Hardest Heavyweight Puncher?

[Bad_Intentions]

in YOUR opinion. who's the hardest heavyweight puncher?

Tyson for me.

[Bad_Intentions]

baer was a dangerous puncher. he killed 3 boxers.

[Doppleganger]

Earnie Shavers probably. IMO it isn't Tyson. He doesn't even get in the top 30 in terms of single shot power.

[Bad_Intentions]

Earnie Shavers probably. IMO it isn't Tyson. He doesn't even get in the top 30 in terms of single shot power.e7wUOCADxq0

[brooklyn1550]

Earnie Shavers

[Senya13]

1. David Tua.
2. Earnie Shavers.

in that order.

[Bad_Intentions]

1. David Tua.
2. Earnie Shavers.

in that order.:good:good

[ChrisPontius]

Lummox Lewis.

[heerko koois]

Frank Bruno.....

[Bad_Intentions]

Frank Bruno.....:rofl:rofl:rofl

[heerko koois]

:rofl:rofl:rofl

I,m talking one punch power.....Bruno did not have the handspeed of Tyson or Ali , but he had cripling raw power....Bruno would lose 9 out of 10 fights against Tyson.....but he could ko anyone with one shot believe me...........[ btw I have Tyson ranked number 1 at my HW ATG list ]

[Doppleganger]

I,m talking one punch power.....Bruno did not have the handspeed of Tyson or Ali , but he had cripling raw power....Bruno would lose 9 out of 10 fights against Tyson.....but he could ko anyone with one shot believe me...........[ btw I have Tyson ranked number 1 at my HW ATG list ]

I agree that Bruno was a much bigger one-shot puncher than Tyson. James 'Bonecrusher' Smith even said so and he's fought both guys. What made Tyson such a great puncher was his handspeed and combination punching.

[heerko koois]

:good I agree that Bruno was a much bigger one-shot puncher than Tyson. James 'Bonecrusher' Smith even said so and he's fought both guys. What made Tyson such a great puncher was his handspeed and combination punching.

[McGrain]

I'd pick Liston, then Foreman.

They're the hardest punching of the elite.

Of course you could argue that Shavers hit harder than both.

[josak]

I agree that Bruno was a much bigger one-shot puncher than Tyson. James 'Bonecrusher' Smith even said so and he's fought both guys. What made Tyson such a great puncher was his handspeed and combination punching.
I agree, but to say Tyson isn't even in the top 30 of single shot punching power is ludicrious. He's knocked out plenty of opponents in one shot.

I'm not sure who the hardest puncher ever is, but Tyson's gotta be up there.

[Bad_Intentions]

Tua is a bumit's about who HITS HARDER. not who's a bum or a looser.

[Duodenum]

Quote Leroy Caldwell: "Foreman could punch about the same as Lyle."

Quote George Foreman: "Ron Lyle hit me the hardest I've ever been hit."

Quote Leroy Caldwell about Earnie Shavers: "He was the hardest hitting human being I've ever met. He hit harder than Foreman and Lyle combined."

How can the case possibly be made for Tyson, when Holmes agrees with Ali that it's Shavers?

Except for Jimmy Ellis (who never knew what hit him), everybody who remembers being hit by Shavers rated him tops, on a punch for punch basis.

This distinction has also been afforded by the opponents of Dempsey to him, by the opponents of Max Baer to him (including the recipients of the three hardest punches Joe Louis ever delivered), and by Jim Jeffries to him.

From what I've been led to understand, Tua and Lennox don't remotely approach the power Shavers possessed.

Other huge bombers are supposed to have been Ingo (who blasted out Eddie Machen in one), and Cleveland Williams (who was never able to connect solidly on Ali).


From what I gather, the hardest heavyweight puncher is Shavers, and the hardest punching heavyweight champion is Dempsey.

(Interestingly, Shavers received training in how to cultivate his power from Archie Moore, who Tiger Ted Lowry has identified as the hardest puncher he ever faced, and Lowry went ten rounds with Marciano twice! Moore himself said the hardest punch he ever took was the first knockdown punch from Yvon Durelle.)

