously supportive of Cuevas, but Volbrecht performed well, moving in with multi punch combinations, then getting the hell out of the way. Pipino just took his punches, with no change in his expression. (I don't remember Cuevas even trying to protect himself. No bobbing, no weaving, not using his arms in any kind of defensive manner. Volbrecht looked like he was bouncing marbles off a wall.) Through the first four rounds, it seemed as though Pipino didn't attempt a single punch (as it was being watched on live TV).

Finally, with the roars for Cuevas mounting to a crescendo, Pipino tossed a left hook, seemingly his first attempted punch of the bout. It looked as though it caught Harold high on the temple. Volbrecht just crumpled bacwards to the floor, and there was no question he was staying there for the count. After Montreal, everbody was convinced that if Duran tried to fight Cuevas the way he dethroned SRL, that Pipino would surely knock Roberto out. (What Hearns eventually did to Duran is what Cuevas was actually expected to do, if he met Duran in a WW unification showdown.)

Overlooked in the awe with which Tommy's destruction of Duran is viewed is the stunning nature of Roberto's own win over Cuevas when they finally did meet. Even after Pipino's loss to the older, but skilled and talented upstart Roger Stafford, it was expected that when he did hit Duran, Cholo would drop. (Remember, at the time Cuevas faced Duran, he had barely turned 25.) That Roberto took what Cuevas had to dish out (unlike Tommy, who Pipino never had a chance to get a decent shot at) made his crumbling at the feet of Hearns even more shockingly unexpected.

[rydersonthestorm]

Shaver's was the hardest one punch hitter of all time, he wasn't as accurate as alot of the other and didn't have there boxing skills, but he threw some mean punch's. People like ali say he was the hardest hitting guy so why do people doubt him so much?

[Luigi1985]

Shaver's was the hardest one punch hitter of all time, he wasn't as accurate as alot of the other and didn't have there boxing skills, but he threw some mean punch's. People like ali say he was the hardest hitting guy so why do people doubt him so much?


He´s very overrated. He wasn´t even in his era the hardest puncher ever. That was Mac Foster.

[rydersonthestorm]

Funny how most top pro boxers say shavers and you a guy on an internet boxing forum knows better ok lol

[rydersonthestorm]

In regards to hamed he threw some huge punch's and p4p has to be one of the hardest one hit puncher's of all time.

[Luigi1985]

Funny how most top pro boxers say shavers and you a guy on an internet boxing forum knows better ok lol


Ali said much when the day is long. Folley and Williams both said he was the hardest hitter they were in the ring with. Foster KO´d fighters like Williams, Folley, Ros (never KD before in over 60 fights), Spencer, etc., and he reportedly knocked down Liston in the late 60s in sparring. He retired with 30 wins all by the way of KO...

[Bill1234]

He´s very overrated. He wasn´t even in his era the hardest puncher ever. That was Mac Foster.

Both Holmes and Ali have fought huge punchers, and both said Shavers hit hardest. Shavers was the hardest hitter, but not the best 1 punch KO person.

[Luigi1985]

Both Holmes and Ali have fought huge punchers, and both said Shavers hit hardest. Shavers was the hardest hitter, but not the best 1 punch KO person.


I don´t really care what fighters say. Simply because it has also to do with sympathies for example. Or when you for example made a stellar performance against this fighter, you of course make him much better than he actually was (to hype up your win), that´s nothing new. I know 2 people who live in that era yet and both said they think Foster was the hardest puncher out of Shavers, Liston, Frazier and Foster. Unfortunately he wasn´t that fast or that skilled...

[MagnificentMatt]

Graziano?

[mcvey]

Louis is a good answer, but Uzcudun, strictly speaking, was not a true one punch knockout in the sense of going down for the count. Paulino got back to his feet by Arthur Donovan's count of seven (shocking both Donovan and Louis), but Donovan waved the action off rather than motioning Louis in for the kill.
Fair point,I beleive Paulino left some gold teeth on the canvas after Louis,s punch.

[Vantage_West]

zarate
jackson
hamed

[Duodenum]

Fair point,I beleive Paulino left some gold teeth on the canvas after Louis,s punch.That could be. My understanding is that Joe merely drove Paulino's teeth through his mouthpiece, still an extremely impressive display of one punch force.

[Bill1234]

I don´t really care what fighters say. Simply because it has also to do with sympathies for example. Or when you for example made a stellar performance against this fighter, you of course make him much better than he actually was (to hype up your win), that´s nothing new. I know 2 people who live in that era yet and both said they think Foster was the hardest puncher out of Shavers, Liston, Frazier and Foster. Unfortunately he wasn´t that fast or that skilled...

But wouldn't Holmes hype up Tyson to make it seem like Tyson was a lot better, to make the loss more excuseable? Ali's biggest win was over Foreman, and he still said Shavers hit him harder. IMO the right that Shavers hit Holmes with was harder than anything Foster landed on another man.

