Thread: Hardest Puncher Today and Historically

Currently it has to be Wladimir ... I may not be a fan of his or his style but he has crazy power. In both hands too ... some of his KOs are just vicious.

But how do you think he compares with some of the past boxers who are generally acclaimed to be very hard hitters?

Is he in the same class as Foreman or Shavers who are both accepted as the two hardest punchers in boxing history?

Its hard for any us who are just watching these guys unload on their opponents to measure or gauge their power but you can get some idea from watching them and from their reputation. KO's and KO% can be misleading because some guys achieve KO wins via volume punching, like Vitali. There is no way Vitali hits harder than Wlad but he has a higher KO ratio, due to the collective effects of his punches.

Anyway I have Wladimir as a top 10 power puncher, all time, for sure. I think he might have one of the hardest jabs of all time, like top 5 in terms of power.

Pound for pound = Julian Jackson.

P4P today its Randall Bailey.

Wladimir Klitschko is today's heaviest hitter... Dr Steelhammer is at 80.65%.

Historically you have Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston, George Foreman, Ernie Shavers, Mike Tyson representing the HW division of super hitters then you have the little guys like Carlos Zarate with 90% KO wins, Wilfredo Gomez 87.5%, Khoasai Galaxy 86% , then there is Aaron Pryor at 87.5% and heavy hitters like Tommy Hearns 71%, Felix Trinidad 77%, Julian Jackson 80%.

I think any fighter who has a KO winning percentage greater than 70% is well up there in the heavy hitter department.

KO% can be misleading though

Vitali has a higher KO% but doesn't hit as hard as Wlad

Today excluding the hevs I’d have to go with Chocolatito. Opposite end of the spectrum.

All time that’s a tough one.

For me it’s between Jimmy Wilde and Sam Langford and as Al pointed out Jackson was also a freak. The three of them are further proof that punchers are born and not made. Langford was a blown up middleweight and has more ko’s then Tyson and Foreman combined. Wildes record is really w/o equal and that does not include the hundreds of tent fights he had knocking out guys three or 4 times his size wearing 4 oz gloves.

Vitali doesn nothit so hard---no harder by any means than say Razor Ruddock or somebody like that. KO% is def misleading--- a guy who has vicious combination punching can KO plenty of people but not hit so hard PER PUNCH.

PER PUNCH you'd HAVE to say Rocky Marciano, George Foreman, Earnie Shavers Im talking about in BOTH HANDS. Those guys could kill you with either hand. Dempsey hit pretty damned hard as well. Now that you mention it---Razor Ruddock hit pretty damned hard if you ask me.

P4P now I'd say it's Mattheysse. That guy has some sledgehammers in his gloves.

Historically...I dunno. Valero would be up there because of his 100% KO record but we never got to find out if he could do it at the very highest level.

I considered saying Deontay Wilder currently, but if I fought 26 turkeys I'd likely have 26(26)-0-0 also.

Wlad sure does take time to get the KO for such a big puncher. When you couple that with the huge size advantage he has over most opponents, P4P he wouldn't really be high on the list.

Tye Fields probably hits harder than Wlad, he's just not half as skillful.

It's not as simple as KO percentage, rounds taken or people KO'd.

Style and accuracy play a big part. If you're an average puncher but you always hit the target then you'll get more KOs than a big hitter who just hits whatever he can.

Edwin Valero 27-0-0 27 KO's 100%. It would be tough to beat that.

Golavkin has to be 1 ov the hardest hitters about just now.hopfully be a big year for him this year all the big names can't hide forever!

Real big punchers are often one dimensional like Shavers and Rudduck who do not always become champions, others like Naz, Foreman and Julian Jackson have success but not champions for a long time. Real punchers who are successful champions would be Hearns, Tyson, Benn because they have other skills.

I would not class Wlad as a big puncher, his stoppages come from an accumulation of punches.

Keith Thurman deserves a mention.