Lennox or Tyson - who hit harder

[PowerPuncher]

Lets compare Tyson-Lewis on common opponents:

Rudduck: Lewis KOs in 2 started from 1punch in round 1 that put Rudduck out the fight. Tyson took 7 for a TKO and the full distance

Golota - Lennox had him out in 1, he quit after 2 rounds with Tyson but wasn't OUT

Bruno - Lennox couldn't get his power shots off in the fight until R7 when 1 punch turned the tide and he had Bruno out on his feet from 1shot - a barrage had the ref jumping in. Tyson in the first Bruno fight hit Bruno with over 100power shots and Bruno was hurt but he took the shots quite well. The 3rd fight Bruno was scared to death

Tucker - went the distance with both. Lennox put him down twice

Holyfield - not sure who hurt him most (Tyson did well early) but Lennox could back him up.

Botha - both starched him in 1

Biggs - went 7 with Tyson and 3 with Lewis

[Mendoza]

Its hard to say who hit harder between Tyson and Lewis. Both had amazing power.

[Vanboxingfan]

I think Lewis hit harder in terms of throwing a single punch, but I Tyson did just as much or more damage with the combos he threw. Tyson generated much of his power from the speed in which he threw the punches, where Lewis used leverage more. Both used the best of the assets they had available.

[rydersonthestorm]

Lennox overhand right was bigger than any single tyson punch, but tyson in his prime could throw 3 or 4 power shots so he was a better puncher but didn't punch harder.

[dmt]

Both were brutal hitters, however Tyson faced a young prime Tucker, and therfore had more trouble with him. Tyson hurt Holyfield more in my opinion but Lewis outboxed him. I'd say Lewis had the slightly better right hand, however Tyson was the more "complete puncher", ie he had speed, better combinations. If i had to do a list of 10 hardest hitting heavyweights, both Lewis and Tyson would make it but if i had to do a list of the 20 most complete punchers regardless of division, then Tyson would still make it and Lewis won't

[rydersonthestorm]

I think lewis would make the complete puncher's as he had a better arsenal of punch's than most heavyweights, he might not have been as good at combo's but he had alot of variety.

[dmt]

Lewis did have a good asernal, and he had good handspeed for a big man but overall he wasn't as complete a puncher as say Robinson, or as accurate as Arguello. Again nothing wrong with him being in the top 20 list

[rydersonthestorm]

I just thought that for a guy of lennox's size to have such an arsenal of punch's and such good handspeed was pretty special. In turn he could throw a pretty decnt combo just not on the level of a peak tyson.

[dmt]

I just thought that for a guy of lennox's size to have such an arsenal of punch's and such good handspeed was pretty special. In turn he could throw a pretty decnt combo just not on the level of a peak tyson.that is true :good

[McGrain]

Lewis is in the class above in my view.

Tyson's composite punching was better though, peak for peak.

[NickHudson]

McGrain,

are you saying you believe Lewis's most powerful punches to have been a class above Tyson's?

If so, can you give me a few examples to support this viewpoint. I think they were in the ball park, with Tyson's punches being slightly more devastating because they were quicker, while Lewis was a little more heavy handed.

Tyson split Golota's skull open (!), and annihilated Botha with a single punch, both accomplishments post prime.

Lewis is in the class above in my view.

Tyson's composite punching was better though, peak for peak.

[McGrain]

with Tyson's punches being slightly more devastating because they were quicker, while Lewis was a little more heavy handed.

We agree entirely.

[ChrisPontius]

Both are very hard punchers and have their share of one-punch KO's. If there was an option "equal" i would have voted that. At their level, there is little to distinguish between when it comes to power. Because there was no "equal" option i voted for Lewis because he finished some common opponents (namely Ruddock) off faster, but other circumstances had something to do with that as well.

[rydersonthestorm]

Lewis punch;'s on ruddock and rahman are easily as good as the tyson punc's anyone has mentioned.

[Marciano Frazier]

Lets compare Tyson-Lewis on common opponents:

Rudduck: Lewis KOs in 2 started from 1punch in round 1 that put Rudduck out the fight. Tyson took 7 for a TKO and the full distance

Golota - Lennox had him out in 1, he quit after 2 rounds with Tyson but wasn't OUT

Bruno - Lennox couldn't get his power shots off in the fight until R7 when 1 punch turned the tide and he had Bruno out on his feet from 1shot - a barrage had the ref jumping in. Tyson in the first Bruno fight hit Bruno with over 100power shots and Bruno was hurt but he took the shots quite well. The 3rd fight Bruno was scared to death

Tucker - went the distance with both. Lennox put him down twice

Holyfield - not sure who hurt him most (Tyson did well early) but Lennox could back him up.

Botha - both starched him in 1

Biggs - went 7 with Tyson and 3 with Lewis Actually, Tyson put Botha out cold with one shot, while Lewis put him down with a four-punch combination, from which he got up, but the referee stopped it. All-in-all, Lewis has a 4-2-1 edge here, but it is worth noting that most of these men had aged and gone downhill since their fights with Tyson by the time they got to Lewis.