[Luigi1985]

But wouldn't Holmes hype up Tyson to make it seem like Tyson was a lot better, to make the loss more excuseable? Ali's biggest win was over Foreman, and he still said Shavers hit him harder. IMO the right that Shavers hit Holmes with was harder than anything Foster landed on another man.


Good arguments, Bill. In this cases it´s true. But I spoke in general, study a bit about Foster and you will see that he was really in the league of Shavers, Foreman, etc. (in terms of pure power)...

[JohnThomas1]

But wouldn't Holmes hype up Tyson to make it seem like Tyson was a lot better, to make the loss more excuseable? Ali's biggest win was over Foreman, and he still said Shavers hit him harder. IMO the right that Shavers hit Holmes with was harder than anything Foster landed on another man.

Didn't Holmes say Tyson wouldn't have been able to live with Shavers or Cooney? Of course this is akin to saying yeah i'm way past and he wouldn't have beaten my challengers let alone myself back in the day.

[mr. magoo]

Didn't Holmes say Tyson wouldn't have been able to live with Shavers or Cooney? Of course this is akin to saying yeah i'm way past and he wouldn't have beaten my challengers let alone myself back in the day.

John,

What time is it in Australia?

I spoke to you at 7Am this morming, and it is now 8:PM in America. Are you waking up in the midle of the night to respond to the forum?

[Hitman]

Shavers
j.JAckson

[LeonMcS]

How about Johnsons KO of Ketchel after Ketch couldn't help himself and knocked Jack down. I've read they found some of Stans teeth in Jacks glove. I know there was a big disparity in weight but still...ouch.

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[JohnThomas1]

John,

What time is it in Australia?

I spoke to you at 7Am this morming, and it is now 8:PM in America. Are you waking up in the midle of the night to respond to the forum?

No mate, it's 11.38am here this second. I stayed up last night till 2am as it was my Friday night. Few Crowns and Jimmy's.

[mr. magoo]

No mate, it's 11.38am here this second. I stayed up last night till 2am as it was my Friday night. Few Crowns and Jimmy's.





It's Friday night for me now, but at least I have an excuse. I'm a poor old father stuck at home with the wife and baby.

Sounds like you're in for a long day my friend, but hey, at least its Saturday.

Hopfully you're not working.

Any suggestions for on demand movie selections?

[JohnThomas1]

It's Friday night for me now, but at least I have an excuse. I'm a poor old father stuck at home with the wife and baby.

Sounds like you're in for a long day my friend, but hey, at least its Saturday.

Hopfully you're not working.

Any suggestions for on demand movie selections?

Nah, i got my 6.5 hours sleep and played the Golf comp all arvey. No drama tho i'm a bit worn out now. Nothing dramatic tho, 7km walks in the sun do that lol.

Have a nice warm bath directly then some slow Jimmy's.

[Duodenum]

It's Friday night for me now, but at least I have an excuse. I'm a poor old father stuck at home with the wife and baby. :verysadI'm very sorry. (On Father's Day and Mother's Day, and my parent's wedding anniversaries, I send them sympathy cards, and celebrate being single and childless.)

[red cobra]

Julian Jackson is a favorite of mine because he is a classic example of a purist. He is unique in that he had the magical ability to score those classic one punch ko's. Many other greats in the history of boxing were famous for their fight ending power, and the list is too great to even start, but Jackson is one of a handful that were really SPECIAL, in that he had the gift of ending it with JUST ONE SHOT!! Danny "Little Red" Lopez was another one with this gift, of more or less the same era, who I loved to watch, because you could sense a special magic that could occur at any time, but Jackson, I think, was the all time master of this particular gift.

[Duodenum]

Julian Jackson is a favorite of mine because he is a classic example of a purist. He is unique in that he had the magical ability to score those classic one punch ko's. Many other greats in the history of boxing were famous for their fight ending power, and the list is too great to even start, but Jackson is one of a handful that were really SPECIAL, in that he had the gift of ending it with JUST ONE SHOT!! Danny "Little Red" Lopez was another one with this gift, of more or less the same era, who I loved to watch, because you could sense a special magic that could occur at any time, but Jackson, I think, was the all time master of this particular gift.The more I view Jackson's clips, the more impressed I become with his ability in this regard. Many of his victims may not have been able to rate his power at all, because the lights must have simply gone out when he nailed them.

Little Red had such lousy balance, with his lack of speed, slow starting, and needing to get set as he did, that he could get decked quickly at the start of a fight. Two great ironies of his championship run were that he won his title by decisioning David Kotey over 15 rounds in Poison's hometown, and that he remained on his feet throughout both losing efforts against Sal Sanchez, demonstrating an underrated chin through two vicious beatings. (The hook used to promote their first bout was that it might produce a lot of knockdowns, yet none occurred in the 27 combined rounds contested between them. Only Juan Escobar ever dropped Sal.)