Recent Heavyweight Punchcounts, 2007-2009

2009

Vitali Klitschko 109, Kevin Johnson 59 --(W 12 VKlitschko)

Vitali Klitschko 149, Chris Arreola 49 --(TKO 10 VKlitschko)

Wladimir Klitschko 86, Ruslan Chagaev 21 --(TKO 9 Klitschko)

Eddie Chambers 102, Samuel Peter 84 --(W 10 Chambers)

Nikolay Valuev 70, David Haye 60 --(W 12 Haye)

Vitali Klitschko 90, Juan Carlos Gomez 32 --(TKO 9 VKlitschko)

Eddie Chambers 127, Alexander Dimitrenko 83 --(W 12 Chambers)

2008

Vitali Klitschko 100, Samuel Peter 36 --(TKO 8 VKlitschko)

Wladimir Klitschko 93, Hasim Rahman 14 --(TKO 7 Klitschko)

Wladimir Klitschko 69, Tony Thompson 55 --(KO 11 Klitschko)

Wladimir Klitschko 67, Sultan Ibragimov 26 --(W 12 Klitschko)

Nikolay Valuev 104, John Ruiz 82 --(W 12 Valuev)

Samuel Peter 56, Oleg Maskaev 35 --(KO 6 Peter)

Nikolay Valuev 61, Evander Holyfield 61 --(W 12 Valuev)

2007

Wladimir Klitschko 78, Lamon Brewster 13 --(TKO 6 Klitschko)

Sultan Ibragimov 73, Evander Holyfield 41 --(W 12 Ibragimov)

Nikolay Valuev 87, Ruslan Chagaev 82 --(W 12 Chagaev)

Samuel Peter 168, James Toney 120 --(W 12 Peter)

Alexander Povetkin 101, Chris Byrd 66 --(TKO 11 Povetkin)

Completed Career Punchstats: BATCH #1

I've finally completed the arduous process of viewing all of the quality fights of Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe while counting all of the punches. This is a massive project that will hopefully involve all of the relevant heavyweights of the past 50 years or so. Here are the numbers:

ROCKY MARCIANO
Record: 49-0, 43 Knockouts..........Quality Fights: 11
Fights Viewed: 10
Rounds Viewed: 67

TOTAL LANDED: 710 TOTAL HIT WITH: 467
Land:Hit Ratio: 1.52

PER 12 ROUNDS: (127.2 landed, 83.6 hit with)
10 jabs, 41 rights, 47 hooks, 7 uppercuts, 28 bodyshots
----------------------------------------------------------------

JOE FRAZIER
Record: 32-4-1, 27 Knockouts..........Quality Fights: 16
Fights Viewed: 15
Rounds Viewed: 116

TOTAL LANDED: 1,563 TOTAL HIT WITH: 1,396
Land:Hit Ratio: 1.12

PER 12 ROUNDS: (161.7 landed, 144.4 hit with)
16 jabs, 13 rights, 45 hooks, 2 uppercuts, 59 bodyshots
----------------------------------------------------------------

Four Fights that Stand Alone

In the history of heavyweight boxing, it is my contention that there are 4 fights that stand alone. These fights contain all of the elements that seem to be desirable in a heavyweight championship fight: They were all for the championship of the world, they were all long fights, they were all hotly contested, they were all highly anticipated, highly competitive, action-packed, skillful, dramatic and filled with mutual bravery. Here they are, in chronological order.

1)1971- Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier...............Result: W 15 Frazier

PUNCHES: Frazier 185, Ali 167 TOTAL: 352
Combined Per Rd: 23.5
--------------------------------------------------------------------
2)1975- Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier 3...........Result: KO 14 Ali

PUNCHES: Ali 222, Frazier 179 TOTAL: 401
Combined Per Rd: 28.6
------------------------------------------------------------------
3) 1978- Larry Holmes vs Ken Norton..........Result: W 15 Holmes
W 15 Holmes
PUNCHES: Norton 198, Holmes 191 TOTAL: 389
Combined Per Rd: 25.9
-------------------------------------------------------------------
4)1992- Evander Holyfield vs Riddick Bowe........Result: W 12 Bowe

PUNCHES: Bowe 193, Holyfield 155 TOTAL: 348
Combined Per Rd: 29.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Honorable Mentions: Louis vs Conn, Walcott vs Marciano, Frazier vs Bonavena2, Holmes vs MSpinks2

Who Had the Best Weapon? PART ONE: Jab

Part of my statistical analyses of fights is breaking down the punches into 5 types (jab, straight, hook, upper cut and body shot). This post will analyze the jab, used effectively by the following fighters: Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Michael Moorer and Wladimir Klitschko.