[Doppleganger]

I agree, but to say Tyson isn't even in the top 30 of single shot punching power is ludicrious. He's knocked out plenty of opponents in one shot.

I'm not sure who the hardest puncher ever is, but Tyson's gotta be up there.
Ok maybe I was a little harsh there. There are a few guys who can punch harder than Tyson with a single shot but in some cases are nowhere near as devastating a puncher. For single shot power I'd put Lewis, Liston, Foreman, Bruno, both Klits, Jeffries, Shavers, Tua, Morrison, Cooper, Bowe ahead of Tyson. But from those guys I listed few can match Tyson as a dynamic puncher.

[josak]

Ok maybe I was a little harsh there. There are a few guys who can punch harder than Tyson with a single shot but in some cases are nowhere near as devastating a puncher. For single shot power I'd put Lewis, Liston, Foreman, Bruno, both Klits, Jeffries, Shavers, Tua, Morrison, Cooper, Bowe ahead of Tyson. But from those guys I listed few can match Tyson as a dynamic puncher.

Fair enough :good

[Bad_Intentions]

I know. :good

I just feel like being a shit disturber today. :yep:lol::good

[unitas]

foreman.

[JohnThomas1]

I'll go out on a limb and put Shavers a smidgeon ahead of Foreman, Liston, Tyson and Lewis. Joe Louis must sit close too. Lesser fighters like Rudduck and Morrison and Cooney also had some MAD POW.

[Chaney]

Quote Leroy Caldwell: "Foreman could punch about the same as Lyle."

Quote George Foreman: "Ron Lyle hit me the hardest I've ever been hit."

Quote Leroy Caldwell about Earnie Shavers: "He was the hardest hitting human being I've ever met. He hit harder than Foreman and Lyle combined."

How can the case possibly be made for Tyson, when Holmes agrees with Ali that it's Shavers?

Except for Jimmy Ellis (who never knew what hit him), everybody who remembers being hit by Shavers rated him tops, on a punch for punch basis.

This distinction has also been afforded by the opponents of Dempsey to him, by the opponents of Max Baer to him (including the recipients of the three hardest punches Joe Louis ever delivered), and by Jim Jeffries to him.

From what I've been led to understand, Tua and Lennox don't remotely approach the power Shavers possessed.

From what I gather, the hardest heavyweight puncher is Shavers, and the hardest punching heavyweight champion is Dempsey.This is an interesting post...thanks, Duo.

Have you got a source for where Ali says Shavers hit harder than Foreman? I wonder if it was because Ali was older and more vulnerable? Or perhaps Shavers connected more solidly than George?

Or maybe Shavers did just hit harder. Larry Holmes put it simply "If Earnie caught you with his right...bad things happened to you."

I always got the impression from Ali that Frazier was his most dangerous foe (Ali still dreams about fighting Joe, apparantly) but this may be a stylistic rather than a power issue.

[robert ungurean]

Shavers
Foreman
Liston
Baere
Dempsey
Louise
Tyson
Tua
Frazier

[joe33]

For other fighters id have corry sanders and joe lewis he destroyed people,though i guess not with the one punch,but shit he sure has some beautiful KOs on film.

[JohnThomas1]

Tyson was the best HW puncher of all time easily.

:roll:

[Napoleon]

Foreman easily.

[Sam Dixon]

Quote Leroy Caldwell: "Foreman could punch about the same as Lyle."

Quote George Foreman: "Ron Lyle hit me the hardest I've ever been hit."

Quote Leroy Caldwell about Earnie Shavers: "He was the hardest hitting human being I've ever met. He hit harder than Foreman and Lyle combined."

How can the case possibly be made for Tyson, when Holmes agrees with Ali that it's Shavers?

Except for Jimmy Ellis (who never knew what hit him), everybody who remembers being hit by Shavers rated him tops, on a punch for punch basis.

