Muhammad Ali And Larry Holmes Named The Same Heavyweight As The Hardest Puncher Ever

Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes are two of the most famous names to have boxed at heavyweight.

Holmes was a long-time sparring partner for Ali before later breaking out into a successful career of his own. He became a long-reigning champion famous for his powerful jab and for winning the inaugural IBF belt in 1983. He went undefeated in his first 48 bouts including victories over Ali, Ken Norton, Gerry Cooney and Tim Witherspoon.

In a clip shared by FightingHighlights, Holmes remembered the biggest punch he ever took and it was from Earnie Shavers, who he also beat to defend his world title in 1979.

“I got hit by Earnie Shavers, the hardest puncher to ever, I thought, hit anybody. I still got the knock right here, 40 years later.”

Speaking on a separate resurfaced clip, Ali – who became perhaps the most famous sportsman on the planet with his efforts inside and outside of the ropes – was asked who hit him the hardest and he also went with Shavers, whom he beat via unanimous decision in 1977.

“Earnie Shavers. Yeah, man. Stronger than George Foreman and Joe Frazier. He hit hard. I don’t know why I picked on him that late in my career. I didn’t really believe he was as good as he was. I predicted I’d beat him in round seven, but he was really good. He took all I had and he hit hard.”

Shavers competed between 1969 and 1995 and was a two-time challenger for the world heavyweight title. 23 of his wins came via first-round stoppage, and in all, he knocked out 70 of the men he faced including the likes of Norton, Joe Bugner and Jimmy Ellis, but he named Holmes as the best he ever faced.