1. MICHAEL MOORER --8.6 JABS PER ROUND
(stats compiled from fights with Holyfield1, Holyfield2, Foreman)

2. GEORGE FOREMAN --6.4 JABS PER ROUND
(stats compiled from fights with Frazier1, Norton, Ali, Lyle, Frazier2, Holyfield, Stewart, Morrison, Moorer, Schulz & Briggs)

3. WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO--5.5 JABS PER ROUND
(stats compiled from fights with Brewster1, Brewster2, Peter, Byrd2, Brock, Ibragimov & Rahman)

4. LENNOX LEWIS --4.7 JABS PER ROUND
(stats compiled from fights with Morrison, McCall2, Briggs, Holyfield1, Holyfield2, Rahman1, Tyson & VKlitschko)

5. KEN NORTON --4.4 JABS PER ROUND
(stats compiled from fights with Ali1, Ali2, Foreman, Quarry, Ali3, Young & Holmes)

6. RIDDICK BOWE --3.7 JABS PER ROUND (stats compiled from fights with Coetzer, Holyfield1, Holyfield2, Donald, Hide, Holyfield3, Golota1 & Golota2)

7. LARRY HOLMES --3.5 JABS PER ROUND
(stats compiled from fights with Norton, Witherspoon, Spinks1, Spinks2, Mercer, Holyfield & McCall)

The Dirty Dozen: 12 Fights You Won't Want to Watch

No recounting of heavyweight punch history would be complete without mention being made of the many fights that have let the fans down. I'm talking about the duds, the stinkers, the fights where not one, but TWO heavyweights get in there and disappoint. I'm talking about the fights where both guys are whiffing, or posing or just plain afraid to get hurt. Sorry guys, but I'm calling you out. I sat through 12 rounds of crap: (The following fights are all 12 round decisions, with the exception of Ali-Young, which went 15).

#12 - Muhammad Ali vs Jimmy Young (1976) TOTAL PUNCHES: 158 (Young 85, Ali 73)
Two of the best boxers of the 70s met in one of the most tactical and boring fights in history. This fight is what happens when you have two counterpunchers trying to out-cute each other. The late career Ali was content just to be in the ring loving himself, while Young seemed determined to win a chess match (which he actually did). The result was a gift decision for Ali, but neither fighter really deserved a victory.

#11 - Riddick Bowe vs Larry Donald (1994) TOTAL PUNCHES: 145 (Bowe 88, Donald 57)
This disappointing fight came on the heels of an explosive press conference, where Bowe punched Larry Donald in the face with a left-right before security separated the two men. Upon further review, it appears that Bowe's frustration with his own stuttering was the trigger and later he apologized for the incident. The fight, however, was painfully lacking in ferocity and fireworks. Donald danced around the ring while Bowe won the fight with his jab.

#10 - John Ruiz vs Evander Holyfield 3 (2001) TOTAL PUNCHES: 136 (Ruiz 68, Holyfield 68)
The point of this fight was to establish who was better between the two after both Holyfield and Ruiz had each won close decisions against each other. Instead, what happened was 12 rounds of thwarted attacks and painful ambiguity. At this stage of their careers, they were just too even. Ruiz was at his peak and Holyfield was considerably distant from his. The draw verdict in this fight was appropriate.

#9 - Oliver McCall vs Larry Holmes (1995) TOTAL PUNCHES: 133 (McCall 77, Holmes 56)
This was Holmes' last moment in the sun, a rather undeserved shot at the WBC Title that McCall won after catching Lennox Lewis with a lucky punch. This fight is frustrating because Holmes is simply unable to outbox McCall from the outside due to his age and decreased speed. McCall's occasional hooks inside were enough to give him the decision.

