Ring Magazines 100 greatest punchers.

[paul750]

In 2003, the writers of Ring Magazine published a ranking of the 100 greatest punchers of all-time. Not unlike an all-time pound-for-pound ranking, this list compares fighters across different weight categories and different eras. As such, it's entirely open for debate ...
1. Joe Louis
2. Sam Langford
3. Jimmy Wilde
4. Archie Moore
5. Sandy Saddler
6. Stanley Ketchell
7. Jack Dempsey
8. Bob Fitzsimmons
9. George Foreman
10. Earnie Shavers
11. Sugar Ray Robinson
12. Ruben Olivares
13. Wilfredo Gomez
14. Rock Marciano
15. Sonny Liston
16. Mike Tyson
17. Bob Foster
18. Thomas Hearns

19. Khaosai Galaxy
20. Alexis Arguello
21. Carlos Zarate
22. Max Baer
23. Rocky Graziano
24. Matthew Saad Muhammad
25. Julian Jackson
26. Danny Lopez
27. Gerald McClellan
28. Roberto Duran
29. Rodrigo Valdez
30. Felix Trinidad
31. Pipino Cuevas
32. Jim Jefferies
33. Lennox Lewis
34. Bennie Briscoe
35. Marvin Hagler
36. Edwin Rosario
37. Tommy Ryan
38. John Mugabi
39. Joe Frazier
40. Carlos Monzon
41. Tony Zale
42. Michael Spinks
43. Joe Gans
44. Elmer Ray
45. George Godfrey
46. Naseem Hamed
47. Alfonso Zamora
48. David Tua
49. Cleveland Williams
50. Julio Cesar Chavez
51. Tiger Jack Fox
52. Joe Walcott
53. Gerry Cooney
54. Al (Bummy) Davis
55. Max Schmeling
56. Florentino Fernandez
57. Henry Armstrong
58. Bob Satterfield
59. Al Hostak
60. Jesus Pimentel
61. Eugene (Cyclone) Hart
62. Lew Jenkins
63. Harry Wills
64. Tom Sharkey
65. Terry McGovern
66. Jersey Joe Walcott
67. Kostya Tszyu
68. Leotis Martin
69. Buddy Baer
70. Donovan (Razor) Ruddock
71. Jose Luis Ramirez
72. Tommy Gomez
73. Jose Napoles
74. Kid McCoy
75. Antonio Esparragoza
76. Ricardo Moreno
77. Evander Holyfield
78. Ike Williams
79. Luis Firpo
80. Ricardo Lopez
81. Humberto Gonzalez
82. Bobby Chacon
83. Jock McAvoy
84. Eduardo Lausse
85. Eder Jofre
86. Charley Burley
87. Mike McCallum
88. Salvador Sanchez
89. Roy Jones JR
90. Rodolfo Gonzalez
91. Nigel Benn
92. (Irish) Bob Murphy
93. Paul Berlenbach
94. Battling Torres
95. Chalky Wright
96. George (K.O.) Chaney
97. Andy Ganigan
98. Fred Fulton
99. Ingemar Johansson
100. Charley White

[Brassangel]

Dempsey was powerful even when it was his own fists and not one made of paris...

Why don't they have Holyfield's head on there?

[paul750]

I'm not sure why Holyfield is on there. Theres no doubt he's a legend, but he was never a devastating puncher.

[Brassangel]

Yeah, although he was a pretty sharp puncher when he was on. He would land 7-9 punch combos on people in a counter-punch situation. Maybe this is also referring to combos and technical punching skill in addition to power. After all, I doubt that 8 guys could punch harder than George Foreman, or 14 guys over Sonny Liston, Mike Tyson, etc. I guess if they are trying to cover all bases and weight classes, they have to squeeze them in somewhere.

I was just stating that Evander's head-butt of doom won him a lot of fights without having to land anything devastating.

[paul750]

I was just stating that Evander's head-butt of doom won him a lot of fights without having to land anything devastating.

I've watched a lot of Holyfield fights, and it always seemed to me that he was just a rough fighter, but i don't believe it was ever intentional, a few headbutts did not make Evander Holyfield what he was IMO.

[Brassangel]

While that's true, it did cost him his ear at the teeth of a madman beyond his disciplined years.

It also forced another man's forehead to grow a golf ball full of blood.

Lennox Lewis complained about it, as did Ruiz, and a few others. I just exaggerated it for comedic purposes.

I'm surprised that no one is commenting on this thread...

[Dempsey1238]

were is the Toy Bulldog??

I sure Walker is in the top 100 hitters of all time.

[mECHsLAVE]

While that's true, it did cost him his ear at the teeth of a madman beyond his disciplined years.

It also forced another man's forehead to grow a golf ball full of blood.

Lennox Lewis complained about it, as did Ruiz, and a few others. I just exaggerated it for comedic purposes.

I'm surprised that no one is commenting on this thread...

What's funny to me about the people who still deny that Holyfield consistently cheated, fouled and used his head as a weapon is that there's basically a smoking gun- everyone saw the training footage of Manny (who of course has trained Holyfield) demonstrate exactly how Holyfield normally tries to headbutt his opponents, warning Lennox not to leave space or Evander would have room to butt him on the inside.

As for the list, pretty good list. I might have Dempsey, Tyson and Hearns all a little higher than they are, though.

[Yogi]

Dempsey was powerful even when it was his own fists and not one made of paris...

Brassangel, I directed a post to you in regrads to Dempsey and the plaster theory, which I believe was in the 'Greatest Knockouts' thread from a few days ago...Did you not see it?

[Brassangel]

Yes I've read it. And while a story may have been exaggerated by an angry or disgruntled former associate of the great Jack Dempsey, it wasn't put to rest by the fact that Jack spoke of such antics to interviewers later in life. It's true that he didn't do it repeatedly. In fact, it may have only been in one incident (broken ribs and various other bones of an opponent 50 lbs. heavier), but I doubt he was crazy when he made such comments. He of course, justified himself (or tried to), by stating such things that other boxers partook of, including: moving padding away from the knuckles in between rounds, placing blinding solvents on gloves or over eyebrows, etc. It was also common practice to hold your opponent's head still with one hand while taking free shots at it with the other. Fitzsimmons conceded to wrapping his hands against Jeffries; and only after a lot of rounds did it eventually break one of his fingers. A guy could wear a cement block for a glove so long as he was exerting the force and not running into it. It's just science. Dempsey only needed it for three rounds against the large punching bag that was Willis. Secondly, the gloves were far lighter at that time than they were today. Give Tyson, or Liston, or Foreman gloves that weigh 4-8 ounces like they had in the olden days instead of 14-16 oz. and I guarantee there would have been plenty more bones broken in their fights.

While I know this doesn't disqualify Jack Dempsey as a great, I just tend to pick on one particular noteable in boxing history for a short while. My current flavor happens to be Holyfield's head-butt. Jack Dempsey was definitely one of the best; and he used what was given to him. The combination of shenanigans and mixed stories all over the place makes for good nit-pickin. Besides, every major critic believes that Jeffries would have eaten Dempsey for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I still like Dempsey, I just pick a flavor of the week. Again, I'm on Holyfield's head right now. Stay tuned as I'm sure to jump to Tex Cobb's ******ity.