Who was the fastest in your opinion and did that speed make them a world champion or did you need more than just speed to be world class..
Whether its fastest footwork, handspeed or reflexes..just state your case and the reason behind it.
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Who was the fastest in your opinion and did that speed make them a world champion or did you need more than just speed to be world class..
Whether its fastest footwork, handspeed or reflexes..just state your case and the reason behind it.
If you look at p4p speed, which is how far a certain boxer's hand speed exceeds the average hand speed of their division (the average lightweight hand speed is going to be greatest than the average HW speed, ect), then I think Roy Jones was the fastest p4p in the history of boxing by a mile. For a guy 168 and 175 to throw with that kind of speed was unbelievable.
Not only the speed, but the fluidity and the perfect technique with each punch. We've seen guys move their hands fast and shoe shine or slap with their punches (Calzaghe comes to mind), but all Roy's punches came hard. And as fast as he was, as unorthodox as he was, as much as he liked to leap in with shots, he NEVER put himself off balance.
In terms of speed and fluidity Jones is head and shoulders above the rest P4P imo. Who the fuck could throw four left hooks in a row and land them all, or land a KO blow, duck the right hand as his punch was still going forward, and land two quick shots as the guy was falling like Sugar Boy Malinga. Every couple of years I go back and watch Roy's fights and every time he's faster than I remembered him being.
Roy jones will always spring to mind.
JC was fast but not as accurate but his punches were hurtful (ask eubank)
Ali was fast and the right hand lead was a thing of beauty..imagine if Ali was at 147..
Footwork - Roy Jones or Nunn
Handspeed - Meldrick Taylor or Amir Khan
Reflexes - Roy Jones maybe James Toney
Zab Judah is actually seriously quick - at least for the first 4 rounds - Look at Tyszu round 1 and Mayweather rounds 1-4 and Cotto rounds 1-2.
In his prime I don't know if anyone he fought came close to his quickness - just a shame he could never put it all together
Check out Tommy Hearns at welterweight; the speed and power behind his shots was incredible. It was that speed that made him such a hard puncher.
I remember watching Shane at 135 and comparing him to Roy at the time and thinking that Roy was actually faster but Shane was lightening. Meldrick was a freak of nature as well and Leonard may have had the fastest hands of all.
Be interesting to see a study. I'm sure they have all had their speeds measured over time frame by frame but as yet nobody has ever gathered the results.
Suffice it is to say that speed played a key factor in all of their successes.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Roy Jones Jr.
Zab Judah
Shane Mosley
Manny Pacquiao
Muhammad Ali
Mike Tyson
Ray Leonard
Ray Robinson
Willie Pep
Meldrick Taylor
Yuriorkis Gamboa
Joan Guzman
Andre Direll.
Macho man was no slouch.
Eddie Hopson had some of the fastest hands I've seen. Unfortunately that was about it. Too Sharp Johnson was at the top. A young Johnny Tapia had tremendous speed and punch placement.
Roy!Quote:
Originally Posted by Beanflicker
No slouch?!?!?! He was the CREAM OF THE CROP!Quote:
Originally Posted by IamInuit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C4lK41SX-Q
Anyone remember Terrance Ali he was fast and so was the first person to beat Duran Esteban De Jesús.
lmao!Quote:
Originally Posted by el kabongno slouch?!?!?! He was the cream of the crop!Quote:
Originally Posted by iaminuit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c4lk41sx-q
I like the guys assessment of "lb for lb speed" based on how far the boxers speed exceeds the expected avergage of his division, because obviously the lighter the boxer the faster speed possible and in absolute terms the featherweights would always be top.
So given this, special speed can be given at a glance to...
Manny Pacquiao
Amir Khan
Roy Jones Jnr.
David Haye
Eddie Chambers
Chris Byrd
And others of course but these are the most obvious at a glance.
Hector "Macho" Camacho in his prime had the fastest hands I've ever seen.
Funny thing...That whole trip about throwing four left hooks in a row, all ko punches? They said the same thing, word for word, about Ray Robinson...in the late 1950s, at the end of his career.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beanflicker
I'm always a little uncomfortable when trying to evaluate speed. I always default to Roy as most cause his style was so showy and yet the differences between most of these exceptionally fast guys is negligible and so many guys get left out. I wish I had the time, money and all the gear and know how to do a proper scientific inquiry. I have a feeling the findings would be a little surprising. I bet guys like Tyson and Patterson would be right up there with a lot of much smaller men in raw hand speed.Quote:
Originally Posted by greynotsooldFunny thing...That whole trip about throwing four left hooks in a row, all ko punches? They said the same thing, word for word, about Ray Robinson...in the late 1950s, at the end of his career.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beanflicker
I would bet that guys we have never heard of were faster than any of them. Speed is something that the smart guys can negate. On the same thought, the hardest punchers are guys we never heard of (or don't know much about) and for the same reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by IamInuitI'm always a little uncomfortable when trying to evaluate speed. I always default to Roy as most cause his style was so showy and yet the differences between most of these exceptionally fast guys is negligible and so many guys get left out. I wish I had the time, money and all the gear and know how to do a proper scientific inquiry. I have a feeling the findings would be a little surprising. I bet guys like Tyson and Patterson would be right up there with a lot of much smaller men in raw hand speed.Quote:
Originally Posted by greynotsooldFunny thing...That whole trip about throwing four left hooks in a row, all ko punches? They said the same thing, word for word, about Ray Robinson...in the late 1950s, at the end of his career.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beanflicker