When it comes to popular water-cooler topics in boxing, few, if any, top this one: who is the most powerful puncher to ever step through the ropes? Now a pound-for-pound discussion gets a bit convoluted, the list necessarily quite long and including at the very top flyweights and featherweights such as Jimmy Wilde and Sandy Saddler. But basic physics tells us that the most powerful punches ever thrown in the squared circle had to come from the division where said punches naturally carry the most weight and impact, in other words, the big men. The guys at the top of the beanstalk. The heavyweights.
The great Joe Louis.
But that said, size and weight are far from the only facets determining the explosiveness of the best punchers. At least three of the men on our Top 12 list were not particularly large, but their ability to deliver blows with shattering power and to render helpless men much heavier, speaks for itself. Timing, accuracy, balance, not to mention ferocity, also factor in, and help explain why some of the physically biggest boxers cannot match some smaller heavyweights for hitting power.
So here they are, the hardest heavyweight punchers of all-time. Most of the names will no doubt be familiar to fight fans, others perhaps less so, but what they all have in common is a long list of opponents reduced to helplessness on the dusty canvas courtesy of the dynamite in their fists.
12. Cleveland Williams: The fighter they called “The Big Cat” stretched no fewer than 58 men. Sonny Liston, who knew a thing or two about power, dubbed him the hardest puncher he’d ever faced.
Cleveland Williams
11. Max Baer: This heavyweight champion had 52 KO’s in 67 victories, most of them courtesy of his pulverizing right hand.
Baer standing over another KO victim.
10. Elmer Ray: Also known as “Kid Violent,” and for good reason. One of the most feared contenders in heavyweight history. In 80 pro wins, Ray scored an incredible 76 knockouts.
Ray catches Ezzard Charles with a left.
9. Bob Fitzsimmons: Appearances can be deceiving, but there’s no arguing with 59 knockouts in 66 bouts. Perhaps the greatest body puncher of all-time, “The Freckled Wonder,” while lacking an impressive physique, made a science of delivering truly devastating power shots.
Bob Fitzsimmons. Ink drawing by Damien Burton.
8. Jack Dempsey: The Manassa Mauler, boasting 50 knockouts in 61 wins, was renowned for his brutal power, especially his lethal left hook.
Georges Carpentier is driven out of the ring by Dempsey’s power.
7. Rocky Marciano: Marciano punched way above his weight with an 88% knockout ratio, pounding much bigger men into submission with his vicious shots and scoring one of the most devastating one-punch KO’s in boxing history over Jersey Joe Walcott.
The Rock: Ink drawing by Damien Burton
6. Mike Tyson: Tyson’s prime was short, but while it lasted, no one hit harder. His most spectacular knockouts will always be highlight favorites for legions of fight fans.
Tyson’s power made him the youngest heavyweight champ in history.
5. George Foreman: “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” And Norton. And Lyle. And Moorer …
A prime Foreman demolishing Joe Frazier in 1973.
4. Sonny Liston: Liston’s power was too much for the best heavyweights of his time and enabled him to twice demolish Floyd Patterson in the first round. One of the most feared champions in heavyweight history.
Liston knocks out Patterson.
3. Sam Langford: While rarely weighing much over 170 pounds, the man they called The Boston Tar Baby was a deadly puncher with either hand and a ruthless finisher. Sam’s knockout victims include all-time greats Harry Wills, Gunboat Smith, Joe Jeannette and Sam McVea. When asked, all pointed to Langford as the hardest puncher they had ever faced.
The great Sam Langford. Painting by Damien Burton
2. Earnie Shavers: 69 knockouts in 75 wins. Virtually all who faced him, including Larry Holmes, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Young, Ken Norton and Muhammad Ali stated he was the hardest puncher they had ever encountered. As Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb put it: “Nobody hits like Shavers. If anybody hit harder than Shavers, I’d shoot him.”
Shavers deadly right hand shook Ali.
1. Joe Louis: Deadly power with either hand, incredibly accurate, excellent finisher, author of some of the most destructive knockouts in boxing history, ruled the heavyweights for a full decade. ‘Nuff said.
The power of Joltin’ Joe devastates Max Schmeling.
Honorable Mentions: Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis, James J. Jeffries, Harry Wills, Joe Choynski, Ingemar Johansson, Luis Firpo, Max Schmeling, John L. Sullivan, Riddick Bowe, Peter Maher, Tom Sharkey, Sam McVea, David Tua, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ron Lyle, Tommy Morrison, Buddy Baer, Donovan Ruddock, Wladimir Klitschko, Frank Bruno, Gerry Cooney.
17 Comments
I would drop Williams and Langford and put Wlad, Lennox and Archie Moore in the top five. Drop Liston down as he mainly fought LHW’s, and hard to tell if it was how hard he punched, or the mob and fear effect, otherwise it looks good.
Moore got most of his work done at LH not at heavyweight.
I would drop Shavers much lower. It seems in most of Ernie’s big fights HE was the one usually being counted over at the end.
Marciano did serious damage to all who tried to tried to block his punches. Devastating power. Louis, Walcott, Charles — they all had to retire after they fought him. That’s as close as you can come to killing with a pair of gloves.
My order would be Shavers, Foreman, Liston, Williams, Marciano, and then Louis.
Mike was undoubtedly the hardest hitter
No he wasn’t, he was hard and fast but not the hardest. Foreman, Liston and Shavers punched much harder.
I know purists are gonna roll their eyes, but Deontay Wilders right hand is pure dynamite and I would rank it among the hardest hitting punches ever thrown in the square ring.
It’s true that Deontay hits very hard, however there are other scoring criterias beyond just power required to make the list. You can argue that Wilder can be put above Williams and some others on the list because of his raw power and athleticism, but he doesn’t come close to the likes of Tyson or Louis when it comes to accuracy, timing and technique in delivering his KO punches
And last night he proved that wrong.
Never understood what people saw in Shavers. He was a good puncher, but people usually got up from them.
They did?!? Who? Like Ali and Holmes, two of the greatest heavyweights of all time who were known for their toughness, heart and tremendous chins?
Also, why isn’t Foreman top of the list?
He retained his power up until his retirement, right into his mid-forties, something Liston, Tyson, Louis cannot claim.
Great list but I believe Foreman is the hardest hitting heavyweight ever. I look at who he knocked out when he was champion. He knocked out two great fighters, Frazier and Norton, in addition to all the others. Then he came back at 45 and used his his power to win the tittle by knockout. He hit so hard until he didn’t need a lot of room to get you out of there. Number 2 is the great Joe Louis, may he rest in peace. Number 3 is Shavers. Man, all he needed was one punch. No combinations needed, just one punch and it was over.
Shavers number one, Foreman number two.
No Frank Bruno in the honourable mentions? Hell of a ko ratio, around 84%?
I would add Ron Lyle and Tommy Morrison in the honorable mentions. Good list!