A few more quotes;

"Oooh man, that man is always with me. He hit so hard, the HARDEST (the use of capitals for emphasis taken from quote and not my own). I still feel his punches today." - Jimmy Young on Shavers

"Shavers hit me so hard it felt like needles were jabbing the back of my head. Without any hesitation, Shavers was the hardest puncher I met." - Ron Lyle

"Shavers. No question. At least with Foreman I was able to get up. When Shavers hit me I went down and stayed down." - Ken Norton, when asked who hit harder between the two.


P.S. Chaney, that quote from Ali in regards to Shavers is easily found from various sources, and the last time I saw it said by him was when I rewatched that Arsenio Hall show recectly which features those comments by Ali in answering Hall's very question as to who hit him the hardest.

[josak]

Jose Torres , NY Boxing commisioner:

"Mike Tyson is so fast and so powerful that it is almost impossible to resist the guy's punching power. Wherever he hits you, you're going to feel it. He reminds me maybe of George Foreman, but Tyson's much faster than Foreman. He reminds me in style of Rocky Marciano, but he's much faster than Marciano, and he's much bigger, 217 pounds. And he's faster and much more powerful than Joe Frazier, with a better hook. I really have no one to compare him with in terms of punching power."

Sparring partner Corey "T-Rex" Sanders:

"I've never been in the ring with someone who hit that hard. It feels like he has bricks in both hands."

Eddie Richardson, after being knocked out by Tyson, was asked if he’s ever been hit as hard as Mike hit him:

“Yeah, about a year ago. I was hit by a truck.”

[Mike T]

I believe the Klitschko bros can be mentioned with some of these names.

[Bad_Intentions]

Jose Torres , NY Boxing commisioner:

"Mike Tyson is so fast and so powerful that it is almost impossible to resist the guy's punching power. Wherever he hits you, you're going to feel it. He reminds me maybe of George Foreman, but Tyson's much faster than Foreman. He reminds me in style of Rocky Marciano, but he's much faster than Marciano, and he's much bigger, 217 pounds. And he's faster and much more powerful than Joe Frazier, with a better hook. I really have no one to compare him with in terms of punching power."

Sparring partner Corey "T-Rex" Sanders:

"I've never been in the ring with someone who hit that hard. It feels like he has bricks in both hands."

Eddie Richardson, after being knocked out by Tyson, was asked if he’s ever been hit as hard as Mike hit him:

“Yeah, about a year ago. I was hit by a truck.”:rofl :rofl :rofl

[buzzsaw]

Big George Foreman

[Doppleganger]

And his awesome power. You are getting sucked into what has become the common theme among internet junkies recently, and that is to say that Tyson didn't have good power, but rather good speed and combos, despite his countless one punch KO's and KD's. He had awesome power, and awesome one punch power. Tyson was the best HW puncher of all time easily.
Hang on second my good man. I'm not getting sucked into anything. I admit I was rather harsh about what I said about Tyson not being in the top 30 and I retracted that. I don't think I ever said at any time that Tyson didn't have good power. Please point out where I said this. What I did say was that there are several fighters who are bigger single shot punchers. Tyson did seem to punch harder as he matured though and when he stopped using the things that made him so dynamite in the late 1980's, namely his speed, head movement and combination punching as well as his power.

Anyway friend this thread isn't asking who was the best HW puncher of all time, it's asking who was the hardest. There is a difference. ;) And Tyson isn't the best HW puncher anyway as that honour goes to Joe Louis. :p

[Bummy Davis]

Louis<marciano<dempsey<baer<frazier<lewis<Foreman>tyson<liston<johanasen<schmeling,Walcott:smoke

[Pete47]

The most important fighters for this thread have been mentioned (Foreman, Shavers, Tyson etc.). Perhaps we should remember of some lesser known fighters of the seventies. For example MacFoster and Al "Blue" Lewis. They had a reputation as hard hitters, too.

[mcvey]

in YOUR opinion. who's the hardest heavyweight puncher?

