Best left hook

cowzerp · 12-08-2011 12:06PM #1

Leading on from the best jab post, who has or had a great left hook

I always admired Neil Sinclair's left hook, that's just a start for this

Tyson obviously too and also tommy Morrison

djhaxman · 12-08-2011 12:45PM

Pacquiao and Mayweather both have cracking left hooks, just ask Ricky Hatton.

gene_tunney · 12-08-2011 01:04PM

djhaxman wrote: »

Pacquiao and Mayweather both have cracking left hooks, just ask Ricky Hatton.

That was a right hook from Pacquiao, but it was a lead hook if that's what you meant.

There's so many nice left hooks to choose from. Wlad throws a nice tight one:

2.55

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoBcr-NMT7I

Mayweather has two left hooks, the check variety that clowned Hatton and the leaping one that he destroyed Corrales with.

2.23 and 2.31

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHmSOtS7rWA

In terms of huge explosive leaping hooks its hard to beat Tua, here he is in the first round against iron chinned John Ruiz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKDvkcLe0K0

walshb · 12-08-2011 03:24PM

gene_tunney wrote: »

That was a right hook from Pacquiao, but it was a lead hook if that's what you meant.

There's so many nice left hooks to choose from. Wlad throws a nice tight one:

2.55

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoBcr-NMT7I

Mayweather has two left hooks, the check variety that clowned Hatton and the leaping one that he destroyed Corrales with.

2.23 and 2.31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHmSOtS7rWA

In terms of huge explosive leaping hooks its hard to beat Tua, here he is in the first round against iron chinned John Ruiz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKDvkcLe0K0

Was the Pac KO shot to Hatton not a left looping hook? I will need to rewatch the tape..

walshb · 12-08-2011 03:25PM

SRR had a great left hook, as Gene Fulmer will attest to.

SRL had a super left hook. Hearns left hook to body was superb.
Oh, our Clones Cyclone had one of the most beautiful left hooks, particularly
when he used it to the body.

Ali had a pretty impressive left hook. His KO of Bonavena was
one of the finest left hooks I have seen. It was a like whip, Ali's hook.

tysonslovechild · 12-08-2011 04:25PM

miguel cottos left hook to the body, then followed by left hook to the head, class.

Halloween Jack · 12-08-2011 07:27PM

Smokin' Joe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUlL8UyvWnU

Wild_Dogger · 12-08-2011 09:12PM

Sugar Shane Mosley ....... hands down ..... or even Hand down
Do I need to back this up !

boxer.fan · 12-08-2011 09:13PM

Tyson for me had devastating hooks. Henry Cooper was also well known for his left hook.

I think the likes of Michael Katsidis would have few weapons if his hooks were taken away.

megadodge · 12-08-2011 10:32PM

Joe Frazier was almost exclusively a left hooker and a good shout.

The two Sugars had brilliant left hooks especially Leonard, whose right could be sloppy enough for such a cultured boxer.

Julio Cesar Chavez definitely had the best left hook to the body I ever saw - he threw it more regularly than Tommy Hearns who was mainly a head hunter, but had some hook to the body when he bothered to use it (Shuler fight is fantastic example).

Tito Trinidad had a few flaws but threw a brilliant left hook to the head. It was as good as any I've seen.

Bob Foster the light heavy KO specialist from the 60s had a tremendous left hook also.

walshb · 12-08-2011 10:58PM

megadodge wrote: »

Joe Frazier was almost exclusively a left hooker and a good shout.

The two Sugars had brilliant left hooks especially Leonard, whose right could be sloppy enough for such a cultured boxer.

Julio Cesar Chavez definitely had the best left hook to the body I ever saw - he threw it more regularly than Tommy Hearns who was mainly a head hunter, but had some hook to the body when he bothered to use it (Shuler fight is fantastic example).

Tito Trinidad had a few flaws but threw a brilliant left hook to the head. It was as good as any I've seen.

Bob Foster the light heavy KO specialist from the 60s had a tremendous left hook also.