#8 - Nikolay Valuev vs Evander Holyfield (2008) TOTAL PUNCHES: 122 (Valuev 61, Holyfield 61)
This terrible fight was as much about Valuev's lack of skill as it was about Holyfield's advanced age and reluctance to engage. For 12 rounds, the plodding Valuev flicked an occasional jab while Holyfield bounced around the ring, proving that he could still move. Holyfield's rare but impressive hooks on the inside had many people believing he'd won the fight. Valuev took a close verdict with the judges.

#7 - Mike Tyson vs Tony Tucker (1987) TOTAL PUNCHES: 118 (Tyson 71, Tucker 47)
Unfortunately, a fight featuring the prime Mike Tyson makes the list. The fact is that Tony Tucker's defense was quite effective and he warded off the beating that Tyson wanted to put on him. This fight is essentially Tyson being frustrated but outworking Tucker. Tyson took a lopsided unanimous decision.

#6 - Lennox Lewis vs David Tua (2000) TOTAL PUNCHES: 115 (Lewis 81, Tua 34)
It's hard to blame Lennox for this one, but the fact is this fight was a huge letdown. Many people thought that Tua's Tyson-like style might be enough to wrest the championship from Lewis, but for some reason Tua entered this fight considerably overweight and slow. Lewis easily boxed his way to a unanimous decision win while failing to ever dare to put a beating on the overmatched Tua.

#5 - Sultan Ibragimov vs Evander Holyfield (2007) TOTAL PUNCHES: 114 (Ibragimov 73, Holyfield 41)
Another one of Holyfield's sad attempts to reclaim a title here. Ibragimov used his quickness to occasionally sneak in with jabs and straight lefts while Holyfield struggled to find a strategy or to land punches. Ibragimov's caution was sickening as he made sure to eliminate any exchanges or excitement from the fight. Ibragimov cruised to a unanimous decision win.

#4 - Larry Donald vs Evander Holyfield (2004) TOTAL PUNCHES: 110 (Donald 84, Holyfield 26)
So many late-career Holyfield fights on here. This one may have been the saddest. In what most people surely thought would be Evander's final fight, he was one-two'd to death by the competent Larry Donald. It's hard to fault Donald for this one, he landed a ton of right hands and really did his best. But the fact remains that the fight was hard to watch and didn't contain many punches, especially from Holyfield. Donald easily won a unanimous decision.

#3 - Fres Oquendo vs Evander Holyfield (2006) TOTAL PUNCHES: 108 (Oquendo 67, Holyfield 41)
Ok, I promise this is the last fight on the list that Holyfield is involved in. Once again, the way-past-his-prime Holyfield struggled to get anything done against the always difficult Fres Oquendo. While Holyfield did knock Oquendo down in the 1st, this fight was seriously hurting for quality action. Oquendo seemed to do the more effective work over the 12 rounds but Holyfield received a questionable decision victory.

#2 - Wladimir Klitschko vs Sultan Ibragimov (2008) TOTAL PUNCHES: 93 (Klitschko 67, Ibragimov 26)
The fans wait 9 years for a Unification Title fight and this is what they get. 12 rounds of Klitschko tentatively pawing with a jab while Ibragimov hovered about 10 feet away in mortal fear of being hit. With both men utterly unwilling to risk being hit with a punch, this fight was painfully tactical and utterly boring. Klitschko emerged with a unanimous decision, capturing Ibragimov's WBO belt in the process.

#1 - Mike Tyson vs Bonecrusher Smith (1987) TOTAL PUNCHES: 90 (Tyson 66, BSmith 24)
Congratulations, Bonecrusher Smith. It is quite possible that no fighter has ever grabbed and held so much as Smith did in this fight. While the young, ferocious Tyson tried to land haymakers, the taller Smith leaned away, ducked and grabbed his way to finishing the fight. From an offensive standpoint, Smith's performance was dreadful, a mere 2 punches per round. What a shame that a fight between 2 of the most powerful punchers of the 1980s turned into a swing-and-a-miss grabfest for 12 rounds. Tyson was granted a lopsided unanimous decision.