Tyson for me.
Jolting Jim Corbett!

[janitor]

I agree with those who say Shavers. Whatever he had just wasnt natural.

I think the hardest puncher among the heavyweight champions is probably Max Baer.

[janitor]

Jolting Jim Corbett!

I think that your namesake deserves a mention in this thread.

[mcvey]

in YOUR opinion. who's the hardest heavyweight puncher?

Tyson for me.
Maybe Shavers,but the best puncher was Louis,others are Liston,Foreman,Baer,Dempsey,and Marciano,second tier Tyson,Ingo ,Lewis,Marciano.ClevelandWilliams may be on a par with Shavers ,but of the Champs Louis is the best if not the hardest puncher,imo.

[Doppleganger]

Tyson had better power, speed, and explosiveness than Louis, and was just as technically sound in the late 80's. Also, yes Tyson is certainly one of the hardest hitters as well, I don't see how you possibly say he wasn't. Even as a one punch hitter, he was known as a guy that all he needed was one punch, and that proved true quite a few times. He was up there with the greats in that category as well, I don't see why it's "in" to say he wasn't on ESB nowadays. Later on his career Tyson became more of a one punch bomber, as demonstrated by the Botha KO, but before his strengths were combination punching, handspeed and power. I mean I don't see how you can say I don't have him up there when he is top 20 IMO for raw one punch power, perhaps higher as he matured. I would go as far to say that the 1988 Tyson was one of the best P4P punchers ever, nm just in the heavies. But IMO I think Louis is a greater all-round puncher. That's hardly a slight to Tyson. :)

[Chaney]

A few more quotes;

"Oooh man, that man is always with me. He hit so hard, the HARDEST (the use of capitals for emphasis taken from quote and not my own). I still feel his punches today." - Jimmy Young on Shavers

"Shavers hit me so hard it felt like needles were jabbing the back of my head. Without any hesitation, Shavers was the hardest puncher I met." - Ron Lyle

"Shavers. No question. At least with Foreman I was able to get up. When Shavers hit me I went down and stayed down." - Ken Norton, when asked who hit harder between the two.


P.S. Chaney, that quote from Ali in regards to Shavers is easily found from various sources, and the last time I saw it said by him was when I rewatched that Arsenio Hall show recectly which features those comments by Ali in answering Hall's very question as to who hit him the hardest.Great information! Thanks, Sam. I was torn between choosing Foreman or Shavers...but now I have read multiple boxers who fought both men say that Shavers was noticably a bigger hitter; Shavers is the obvious choice.

The question then becomes why wasn't Shavers as dominant as Foreman...and I guess the answer is that his preternatural punching power was not always enough to compensate for other deficiencies as a boxer. Although Georges technique was limited, it had to be better than Earnies.

A combination of speed, accuracy and combination punching trumps single punch power. Earnie finds it harder to land his haymaker than Dempsey, Louis or Tyson.

[Duodenum]

Great information! Thanks, Sam. I was torn between choosing Foreman or Shavers...but now I have read multiple boxers who fought both men say that Shavers was noticably a bigger hitter; Shavers is the obvious choice.

The question then becomes why wasn't Shavers as dominant as Foreman...and I guess the answer is that his preternatural punching power was not always enough to compensate for other deficiencies as a boxer. Although Georges technique was limited, it had to be better than Earnies.

A combination of speed, accuracy and combination punching trumps single punch power. Earnie finds it harder to land his haymaker than Dempsey, Louis or Tyson.This is precisely why Joe Louis was ranked tops in this respect by Ring Magazine. But for one punch power, I haven't yet read a convincing argument for anybody punching harder than Shavers.

In the early 1950's, Gene Tunny offered his subjective list of the three hardest punches of the previous 50 years:

3) The kayo right Joe Louis dethroned Jimmy Braddock with. (In point of fact, Louis himself considered the right uppercut he floored Paulino Uzcudun with as the hardest punch he landed in his career. Referee Arthur Donovan agreed, saying it was the hardest punch he'd ever witnessed as well. Although Paulino was back on his feet at seven, there was no question of Donovan allowing the match to continue. Louis freaked out over how Uzcudun was able to beat Donovan's count. Joe simply couldn't believe it, and never stopped marveling at Uzcudun's heart and toughness.)

