Boxing's Top 100 Punchers: 60 - 56

Mark Lyons is back with the latest instalment of his Top 100 Punchers list.  Today he's counting down numbers 60 through 56.

Mark's previous entry: Numbers 65 through 61

60. Donald Curry

Career Record: 34-6 (25), Years Active: 1980 - 1997

Most Impressive Stoppages: Milton McCrory KO2, Nino LaRocca KO6, Gianfranco Rosi TKO9, Roger Stafford TKO1

The Lone Star Cobra was a fitting moniker for this quick striking puncher that many older gentlemen such as myself were able to watch grow on ESPN. Donald carried power in both hands but his left hook was lightning fast and thunderous on impact.

You can watch Mike McCallum’s entire career, spanning five weight divisions and you won’t see him buzzed worse than he was against Curry, and of course there was the decimation of Kronk’s Milton McCrory in their unification welterweight clash. Curry had one last hurrah against Gianfranco Rosi, flooring the light hitting, but durable Italian five times on his home turf to stake claim to a Jr Middleweight strap.

Curry's star burned out quickly, but it was a hell of a ride when he was at his best…

59. Roy Jones, Jr

Career Record: 54-6 (40), Years Active: 1988 - Present

Most Impressive Stoppages: Virgil Hill KO4, Montell Griffin KO1, Merqui Sosa TKO2, Thulani malinga KO6, Thomas Tate TKO2, Glen Wolfe TKO1

Like many on this list Roy's hook was his money shot, but the crazy angles his shots came from and the speed they were delivered with was the real killer. The Griffin rematch was predictably violent as his hookercut separated Montell from his senses moments after the opening bell. Very durable guys like Sosa & Tate were wiped out inside of two rounds and the one punch body shot KO of Virgil Hill was the only ten-count Virgil took in his long career.

Roy's reluctance to press against top opposition probably cost him some spots here, but when he was in a nasty mood, guys went down. While he could have made some fights that he didn't, his blend of speed and power was a sight to behold in his prime, as he made some really solid fighters look ordinary.

58. Max Baer

Career Record: 66-13 (51) Years Active: 1929 - 1941 Most Impressive Stoppages: Max Schmeling TKO10, Tuffy Griffiths TKO7, Primo Carnera TKO11, Tony Galento TKO8, Ben Foord KO9

Baer was an exciting heavyweight that could really punch, but his depiction as a callous mauler in the movie Cinderella Man was a travesty. It wasn’t necessary to the film and it’s a shame that moviegoers unfamiliar with the real fighter should have been given that impression. It ruined the whole film for me.

Enough about that… back to the real Max. In the ring, he possessed one of the hardest right hands you will ever see and early in his career he had the killer instinct to match. Primo Carnera was a derided champion, and with good reason, but he was a giant of a man and Baer drilled him to the deck eleven times during a barbaric beating. Max Schmeling took a frightful pounding in the tenth round at the hands of the wild swinging Baer and that's the clip I'll leave you with...

57. Marvin Hagler

Career Record: 62-3-2 (52), Years Active: 1973-1987

Most Impressive Stoppages: Thomas Hearns TKO3, Mustapha Hamsho TKO3, Vito Antuofermo TKO5, John Mugabi KO11, Alan Minter TKO3, Bobby Watts TKO2, Mike Colbert KO12, Willie Monroe TKO2

First thought is that Marvin was more of an accumulation puncher and that has some merit as he threw crisp combinations behind one of the sport’s most underrated jabs. But there’s no denying that he could really bang, especially with his sledgehammer right hand. All you have to do is look at guys with concrete chins that Hagler floored early like Hamsho & Antuofermo to know what kind of power the Marvellous one possessed. He could get you early, or he could get you late - but eventually he was going to get you, as his rematch record attests. Vito, Monroe, Watts & Seales all had a win or draw over Marvin before getting mutilated early the second time around.

Having come up the hard way and forced to clean out the middleweight division, Marvin was robbed against Vito in his first shot at the title. After that he vowed not to let the judges screw him again and Roberto Duran was the only man to hear the final bell from that point on. Yeah, yeah, I know… lets just pretend that didn't happen for this piece.

I routinely cheered against him when watching live, but I’ve become a fan as the years have passed by. How could I not? He was a technical boxer, a brutish brawler and the owner of one of the greatest chins I’ve ever seen. This was one of the hardest of men to ever compete in the hardest of sports.

Brief Note: The move at 2:10 of this is Robinson worthy and this is the best song on any highlight video...

56. Rocky Graziano

Career Record: 67-10-6 (52)

Most Impressive Stoppages: Tony Zale TKO6, Charley Fusari TKO10, Tony Janiro TKO10, Marty Servo TKO2, Freddie Cochrane KO10x2, Al Davis TKO4, Johnny Greco KO3

Graziano was a gutsy warrior that never stopped coming as evidenced by his desperate final round come from behind stoppages against Tony Janiro, Charley Fusari & Freddie "Red" Cochrane. While he came out on the short end of the majority of his battles against the elite fighters of his day, Rocky's right hand could and would blast through anyone he caught clean.

Graziano was the Arturo Gatti of his time (albeit at a bit higher level), popular & exciting to the point of being a little overrated. But there was nothing overrated about his right hand. He stopped the Man of Steel with it…enough said.

Check back soon for the next instalment!

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