Are punchers born or made ?

[dalcumly]

My own view is that punchers , and I mean one punch knock out artists , are born . Fighters who hook people to oblivion like Nigel Benn can be created , but people like Julian Jackson and Tommy Hearns are born . Sadly there are not enough of them .
You know the type of fighter I mean . Someone who is well behind on points but who everybody knows can end matters in a split second -just like Jackson did against Bomber . Funnily enough Floyd Patterson could do that as well early on in his career .
What are your views . Do you remember other one-punch KO fighters ? Tyson and Marciano were ,any more recent ( British ) boxers you can think of .

[Chris W 1982]

Tommy Hearns' power in the amateurs was nowhere near as frightening as when he boxed professionally.

I can remember reading a book on Naseem Hamed (Think it was Paddy and the Prince) where Brendan Ingle says they worked constantly on bag techniques for Hamed's power as he was constantly getting robbed by judges in the amateurs.

[Asterix]

Surely there's a scale, from the weakest someone can punch to the hardest they can punch, depending on various factors (technique, weight, speed, etc.)

So some boxers can punch much harder than they are if they improve their technique, for instance, but they might never be a massive puncher.

[TheCobra]

I think part of it is definitely just 'heavy-handedness' and to be honest that is something you are born with. If you are built with skinny wrists and small hands, no amount of technique or weights is gona make you a one-punch KO artist.

[SAPFO]

A K1 level striking coach once told me it is all about body mechanics. Some people are just not made to naturally throw a punch.

I am a naturally heavy handed person, I realized this when I knocked my Ju-Jitsu instructor clean out when I was 14 years old, and 6st lighter during sparing. Lads in the gym are always telling me to turn the volume down when I don't think I am even at 50%. On the other hand everything else needs improving, so at best I have a punchers chance

[crusader]

I think part of it is definitely just 'heavy-handedness' and to be honest that is something you are born with. If you are built with skinny wrists and small hands, no amount of technique or weights is gona make you a one-punch KO artist.

How do you know these factors determine punching power?

[Andypittcov]

My view is this

Most boxers agree that fighting is 80% mental and 20% physical

With this in mind is it not possible that being a puncher is phycological,ie if the thought of taking someones head off holds no fear for you you'll throw with serious intent whereas the slightest reluctance and you lose your power

Of course heavy handedness, speed,agility, and all other physical mechanics will increase your power but for me the answer to your question lies deep in the mind not in the size of your wrists,muscles etc

[TheCobra]

I think part of it is definitely just 'heavy-handedness' and to be honest that is something you are born with. If you are built with skinny wrists and small hands, no amount of technique or weights is gona make you a one-punch KO artist.

How do you know these factors determine punching power?

Cos it's simple physics.

[tijuana1]

Henry Wharton's amateur trainer said he had a punch in both hands even as a raw kid. Having sparred his younger brother many moons ago he was the same real heavy handed. I personally think your born / gifted with a massive one punch ko. His younger brother was a raw amateur novice and carried big punch nobody taught him that just had it.

[Final round]

Marvin Hagler was born with a head as tough as a walnut.

[Andypittcov]

marvin also had the killer instint,he genuinely wanted to kill his opponents

[Bomber 1]

I'm not claiming to be a one punch king or anything here just wanted to add my two pence worth by saying I believe I can hit a bit and I have the smallest hands you'll see for someone my size, I will add that I do also suffer really bad withy hands, finally I'll say that I believe 1 punch specialists are born and not made too

[crusader]

I think part of it is definitely just 'heavy-handedness' and to be honest that is something you are born with. If you are built with skinny wrists and small hands, no amount of technique or weights is gona make you a one-punch KO artist.

How do you know these factors determine punching power?

Cos it's simple physics.

Simple physics would also suggest that something moving at a fast speed should do more damage than something moving slower, yet it is very rare to find someone with speed and power. I don't think it is nearly that simple.

