Top 10 Heavies from best to worst

[StarshipTrooper]

Ok, Why do we even need weight classes?

If weight has absolutely no bearing on power then we should only have one belt annd let everyone from 90lbs to 250lbs fight for it!

Its just a coincidence that Sonny Liston and Foreman outweighed over 90% of their opponents, had no affect on their high KO ratios.

Its only a coincidence that Manny stopped flooring opponents once he fought 160 lb men.

jeesus...

Weight classes were created NOT because bigger men hit harder but rather because in theory a bigger man can TAKE more punishment than a smaller man. It's the ability to absorb your opponents blows not the ability to dish it out that resulted in weight classes. A secondary reason is that in theory a heavier man can use his extra weight to wear down a smaller man over the course of a long fight. Neither factor have anything to do with punching power. Punching power has been shown over and over again throughout boxing history to everything to do with a given fighter's particular physiology and not with his weight. By your model packing an extra 50 pounds on James Toney should have made him a much more visious puncher.....which, of course, it did NOT. By your model all of Tyson's opponents hit harder than he did since he was outweighed by damn near everyone he fought.....the exact OPPOSITE was true.

Poet

[JAB5239]

I've only got four people to knock down Ali, whos the 5th?

Sonny Banks
Henry Cooper
Joe Fraizer
Chuck Wepner

Ali also came back to win 3 of these fights. Lewis lost all of his fights he was knocked down in. I don't really see what point you are making.

The Wepner knockdown shouldn't even be used in this discussion since Chuck clearly stepped on his foot, and it was a body shot which has no relation to chin.

[Joeyzagz]

Weight classes were created NOT because bigger men hit harder but rather because in theory a bigger man can TAKE more punishment than a smaller man. It's the ability to absorb your opponents blows not the ability to dish it out that resulted in weight classes. A secondary reason is that in theory a heavier man can use his extra weight to wear down a smaller man over the course of a long fight. Neither factor have anything to do with punching power. Punching power has been shown over and over again throughout boxing history to everything to do with a given fighter's particular physiology and not with his weight. By your model packing an extra 50 pounds on James Toney should have made him a much more visious puncher.....which, of course, it did NOT. By your model all of Tyson's opponents hit harder than he did since he was outweighed by damn near everyone he fought.....the exact OPPOSITE was true.

Poet

There is definitely an art to hitting and punching power, I agree. But for those who know how to harness it, weight can be a great asset.

Foreman throws his full 220 lb body behind every punch and his opponents fly the other direction. Saying weight has no affect on power is disrespectful to the laws of Physics.

A Mack truck going 50 miles pers hour is going to hit you harder than a motorbike going 70. You should check up on Newton's laws before you say that "Weight has no correlation to power"

[StarshipTrooper]

There is definitely an art to hitting and punching power, I agree. But for those who know how to harness it, weight can be a great asset.

Foreman throws his full 220 lb body behind every punch and his opponents fly the other direction. Saying weight has no affect on power is disrespectful to the laws of Physics.

A Mack truck going 50 miles pers hour is going to hit you harder than a motorbike going 70. You should check up on Newton's laws before you say that "Weight has no correlation to power"

You should take Biology 101 which is more applicible to boxing than Newton. While there is an art to punching that isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about basic human physiology. Thinks such as muscle length to thickness, muscle type ect. Ever wonder why so many scrawny fighters with long arms a huge punchers? It ain't their weight generating the power dude.

Poet

[CarlosG815]

You should take Biology 101 which is more applicible to boxing than Newton. While there is an art to punching that isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about basic human physiology. Thinks such as muscle length to thickness, muscle type ect. Ever wonder why so many scrawny fighters with long arms a huge punchers? It ain't their weight generating the power dude.

Poet

Tommy Hearns hit harder at 147 than many men much larger than he.

[Barn]

You should take Biology 101 which is more applicible to boxing than Newton. While there is an art to punching that isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about basic human physiology. Thinks such as muscle length to thickness, muscle type ect. Ever wonder why so many scrawny fighters with long arms a huge punchers? It ain't their weight generating the power dude.

Poet

For example Thomas Hearns who going by his build (not height) should be a welterweight but, was knocking out and LHW's CW's
edit: damn Carlos you beat me too it

[Joeyzagz]

You should take Biology 101 which is more applicible to boxing than Newton. While there is an art to punching that isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about basic human physiology. Thinks such as muscle length to thickness, muscle type ect. Ever wonder why so many scrawny fighters with long arms a huge punchers? It ain't their weight generating the power dude.

Poet

Thats Physics as well....

Mccall has giant 82 inch arms. To give you an idea Im 6'6 and only have 77 inch reach. Mccall is built like a damned Ox and Im not being unreasonable to say he hit harder than Cooper and Jimmy Young.

[StarshipTrooper]

Thats Physics as well....

Mccall has giant 82 inch arms. To give you an idea Im 6'6 and only have 77 inch reach. Mccall is built like a damned Ox and Im not being unreasonable to say he hit harder than Cooper and Jimmy Young.

Oh yeah McCall with his awesome 56% KO rate, great example there Newton

The only applicible physics here is that power is directly corrolated to the amount of kinetic energy generated by the fighter in the punch NOT weight of the mass being moved. Kinetic energy is generated by muscular makeup of a fighter not his weight.

BTW, I noticed you completely ignored the example I gave of James Toney and Mike Tyson.....I wonder why? Maybe because those examples destroy your argument completely?

Poet

[Barn]

Kinetic energy is affected by mass.
The formula is Ek = 0.5xMxV^2,
With M being mass and V being velocity
Power is Energy over time P = E/t and if the energy is Kinetic and that is affected by mass and mass is directly proportional to weight.

But, Since the Velocity is squared the mass usually becomes insignificant. The mass will be something like 70kg and I have no idea how fast a proffestional boxer can hit? If someone could tell me it would be possible to work out how much of a difference it would make.

Anyway there are many other factors at play such as muscle force and stuff whch further decreases how much it has an effect.

Unless I have something wrong...

[Tyson.]

Ali was down 5 times in his career against 185-200 lbers

Foreman was down 4 times in his career against 200-220 lbers

Lennox was down only twice in his career against 233 lb behemoths. And the 2nd kd occured at 6000 ft above sea level where he hadnt trained. There are people who pass out jogging from that altitude.

Two of those Ali knockdowns were when he was green and inexperainced at 21 or younger. Lewis turned pro at 24, Ali was champion at 22. Lewis would of been KOed if he was fighting top contenders at the stage Ali was.

Then Ali was knocked down in the 15th round against Frazier who was prime and at the top of his game. Lewis had fights scheduled for 12 rounds throughout his carrear.

Ali also recovered instantly in all those fights and went onto win them. Frazier fight was close but alot of people had Ali winning.