The jab. Best you've seen? Current best?

[Beanflicker]

Everyone knows what a jab will or could do for them, why don't more fighters concentrate on their jabs?

I think it's probably a case that a jab is great, but if the guy across from you has a better/quicker/longer/ect jab, your jab is going to be nullified. We saw that with Malignaggi/Khan, Paulie makes his living off his jab but Khan's was so much better it just completely nullified Paulie's.

So a lot of guys (mostly the slower/shorter/swarmers/inside guys/ect) say fuck it, I'm not built/stylistically inclined to be a great jabber and don't put the work in. But that's just a guess on my part obviously. It's a shame because everyone here who has watched a lot of boxing's history knows that a lot of pressure guys/inside fighters have done great business with the jab.

Muhammad Ali gets credit as one of the best jabs in the history of boxing, and rightfully so, but the slower Ken Norton was able to win the battle of the jabs against him and ultimately (in mine and a lot of people's opinion), beat Ali 3 times. He gave Ali fits with his jab.

Lamotta was fantastic at it and often out jabbed SRR, again the much quicker and more skilled fighter. He would double and triple up his jab to get on the inside, or hook off the jab while coming in to big success.

And we even saw Maidana bother Floyd with his newly-discovered jab recently.

[Beanflicker]

There's no excuse for not having a good jab IMO

[zhubin]

It's not a "sexy" punch. Booming rights, powerful hooks, etc. are the attention grabbers. But the great fighters and trainers know that it is the most important punch in boxing.

[Ron Swanson]

It's not a "sexy" punch. Booming rights, powerful hooks, etc. are the attention grabbers. But the great fighters and trainers know that it is the most important punch in boxing.

That's what I was going to say "not sexy". I talk far too much about the dwindling number of fighters leading to less trainers leading to less good trainers leading to an erosion of skill. The jab, the staple of boxing, should not be a fading art. But we are certainly not in a great era for jabs.

[johnsebastianmiran]

Ali had great jab because it was like a whip and cut you if he connected with it and he had great balance and was able to hit you going away for points. Foreman's jab was like getting hit with a club. Roberto Duran had a great jab but the first one to really feel it was Esteban Dejesus after he knocked Duran down in the first round of their second fight, the announcers and I believe one of them was Cosell stated in disbelief that Roberto Duran had a great defense an complimented his use of the jab. Whitaker should be thankful he had a jab, he was small. I saw him entering the Madison Square Garden and I thought he was a kid that looked like Pernell Whitaker. Alexis Arguello had a stiff punishing jab. It wasn't the fastest but he hurt you with it. Larry Holmes threw straight thudding jabs and his left bicep would swell up as the rounds went by. Jose Napoles the former welterweight champ had a jab smooth as butter and you couldn't see them coming. Mantequilla was what they called him. John Stracy of England was overlooked but nice jab. Mike Tyson wasn't too bad either. By the way Stracy beat Napoles for the title.

[FinitoElDinamita]

Not the best but Junior Jones had a killer jab..

[mikeeod]

Great thread topic! I would say my top picks, in no particular order, are:
1) Larry Holmes: When his legs were still fresh he was able to dominate and control a fight with that jab. Lump guys up, control the pace/distance...etc. He would use it to set up his right or combos. Strictly my opinion, but I think he beats out the other great jabbers in heavyweight history (Bowe, Lewis, Ali, Wlad, Liston) as far as jabs go. All of those guys mentioned though had GREAT jabs. Side note: in my opinion Tim Witherspoon n Ray Mercer had very underrated jabs, when they used them.
2) Oscar n Ike Quartey. Both had great jabs and could dominate a fight with them. Oscars was a little faster in my opinion, but Ike's was stronger and came from an unorthodox angle. I really enjoyed their fight and thought that each guys biggest issue was the other guys jab.
3) Sweet Pea Whitaker: Great Jab and could control larger fighters with it, keep distance, set up combos, break the other guys rhythm, use it offensively or defensively...etc. Great jab.
4) Virgil Hill: Was a long time and multiple weight titlist with little more than a jab.
5) Floyd, Hop, James Toney. All use the jabs similarly in my opinion, but Floyd's is the fastest n best, especially his effectiveness with it to the body. Hop used it to perfection vs Tito and in my opinion only loses to Floyd because of speed n use to the body (jab). James used his less than the other two, but like everything else he does, is textbook perfect when he does use it. Well, everything except train n stay quiet, not too textbook at those things. I lump them together because all three have dominant jabs and use them effectively but often "blade" their bodies n prefer to slip n counter or lead with the right (Fkoyd n Hop) or left hook (Floyd).