Personally, I think they're pretty close, maybe with an edge to Tyson at his absolute peak.

[Zakman]

Tyson, no question. He destroyed guys in his prime. And, like others have said, Lewis beat many of these guys after Tyson had already damaged them.

[ironchamp]

I give the edge to Tyson

Lewis may have been more heavy handed but Tyson was heavy handed himself. Not to mention that he had better leverage when he threw punches, speed and technique that made his shots so explosive. They are in the same Tier but Tyson's punches I imagine were a little sharper so he gets the nod.

You have to remember that he stopped some pretty durable guys during his hey day.

Pinklon Thomas
Larry Holmes

Durable guys never stopped before or after they met Tyson.

[mr. magoo]

Tyson, no question. He destroyed guys in his prime. And, like others have said, Lewis beat many of these guys after Tyson had already damaged them.

And not to mention, Lewis was Ko'd early by two mediocre fighters.

Sorry, just thought I'd save you the trouble by getting that one off. :lol:

[ChrisPontius]

I give the edge to Tyson

Lewis may have been more heavy handed but Tyson was heavy handed himself. Not to mention that he had better leverage when he threw punches, speed and technique that made his shots so explosive. They are in the same Tier but Tyson's punches I imagine were a little sharper so he gets the nod.

You have to remember that he stopped some pretty durable guys during his hey day.

Pinklon Thomas
Larry Holmes

Durable guys never stopped before or after they met Tyson.

Thomas was stopped in his next fight by Holyfield, but fair point. Holyfield couldn't floor Thomas despite landing tons of combinations during the entire fight.

[rydersonthestorm]

I don't understand why half the people say tyson, he was a better combination puncher but i don't see how his one shot power is better than lewis. Tyson could throw 3 or 4 very powerful shots but i don't see them individually being as hard as a big overhand right from lewis.

[brooklyn1550]

Lennox Lewis

[Luigi1985]

Lennox Lewis


Ditto!

[Icemmann]

With the right hand I'd say lennox, but not by much. With the Left I'd go with Tyson.

[ironchamp]

Thomas was stopped in his next fight by Holyfield, but fair point. Holyfield couldn't floor Thomas despite landing tons of combinations during the entire fight.

Neither could Morrison or Bowe

[Zakman]

And not to mention, Lewis was Ko'd early by two mediocre fighters.

Sorry, just thought I'd save you the trouble by getting that one off. :lol:

Thanks for the assist!! :hey:good

[RoccoMarciano]

Thanks for the assist!! :hey:good

You two guys have great analyses, but what in the heck does that have to do with how hard Lennox could hit in reality?

[Holmes' Jab]

McGrain,

are you saying you believe Lewis's most powerful punches to have been a class above Tyson's?

If so, can you give me a few examples to support this viewpoint. I think they were in the ball park, with Tyson's punches being slightly more devastating because they were quicker, while Lewis was a little more heavy handed.

Tyson split Golota's skull open (!), and annihilated Botha with a single punch, both accomplishments post prime.

A spot on analysis. I agree entirely, they're both in the same bracket overall. :good

[rydersonthestorm]

In my opinion tyson was a harder one shot puncher whilst not in his prime, however he could thorw 3-4 shots of slightly less power in his prime making him more effective.

[Danny]

Lennox overhand right was bigger than any single tyson punch, but tyson in his prime could throw 3 or 4 power shots so he was a better puncher but didn't punch harder.


Whilst I agree Lewis' overhand right was a devestating shot, I don't know if it was more powerful than Tyson's uppercut. Hard one to call anyway!

Has there ever been a HW with a better uppercut than a peak Tyson? I don't think there has been!

[Zakman]

You two guys have great analyses, but what in the heck does that have to do with how hard Lennox could hit in reality?

Nothing. It's kind of an inside joke.

Regardless, I would argue the record shows Tyson hit harder. If you look at his peak years, he blew through guys, destroyed them, in a way that Lewis did with far less frequency. And, as others have mentioned - many of Lewis' KO victims were guys Tyson had already starched.

[mr. magoo]

I think Tyson in his prime packed more power in a single punch than Lewis did, but over the course of a longer fight, Lennox had more cumulative strength. If a fighter made it past the 6th or 7th round against Tyson, he had a good chance of going the distance or even beating him. Surviving the early rounds against Lewis however, would not necessarily guarantee safe passage. He had a different kind of strength and power that could finish you off late.

[Marciano Frazier]

I think Tyson in his prime packed more power in a single punch than Lewis did, but over the course of a longer fight, Lennox had more cumulative strength. If a fighter made it past the 6th or 7th round against Tyson, he had a good chance of going the distance or even beating him. Surviving the early rounds against Lewis however, would not necessarily guarantee safe passage. He had a different kind of strength and power that could finish you off late. No, not really. Lewis had only two stoppages past the seventh round in his career, and those were both in the eighth round(Jackson and Tyson). Tyson had one(Ribalta in the 10th). Not really much to choose from there.