Tua the hardest hitting heavyweight ever?

[Darth_Simasu]

I think so. Prime Tyson is obviously up there but a lot of his power was boosted by his awesome speed and technique. I've been watching clips of Tua's KO's on youtube, some of his stoppages are sickening. John Ruiz is either a brave stupid man for stepping back into the ring after suffering a KO like the one against Tua. There's also a case for George Foreman however when you compare to Tua Foreman's height and size would've added to the power.

[Beanflicker]

Tua had to be one of them. I think the only guy who hit harder was probably Earnie Shavers

[Beanflicker]

The thing that impressed me the most was how long he kept his power in a fight. He could take your head off in the first round or the 12th round, it didn't matter. He never stopped throwing bombs.

[Nameless]

at the moment, on paper, the hardest HW ever is VItali Klitshko: with 37 kos in 38 wins, it's damn hard to do any better!! He definitely punches harder than TUA (in my opinion) and I would also rate Smoking Joe Frasier and Big George Foreman as being serious contender to the hardest HW puncher ever too.... like I said, on paper, via the results, it's Vitali but if we talk outside of the Ring results, Frasier and Foreman have to be seriously considered. Tua is behind these 3 for sure, in my opinion.

[markb018]

My vote is for Foreman, after watching him punching the heavy bag for rumble in the jungle and leaving a damn dent in the heavy bag for what like 15 minutes thats insane and watching him annihilate Frazier and almost seemed effortless.

[CFH]

at the moment, on paper, the hardest HW ever is VItali Klitshko: with 37 kos in 38 wins, it's damn hard to do any better!! He definitely punches harder than TUA (in my opinion) and I would also rate Smoking Joe Frasier and Big George Foreman as being serious contender to the hardest HW puncher ever too.... like I said, on paper, via the results, it's Vitali but if we talk outside of the Ring results, Frasier and Foreman have to be seriously considered. Tua is behind these 3 for sure, in my opinion.

I don't think that Vitali even hits harder than Wlad. He seems to get many of his stoppage through accumulation.

[holmcall]

Naw, I think that might have been Curtiss "The Hatcheman" Shepard

[Gandalf]

at the moment, on paper, the hardest HW ever is VItali Klitshko: with 37 kos in 38 wins, it's damn hard to do any better!! He definitely punches harder than TUA (in my opinion) and I would also rate Smoking Joe Frasier and Big George Foreman as being serious contender to the hardest HW puncher ever too.... like I said, on paper, via the results, it's Vitali but if we talk outside of the Ring results, Frasier and Foreman have to be seriously considered. Tua is behind these 3 for sure, in my opinion.

I don't think that Vitali even hits harder than Wlad. He seems to get many of his stoppage through accumulation.

Agreed. Tua has that one punch knockout power that can have his opponent dribbling all over the canvas. Vitali on the other hand hacks away and bit by bit the opponent gets chopped down.

[Nameless]

at the moment, on paper, the hardest HW ever is VItali Klitshko: with 37 kos in 38 wins, it's damn hard to do any better!! He definitely punches harder than TUA (in my opinion) and I would also rate Smoking Joe Frasier and Big George Foreman as being serious contender to the hardest HW puncher ever too.... like I said, on paper, via the results, it's Vitali but if we talk outside of the Ring results, Frasier and Foreman have to be seriously considered. Tua is behind these 3 for sure, in my opinion.

I don't think that Vitali even hits harder than Wlad. He seems to get many of his stoppage through accumulation.

I see your point and it is quite a good remark, however, Vitali breaks them down systematically because it is a safer way of boxing than just going open like an harvester, I really think he has that one punch destruction capacity but just prefer to play it safer. At least, it's the way I feel.

[HatmanTV]

Tua hardest puncher ever?? possibly...

But 1st of all let me say this- KO PERCENTAGES MEAN NOTHING, U MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE QUALITY OF OPPOSITION AND THE MANNER OF THE STOPPAGES!!!

Peter McNeely had a better KO percentage than Tyson when they faught, does that mean McNeely was a better puncher?? Please!


Vitali isnt even the hardest puncher in the division now, let alone hardest of all time- he wears people down, he very rarely dispatches people with 1 shot, or even 4 or 5, it normaly takes a number of rounds. Look how many times he hit lennox lewis flush on the jaw and couldnt drop him, look how many times he caught corrie sanders and couldnt drop him (niether of those fighters known 4 having a strong chin), and more recently, look how many times he hit sam peter clean and couldnt even stagger him (jameel mccline managed 2 put peter on the floor with relative ease). So we can take Vitali out of the equasion very quickly.

