BoxRec

Hello, again my friends. As you can see, I have been giving my top choices of different lists that I have done through the year. But, this list, the best top 100 pound per pound punchers ever, was one of the hardest ones to date to make. It really took some serious studying videos and records of these great punchers. I put into consideration for example, KO percentage in some boxers. Especially the ones that were around waaay before I was born. I have seen tons of great punchers on tape. And to my liking, pound per pound as a puncher, I have never seen nothing like Julian "The Hawk" Jackson. He is the hardest puncher that I have seen in my lifetime, no matter the weight class. He was really something! Is he the best ever? No. But he's top ten all-time in my view. Records of KO percentage could also be deceiving. For example, heavyweight Lamar Clark. He scored 44 straight wins by KO. He should be in the list, right? No. Clark's quality of opposition was MEDIOCRE AT BEST. Once he stepped up his opposition, a young and brash former Olympic boxing champion named Cassius Clay made quick work of him. And Clark disappeared as fast as you can read this.

I also take into account, quality of opposition, winning streaks by KO, and historical significance in his greatest KO win. Also, I consider what fighters he knocked out in his resume and the stage of the fighter's career.

You might agree or disagree in the order. But, if there is one boxer in this list that should be in, make your case about him and explain why he should be in. Or explain why this fighter should rank above the other and so on. Let's debate with courtesy.

These are boxing's top 100 greatest pound per pound punchers ever in my view:

1. Joe Louis
2. Jimmy Wilde
3. Sam Langford
4. Sandy Saddler
5. Stanley Ketchel
6. Jack Dempsey
7. Bob Fitzsimmons
8. Julian Jackson
9. George Foreman
10. Archie Moore
11. Earnie Shavers
12. Mike Tyson
13. Ruben Olivares
14. Rocky Marciano
15. Sugar Ray Robinson
16. Bob Foster
17 Carlos Zarare
18. Alexis Arguello
19. Thomas Hearns
20. Danny Lopez
21. Gennady "GGG" Golovkin
22. Roberto Duran
23. Gerald McClellan
24. Khosai Galaxy
25. Alfonso Zamora
26. Sonny Liston
27. Max Baer
28. Felix "Tito" Trinidad
29. John Mugabi
30. Pipino Cuevas
31. Edwin Valero
32. Tony Zale
33. Naseem Hamed
34. Wilfredo Gomez
35. Rodrigo Valdez
36. Rocky Graziano
37. Tommy Ryan
38. Joe Frazier
39. Edwin "Chapo" Rosario
40. Jesus Pimentel
41. James J. Jeffries
42. Elmer Ray
43. Bennie Briscoe
44. Eugene "Cyclone" Hart
45. Michael Spinks
46. Carlos Monzon
47. Joe Gans
48. Lew Jenkins
49. David Tua
50. Terry McGovern
51. Julio Cesar Chavez
52. Cleveland Williams
53. Henry Armstrong
54. George Godfrey
55. "Black Jack" Billy Fox
56. Rodolfo "Gato" Gonzalez
57. Gerry Cooney
58. Florentino Fernandez
59. Tiger Jack Fox
60. Al Hostak
61. Roy Jones, Jr.
62. Manny Pacquiao
63. Matthew Saad Muhammad
64. Lennox Lewis
65. Marvelous Marvin Hagler
66. Eder Jofre
67. Harry Wills
68. Tom Sharkey
69. Joe Walcott
70. Bob Satterfield
71. Acelino "Popo" Freitas
72. Tony Ayala, Jr.
73. Tommy Gomez
74. Charles "Kid" McCoy
75. Buddy Baer
76. Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
77. Jose Luis Ramirez
78. Luis Angel Firpo
79. Nigel Benn
80. Andy Ganigan
81. Oscar Bonavena
82. Sean O'Grady
83. Vitali Klitschko
84. Antonio Cervantes
85. Battling Torres
86. Evander Holyfield
87. Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles
88. Aaron Pryor
89. Ingemar Johansson
90. George "KO" Chaney
91. Floyd Patterson
92. Mike McCallum
93. Leotis Martin
94. Riddick Bowe
95. Eduardo Lausse
96. Charley Burley
97. Muhammad Ali
98. Fred Fulton
99. Bobby Chacon
100. Sugar Ray Leonard

I reckon Burley and McCallum should be higher. Burley much higher. Aside from that, excellent work. Like Al Hostak in there.

