One of the topics that historically dominates the debate among boxing enthusiasts concerns the power of great champions of the present and the past. Boxers are often asked to identify the opponent with the deadliest punch among those they have faced, and it is not uncommon for one of them to give an unexpected answer to this question. We have therefore decided to gather for you the “confession” of 10 great names from the past who, between confirmations and surprises, reveal who among their rivals “hurt them the most”.
Lennox Lewis’s answer: Shannon Briggs
One would expect Lennox to name one of the only two boxers capable of knocking him out, namely Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, but the British-born boxer of Jamaican descent attributes those defeats to “lucky punches”, while still remembering the onslaught of the colorful Shannon Briggs, who, according to him, “Lacked endurance, but certainly knew how to put all his body weight behind his punch”.
Roberto Duran’s answer: Esteban De Jesus
Duran faced great punchers, often bigger and stronger than him, yet the memory of De Jesus’ punches, which gave him his first defeat and also knocked him down in the rematch, remained etched in his mind. Many would have expected him to mention Thomas Hearns, but Duran says of him: “When I lost to Hearns, I was weakened by losing too much weight too quickly. He hit me with a great punch, but I would have done much better in a rematch”.
Wladimir Klitschko’s answer: Corrie Sanders
In this case, no surprise. Although Klitschko was knocked down several times in his career and even knocked out on multiple occasions, no one has ever overwhelmed him with the same impetus and apparent ease as Corrie Sanders did when he took away his WBO World Title. “I’ve been in boxing for over 25 years and I’ve never fought anyone who hits as hard as Corrie Sanders”.
Ricardo Mayorga’s answer: Miguel Cotto
The eccentric Nicaraguan boxer faced countless brutal punchers, and more than one managed to shut him up with punches, from Felix Trinidad to Shane Mosley, passing through Oscar De La Hoya. But what left him more astonished and in pain were the twelve rounds fought against Miguel Cotto, so much so that according to many observers, the alleged arm injury claimed by the Matador was merely an excuse to avoid punishment.
Mike Tyson’s answer: Evander Holyfield
Iron Mike’s staunch fans generally despise Holyfield for the two defeats inflicted on their idol. Tyson, however, has developed a great respect for his old rival over the years, publicly acknowledging his immense value. It is nevertheless surprising that Mike also attributes to him the role of the most powerful opponent, placing him in this aspect even above Lennox Lewis: “Holyfield threw terrifying punches with both hands and with bad intentions”.
Carl Froch’s answer: Robin Reid
Among the various surprises in this collection of confessions, this is perhaps the one that leaves the most perplexed. Froch was one of the boxers of the modern era with the richest curriculum of opponents of absolute international caliber, but the punches that shocked him the most were not those of the great world challengers, but those of Robin Reid, defeated in five rounds for the British title. “I remember that as he hit me, I thought: ‘Damn devil, this hurts!”
Erik Morales’s answer: Junior Jones
Junior Jones was not a complete boxer: his defense was penetrable and his jaw not exactly granite, but his right hand, often thrown with the first intention, was a terrible blow. Marco Antonio Barrera knows it well, having lost to him twice out of two, but so does Morales: “I really felt the punches he landed. I remember being momentarily paralyzed during the second round when he hit me with a right hand”.
Roy Jones Jr.’s answer: Merqui Sosa
Since Roy Jones lost his extraordinary reactivity, more than one boxer has managed to hit him hard and even knock him out. Asked who impressed him the most in terms of power, however, the “Lightning from Pensacola” indicates an opponent he faced in his golden days and tamed in just two rounds: “I was there thinking: ‘Wow, this guy is trying to kill me!’ Tarver had good power, but he didn’t hit harder than Sosa”.
Luigi Minchillo’s answer: Marijan Beneš
The Italian brawler faced several top-tier fighters known for the power of their punches, yet when asked to name the most powerful of them all, he pointed to a less decorated and less famous one: Marijan Beneš. “He was the boxer who hurt me the most. More than Duran, more than Hearns, more than McCallum… Their punches were laughable compared to those of Marijan Benes. He was a real miniature Tyson, wherever he hit, he left a mark.”
Evander Holyfield’s answer: George Foreman
The Real Deal faced an impressive number of devastating punchers, known to the public for their prodigious knockouts, from Riddick Bowe to Mike Tyson, from Lennox Lewis to Hasim Rahman, but it was the punches from old George Foreman that caused him the most discomfort. Big George was already 42 years old when he faced Holyfield, but that didn’t stop him from shaking the champion several times to the point of leaving a lasting impression on him forever.