Shavers had a great ko record on paper, but the only top heavyweight he ever KO'd was norton who was already damaged goods at the time anyway. The rest of his Ko's where over guys uve never heard of, so we cant give him 2 much credit 4 that. If Tyson faught all the guys shavers faught im sure he wouldve knocked them all out aswell. Ali once said shavers hit harder than foreman- but people 4get he said that at a time when foreman was trying 2 secure a rematch with him and there had been alot of back and forth jibes between them in the press (and we all know how fond ali was of playing mind games). Plus Ali managed 2 avoid taking the full force of foremans blows when they faught by leaning back against the ropes 2 take the sting out of the shots- and he saw every punch coming, so he never really felt foremans full power with a head shot. He did however feel foremans full power 2 the body, which left Ali peeing blood for 2 weeks after the fight- something which didnt happen when he faught shavers! Dont get me wrong, shavers could punch, but 4 lack of ko's against quality opponents id have to put a few other guys above him.


4 me its a toss up between Tyson Tua and Foreman, its hard 2 seperate them.

Tyson certainly had the best variety of power shots, and he could deliver power from distance as well as close range, with jabs and straight rights as well as hooks and uppercuts. But im not sure he had the same raw one punch power foreman had. But he had excellent handspeed technique and accuracy. And as we know he knocked out plenty of top fighters.

Foreman had terrific power, but he wasnt the cleanest puncher in the world, his punches where often delivered with sloppy technique and therefore didnt always land flush...but such was his power that even a wild clubbing blow that only partially landed could take alot of opponents out. he also had the most powerful left jab in history next 2 sonny liston. And as with Tyson, Foreman proved his power in knocking out top opponents.

Tua punches very well upclose, with hooks, but he cant get the same power into his straight shots, or even his uppercuts 4 the most part. So his arsenal is quite limited. But his hooks upclose are as powerful as any1's. And Tua has also registerd his fair share of KO's over top rated opposition.


Its really a pick em between those 3, if i had 2 hazard a guess, then i'd say Tyson, but only just. I think he proved his power more consistently against top opposition than Tua and Foreman did. But that said, i wouldnt like 2 get hit by any of them! LOL

[Cortez The Killer]

Tua hardest puncher ever?? possibly...

But 1st of all let me say this- KO PERCENTAGES MEAN NOTHING, U MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE QUALITY OF OPPOSITION AND THE MANNER OF THE STOPPAGES!!!

Peter McNeely had a better KO percentage than Tyson when they faught, does that mean McNeely was a better puncher?? Please!

Great point!

I never understood how earnie shavers is considered such a great puncher. If you add up the cumulative record of his opposition its probably something like 200 wins and 700 losses

The whole "hardest puncher" thing is one of those abstract questions. Different kinds of punches, different physiques lead to different kinds of power. But quality of opposition is a major factor..it's much easier to KO a guy looking to get lucky or cash a quick paycheck than it is fighting quality opp with a desire to win. Lots of guys with high KO % for the first 20-25 fights or so then not see many after that.

Tua has that powder-keg explosive type power that can leave someone's brain a mess. Tyson explosive and fast. Foreman leverage and thudding. Those are my top 3 as well.

[Syntax Error]

Tua hardest puncher ever?? possibly...

But 1st of all let me say this- KO PERCENTAGES MEAN NOTHING, U MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE QUALITY OF OPPOSITION AND THE MANNER OF THE STOPPAGES!!!

Peter McNeely had a better KO percentage than Tyson when they faught, does that mean McNeely was a better puncher?? Please!

Great point!

I never understood how earnie shavers is considered such a great puncher. If you add up the cumulative record of his opposition its probably something like 200 wins and 700 losses

The whole "hardest puncher" thing is one of those abstract questions. Different kinds of punches, different physiques lead to different kinds of power. But quality of opposition is a major factor..it's much easier to KO a guy looking to get lucky or cash a quick paycheck than it is fighting quality opp with a desire to win. Lots of guys with high KO % for the first 20-25 fights or so then not see many after that.

Tua has that powder-keg explosive type power that can leave someone's brain a mess. Tyson explosive and fast. Foreman leverage and thudding. Those are my top 3 as well.

Shavers always gets a mention because anyone who ever fought him said that he is the hardest hitter they ever faced.

There are 2 clinchers for me: Muhammad Ali & Larry Holmes.

Muhammad fought some of the biggest punchers of all-time & he cites Shavers as the hardest.

Larry Holmes, who fought both Tyson & Shavers said that Shavers was the harder hitter.

I believe that Shavers is more heavy handed that Tyson for instance, but I believe Tyson is the more effective KO artist; a man more likely to KO a top quality opponent than any other HW in history because of his handspeed, two handed power & combinations.

[Majesty]

Earnie Shavers was probably the hardest hitting.

[El Kabong]

Joe Louis, George Foreman, Earnie Shavers...I think those guys deserve the nod over Tua

[HattonTheHammer]

Earnie Shavers was probably the hardest hitting.

tyson lives up to his name as the hardest puncher in the game

If tyson caught someone flush in the late 80s, early 90s they werent rocked...or knocked down they were out of the fight completely