This is My List of the Top 5 All-Time Heavyweight Punchers.
- Mike Tyson. During his reign of terror as heavyweight champ from November 22, 1986 until February 11, 1990, Mike Tyson was a fearsome a puncher as there has ever been in heavyweight history. His knockouts of Trevor Berbick, Pinklon Thomas, Tyrell Biggs and Larry Holmes were as impressive as could be, and he deserves my ranking as the top heavyweight puncher in history.
- George Foreman. ‘Big’ George had two separate careers as a fighter. In his first one, his destructions of Joe Frazier and Ken Norton were as brutal and stunning as any in history. He continued to knock out fighters after his loss to Muhammad Ali in October of 1974, until his retirement in March of 1977, still proving his punching prowess. When he returned in March of 1987 after a 10 year hiatus from the ring, he built up string of knockouts over lesser opponents, but showing he still packed a huge punch. His one punch knockout of Michael Moorer on November 5, 1994 regained him the heavyweight title after 20 years, a magnificent feat on it’s own. George is my second greatest heavyweight puncher in boxing history.
- Lennox Lewis. Lewis won the Olympic Gold Medal in Seoul, Korea in 1988, then launched a professional career that saw him capture his first belt based on his October 31. 1992 two round clobbering of Razor Ruddock. He was awarded the WBC belt after Riddick Bowe threw his in the trash can in December of 1992, fracturing the title again. His list of KO victims includes Frank Bruno, Tommy Morrison, Oliver McCall, Andrew Golota, Hasim Rahman and Mike
Tyson. When Lewis retired in January of 2004, he left a hole in the division that still hasn’t been filled. Lennox Lewis is my third best heavyweight puncher in history. - Earnie Shavers. Although he never won a world title, he gave both Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes all they could handle in his two championship tries. Earnie was a solid a puncher as there ever was, and his record of 76-14-1, with 70 knockouts is mind blowing. Ken Norton, Jimmy Young and were two of his victims, and no fighter ever got into the ring with Earnie Shaver unaware of his power. One of boxing’s great travesties is that he is not a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, a fact that still bothers me every time I think of it. Earnie Shavers is my 4th best heavyweight puncher in history.
- Sonny Liston. Liston is a lot more than the fighter who lost to Muhammad Ali twice. He brought fear into his opponents from the time he turned professional in 1953 until his death in 1970. His two brutal one round knockouts of a good fighter in Floyd Patterson are awesome, and he continued to knock guys out until his career ended. Sonny Liston is my fifth best heavyweight puncher in history.
It’s my list and my opinion, and if you differ in yours, that’s fine with me. Thanks for reading my blog, and come back tomorrow to see what write about next.
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