Best left hook at HW?

[Goodnight, Irene]

Got to be a two-horse race between Dempsey & Frazier, IMO.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I'll take Holyfield.

[yancey]

Best left hook?

Joe Frazier's.

Not the absolute most powerful, but the one used the best.

[Seamus]

Mike Tyson not listed ?

[dempseyfire]

Dempsey. Perfect torque and execution. Dempsey could and did knock guys out throwing EXTREMELY short hooks on the inside, plus of course he could come in quick from the outside.

Although I hate to say it, I do think Morrison deserves to be in this discussion. The guy for all his flaws had a killer left hook.

[hhaehre]

Frazier would be my pick.
Cooney could well be on that list also, not a great fighter but he had a great left hook.

[BoxBuzz]

What Yancey said

[jaclem2]

..where's joe louis? not from the floor as most of the guys mentioned. but from his regular stand up stance, off a jab and could land three in a row...and powerful.

[King Carlos]

Of course Frazier. Noone ever had a better left hook, in any weight class.

[Brutu]

Jack Dempsey's,"Shovel-Hook".

[raylawpc]

Dempsey.

[Crease]

I would say Frazier or Dempsey... But I edged it to The Smokin' One.

[crusader]

Definitely Tua





Nah, just kidding. I'd go with Frazier

[Syntax Error]

Joe Frazier had an unfair advantage over the others because his Left arm was deformed due to a fracture in his youth.

Saying that, he was steal a beast with that punch.

[gilgamesh]

To me it's gotta be Joe Frazier. His left hook was his only truly dangerous punch, and he became Heavyweight Champion because of it. That says it all.

[jaclem2]

...owl..you say your exclusion was a "simple one in my mind."...and indeed, it would take a simple mind to leave him out.

[Goodnight, Irene]

..where's joe louis? not from the floor as most of the guys mentioned. but from his regular stand up stance, off a jab and could land three in a row...and powerful.

I'm with you. Any discussion about left hooks without the Brown Bomber cant be taken too seriously.

Ok. Well feel free to stop participating in it. The reason for the non inclusion of Louis was a simple one in my mind. I thought more of people who used it as a signature punch as something that you knew you had to watch out when going in the ring in your game plan. I may be wrong Louis was a very complete fighter you either have him at number 1 or 2 in the ATG of HW but in the same time in my humble mind louis was more known for just delivering deadly punches from 6 inches or when his adversaries tried to come towards him. Much more than "oh killer left hook".

I do accept that I should have maybe included Tyson and Cooney. But I honestly don't think Louis should be in the choices. Because then I could argue why not Ali? he too threw almost every punch efficiently, but we all know his left hook was not something to watch out for in the same sense as dempsey's or Frazier's. There is simply no "aura" around Louis' left hook. It was a very good left hook but in no way the "best".

In fairness to your detractors here, your thread doesn't ask for, "the most famous left hook," or the left hook with, "the most aura." It asks for the best --- & Louis is in plain contention, there.

[Goodnight, Irene]

...owl..you say your exclusion was a "simple one in my mind."...and indeed, it would take a simple mind to leave him out.

Cute. One thing I noticed about some Boxrec posters is that most seem to struggle with the basic rules of discussing ones opinions. One can ridicule the opinion but to ridicule the one who states the opinion. Why because ridiculing the person behind the opinion is really just a lack of proper manners. If you want to show he is wrong or you disagree you don't need to post with "your a pudendum/idiot/stupid/you don't know shit/etc" you can just tell me your arguments. What you think about me is really irrelevant.

Its sad really. Because Boxing scene has many more trolls and poorly mannered individuals because they have such a greater following. It seems that though boxrec is considerably less populated it nonetheless has the same amount of people who simply post to pick on the posters rather than the argument or the basis of their argument.

It seems harder and harder to have a good back and forward conversation between knowledgeable people, even if of a different opinion.

Agree with all of that to some extent, but emotions will always run high in all sports-related topics. Still, I hear you.

[jaclem2]

...yeah...i agree with owl's response too....and i could have posted the same thing word for word in expressing my own attitude. it's just that i've been out of the insult mode for so long that it was fun to do one again.

now..as for backing up my opinion regarding joe louis (which was not meant to take anything away from frazier or any of the others in the poll, )i'd suggest finding whatever film/tape of joe louis you can and decide for yourself. the best series of left hook knockout punches i can think of offhand is the louis walcott rematch. a past prime bomber but still magnificent.

plus... he did kayo lee savold ....even later....with one left hook...but savold wasn't much of an opponent.

[BoxBuzz]

Yep, and though Frazier may have had the better hook (by a whisker) He would have a hard time parlaying that into a win against Louis.

IMHO.

[King Carlos]

Louis vs Frazier is pretty much a 50/50 fight, in my opinion. Gun to my head and I might give Louis the edge, but either outcome is just as likely.

[man]

i wondered two things in ali-frazier I. first why
ali did refuse to ever cover against that left hook
and prefer to eat it all night and second how he
could take one after the other for so long.

i must say that tua's ruiz hook was very impressive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M5mPGbfzIc
punch happening at 4:55 - two things i find interesting
about that video, first ruiz had a sixpack and second i
had the feeling tua really signaled that punch ...

[Syntax Error]

To me it's gotta be Joe Frazier. His left hook was his only truly dangerous punch, and he became Heavyweight Champion because of it. That says it all.

Fantastic point.

Frazier is so famous for that punch that it is hard to remember any other punch in his arsenal.

For that reason, I can understand post Owl's frustration at those who've sniped at him for not including Louis in his choices.

Louis had an array of punches, all of which were superb; Frazier had nothing else but his Left hook.

[dempseyfire]

Frazier did not "just have the left hook".

He had an excellent jab, and while his right hand was not the money punch his left was, it could do damage and came fast and hard. He slashed up Quarry's face in their rematch with the right hand. Also solid body puncher with either hand, as well as the uppercut.

[yancey]

Frazier did not "just have the left hook".

He had an excellent jab, and while his right hand was not the money punch his left was, it could do damage and came fast and hard. He slashed up Quarry's face in their rematch with the right hand. Also solid body puncher with either hand, as well as the uppercut.

Agree with everything.

I thought he used the jab particularly well in the first Quarry fight to gradually start taking control in rounds 2 and 3.