2) Max Baer's first knockdown of Primo Carnera. Braddock, Schmeling, Uzcudun, Carnera, and Louis, all claimed at one time or another, that Max Baer was the hardest puncher they ever faced. Like Earnie Shavers, Max's bombs were not usually well coordinated together with other punches, but for a single shot, he may have indeed been the hardest punching heavyweight champion.

1) Jack Dempsey's first knockdown punch against Jess Willard. This may be the hardest single punch ever recorded in motion during a championship match. Willard was retreating from a right-left-right-left combination, when the final hook, cloaked by Dempsey's preceding right to the chest, caved in Willard's cheekbone. Read what Dempsey wrote about the proper delivery of a left hook in Championship Fighting, then compare it to a frame-by-frame analysis on movie film of that intitial knockdown punch. If Jess had been stationary, or moving forward when it landed, he might have been killed. That Willard was already reacting to Dempsey's combination, instead of getting caught flatfooted, probably saved him from going down for the count.

In one twisting motion, Jack whirled his shoulders, torqued his hips, and pivoted left with his forward toe in perfectly timed synchronicity. As his left launched up from the floor, propelled through his toes, and over the top, he squeezed his fist at the moment of impact, his entire body orchestrated into a single leveraged instant. Marciano had Walcott against the ropes, and SRR had Gene Fullmer open and coming towards Ray, when Robby stepped aside to deliver his legendary kayo hook. Arguello's left hook kayo in the San Remo return match with Escalera was not the result of leveraged power, but pinpoint placement.

With Willard being so tough, and so much larger than Dempsey, I suspect Tunney may have been right in declaring that hook to possibly be the hardest punch ever captured in championship footage. The camera angle may not have been optimal, but Dempsey's positioning is impeccable.

True one punch knockouts are not all that common in boxing. Frequently, a victim is caught cold early. Other times, fatigue may set the target up for the coup de grace. Louis, Baer, and Dempsey, did not succeed in dropping their hapless opponents for the count with their legendary bombs on Uzcudun, Carnera, and Willard. For a single punch to truly drop a world class opponent for the count of ten is a rare event to marvel at. Appreciate it when you see it.

[MachineGunMitch]

shavers is known as the hardest hitter

[Senya13]

Nobody has presented any reasons why Shavers was a harder hitter than Tua. For my money, Tua's left hook is definitely harder than any other heavyweight punch I've seen on film, including several Shavers fights and a mixed video of his KOs.

[JimmyShimmy]

Bob Fitzsimmons is the hardest hitter ever, period.

He killed 3 men as a result of his fists, twice destroyed super tough Tom Sharkey, and sunk Corbett with one blow.

Had Fitzsimmons been at his best when he fought Jeffries, who had the toughest beard ever at HW, you may have seen a different result.

[Danny Ocean]

foreman

[Black Eyes To You]

Tyson if you ask me. Going by what I have watched throughout my life watching boxing Tyson hit harder and more often than any of them, especially early in his career. Hell Ali said Lamar Clarke hit him harder than anyone he ever fought in his career. SO does that make Lamar Clarke the hardest puncher? I don't think so.

[dmt]

Foreman

[dmt]

Tyson had better power, speed, and explosiveness than Louis, and was just as technically sound in the late 80's. Also, yes Tyson is certainly one of the hardest hitters as well, I don't see how you possibly say he wasn't. Even as a one punch hitter, he was known as a guy that all he needed was one punch, and that proved true quite a few times. He was up there with the greats in that category as well, I don't see why it's "in" to say he wasn't on ESB nowadays.Louis was just as powerful and quick handed as Tyson and less predictable

[Sonny Carson]

Shavers hit the hardest out of anybody than it's Foreman. Tyson is in my top 5.

