The hardest heavyweight punchers in the last 20 years!

First topic message reminder :

Found this whilst doing a bit of browsing the other day. Quite interesting..

Hello everyone. I'm a friend of AJ's from another forum. I used to box professionally from time to time, but nowadays I still spar. I've sparred with many legends. AJ asked to me describe what it is like to be in the ring with them and gauge their punching power. I will not reveal my name for personal reasons, but under anoymousity I feel a bit safer. If you want to know my identity send me an email, but I doubt you've heard of me anyway. I only had three professional fights.

I fought Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe as an amateur.

Riddicks power wasnt memorable to me. It probably got better as he got older, cause he never even remotely buzzed me in either of our contests.

Lennox hit like a Frak tank. He cowed me; I won the first round, and he literally broke my spirit and took my soul with a right uppercut and straight right hand in the 2nd. I tried to stay away, and forgot to punch. He never got me quite as good again, but I will never forget those two punches. When we sparred years later, he hit very hard. Distinctly unpleasant to be hit by the man.

David Tua was unpleasant. I can't see myself getting stopped by him early, as he never really staggers me, but every shot hurt, and he'd bang. Every other guy I ever sparred would box when I got aggressive, but David would stand his ground and give. I'd get these horrible headaches after sparring with him, and Dave told me once that whenever he knew I was on the dance card, he'd drink extra water for his brain. Nice guy. Hit like a wrecking ball. David Tua hit hard enough to knock my headgear clean around my face. Dude had a pretty limited style, but that left was quick as a cobra when he was sharp, and boy did it have bite. Having sparred them both, Wladimir would school Tua and probably turn out his lights. He just lacks almost any sort of refinement to his violence. Granted, I don't really either unless I'm really, really on that day, but the best heavyweights I've sparred handled me a lot easier than David did.
Feels kinda bad critiquing the dude, though. He's a fun guy, super hospitable and friendly, hit like a truck and put me through plenty of painful paces. I only hope our careers and lives don't end up with me required to face him with 12's and no mask. I can't afford the surgery.

Evander Holyfield was a machine gun. He put me on my butt first round we ever sparred with a 7 or 8 punch volley. He just punched well; He'd move around and when he let them go, they hit, hard and fast and in large numbers. He was the weakest of the group since Bowe, but probably the most dangerous. He never found me difficult to find, and turned me into a bobble head more than once.

George Foreman was tricky. His jab was absolutely numbing-Ive never felt a jab like that, where your whole face would feel like it got novacained after he hit you with it. He'd also throw light punches primarily, almost pitty pat, till he had the opening, and then he'd wallop you. His punches had the most force; They didn't hurt any worse than Tua or Lewis, but I remember how badly they'd screw with my balance. His shots moved me. He also broke my nose with a straight right.

Wladimir Klitschko hit me by far the hardest, though. I couldn't get past the jab, and his right hands hit like thunder. They reminded me of Lewis', but they were quicker and sharper. Wladimir staggered me regularly in sparring. There are literally whole rounds I don't remember. He also knocked me out with a left hook. Not down, out. Only time in my life I've seen canvas and not been able to stand up by 10 seconds.

Any other questions about these men, don't hesitate.

http://dugger-s-ranch.2299399.n4.nabble.com/I-sparred-with-Evander-Holyfield-George-Foreman-Lennox-Lewis-David-Tua-and-others-td4090601.html

Quite surprised about Bowe, although not an ATG puncher he usually put guys in a lot of trouble.

Wlads power up there with Foremans? Simple answer to that is no.

Not saying he hit harder but it is up there with the best of them.

I guess you know more than Emanuel Steward and Freddie Roach right?

Foreman blasts out Joe Frazier while Wlad blasts out who of note exactly?

Blasting someone out quicker does not mean anything...Wladimir who has knocked out everyone he has beat bar the likes of Haye, Ibragimov and Williamson (stopped early due to a cut)

First man to stop the iron chinned Mercer...If Wlad hits Frazier flush he would go as well.

Ghosty: Lewis hit harder than Wlad.

Emanuel Steward claimed Wlad hit harder than Lewis...Backed up by Roach who also said he hit harder than Tyson.

Ghosty proven wrong AGAIN continues to spout drivel that Lewis hit harder than Wlad.

Mercer was a 41 year old about 10 years past his best and that's the most notable example you have of Wlad being up there with Foreman?

Taking out a very durable fighter like Frazier without breaking into a sweat does mean a lot just like Lewis being able to take out big men such as Briggs, Golota, Ruddock, Grant, Botha early also highlights his punching power in comparison to Wlads.

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The genius of PBF wrote:Ghosty: Lewis hit harder than Wlad.

Emanuel Steward claimed Wlad hit harder than Lewis...Backed up by Roach who also said he hit harder than Tyson.

Ghosty proven wrong AGAIN continues to spout drivel that Lewis hit harder than Wlad.

How have you proven anything? It is merely an opinion that Lewis hits harder than Wlad much like I don't take much notice of what his current trainer at the time would say about him. Or do we apply this all to Pacquiao and Mayweather where Roaches opinion means more than anything else?

The genius of PBF wrote:Ghosty: Lewis hit harder than Wlad.

Emanuel Steward claimed Wlad hit harder than Lewis...Backed up by Roach who also said he hit harder than Tyson.

Ghosty proven wrong AGAIN continues to spout drivel that Lewis hit harder than Wlad.

I think Lewis punched harder too, and just because our opinion differs to yours mate think it's a little harsh to call it drivel.

Imperial Ghosty wrote:

The genius of PBF wrote:Ghosty: Lewis hit harder than Wlad.

Emanuel Steward claimed Wlad hit harder than Lewis...Backed up by Roach who also said he hit harder than Tyson.

Ghosty proven wrong AGAIN continues to spout drivel that Lewis hit harder than Wlad.

How have you proven anything? It is merely an opinion that Lewis hits harder than Wlad much like I don't take much notice of what his current trainer at the time would say about him. Or do we apply this all to Pacquiao and Mayweather where Roaches opinion means more than anything else?

Freddie Roach and Emanuel Steward both trained Wlad and said he hit harder than Lewis when two great trainers agree you need to take it seriously.

Roach has never trained Mayweather...You have been proven wrong countless times.

Remember you picked Dawson to beat Ward...After Ward whups his backside you make up a bunch of excuses and refuse to give Ward credit.

Like Roger Mayweather says most guys (like you) dont know anything about boxing.

To be pedantic but when has roach ever trained Lewis? I don't put much stock into what a fighters current trainer says, he is bound to say things to instil confidence in his fighter. Would be quite odd if he said an ex fighter of his is better than his current. You can try and point score of you wish but it's all quite childish when it's all just OPINION.

From what I've SEEN - Lewis has a harder dig than Wlad when he goes for it, but from accumulation I'd imagine Wlads punching is more concussive, his opponents just seem more defeated in the later rounds.

I'd go with Manny though, he's never given me reason to question his judgement before.

It's more due to Wlad being very very tentative especially in the early rounds. Pretty much since i started watching Wlad's career it was obvious he was the harder puncher, to me anyway. Vitali stops guys with an accumulation Wlad can do it with one shot, Austin,Brock,Thompson, Chambers even that punch in the second fight with Thompson Wlad hit him with in the second round literally lifted a 240 pound man off his feet and made his eyes look like saucers.

Wouldn't like to get him from either to be honest.