The Worst Thing That Ever Happened to the Heavyweights

In 1993, Riddick Bowe casually dumped his WBC Title Belt into a garbage can during a press conference. With this gesture, Bowe gave away his claim to the Undisputed Title, something that Mike Tyson had gathered together and something that Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield had maintained. The WBC had mandated that Bowe fight Lennox Lewis, the undefeated British superstar and number 1 contender. Bowe refused. It would have been an amazing fight. Both fighters standing at 6'5", Bowe at 25 years of age, Lewis at 27, Bowe around 235-240 lbs, Lewis around 230-235 lbs. The fight would've been so competitive and so high quality that it makes me sick that it didn't happen. Recently, I've compiled punchstats for both Bowe and Lewis in every significant fight they ever had. It's a pathetic replacement for matching them up in 1993, but here it goes:
(Fights in chronological order with punchcounts - GREEN = outlanded opponent, RED = outlanded by opponent....parenthesis = punches landed per round, knockdowns included)

LENNOX LEWIS...........vs.........RIDDICK BOWE
41-2-1 32 KOs-----------------------43-1 33 KOs

1992-Ruddock - 12-2 (6.0) 3KDs---1990-Cooper - 31-15 (15.5) 2KDs
1993-Tucker - 101-86 (8.4) 2KDs--1991-Tubbs - 86-72 (8.6)
1993-Bruno - 47-51 (6.7 )----------1991-Seldon - 11-10 (11.0) 2KDs
1994-McCall - 11-7 (5.5)------------ 1992-Coetzer - 131-87 (18.7)
1995-Morrison-55-26(9.2)4KDs-----1992-Holyfield-193-155(16.1)1KD
1996-Mercer - 99-99 (9.9)-----------1993-Holyfield -150-141 (12.5)
1997-McCall - 37-15 (7.4)------------1994-Donald - 88-57 (7.3)
1997-Golota - 15-1 (15.0) 2KDs------1995-Hide - 37-54 (6.2) 7KDs
1998-Briggs- 88-29 (17.6) 3KDs-----1995-Holyfield -90-73(11.3)2KDs
1999-Holyfield- 140-73 (11.7)---------1996-Golota - 71-112 (10.1)
1999-Holyfield- 109-79 (9.1)--------1996-Golota - 80-146 (8.9) 1KD
2000-Tua- 81-34 (6.8)
2001-Rahman - 35-29 (7.0)
2001-Rahman - 30-13 (7.5) 1KD
2002-Tyson - 81-18 (10.1) 2KDs
2003-Klitschko - 49-57 (8.2)

In Quality Fights:
LEWIS: 990 landed (9.1 per round), Hit 619 times (5.7 per round)
BOWE: 968 landed (11.3 per round), Hit 922 times (10.7 per round)

LEWIS: 17 knockdowns, down 2 times
BOWE: 15 knockdowns, down 3 times

LEWIS: Outpunched opponent 13 out of 16 fights(81%)
BOWE: Outpunched opponent 8 out of 11 fights(73%)

LEWIS: 9 Knockouts
BOWE: 5 Knockouts

*According to the numbers, without the excitement of an actual fight, I declare LENNOX LEWIS the winner over RIDDICK BOWE.

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.

Five Unjust Decisions

Sometimes the punchcounts don't correspond with the judges' decision. Everyone knows that boxing has its fair share of questionable decisions from time to time, but the following 5 fights were the worst in terms of punches landed and judges' scorecards.

1. Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield 1 (1999) - PUNCHES: Lewis 140, Holyfield 73
JUDGES: 116-113 Lewis, 115-113 Holyfield, 115-115.......SPLIT DRAW

This fight was at least 116-112 for Lewis. Everyone who saw the fight knows that Holyfield was very ineffective offensively and that Lewis landed the better punches. The fight was a bit of a disappointment from an "action" point of view, but Lewis deserved the decision. The integrity of this decision was long questioned and the fact that so many title belts were at stake may have played a part.

2. George Foreman vs. Shannon Briggs (1997) - PUNCHES: Foreman 121, Briggs 89
JUDGES: 117-113 Briggs, 116-112 Briggs, 114-114.........BRIGGS MAJORITY

There's no question that Foreman landed more punches in this fight. Foreman's jab was extremely effective as he kept Briggs at a safe distance and essentially fought his fight for 12 rounds. Yes, Foreman got a "gift" decision against Axel Schulz. Yes, Foreman didn't need to fight anymore and was no longer fighting at a championship level. But the fact is that George Foreman, at 48 years of age, won this fight but had retirement imposed upon him by the judges.

3. Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton 3 (1976) - PUNCHES: Norton 111, Ali 86
JUDGES: 144-142 Ali, 143-142 Ali, 143-142 Ali...........ALI UNANIMOUS

Yes, the fight was competitive. Yes, Ali landed more head punches than Norton (86 to 71), but Norton's 40 punches to the body have to count for something. Hard hooks to the body are indeed landed punches. The decision just stinks of "Ali mania." It seemed like the judges all throughout 1976 and 1977 were giving Ali close victories, as if to say to challengers that they had fought valiantly but victory was reserved for the irreplaceable Ali. Norton deserved this one.

4. Evander Holyfield vs. Fres Oquendo (2006) - PUNCHES: Oquendo 67, Holyfield 41
JUDGES: 116-111 Holyfield,114-113 Holyfield,114-113 Holyfield....HOLYFIELD UNANIMOUS

This wasn't exactly an important or memorable fight. But, Holyfield did get a title shot against Sultan Ibragimov out of it, so the outcome did matter. Holyfield scored a picturesque knockdown within the first minute of this fight, but after that, it was mostly Oquendo picking away with jabs and straight rights. It was a very safe and boring fight, but one where Holyfield was again inept with his offense. Oquendo executed his gameplan and landed more punches than Holyfield but the judges found reason to give the aging former champion another moment of celebration.

5. Muhammad Ali vs. Jimmy Young (1976) - PUNCHES: Young 85, Ali 73
JUDGES: 71-64 Ali, 72-65 Ali, 70-68 Ali..................ALI UNANIMOUS

Another display of "Ali Mania." This tactical 15 rounder was mostly boring with both fighters content to posture on the outside and fire occasional jabs. But Jimmy Young got some nice right hands through and over 15 rounds he landed both more punches and the better punches. While many of the rounds were close, and while Ali did appear to win the 15th and final round, Jimmy Young got the better of Ali on this night. But as usual, the judges were having none of it.

The Five Best Heavyweights in their Five Biggest Fights (Of at least 5 rounds)

Ok, so in this case, it's the five best heavyweights where you can find decent footage of their fights. No Joe Louis, No Marciano, No Jack Johnson, No Dempsey, No Tunney...Just the color television crowd.

1. Muhammad Ali (4 wins, 1 loss)
vs Sonny Liston.............6 rounds, Landed 45- Hit 51, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -6
vs Joe Frazier 1............15 rounds, Landed 167- Hit 185, Down once, Land Diff: -18
vs George Foreman......8 rounds, Landed 71- Hit 78, 1 Knockdown, Land Diff: -7
vs Joe Frazier 3............14 rounds, Landed 222- Hit 179, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: +43
vs Ken Norton 3............15 rounds, Landed 86- Hit 111, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -25

ALI'S TOTALS: Landed 10.2 per rd, Hit 10.4 per rd...1 Knockdown, Down 1 Time

2. Larry Holmes (2 wins, 3 losses)
vs Ken Norton..................15 rounds, Landed 191- Hit 198, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -7
vs Gerry Cooney..............13 rounds, Landed 109- Hit 97, 2 Knockdowns, Land Diff: +12
vs Michael Spinks1..........15 rounds, Landed 94- Hit 113, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -19
vs Michael Spinks2..........15 rounds, Landed 132- Hit 126, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: +6
vs Evander Holyfield.......12 rounds, Landed 77- Hit 93, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -16

HOLMES' TOTALS: Landed 8.6 per rd, Hit 9.0 per rd...2 Knockdowns, Down 0 Times

3. Lennox Lewis (5 wins, 0 losses)
vs Ray Mercer..................10 rounds, Landed 99- Hit 99, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: 0
vs Evander Holyfield1.....12 rounds, Landed 140- Hit 73, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: +67
vs Evander Holyfield2.....12 rounds, Landed 109- Hit 79, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: +30
vs Mike Tyson..................8 rounds, Landed 81- Hit 18, 2 Knockdowns, Land Diff: +63
vs Vitali Klitschko.............6 rounds, Landed 49- Hit 57, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -8