Tomasino wrote:I reckon Burley and McCallum should be higher. Burley much higher. Aside from that, excellent work. Like Al Hostak in there.

Thanks, Tomasino!

elmersalsa wrote:I also take into account, quality of opposition, winning streaks by KO, and historical significance in his greatest KO win. Also, I consider what fighters he knocked out in his resume and the stage of the fighter's career.

Yet Valero is ranked ahead of Frazier...

Should Tony Ayala jr. even be on the list?

Vitali is laughable. Pryor, O'Grady lol...

elmersalsa wrote:

Tomasino wrote:I reckon Burley and McCallum should be higher. Burley much higher. Aside from that, excellent work. Like Al Hostak in there.

Thanks, Tomasino!

These things are hard work! I couldn't do it

Jaywheel wrote:Vitali is laughable. Pryor, O'Grady lol...

The great Aaron Pryor had a great KO pct. He won his first 9 title bouts by knockout. He had a winning streak of 27 KO wins from 1977 to 1983.

Sean O'Grady got 25 KO wins in the first round.

elmersalsa wrote:

Jaywheel wrote:Vitali is laughable. Pryor, O'Grady lol...

The great Aaron Pryor had a great KO pct. He won his first 9 title bouts by knockout. He had a winning streak of 27 KO wins from 1977 to 1983.

Sean O'Grady got 25 KO wins in the first round.

I'd have Wladamir before Vitali. I don't think Vitali was a great puncher although he has an amazing KO %. I wouldn't have Ayala jnr. He was unproven against tough comp.

Tomasino wrote:

elmersalsa wrote:

Jaywheel wrote:Vitali is laughable. Pryor, O'Grady lol...

The great Aaron Pryor had a great KO pct. He won his first 9 title bouts by knockout. He had a winning streak of 27 KO wins from 1977 to 1983.

Sean O'Grady got 25 KO wins in the first round.

I'd have Wladamir before Vitali. I don't think Vitali was a great person Mcpher although he has an amazing KO %. I wouldn't have Ayala jnr. He was unproven against tough comp.

Everyone I've seen that fought both said Wlad hit harder, plus it's P4P and he's lighter.

Joe Choynski deserves a spot near the top.
http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/10540
Knocked out Jack Johnson. And Jeffries described him as the hardest puncher ever faced. Choynski weighed 167Ibs

Charlie Mitchel probably should be up there, he was the English heavyweight champion, despite rarely weighing more than 150Ibs, and even dropped John L Sulivan
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/mitchell.htm
http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/10548

Further down. What about Peter Maher? In the exclusive 100 KOs on boxrec club.
http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/10799

I'll give more thought to this at some point, but there are definitely some names on that list I'd have nowhere near a Top 100 in this category.

Freitas and Leonard jump out at me in this regard.

Tony Ayala jr is one of the most overrated fighters in the history of boxing. Davey Moore and Thomas Hearns would have knocked him out.

Pre-layoff Vitali punched with authority and gained a gaudily impressive KO%, but his brother hit way harder (just not as often). I'd put Corrie Sanders ahead of Vitali on a pure power punchers list and likely neither in a top 100.

Muhammad Ali stands out as an odd choice to me. I'd rank Al Brown, De La Hoya, Mosley, Ike Williams, Charles and the Marquez bros higher than Ali punch power-wise to name a few.

Must have been a real headache putting this list together so kudos anyway.

gilgamesh wrote:I'll give more thought to this at some point, but there are definitely some names on that list I'd have nowhere near a Top 100 in this category.

