Fastest Hands In Boxing History

[bijanc]

That new ad about high speed Internet connection features Bill Kurtis saying Floyd Mayweather has "...the fastest hands in boxing history...". Hardly, but I understand the hyperbole in a marketing context. Who had the fastest punching hand speed you ever saw? Camacho? Ali? Leonard? Swee' Pea?

[Marlow]

Re: Fastest Hands In Boxing History

Who had the fastest punching hand speed you ever saw? Camacho? Ali? Leonard? Swee' Pea?

I haven't been a fan in 15 years, but Leonard was the fastest I ever saw.

[Dietmar239]

I'd have to say Joe Louis, followed closely by Leonard and Ali.

[Jack Slocombe]

Are we counting the fingers of a horny teenager working on the snaps of a bra?

[marknhj]

Re: Fastest Hands In Boxing History

That new ad about high speed Internet connection features Bill Kurtis saying Floyd Mayweather has "...the fastest hands in boxing history...". Hardly, but I understand the hyperbole in a marketing context. Who had the fastest punching hand speed you ever saw? Camacho? Ali? Leonard? Swee' Pea?

Why "hardly"? Mayweather has unbelievably fast hands. He's at least as fast as anyone else mentioned in these posts and much faster than most.

btw - you can see his father coaching Ricky Hatton on "Hatton-Pacquiao 24/7", running on HBO prior to the May 2 fight. He's quite a character. I suspect Manny will take Ricky apart...

[eldrick]

there is a fantastic fight coming up on 24th, when unbeaten brit, carl froch goes over to america to defend against jermaine taylor ( former undisputed middleweight champ moving up to super-middle )

it's a fascinating contest between a hard-hitting, but slowish champ against a great fighter moving up ( but had a massive frame at middle & shouda moved up a coupla years ago - i think being weight-drained contributed to his losses to pavlik )

the reason i mention it is that jermaine is regarded as having some of the fastest hands ever seen at these weights

if you want to see a demonstration of the difference hand-speed makes in a bout, watch this fight !!!

[eldrick]

Re: Fastest Hands In Boxing History

Why "hardly"? Mayweather has unbelievably fast hands. He's at least as fast as anyone else mentioned in these posts and much faster than most

100% agree

people forget that he won his 1st title at 130 pounds against a guy called hernandez, who i thought was virtually impossible to beat unless you had the dynamite of a tyson in your fists ( hernandez had totally defused the legendary ( but past his peak ) azumah nelson in an earlier defense ) & managed to connect ( not likely as guy's defence was so good )

hernandez just outboxed anyone put in front of him with his long reach & superb defense & it was incredible to see floyd just beat him to the punch with flurries so fast that he befuddled hernandez & eventually breaking his nose & forcing him to quit on his stool

it was probably only way hernandez coud ever be beaten at 130 & floyd had it !

[gh]

I don't watch much boxing anymore, but it's hard to imagine anything faster than things like the time Ali was fighting George (the human punching bag) Chuvalo. About '67 I'd guess. They did a slo-mo and showed Ali whacking him 9 times in 3 seconds.

The next day Chuvalo's face looked like a pizza, but Ali felt he got the worst of it because his hands were so swollen and sore from hitting that chunk of granite he could barely use them. Or so went the lore of the time.

[TrackDaddy]

I agree, gh, that Ali had very fast hands relatively speaking.

I dont know that physics would allow them to be the fastest though because he was/is a big man.

Meriweather certainly deserves consideration along with Roy Jones in his prime, IMO.

[marknhj]

there is a fantastic fight coming up on 24th, when unbeaten brit, carl froch goes over to america to defend against jermaine taylor ( former undisputed middleweight champ moving up to super-middle )

it's a fascinating contest between a hard-hitting, but slowish champ against a great fighter moving up ( but had a massive frame at middle & shouda moved up a coupla years ago - i think being weight-drained contributed to his losses to pavlik )

the reason i mention it is that jermaine is regarded as having some of the fastest hands ever seen at these weights

if you want to see a demonstration of the difference hand-speed makes in a bout, watch this fight !!!

Unfortunately I won't see that fight. HBO didn't want it so Showtime picked it up (which I don't have). I think Taylor is losing his power after moving up, although he did deck Pavlik early in the first fight. He's a fighter who's promise and great speed/skills never quite made it (despite his points wins against Hopkins). I don't know anything about Froch, beyond an assumption that since he's a Brit he'll probably have zero clue about defense and will charge in leading with his chin...

[eldrick]

there'll be links here

http://www.myp2p.eu/index.php?part=sports

http://www.justin.tv/directory/sports

froch is a big guy & is a very good boxer ( won ABA titles & commonwealth games )

he has height, long reach, great chin & can hit hard

problem is, he's slow & "deliberate" & tries to stalk his man like tommy hearns ( hence his nickname : "the cobra" ) - only trouble is, it looks like tommy hearns on valium !

it will be a great fight & it'd be great to see jermaine fighting at what probably is his "true" weight

[bijanc]

Speed of Hand

Never seen any of them fight, spar or train in person, but Ali appeared to have been the fastest to me. The combo he threw during the Brian London fight in '66, during which London collapse while Ali's fists are still moving, was unforgettable. He was also lightning vs. Cleveland Williams. I'd place Camacho and Leonard in the next tier.

Interesting that Mayweather merits mention, prior to the emergece of Cassius Clay, the boxing mags and writers used to say a certain other "Floyd" was the fastest heavyweight on record. As for Joe Louis, I'd say he had quick hands, since he didn't throw a lot of fast flurries. He threw quick, short single shots.

Ali was no slouch in that category either- see Liston II, Folley KO, Foreman KO.

[KDFINE]

Without a doubt the fastest hands had to have belonged to a promotor.

[TrackDaddy]

Without a doubt the fastest hands had to have belonged to a promotor.

Who happens to also have the nicest hair.

[Daisy]

Without a doubt the fastest hands had to have belonged to a promotor.

Who happens to also have the nicest hair.

You mean the guy who looks like he just had a fight with a live wire?