LEWIS' TOTALS: Landed 9.9 per rd, Hit 6.8 per rd...2 Knockdowns, Down 0 Times

4. George Foreman (2 wins, 3 losses)
vs Muhammad Ali...........8 rounds, Landed 78- Hit 71, Down Once, Land Diff: +7
vs Ron Lyle.......................5 rounds, Landed 95- Hit 74, 2 Knockdowns,Down 2x, Land Diff:+21
vs Evander Holyfield.......12 rounds, Landed 103- Hit 166, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -63
vs Tommy Morrison........12 rounds, Landed 101- Hit 116, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -15
vs Michael Moorer...........10 rounds, Landed 102- Hit 146, 1 Knockdown, Land Diff: -44

FOREMAN'S TOTALS: Landed 10.2 per rd, Hit 12.2 per rd...3 Knockdowns, Down 1 Time

5. Evander Holyfield (2 wins, 3 losses)
vs Riddick Bowe1............12 rounds, Landed 155- Hit 193, Down Once, Land Diff: -38
vs Riddick Bowe2............12 rounds, Landed 141- Hit 150, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -9
vs Mike Tyson.................11 rounds, Landed 98- Hit 62, 1 Knockdown, Land Diff: +36
vs Lennox Lewis1...........12 rounds, Landed 73- Hit 140, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -67
vs Lennox Lewis2...........12 rounds, Landed 79- Hit 109, No Knockdowns, Land Diff: -30

HOLYFIELD'S TOTALS: Landed 9.3 per rd, Hit 11.1 per rd...1 Knockdown, Down 1 Time

BEATDOWNS

Without any premeditation, this blog has turned into a top 5 list. I now present the 5 worst beatdowns received in heavyweight history. Actually, make it 10. Again, the guys on this list got their heads handed to them...

1. George Chuvalo (vs Joe Frazier, 1967) - The iron-chinned Chuvalo caught a harsh beatdown in this fight from Frazier. Not that he wasn't landing his own shots (73 of them), but Chuvalo was tagged 106 times in just 4 rounds! That's 26.5 per round! Chuvalo was finally TKO'd without going down.

2. Jerry Quarry (vs Ken Norton, 1975) - In perhaps the last high-profile fight of his career, Jerry Quarry caught a harsh beating from Ken Norton in this fight. Norton brought the full arsenal and had no fear of Quarry's counters. While Quarry landed a respectable 73 punches over 5 rounds, Norton landed 126! That's 25.2 per round!

3. Alex Stewart (vs Michael Moorer, 1991) - This heavyweight slugfest was great because both guys felt they could KO the other. The lack of defense made for a great fight where both men were hurt and found ways to recover. Ultimately, Moorer's sharper punches did Stewart in, KO'ing him in the 4th round. But not before he'd landed 86 punches (to Stewart's 60). Stewart was getting nailed 21.5 times per round!

4. Bert Cooper (vs Evander Holyfield, 1991) - Cooper was a replacement contender in this fight, but his 3rd round knockdown of Holyfield demonstrated his remarkable power and will to fight. Cooper did land 58 punches (8.3 per rd) in this fight, but the problem was he was eating power shots at will, including a heavyweight record of 37 uppercuts! After 7 rounds, Mills Lane stopped this fight, after Cooper had been hit 135 times, that's 19.3 times per round!

5. Jerry Quarry (vs Joe Frazier, 1969) - Both fighters make their 2nd appearance on the list in this one. Jerry Quarry battled Joe Frazier toe-to-toe for the Heavyweight Title in this fight. After staying with Frazier punch-for-punch through 2 rounds, Quarry began to take an endless barrage of hooks and body shots, finally succombing in the 7th round after being outlanded 133 to 94. Quarry's bravery can never be questioned, but in this fight, he was getting nailed 19.0 times per round!

6. Ron Lyle (vs George Foreman, 1976) - Ron Lyle played with fire in this all-time-great heavyweight slugfest. Standing toe-to-toe, Foreman and Lyle knocked each other down twice in this 5 round brawl. However, it was Foreman who pounded Lyle into submission in the 5th, outlanding him 95 to 74. Ron Lyle was getting hit 19.0 times per round (by George Foreman!)

