In Most cases the KO %age of a fighter is a true refelction of their power (Tyson, Foreman, Jackson, Mclellan for example) but in other's it's not. For example. Shane mosley's KO percentage is very high...but he's not a one punch artist. Chris Eubank's KO percentage was fairly average...but the guy could hit like a mule kick. Sometimes people with good but not dangerous power achieve high KO percentages because they are very aggressive and extrememly good finishers. Conversely...some true bangers may not get the stellar KO percentage because they are not aggresive enough and have the tendency to let their opponents off the hook. Other examples?
By the end of his career, Sonny Liston's KO% showed how hard he hit. Early on, this wasn't the case. 6 of his first 8 wins were via decision. What about Ricardo Torres? Does he hit THAT hard, or is his great KO% just a reflection on the opposition he was facing. Alex Stewart too. He had pop, but his KO% would make him look like a bigger puncher than he was. Pernell Whitaker was far from a big puncher but he hit harder than often given credit for, and from what you'd think by looking at his KO percentage. When he loaded up on his left hand, it was a fairly powerful shot.
Ricky Hatton. Except where he cranked off an exceptional left downstairs....him and Ward were legitimate punchers in that narrow category
As alluded to by Winky Wright before their fight...."He's stopping a lot of guys, but he ain't knocking anyone out".
Hatton is a good example. Torres hits hard for sure - did anyone see Cotto/Torres? Another is Paul Williams - I think he hits harder than his record indicates...if he wants.
Lew Jenkins knocked out most of his victims, but I'm surprised he didn't put everyone he defeated away. What a puncher.
Torres = Big puncher Stewart = Big puncher Whitaker = little puncher all of their Ko %'s are consistent with their punching power, imo
I believe Vitali was a huge puncher in the first half of his career, but is not anymore. Some will say it is due to the competition. They may be right, but the way that he got rid of the trial horses was often with one punch. Those guys don't go away when hit by ordinary power and yet they pretty much all did against Vitali.
I think Allan Green's ko % is reflective of him not being a big puncher, but many take the position that he is a really big puncher.
Kendall Holt. Below average KO%, but can really bang when he sits down on his punches. Alexander Munoz. Came to the States with a gaudy KO percentage (something like 25-0 24 KOs), but seemingly doesn't hit as hard as advertised.
Remember Ben Tackie? woefully slow, defensively suspect.... but he had two things: a great chin and the kind of right hand you can you hear on your TV from the other room... still, despite several "yikes!" kind of KOs, his percentage was nothing special
Vitali's power against a majority of shorter opposition, is kind of like being stomped on,.. he has 'stomping' power,..takes full advantage of punching down, he harnesses the gravity. Against height rivals.. his power does tend to dissapear some.
