Skeets, The Bayonne Bleeder, Chuck Wepner, also knocked Ali down. That's how Stallone got the story for Rocky. According to Chuck, he turned around and told his trainer, "we're rich." And his trainer said, "You'd better turn around. He's up and he's pissed off." <g>
Ali had no punch. Foreman knocked out Foreman. He had no stamina. Jimmy Young took out Foreman in the 12th, and Jimmy never knocked out anyone. The guy is very, very strong and can knock down a bull, but he can't go long distances against a true heavyweight. He rarely had to, but it was disaster when he did. Ron Lyle knocked George down 3 times, but Lyle could knock a truck out. He couldn't hit Jimmy Young, either, though, in two fights, the last of which I saw in person.
The only knockouts, as opposed to tkos, that Ali had with his punching power were Liston #2, which was fixed, and some sad English dude who was European champion but didn't know how to roll with a punch. The rest were accumulation knockouts and TKOs. Nothing wrong with that, but no punching power.
It is hard to say who the hardest puncher was, as punching and boxing talent usually don't go together in heavys. And, of course, Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano never fought Foreman or Tyson or even Bonecrusher Smith in their primes.
That last one reminds me of a joke I heard a comedian tell. "Honey, some guy told me I was fat?" "I'll clobber him. Who was it, Wee Willie or Little Joe?" "Bonecrusher Smith." "You could lose a few pounds, babe." <g> |
