fastest hands in heavyweight history?

[Ambling Alp II]

Topic of who had the fastest hands in boxing history (not including Ali) is hard to say. It probably goes down to Patterson or Tyson.

Some of the others mentioned aren't that far behind Patterson and Tyson. Tubbs and Dokes might be next.

[DR.Dave]

I'm going with Patterson.

[Crease]

Chris Byrd had very fast hands.

As does David Haye.

[dempseyfire]

Chris Byrd had very fast hands.

As does David Haye.

I find Haye's speed to be dramatically over-rated. I don't see him being any faster than a prime Pinklon Thomas.

[littlepug]

herbie hide

[stevedoc]

herbie hide

Beat me to it

[littlepug]

Douglas... on the night he became champ

[Scypion]

Actually, Joe Louis had pretty fast hands. He used to kind of shuffle around the ring, but his hands were deceptively fast. If he got you in any trouble, then you were probably finished. Louis was a great finisher.

[handsofstone]

How was Ezzard Charles's hand speed up at HW? I've only seen bits here and there of him but I do remember him being sharp

[giacomino]

My memory may be a bit hazy because I haven't watched him fight since the 1980s, but I seem to remember Greg Page having really fast hands, when he wasn't loafing

[jaclem3]

.......my pick, as i've written, is joe louis.

re:ezzard charles...rocky marciano said "he was as quick as a snake." he also said ezzard was one of the greatest fighters ever...."he could hook of the jab with incredible speed."

[Ambling Alp II]

I just don't see how you can look at film and think it was Louis. He really does not even have a reputation of being that fast. Obviously he had many other great attributes, but I just don't see how he belongs in the conversation as being the fastest.

[Scypion]

I just don't see how you can look at film and think it was Louis. He really does not even have a reputation of being that fast. Obviously he had many other great attributes, but I just don't see how he belongs in the conversation as being the fastest.

I take it that you are referring to my post. I didn't say that Louis had the fastest hands. I think that Ali and Patterson were faster and maybe others, but Louis did have fast hands. I doubt that he could have done as well as he did if he was slow.

[Ambling Alp II]

Actually I was responding to jaclem. I have read a lot about Louis (like I'm guess a lot of people) and never heard anyone refer to him as having fast hands. Watching him on film, he doesn't look particularly fast. Not saying he was slow.

Watching Ali in the 1960s, at times the speed on his combinations just jump out at you. Have never seen any other heavyweight anywhere close to that. Patterson and Tyson also seem clearly faster than Louis. Some of the guys mentioned seemed faster as well.

I would say Louis is in the Top 3 for power and accuracy. And he may have been the best finisher ever as well.

[DR.Dave]

I seem to remember that Cus D'amato trained Floyd Patterson, Jose Torres and Mike Tyson all of whom had a style that incorporated punches in bunches. It seems that D'Amato had a technique of teaching his fighters to punch in sequences that were learned by numbers. It is not so recognizable in Patterson, but I believe it is in Torres and Tyson.

Does anyone remember an article in the Ring Magazine from the middle 60's in which this was talked about with regard to Torres? I'm fairly certain I do but of course it has been a long time.

[Tomasino]

Alp, I've never heard Joe Louis described as anything other than having fast hands. Slow feet was levelled at him but he was an incredibly fast combination puncher especially in his prime before facing Walcot, Charles and Rocky.

[Nile4000]

When he was on Point, Greg Page was one of the fastest heavies of all-time, faster than several that have been mentioned.But for heavyweight history, I would say Muhammad Ali.

[Syntax Error]

Evander Holyfield was pretty quick when he wanted to be too.

He was especially nifty with his quick double jabs & his sneaky & underrated Left hook.

[Keko]

Floyd Patterson

[crusader]

I have to agree with Alp....from watching Louis I have no idea how people could think he has the fastest hands in the history of the division.

I don't think his hands were any faster than Joseph Parker's, and certainly not Tyson's, Ali's or Patterson's.

[wouter]

Wilt Chamberlain

[crusader]

[Caractacus]

see the Corrie Sanders thread on this forum here.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Louis probably had the best punching technique I've ever seen. His hands weren't slow by any means, but pinpoint accuracy gets there in a hurry. More of an Arguello to me. Clay had the fastest hands I've seen.

[Kalan]

[

That Ali fella was pretty quick too.

Ali was out-sped in effective combos by prime Frazier (Ali grabbed a lot), Norton (tried to grab), and even Leon Spinks (6-0-1). Mike Tyson was not a good boxer - but he had the fastest hands of any Heavyweight in history for effective, hard punching. He murdered Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks when he got inside their longer, weaker arms. It was the Marciano strategy: bull in close and throw devastating punches with shorter, more powerful arms, faster hands, and better resistance to punishment. It worked against tall boxers who lacked great power. Truth Williams, Tyrell Biggs, Pinklon Thomas, and Trevor Berbick. Also, big, tall, slow guys who couldn't box, like James Smith, Frank Bruno, and Razor Ruddock were easily outsped by the quicker and faster fisted Tyson. Skinny Tony Tucker gave Mike problems, but lacked confidence, skills, and belief.

But Tyson was a small Heavyweight (220) and was simply outboxed and overpowered by bigger, taller, and stronger Heavyweights like Douglas, Holyfield, and Lewis, who had great hand speed and were better boxers than Mike. Tyson and Holyfield were a fairly close physical match. Holyfield was taller, but could stay with Mike on the inside by use of greater finesse (and head leverage) rather than better hand speed. Evander outboxed Mike a ton whenever the fight moved outside. Evander could almost match Mike in hand speed, and was way ahead of him in craft, smarts, confidence, and emotional determination. Their first fight was still one of the best Heavyweight contests, but there seemed to be an inevitability to it as Evander remained unfazed, unimpressed, and unintimidated by Mike's angry bull-like charges, punching power, and hand speed.