Fury rates the biggest punchers he’s faced

Tyson Fury has named the hardest hitter he has faced and it isn’t Deontay Wilder.

Wilder put Fury on the canvas twice in their first drawn fight but Fury got the better of the American with a TKO in the rematch to win the WBC’S heavyweight title.

That made Fury a two-time champion following his 2015 defeat of long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko and it’s the Ukrainian, nicknamed Dr Steelhammer with 53 knockouts in 64 wins, who gets the nod from Fury in terms of power.

‘‘I’ve felt the power [of Deontay Wilder]. Ain’t so bad. Ain’t so bad,’’ Fury told World Boxing News as debate continues over who is the biggest puncher in the game.

‘‘He can’t be the biggest puncher in history because he couldn’t knock the Gypsy King out, could he?’’

Fury said historically there were certainly heavier hitters than Wilder and he was happy to name a few.

‘‘I took his best shot flush on the chin and I got back up. He punches hard. But I’ve never been hit by the likes of someone like Earnie Shavers. I didn’t get hit by George Foreman and I didn’t get hit by Rocky Marciano or any of those top guys. I didn’t get hit by them, so I can’t comment.

‘‘So to say it’s the biggest punch in history, I’m not really sure because I didn’t get hit by all the guys in history.

‘‘But, you know, I don’t think he punches harder than Wladimir Klitschko. Wladimir has a massive knockout punch and won a lot more fights than Wilder has.’’

Fury did acknowledge that Wilder has an unusual dimension to his striking that makes him dangerous.

‘‘Wilder, I don’t think it’s so much his power. It’s the speed it lands at, which can be tricky when you don’t see it coming,’’ Fury told World Boxing News. ‘‘But then again, even a guy who’s got no knockout ratio, if he hits you and you don’t see it coming, then he’s going to put you down.

‘‘But as for feeling punches in fights, I’m not familiar with it because I don’t feel any punches when I’m in the ring because the adrenaline is flying high when you’re in a fight. You don’t feel the punches ever.’’

Fury now finds himself the subject of more doping speculation with the UK authorities saying they could revisit his 2015 case where the big Brit tested positive for nandrolone but blamed that on eating uncastrated wild boar meat.

Fury and Wilder are set for a third fight with the American triggering a rematch clause after his heavy defeat in Las Vegas in February.

There is general agreement in the sport that Fury needs to take on fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua, who holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, to find one true champion of the division.