A Decline in Landed Punches: The Top 10 heavyweights as they rose and fell

The arc of a boxing career is fairly predictable. First, you rise to contendership with a series of wins over lesser opponents. Then you get tested against some quality opponents. If you pass the tests and have what it takes, you become a champion. After reaching this boxing zenith, unfortunately the only direction one's career can go is downwards. Some delay the decline for years, while others fall hard. Here are some stats to document the best "recent" heavyweights' rise and fall. (from Ali to the present) Each fighter has an F by their finest performance

MUHAMMAD ALI
1964--vs Liston 1.......Landed 7.5 per rd
1967--vs Terrell.........Landed 13.1 per rd F (tie)
1971--vs Frazier.........Landed 11.1 per rd
1973--vs Norton 2......Landed 11.3 per rd
1974--vs Foreman......Landed 8.9 per rd
1975--vs Frazier 3......Landed 15.9 per rd F (tie)
1976--vs Norton 3......Landed 5.7 per rd
1980--vs Holmes..........Landed 1.9 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT ALI: Maintained a high level from 1964 to 1975. Fell hard following 3rd fight with Joe Frazier.


LARRY HOLMES
1978--vs Shavers 1.....Landed 10.0 per rd
1978--vs Norton..........Landed 12.7 per rd F
1982--vs Cooney..........Landed 8.4 per rd
1985--vs MSpinks 1.....Landed 6.3 per rd
1986--vs MSpinks 2.....Landed 8.8 per rd
1988-vs Tyson.............Landed 2.8 per rd
1992--vs Mercer...........Landed 6.9 per rd
1992--vs Holyfield........Landed 6.4 per rd
1995--vs McCall............Landed 4.7 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT HOLMES: A very steady performer from 1977 to 1992. Holmes' classic style of skillful boxing allowed him to perform relatively well against every opponent except Mike Tyson.


GEORGE FOREMAN
1970--vs Chuvalo........Landed 18.7 per rd
1973--vs Frazier 1......Landed 19.0 per rd F
1974--vs Ali..................Landed 9.8 per rd
1976--vs Lyle...............Landed 19.0 per rd
1991--vs Holyfield.......Landed 8.6 per rd
1993--vs Morrison.......Landed 8.4 per rd
1994--vs Moorer..........Landed 10.2 per rd
1995--vs Schulz............Landed 7.4 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT FOREMAN: Foreman was a monster in his early career. He landed scores of devestating punches in almost every round he fought, right through his fight with Ali in 1974. Foreman's more measured pace in his later career, while effective, brought his stats down.


LENNOX LEWIS
1993--vs Tucker...........Landed 8.4 per rd
1995--vs Morrison........Landed 9.2 per rd
1996--vs Mercer............Landed 9.9 per rd
1999--vs Holyfield 1......Landed 11.7 per rd
1999--vs Holyfield 2......Landed 9.1 per rd
2002--vs Tyson..............Landed 10.1 per rd F
2003--vs Klitschko.........Landed 8.2 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT LEWIS: Lewis aged well, learning his craft well into his late 30's. As his timing and stamina slipped a bit against Vitali Klitschko in 2003, he walked away from the sport virtually unscathed.


EVANDER HOLYFIELD
1989--vs Dokes.............Landed 12.5 per rd
1991--vs Foreman........Landed 13.8 per rd
1992--vs Bowe 1............Landed 12.9 per rd
1993--vs Bowe 2............Landed 11.8 per rd F (tie)
1996--vs Tyson 1...........Landed 8.9 per rd F (tie)
1999--vs Lewis 1............Landed 6.1 per rd
2002--vs Byrd.................Landed 5.1 per rd
2004--vs Donald..............Landed 2.2 per rd
2007--vs Ibragimov........Landed 3.4 per rd
2008--vs Valuev..............Landed 4.7 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT HOLYFIELD: Like it or not, Holyfield competed at the top level of the heavyweight division from 1989 until 2003. Fights against Chris Byrd, James Toney, Larry Donald, Sultan Ibragimov and Nikolay Valuev were all when he had lost his true skills. Holyfield has dragged out his career with a series of losses like no other heavyweight.


JOE FRAZIER
1966--vs Bonavena 1......Landed 18.3 per rd
1969--vs Quarry 1..........Landed 19.0 per rd
1971--vs Ali 1...................Landed 12.3 per rd F
1973--vs Foreman 1........Landed 5.5 per rd
1975--vs Ali 3....................Landed 12.8 per rd
1976--vs Foreman 2.........Landed 5.8 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT FRAZIER: As Frazier aged, his entire attack became drastically less effective. Frazier was a phenomenon with boundless energy from 1966 until 1973. Although he summoned up one last great performance vs. Ali in 1975, Frazier's star burned bright and faded quickly.


MIKE TYSON
1986--vs Berbick.............Landed 14.0 per rd
1988--vs MSpinks...........Landed 10.0 per rd F
1988--vs Holmes..............Landed 8.8 per rd
1990--vs Douglas..............Landed 3.8 per rd
1996--vs Holyfield 1.........Landed 5.6 per rd
2002--vs Lewis.................Landed 2.3 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT TYSON: Like Frazier, Tyson's attack was based on his youthful energy and speed. As his toughness was tested by skilled fighters, Tyson's career went into an embarassingly steep decline and he was knocked out by Buster Douglas, Holyfield and Lewis.


RIDDICK BOWE
1992--vs Coetzer.............Landed 18.7 per rd
1992--vs Holyfield 1........Landed 16.1 per rd F
1993--vs Holyfield 2........Landed 12.5 per rd
1995--vs Holyfield 3........Landed 11.3 per rd
1996--vs Golota 1.............Landed 10.3 per rd
1996--vs Golota 2.............Landed 8.9 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT BOWE: After winning the title in 1992 (at the age of 25), Bowe was never the same fighter. He gained weight, his activity level declined and he began to get hit with astonishing regularity by the end of his 2nd fight with Andrew Golota. Bowe had the ability to be champion for many years.


KEN NORTON
1973--vs Ali 1...................Landed 10.8 per rd F
1973--vs Ali 2...................Landed 12.1 per rd
1976--vs Ali 3...................Landed 7.4 per rd
1977--vs Young................Landed 9.8 per rd
1978--vs Holmes..............Landed 13.2 per rd
1979--vs Shavers.............Landed 4.0 per rd

OBSERVATION ABOUT NORTON: Norton's career is unfortunately defined by 3 controversial decision losses (2 to Ali, 1 to Holmes) and his embarassing 2nd round KO at the hands of George Foreman. Norton's boxing ability from 1973 to 1978 was unsurpassed.