7. Joe Frazier (vs George Foreman, 1973) - In this high profile heavyweight title fight, young George Foreman proved himself against the accomplished champion, Joe Frazier. Foreman was too big and strong for Frazier and he fought with an accurate ferocity. Following 6 knockdowns, Frazier was KO'd in 2 rounds, catching 38 punches in the process (and landing only 11). In this fight, Frazier was getting tagged 19.0 times per round!

8. Pierre Coetzer (vs Riddick Bowe, 1992) - South African tough guy Pierre Coetzer got his chance to battle Riddick Bowe in a winner-fights-for-the-title eliminator bout in 1992. While Coetzer showed great heart and decent technique (landing 87 punches in 7 rounds), he was getting constantly bombarded by the hard jabs and clubbing rights of a prime Riddick Bowe. Following 131 punches to his head and body, Coetzer was TKO'd. He was hit 18.7 times per rd!

9. Oscar Bonavena (vs Joe Frazier, 1966) - Although he was competitive, Oscar Bonavena took a ton of shots in his split-decision loss to Frazier in '66. Bonavena managed to land his own punches at a high rate (15.6 per round) and this fight makes the top 5 for total landed punches. However, "Smokin" Joe Frazier hit Bonavena 183 times, that's 18.3 times per round!

10. Leon Spinks (vs Larry Holmes, 1981) - When you examine his career, you have to conclude that Leon Spinks really wasn't that good. He got a crack at Larry Holmes in '81 though and scored a few shots (16) in this three round shootout. However, in the 3rd round, Leon was reduced to a punching bag, eating an incredible 55 punches in just 3 rounds. Leon Spinks was getting hit 18.3 times per round!

Most Competitive Punchcounts

1. Lennox Lewis vs. Ray Mercer (1996) - In this action-packed battle of heavyweight contenders, I counted 99 landed punches for each fighter. It's one of only two ties in all the fights I've counted punches for. Lewis emerged victorious after 10 rounds with a majority decision, but Mercer certainly made a good case for himself as the winner in what was perhaps the most impressive performance of his career. Lewis: 99 Mercer: 99

2. Floyd Patterson vs. Ingemar Johansson (1961) - This third and final battle between Patterson and Johansson gave both men the opportunity to showcase their skills. Johansson used a strong jab and a powerful right to keep himself in the fight, while Patterson used superior speed and powerful hooks to wear Johansson down. After 5 rounds of back-and-forth action, Patterson closed the show in the 6th, retaining his title and ending Johansson's tenure as an elite heavyweight. Patterson: 61 Johansson: 61

3. George Foreman vs. Alex Stewart (1992) - This unexpected classic resulted from Foreman's relative lack of respect for an underrated Alex Stewart. After flooring Stewart twice in the 2nd round, Foreman appeared to be cruising to a victory. However, Stewart regained his balance, and his confidence, and proceeded to pepper George with jabs and rights. Foreman's jab remained consistent, landing 101 times over 10 rounds. But Stewart landed 78 jabs of his own, combined with 38 rights (to Foreman's 12). After 10 rounds, with both fighter's bleeding profusely and Foreman's face reduced to a swollen mask, Foreman was awarded a majority decision. Stewart: 131 Foreman: 127

4. Ken Norton vs. Larry Holmes (1978) - What a great, great fight this is. What makes it especially interesting is the fact that the fight goes from a relatively tactical battle in the first several rounds to a toe-to-toe slugfest down the stretch. Rounds 13-15 are simply unbelievable, but the relative caution in the early going keeps their total number of landed punches from competing with history's greatest. After 15 rounds, I counted: Norton: 198 Holmes: 191. However, it was Holmes who got the nod by split decision, capturing the WBC Title.

