The AlexKid 'questions about punchers, chins, hiprotation etc.' superduper thread.

[Kiwi Nick]

Ron Lyle was a big puncher, but in top 5 ever?
Not for me...

[The Old LefHook]

I think the evidence for Lyle is scant. Foreman was in the lowest period of his career after having his ego stripped by Ali in Africa. He was a shadow of what he had been. If I remember correctly, I watched Foreman compete in a carnival charade against five consecutive opponents. My feeling is the Foreman of Zaire would have dispatched Lyle quickly and easily.

Though it does not show on his professional record, George's first return to the ring after Ali was his carnival charade, nationally televised with Ali serving as guest commentator heckling the already psychologically frayed George like a crow. He was 14 lbs. overweight for that fight, I now read.

For his next encounter with Lyle, George was 6-8 lbs. over his best weight.

George did face a large number of monster punchers. He puts Cooney and Shavers as the other hardest punchers he was in the ring with. He also had the opportunity to spar with Liston many times, whom he never mentions as a hard puncher, though Sonny may not have unloaded with the pillow gloves on his young protoge.

I am trying to remember if George also sparred with Cleveland Williams. There seems to be a dim memory of George touting the Big Cat's power somewhere. Maybe not, but the deja vu persists.

[The Old LefHook]

Whoops! Now I see my mistake. Of course Foreman never fought Shavers. Williams was the third guy he named as hardest hitter. Williams certainly had the body of a hitter. One wonders how Marciano might have fared against him?

[The Old LefHook]

For one punch Power Mike Weaver probably rates pretty high. The problem is he was mediocre otherwise, so it is hard for him to get consideration in punching polls as it was hard for him to land his big punch. The one thing the man could do, however, was punch. Not only was he lazy in there, he was ****** in there, and one of the worst ring generals of all time, when it came to sizing up what to do.

[AlexKid]

LOL Thanks!

[BattlingNelson]

LOL Thanks!

You can now ask all your questions and question all your observations in this very thread. So from now on you don't have to bother with all your threadcreations.

[AlexKid]

Why does everyone keep saying Foreman couldnt throw a stright punch till later.... ?

......in his career?

He chose not to! For tactical reasons!

Also look how fast he was when in the Olympics reminds me of lennox lewis with a strong chin and heavier hands. Although admittedly still a bit sluggish

[The Old LefHook]

......in his career?

He chose not to! For tactical reasons!

Also look how fast he was when in the Olympics reminds me of lennox lewis with a strong chin and heavier hands. Although admittedly still a bit sluggish

What would that tactic be, Alex, and its purpose?

[AlexKid]

What would that tactic be, Alex, and its purpose?

many people think foreman only threw hook punches

what he actually threw was hook punches and bent arm flared elbow straight punches


I suspect he fooled people into thinking a hook was coming by throwing the straight with the elbow flaired out and telegraphed and then bamn KOed with a straight as they defend the hook


Also vice versa, they wise up to it being a straight then bamn a hook hits them as they defend the straight with the wrong block etc


He then further complicated this game with uppercuts that traveled straight as well as looping uppercuts

Also a powerful jab completes his game

Thats my guess


Orthodox straight punches are very effective but overrated lots of high level guys got by without using them, especially at HW

[The Old LefHook]

many people think foreman only threw hook punches

what he actually threw was hook punches and bent arm flared elbow straight punches


I suspect he fooled people into thinking a hook was coming by throwing the straight with the elbow flaired out and telegraphed and then bamn KOed with a straight as they defend the hook


Also vice versa, they wise up to it being a straight then bamn a hook hits them as they defend the straight with the wrong block etc


He then further complicated this game with uppercuts that traveled straight as well as looping uppercuts

Also a powerful jab completes his game

Thats my guess


Orthodox straight punches are very effective but overrated lots of high level guys got by without using them, especially at HW

He did not have sloppy technique at all, then, but used what looked like sloppiness to the non-nsightful, to confuse and KO opponents. Willie Pep would have been proud of him.