Mark Lyons is back with the latest instalment of his Top 100 Punchers list.  Today he's counting down numbers 50 through 46.

Mark's previous entry: Numbers 55 through 51

50. Eder Jofre

Career record: 72-2-4 (50), Years Active: 1957 - 1976

Most Impressive Stoppages: Vicente Saldivar KO4, Jose Medel KO6 & KO10, Bernardo Caraballo KO7

I can't claim to have seen a ton of Eder's fights (they no longer appear to exist), but from what I have seen, the Brazilian was a master boxer with heavy hands on both sides and a brutal body puncher. He was a major force in two divisions and the destruction of the excellent Saldivar has to be his coup de grace. His uppercut was very fast and packed a ton of power. Definitely one of the legends that I wish I had more knowledge of and wish there was more footage of.

Continue reading this post »

Mark Lyons is back with the latest instalment of his Top 100 Punchers list.  Today he's counting down numbers 55 through 51.

Mark's previous entry: Numbers 60 through 56

55. Charley Burley

Career Record: 83-12-2 (50), Years Active: 1936 - 1950

Most Impressive Stoppages: Holman Williams TKO9, Jack Chase KO9 & TKO12, Jackie Burke TKO5, Chuck Higgins KO1, JD Turner TKO7

If you browse Charley Burley’s record, you’ll notice a fight where the weights don’t seem quite right - 151 vs 219 ½. Amazingly, those numbers are correct. Burley spotted heavyweight JD Turner almost 70 pounds, and handed out such a beating that the big man decided to stay on his stool after 6 rounds.  Imagine if something like that happened today?  The message boards would suffer a melt down.

Continue reading this post »

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.

Continue reading this post »

Mark Lyons is back with the latest instalment of his Top 100 Punchers list.  Today he's counting down numbers 65 through 61.

Mark's previous entry: Numbers 70 through 66

65. Terry Norris

Career Record: 47-9 (31), Years Active: 1986 - 1998

Most Impressive Stoppages: John Mugabi KO1, Steve Little KO6, Donald Curry KO8, Vincent Pettway TKO8, Maurice Blocker TKO2

Maybe this is a bit high, but if I'm going to overrate anyone on the list, let it be a fighter that went about his business between the ropes the way Terrible Terry did.  How could you not be a big fan of a fighter that had the ability to be a great pure boxer, but would rather take his opponent’s head off? The man could crack with both hands and had one of the deadliest attitudes the sport has ever seen. With his blinding hand speed and nasty demeanour, he was like a Cobra in the ring - and if he hit you on the button, you fell down.

Continue reading this post »

Mark Lyons is back with the latest instalment of his Top 100 Punchers list.  Today he's counting down numbers 70 through 66.

Mark's previous entry: Numbers 75 through 71

70. Vic Darchinyan

Career Record: 33-2-1 (27), Active: 2000 - Present

Most Impressive Stoppages: Cristian Mijares KO9, Irene Pacheco TKO11, Dimitry Kirilov KO5, Diosdado Gabi KO8, Jorge Arce TKO11

Few active fighters hit harder than Vic Darchinyan who generates thudding power from his caveman style of attack.  While he receives a lot of flack for his boisterous mouth, you have to credit him for entering the ring with full intentions of backing up his words, as he's a fighter that will test his opponents immediately.  If there's any give, The Raging Bull will find it.

On a side note, Vic was a part of one of my most memorable fan experiences as I was in attendance for the Pacheco fight.  That was a crazy scene with the fireworks inside and outside of the ring!

Continue reading this post »

Mark Lyons is back with the latest instalment of his Top 100 Punchers list.  Today he's counting down numbers 75 through 71.

Mark's previous entry: Numbers 80 through 76

75. Rubin Carter

Career Record: 27-12-1 (19)

Most Impressive Stoppages: Emile Griffith TKO1, Florentino Fernandez TKO1

A thickly muscled and powerful middleweight, Carter could turn out your lights with either hand. You won’t find too many fighters that destroyed quality opponents like Emile Griffith and Florentino Fernandez inside of a round. That’s the kind of destructive power he had.

Sure, he could be out-boxed by cagey tacticians like Luis Rodriguez, but Luis still had to pick himself up off the canvas. Future heavyweight title holder Jimmy Ellis was another that was floored by the Hurricane. He was a bit crude and tended to get over anxious after he got a man hurt, but shot for shot he was a force.

Continue reading this post »

Mark Lyons is back with the latest instalment of his Top 100 Punchers list.  Today he's counting down numbers 80 through 76.

Mark's previous entry: Numbers 85 through 81

80. Elmer Ray

Career Record: 84-15-3 (63)

Most Impressive Stoppages: Lee Savold KO2, Larry Lane KO2, Buddy Millard KO4, Art McAlpine KO9

When your nickname is Violent, you better be able to punch and Ray could bang with both hands. He had an aggressive bob and weave style, and while most of his knock-out victims were second rate, the one time alligator wrestler proved his quality as a puncher by demolishing durable contender Lee Savold inside of two rounds.

Continue reading this post »

Mark Lyons is back with the latest instalment of his Top 100 Punchers list.  Today he's counting down numbers 85 through 81.

Mark's previous entry: Numbers 90 through 86

85. Marco Antonio Barrera

Career Record: 65-7 (43)

Most Impressive Stoppages: Kennedy McKinney TKO12, Paulie Ayala TKO10, Jesse Benavides KO3

Marco was savage throughout his great career with crushing hooks to the head and body.  I would rate Erik Morales slightly ahead in terms of greatness, but Barrera was the bigger puncher, and lets face it when you're able to hurt El Terrible, you belong on the list!

Paulie Ayala was no great featherweight, but nobody else was able to stop him. Marco also had Tapia reeling and I feel he could have ended that fight if not for sympathy. As the years went by, he developed into more of a boxer, but he still had the one shot power to violently floor Juan Manual Marquez with a perfect right hand. Not my favorite fighter, but I always respected him and his left hand, which was deeply damaging in every way. He had one of the best left uppercuts you will ever see.

Continue reading this post »