[JimmyShimmy]

And he was also the hardest hitting fighter ever.

[Bummy Davis]

Tyson if you ask me. Going by what I have watched throughout my life watching boxing Tyson hit harder and more often than any of them, especially early in his career. Hell Ali said Lamar Clarke hit him harder than anyone he ever fought in his career. SO does that make Lamar Clarke the hardest puncher? I don't think so.

I heard Ali said that but I think I know and Ali knows Frazier hit him harder in the 11th and 15th round of there 1st fight also Cooper had him real SHAKEY

[Musashi]

Hardest punchers in the heavyweight division:

1.) George Foreman
2.) Sonny Liston
3.) Lennox Lewis
4.) Earnie Shavers (slightly overrated)
5.) David Tua
6.) Mike Tyson (overrated, still huge power)
7.) Max Baer
8.) Wladimir Klitschko (don't laugh)
9.) Rocky Marciano
10.) Joe Louis

This list is of course pretty subjective. My opinion can (and probably will) change at some point, but this is my current top ten heavyweight power list.

[ajohnfp]

Shavers. He could bang. That right he hit Holmes with was unbelievable. I still cannot believe Holmes got up from that.

[salsanchezfan]

Shavers. I can't think of any reasonable person looking at some of his work and saying, "Eh; I've seen guys hit harder." They haven't.

[NickHudson]

One of my favorite Ali quotes, from Hausers book, about his various foes.

"Floyd Patterson was the best boxer, George Foreman was the hardest puncher, but the roughest and the toughest was Joe Frazier."

This is an interesting post...thanks, Duo.

Have you got a source for where Ali says Shavers hit harder than Foreman? I wonder if it was because Ali was older and more vulnerable? Or perhaps Shavers connected more solidly than George?

Or maybe Shavers did just hit harder. Larry Holmes put it simply "If Earnie caught you with his right...bad things happened to you."

I always got the impression from Ali that Frazier was his most dangerous foe (Ali still dreams about fighting Joe, apparantly) but this may be a stylistic rather than a power issue.

[Duodenum]

One of my favorite Ali quotes, from Hausers book, about his various foes.

"Floyd Patterson was the best boxer, George Foreman was the hardest puncher, but the roughest and the toughest was Joe Frazier."This could have been a ghostwritten account, putting words in Ali's mouth. What he said about Shavers hitting him so hard his ancestors felt in in Africa is a statement Ali made himself, on camera, readily found on-line.

[Chaney]

This could have been a ghostwritten account, putting words in Ali's mouth. What he said about Shavers hitting him so hard his ancestors felt in in Africa is a statement Ali made himself, on camera, readily found on-line.I don't think so. The Hauser book (The Life and Times of Muhammed Ali) is a meticulously researched and verified work of biography. Hauser had unprecedented access to Ali and all the main personalities from his story. I would doubt the accuracy of what was written by Richard Durham in Ali's "autobiography" The Greatest, but I think Hauser is an excellent source, the best single volume on Ali, IMO.

What is possible is that Ali was talking 'off the cuff', not in a highly analytical manner. I think he wanted to mention all of his most historically important opponents in one soundbite (i.e, world champions)...and Earnie does not figure in this rollcall. The quote in its entirity also mentions Sonny Liston as Ali's "scariest" opponent. I am also pretty sure that he calls Foreman "the most powerful", not "the hardest puncher" in this quote. There is a difference.

As for Ali's joke about his "ancestors in Africa" feeling the punches from Shavers, he also made exactly the same joke about Henry Cooper's punch that put him on the canvas, on British TV. So we have to be careful about confusing Ali's jokes and soundbites with his considered analysis. Thats why I was interested in reading the full quote where it seemed that Ali had definitivley chosen Shavers over Foreman as the hardest puncher he faced.