Hearns threw some of the most wicked and vicious body hooks I have ever seen in a fight he lost via KO. Barkley did the trick in that one, but didn't Hearns unload some wicked body hooks.

Tito threw a very good hook. Apart from it I was never a fan of Tito. Something too ponderous and robotic with him.

Another tremendous hooker to the body was Wilfredo Gomez.

Mike McCallum too had a great left hook.

One of my Favs is Toney's KO of Jason Robinson; what a fluid and effortless left hook KO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do_hTRqOQMs

2 MINS 30 IN

nacho libre · 12-08-2011 11:38PM

walshb wrote: »

Mike McCallum too had a great left hook.

One of my Favs is Toney's KO of Jason Robinson; what a fluid and effortless left hook KO

Yes.(McCallum's) KO of Donald Curry, was a perfectly timed left hook that Curry never saw coming.

Also Floyd's Patterson leaping left hook against Ingemar Johansson stands out. Floyd caught Ingemar on the right side and dropped him right dead center of the ring.

CorkMan · 13-08-2011 04:11AM

Joe Frazier IMO. From what I have read, Angelo Dundee thinks Jack Dempsey has the best left hook of all time and Bert Sugar thinks it is equal to Smokin' Joe.

BTW, I read in Smokin' Joe's auto that he was teasing a big buffalo (300lbs) on his family's farm one day. The latch was off, the buffalo came out and Joe ran. The buffalo didn't hurt Joe but Joe fell when running and really hurt his left arm. It was badly injured but his family couldn't afford to get it attention, only some ice was put on it and time was left to heal it. Joe wasn't able to keep his left arm straight anymore after the accident, it was always cocked from then on, turning into an "L." Joe thinks this might have helped his left hook become the behemoth it became.

djhaxman · 13-08-2011 09:17AM

gene_tunney wrote: »

That was a right hook from Pacquiao, but it was a lead hook if that's what you meant.

It was a left hook that knocked Hatton out.

Fall_Guy · 13-08-2011 11:13AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xInP9Gi0xAA

It's a wide left hand, but not a hook really, is it? I mean he's in southpaw stance and he throws it off the jab the way you'd throw a straight right/right over the top (except he wound up on it more than i can believe, actually shocked looking back at it now, the speed he must have to get away with throwing digs from there!) if you were an orthodox fighter.

Frazier gets my vote too. I know he threw almost nothing but left hooks, but when they're as effective as his was, who could blame him!

gene_tunney · 13-08-2011 05:01PM

djhaxman wrote: »

It was a left hook that knocked Hatton out.

It was a straight left, he just looped it a bit.

djhaxman · 13-08-2011 08:40PM

gene_tunney wrote: »

It was a straight left, he just looped it a bit.

Whatever. What it definitely wasn't was a right.

jjm · 13-08-2011 09:09PM

Roy Jones Jr.

joepenguin · 14-08-2011 12:22AM

Rigondeaux throws a mean left hook. Exhibit A....

walshb · 14-08-2011 11:42AM

gene_tunney wrote: »

It was a straight left, he just looped it a bit.

I was indeed. That is how I'd describe it.

gene_tunney · 14-08-2011 01:11PM

djhaxman wrote: »

Whatever. What it definitely wasn't was a right.

Yeah I was thinking of the first knockdown, which was a right hook I think.

StevePH · 14-08-2011 02:32PM

Great thread.
Glad to see two of my favourite boxers - Frazier and Hearns - get a mention.

Joe's roughhouse/pressure style wasn't exactly 'poetic' - but Christ, when he caught a man on the sweet spot, it was simply beautiful to watch.
Not too many can (afford to) lead with a left hook. Those that could, go down in legend.

Honorable mentions for hooks to the body must also go to McGuigan and Hatton.

makl · 15-08-2011 03:30PM

jjm wrote: »

Roy Jones Jr.

left hook right hook whatever hook

frazer's left hook @ 2.40 in above-linked

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDWnMXzgeZo

... both amazin reels regardless.

gene_tunney · 15-08-2011 03:42PM

I love Roy Jones Jnr like a fat kid loves cake.

Best left hook

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