[JC]

With this in mind is it not possible that being a puncher is phycological,ie if the thought of taking someones head off holds no fear for you you'll throw with serious intent whereas the slightest reluctance and you lose your power

Of course heavy handedness, speed,agility, and all other physical mechanics will increase your power but for me the answer to your question lies deep in the mind not in the size of your wrists,muscles etc

Not saying there's not a mental element, but I don't think it's as dominant a factor as you imply. For example Jake Lamotta was not much of a puncher but it's hard to imagine him having reluctance to take someone's head off if he could.

Punchers come in all shapes and sizes and technique is very important but after a certain point I think the ability to punch really hard is largely down to genetic factors.

[Andypittcov]

well i think the mental factor plays a big part but yeah like i said physical advantages do count

its a very complex topic i think

[rhino222]

you are born with it...without doubt..

[Final round]

you are born with it...without doubt..

Did you chin Mikey Carroll aka lottery lout

[yiddo14]

Born with it.

Similar to the chin debate. True, elite power(not I can bang a bit etc) is like a fighters chin, it's natural and something the fighter is born with. Irrelevant of shape too (heard fighters need thick necks and round square heads in order to have a good chin for example...complete nonsense!)
Fist size means diddly when it comes to power.

IMO of course!

[WildWaylon]

I think if a fighter seriously hurts somebody, maybe ends their career, or kills them, they lose that full commitment with their punch. I think the big punch is in the mind, but you need a solid fist and a powerful arm to deliver it. Leverage, position of feet, is another vital factor of the big KO. I think I would have to say big punchers are born but its perfected in the gym. Cleverley has always been a decent puncher but I think he is landing heavier now than he was is the past. Tysons heavy punch was born out of pure aggression and powerful arms. Froch is another aggressive fighter with a lot of upper body strength. Finally I dont believe you can turn a tapper into a puncher no matter what you do.

[Asterix]

I think if a fighter seriously hurts somebody, maybe ends their career, or kills them, they lose that full commitment with their punch. I think the big punch is in the mind, but you need a solid fist and a powerful arm to deliver it. Leverage, position of feet, is another vital factor of the big KO. I think I would have to say big punchers are born but its perfected in the gym. Cleverley has always been a decent puncher but I think he is landing heavier now than he was is the past. Tysons heavy punch was born out of pure aggression and powerful arms. Froch is another aggressive fighter with a lot of upper body strength. Finally I dont believe you can turn a tapper into a puncher no matter what you do.

Don't forget the legs.

[Andypittcov]

Born with a birth certificate stamped banger....

Nah it's developed one way or another

In the gym for sure with drilling the technique over and over and then using it, once you ko someone and start believing you can punch you know in your mind you can punch you'll score more knockouts in the future

[Scrap]

Punchers are Born,then Made.

[Deserter]

you are born with it...without doubt..

So how do you explain Tommy Hearns Rhino?
To say 'without doubt' is just nonsense - some boxers have a natural aptitude, others develop it. The question itself is misleading as the answer is both.

[yiddo14]

Everything can be developed to an extent of course, nobody is born with perfect technique etc but I thought we were talking about elite punchers? Few and far between are these guys.

Power can be improved but when talking about truly elite level punching power ( not Cleverly, or guys who can dig a bit etc) I have no doubt these guys are born with it.
Hearns had it from the start, he just needed to believe it. Of course Manny will tell us all he created Hearns' power because it makes him look good and feeds that massive ego but it's bollocks. He improved his technique but it's something that was always there.
Punchers come in all shapes and sizes too.

[JC]

you are born with it...without doubt..

So how do you explain Tommy Hearns Rhino?
To say 'without doubt' is just nonsense - some boxers have a natural aptitude, others develop it. The question itself is misleading as the answer is both.

Incorrect technique can cancel out innate ability (if you don't set your feet apparently in Thommy's case). But with all else equal you can have two guys throwing correctly and one is a nuclear puncher like Hearns and the other is nothing special. That's where genetics, innate aptitude or whatever you want to call it comes in. Manny Stewart corrected his technique but without the innate potential to become an elite puncher he might have just become a decent one.