Retired cruiserweight turned DAZN pundit Tony Bellew has always been a keen boxing historian and this week has revealed who he thinks is the greatest puncher boxing has ever seen.
Bellew himself carried plenty of power throughout his career, with knockout wins over Illunga Makabu to claim the WBC cruiserweight championship, and then back-to-back stoppages of David Haye in the biggest fights of his life.
Instead, speaking to Froch on Fighting, Bellew discussed who would win between a prime Mike Tyson and a prime Muhammad Ali.
“I absolutely love and adore Mike Tyson but I’m never going against Muhammad Ali. It’s wrong. I just can’t do it. Of course [Tyson] could have knocked him out but chances are he wouldn’t have.”
Bellew then got on to who he thought hits harder than any other man in history – George Foreman.
“But listen, the greatest puncher that boxing has ever seen couldn’t knock Muhammad Ali out and that’s George Foreman. He is the greatest puncher boxing has ever seen and known. His list of knockouts is just unbelievable.”
The record for the hardest punch ever recorded actually goes to Francis Ngannou, the MMA champion who will soon face off against Tyson Fury in his first official boxing match in what will be surely the biggest challenge of his career.