[Bad_Intentions]

Hardest punchers in the heavyweight division:

1.) George Foreman
2.) Sonny Liston
3.) Lennox Lewis
4.) Earnie Shavers (slightly overrated)
5.) David Tua
6.) Mike Tyson (overrated, still huge power)
7.) Max Baer
8.) Wladimir Klitschko (don't laugh)
9.) Rocky Marciano
10.) Joe Louis

This list is of course pretty subjective. My opinion can (and probably will) change at some point, but this is my current top ten heavyweight power list.:good :good

[killerkai1]

Frank Bruno. In his fight with Lennox lewis i do not think he was anything like aggressive enough and go out there and see can this guy take a big right hand on the chops? He almost found a bingo punch in round 3 and hurt lewis. Yet when he backed lewis up in round 7 when he tried to end the fight he never seized up the big right hand and let it go onto Lewis's chin. Opportunity missed.

[Club Fighter]

Shavers. He could bang. That right he hit Holmes with was unbelievable. I still cannot believe Holmes got up from that.

Holmes is God. Larry got up because he's the greatest HW champion of all-time.

[Muchmoore]

1. Shavers
2. Foreman
3. Liston
4. Tyson
5. Tua
6. Lewis
7. Marciano
8. Baer
9. Bruno
10. Wlad Klitschko

[Duodenum]

I don't think so. The Hauser book (The Life and Times of Muhammed Ali) is a meticulously researched and verified work of biography. Hauser had unprecedented access to Ali and all the main personalities from his story. I would doubt the accuracy of what was written by Richard Durham in Ali's "autobiography" The Greatest, but I think Hauser is an excellent source, the best single volume on Ali, IMO.

What is possible is that Ali was talking 'off the cuff', not in a highly analytical manner. I think he wanted to mention all of his most historically important opponents in one soundbite (i.e, world champions)...and Earnie does not figure in this rollcall. The quote in its entirity also mentions Sonny Liston as Ali's "scariest" opponent. I am also pretty sure that he calls Foreman "the most powerful", not "the hardest puncher" in this quote. There is a difference.

As for Ali's joke about his "ancestors in Africa" feeling the punches from Shavers, he also made exactly the same joke about Henry Cooper's punch that put him on the canvas, on British TV. So we have to be careful about confusing Ali's jokes and soundbites with his considered analysis. Thats why I was interested in reading the full quote where it seemed that Ali had definitivley chosen Shavers over Foreman as the hardest puncher he faced.This is entirely feasible. The distinction between punching power and physical strength is one that was made by Archie Moore after his challenge of Marciano, when he stated, "He's the strongest man I've ever fought. I don't know that he's the hardest hitter, but he certainly hits hard enough." (Ultimately, as is well known, Archie credited Yvon Durelle's first KD right as the hardest punch he ever took in his completed career.) The version of Big George who regained the linear HW title is surely the physically strongest boxing champion in history. (Did George ever take a single involuntary backward step inhis entire second career?)

"The Greatest" had some good quotable lines in it, but it was dreadful in terms of making obviously false statements, like identifying Zack Clayton as the referee of Ali's rematch with Liston. (How incompetent can a ghostwriter be, and still make a living?)

[Steve Fox]

Johannsen

[Chaney]

I have dug out my copy of the excellent Hauser biography of Ali, I will give you a couple of direct quotes from the book:

'In round two, Shavers landed a devastating overhand right. Ali was hurt. "Next to Joe Frazier," he said later, "that was the hardest I ever got hit."

"Of all the men I fought in boxing, Sonny Liston was the scariest; George Foreman was the most powerful; Floyd Patterson was the most skilled as a boxer. But the roughest and toughest was Joe Frazier. He brought out the best in me."

Interesting stuff, but contradictary and no definitive answer from Ali on the OP question. Ali seems to talk 'off the cuff', not analytically comparing one opponent to the other across the length of his career. What about Listons punching power in their first fight?

Ali seems to be leaning toward Frazier...but this may be because Joe's constant pressure would leave Ali open to getting hurt by Joe in ways more ponderous bangers like Shavers and Foreman couldn't manage.