(Original Caption) 5/24/1968-New York, NY- A hard right delivered by challenger Bob Foster turns the face of champion Dick Tiger to putty during their championship bout at Madison Square Garden. Foster kayoed Tiger in the fourth round to win the light-heavyweight title.
Top 5
Today we take a look at the top 5 hardest punchers in Light Heavyweight history. If you want to bet on this weekend’s fights, check out the top new sportsbooks for betting on Boxing.
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Former light heavyweight champion Matthew Saad Muhammad was a part of one of the greatest eras in the division. He participated in some of the most thrilling bouts of the late 1970s and early 80s. Muhammad was abandoned as a child and had only 20 amateur fights before becoming a professional fighter.
His aggressive and all-action fighting style partly compensated for his lack of formal training. He defeated John Conteh (twice), Richie Kates (twice), Marvin Johnson (twice), and Yaqui Lopez twice.
His Round 14 TKO fight against Lopez was Ring’s Fight of the Year 1980. Saad Muhammad’s style of fighting would eventually lead to his downfall but he has a case to be in the discussion as one of the top 10 Light Heavyweights of all time!
The Devastating Power of Matthew Saad Muhammad
4. Sergey Kovalev
Kovalev is a two-fisted human wrecking ball. His power influences every second of his fights, making his opponents cautious from the first round on. Kovalev knocked out 22-of-25 of his first opponents. Technically he was a very underrated fighter as he proved in the first fight with Andre ward, which no matter what the judges said, Kovalev beat Ward. People tend to look at the end of his career and the KO losses to Ward and Canelo, but I think it’s safe to say he was past his prime and from watching those two fights, I don’t think it’s a stretch to think that in his prime Kovalev beats both of them.
Sergey Kovalev Knockouts Collelction
3. Michael Spinks
As a gold medalist with Leon Spinks, he was also part of the 1976 Olympic team. He was also the best light heavyweight in the entire world during one of the greatest eras of the division. Spinks had a high KO percentage during the peak of his career. This was due to his right hand, which he called “The Spinks Jinx.”
Spinks, a 175-pounder, was a formidable physical presence. He had stoppage wins over champions Marvin Johnson and Yaqui Lopez. He won 15-round battles with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. Spinks was unbeaten at light heavyweight for his entire career.
10 Michael Spinks Greatest Knockouts
2. Archie Moore
Joe Louis made his debut in the same year Archie Moore turned pro; his career lasted until the dawn of the Muhammad Ali era, who Moore actually fought!
Moore had been fighting for nearly 20 years before he was finally able to win the light heavyweight title in 1952. Moore would keep it for the next six years while also campaigning frequently at the top of the heavyweight division.
Moore was a skilled tactical fighter who was not afraid to use his power when needed. Moore’s 131 career knockouts is a record for modern professional fighters.
TOP 5 ARCHIE MOORE KNOCKOUTS
1. Bob Foster
Bob Foster was a tall, powerful fighter who could use both hands. He stood 6’3″ tall and often fought at heavyweight. He was always defeated by the greats of his time at Heavyweight, such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Ernie Terrell, just to name a few.
But at Light Heavyweight, he dominated and was a human wrecking-ball. He won the 1968 world title by defeating Dick Tiger in just four rounds. He was the undisputed champion for six years before retiring in 1974.
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