5. Rocky Marciano vs. Jersey Joe Walcott (1952) - This black-and-white classic is an intensely competitive battle between two skilled heavyweights. Walcott turns in perhaps the last great performance of his impressive career, holding off the brave challenge of Marciano (and perhaps heading for a victory on the scorecards) before getting nailed with a right hand in the 13th round. In watching this fight for the first time only months ago, I was surprised that Marciano wasn't further behind on the punchcount, as he is often referred to as being "behind on points." At the fight's conclusion in the 13th round, I counted: Marciano: 94 Walcott: 91

6. Larry Holmes vs. Tim Witherspoon (1983) - Holmes' title defense against Witherspoon pits two of the most skilled boxers of the 1980s against each other. What a shame there was no rematch. The two fighters boxed as near mirror images of each other at times, with Holmes landing slightly more jabs (40 to 31) and rights (41 to 27). However, Witherspoon's advantages with hooks (19 to 6) and body shots (25 to 11) kept him in the fight to the finish. After 12 rounds, Holmes was awarded a split decision. I counted: Witherspoon: 102 Holmes: 98

The Best Fights for Counted Punches

1. Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier 3 (1975) "The Thrilla in Manila" - The fight is famous for good reason. Here we have two aging all-time greats both showing that their hearts were equal to their skills. Frazier bangs away relentlessly to the body, landing a heavyweight record of 100 hard, clean body shots. Ali peppers Frazier with 96 right hands, also a heavyweight record. When the fight finally ends with Ali winning before the 15th round, Ali has accumulated 222 punches and Frazier 179. Their total of 401 makes it the highest amount of landed punches I've seen in a fight. Avg Punches Per Rd: 28.6

2. Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe 1 (1992) - This classic battle of unbeaten, prime heavyweights pitted a skilled and courageous champion against a highly motivated challenger at his absolute physical peak. Holyfield's title defense against Riddick Bowe proved to be 12 rounds of back-and-forth action. On this night, the younger and stronger Bowe had more in the tank as he outlanded Holyfield 193 to 155. Bowe's combination of 67 right hands and 26 upper cuts proved damaging as Holyfield lost a Unanimous decision and his championship. Their total of 348 landed punches lands them in 2nd place all-time. Avg Punches Per Rd: 29.0

3. Joe Frazier vs. Oscar Bonavena 1 (1966) - This war of heavyweight contenders established both of these fighters as premiere warriors of the '60s and '70s. Bonavena dropped Frazier twice during this action-packed brawl. However, Frazier's determination and high activity level prevailed on the judges' scorecards. After 10 rounds, Frazier had landed 183 punches to Bonavena's 156. Their total of 339 places them third all-time. Avg Punches Per Rd: 33.9

4. Larry Holmes vs. Mike Weaver 1 (1979) - The young champion Holmes was faced with an unexpectedly ferocious challenge from fringe contender Mike Weaver in 1979. Holmes was at his physical peak for this fight, even if he may have taken Weaver a bit lightly in training. Weaver, an impressive physical specimen, gave a good account of himself before crumbling in the 12th round. When it was over, Holmes had landed 168 punches to Weaver's 139, for a total of 307. Avg Punches Per Rd: 25.6

5. Ike Ibeabuchi vs. David Tua (1997) - Sadly enough, this may have been the last epic heavyweight fight. Here we had two undefeated, skilled fighters standing toe-to-toe trying to prove themselves better than the other. Ibeabuchi used a variety of punches in landing 178 shots, while Tua scored with the harder power shots to total 128. When the smoke cleared, Ibeabuchi won a unanimous decision and these fighters had landed 306 total punches. Avg Punches Per Rd: 25.5

Heavyweight Punchcounts Blog

I'm a fight fan. More specifically, I'm a hardcore fan of heavyweight boxing. Lately, this has meant delving into the past to find interesting, exciting and meaningful fights because the current fighters and fights offered are extremely disappointing. I've had to adapt.

What makes a fight a "good" fight? What makes fighters "good" fighters or even "great" fighters? There are many things to consider, but the simplest and most significant measure, in my opinion, is landed punches. Are you hitting your opponent? Did you hit him more than he hit you? This is what I have concerned myself with. And, through countless hours of fight viewing on DVD, VHS and youtube, I have compiled my results. For my own knowledge, and for any interested fight fans. I have no bias, no "house" fighter to pump up the stats for (ahem....HBO's Compubox), no reason to count anything other than a visible, clean, landed punch. The results may surprise you. Enjoy...