Fast boxers..

[imp]

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.

[Beanflicker]

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.

[SlimTrae]

. 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.

Roy!

[greynotsoold]

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.

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.

[IamInuit]

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.

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.

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.

[greynotsoold]

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.

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.

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.

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.

[imp]

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..

[Master]

Footwork - Roy Jones or Nunn
Handspeed - Meldrick Taylor or Amir Khan
Reflexes - Roy Jones maybe James Toney

[oakleyno1]

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

[X]

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.

[IamInuit]

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.