Freitas and Leonard jump out at me in this regard.

Duran once commented that Leonard hit harder than anyone he fought; he used the word 'hurt' when describing the punches.

But I also was surprised to see him on the list, even at 100 - I don't think of him as a banger.

Also early on there was also a vicious (perfect) left hook he took someone unimportant out with - that punch looked as good as any I had seen.

APerno wrote:

gilgamesh wrote:I'll give more thought to this at some point, but there are definitely some names on that list I'd have nowhere near a Top 100 in this category.

Freitas and Leonard jump out at me in this regard.

Duran once commented that Leonard hit harder than anyone he fought; he used the word 'hurt' when describing the punches.

But I also was surprised to see him on the list, even at 100 - I don't think of him as a banger.

Also early on there was also a vicious (perfect) left hook he took someone unimportant out with - that punch looked as good as any I had seen.

Surely Tommy Hearns hit harder. Maybe he doesn't remember because Hearns' punches hurt so bad because he couldn't even feel 'em, they just turned his lights off.

What about Torpedo Billy Murphy? Considered the first featherweight champion, as well as the lightweight champion of New Zealand.

A lot of fighters with no or few other fights on his record, but if you look he has a fair few that aren't, often fought heavier opponent

Deonty WIlder too, for all his flaws, is a devasting puncher, and not that heavyweight for a modern heavyweight.

Personally I'd have Julian Jackson no1 or 2 along with Wilde and I wouldn't have spinks in there myself

paddy chavez wrote:Personally I'd have Julian Jackson no1 or 2 along with Wilde and I wouldn't have spinks in there myself

Interesting. I me it's between Fitz and Langford.

Former jr. welterweight champ Carlos 'Morocho' Hernandez of Venezuela needs to be on this list. One of the great bangers in the history of the game. Had a record of 60-12-4 with 44 KOs. Here are a few that he stopped.

Joe Brown
Teo Cruz (Cruz stopped only twice in 57 bouts. Once to Mando Ramos on cuts, the other to Hernandez)
Davey Moore (broke his jaw)
Kenny Lane
Bunny Grant (only stopped twice in 72 bouts. At the end of his career to Clyde Gray and to Hernandez in his prime)
Paolo Rosi (only stopped on cuts in his career until Hernandez stopped him in the 1st round)
Alfredo urbina

Also, in losing efforts, he dropped Jose Napoles, Nicolino Loche and Eddie Perkins. Three rock-jawed fighters. Hernandez belongs on this list.

BitPlayer wrote:

paddy chavez wrote:Personally I'd have Julian Jackson no1 or 2 along with Wilde and I wouldn't have spinks in there myself

Interesting. I me it's between Fitz and Langford.

I think because I've seen Jackson fight many times is a big decider for me his record is impressive but the way he knocked fighters cold before they hit the deck is different to any other fighter I've seen even guys like GGG don't have that type of power and wilde would knock guys out who today would be 6/7 weight classes above him

I can't see how Ali makes the list myself
And I'd probably have Wayne Alexander in there

I would have Max Schmeling in there for sure

APerno wrote:

gilgamesh wrote:I'll give more thought to this at some point, but there are definitely some names on that list I'd have nowhere near a Top 100 in this category.

Freitas and Leonard jump out at me in this regard.

Duran once commented that Leonard hit harder than anyone he fought; he used the word 'hurt' when describing the punches.

But I also was surprised to see him on the list, even at 100 - I don't think of him as a banger.

Also early on there was also a vicious (perfect) left hook he took someone unimportant out with - that punch looked as good as any I had seen.

I reckon Duran only said that because he beat Leonard.

There is no doubt that Tommy Hearns hit harder than Leonard & that he hit Duran harder than Leonard ever did.

I'm not saying that Leonard couldn't punch; he certainly had a dig on him, but Hearns was on another level.

paddy chavez wrote:I can't see how Ali makes the list myself
And I'd probably have Wayne Alexander in there

I'm surprised Ali is on the list too.