BoxRec

Who possessed the best jab?

Lennox Lewis a candidate!? The guy Ray Mercer out-jabbed? LOL.

Anyway, Joe Louis got my vote, because I feel his was the broadest weapon all-round. To one degree or another, his spearing left was accurate like Holmes', rapid like Ali's, & still physically punishing like Liston's.

Joe Louis, IMO, had the best jab of all the HW legends.

One vote for Holmes.

I vote for Holmes, I think his jab provided the best combination of accuracy, power and speed of all the candidates.

Liston comes close, his was the heaviest jab of this lot, though he clearly lost the jabbing war with Ali due to a speed deficit.

Ali had an excellent jab, the fastest, though probably the least powerful of this bunch.

Louis's jab was quick, powerful and accurate, though I don't see him as being a pure jabber like the rest of these men. He rarely used it to dominate from the outside (not that he needed to, considering the rest of his repertoire of punches).

Lewis had a very good jab, but he was lazy with it, often using it as a range finder rather than a weapon of its own. When he used it properly, Lewis's jab was not far behind that of Larry Holmes, being both fast and powerful.

I voted Holmes.

Bowe has a very powerful jab when he was in his prime.

Pinklon Thomas had a good jab and used it very effectively in some figths.

Liston for me.

Holmes for me.

I've voted Liston.

His jab was just a ramrod; so hard & powerful & couple that with his extraordinarily long reach, made it the ultimate jab for me.

Larry got my vote. The hybrid between Ali and Liston.

Take away the jabs of these fighters and Holmes would be half the boxer.

Joe Louis had an exemplary jab (but then all of his punches were text book). But take away Louis's jab and he'd still be a formidable fighting machine.

Ali worked a good jab... But the reason it was so effective was his speed.

From the old timers - Jim Jeffries. He kayoed guys with his jab.

From your list - Sonny Liston (when he used it right).

Larry Holmes had the best jab as far as both speed and power goes. Not to mention, he knew it was his greatest weapon and he was constantly pumping it into the other guy's face.

Holmes had a great jab but I think it might get arguably a little inflated b/c it was the cornerstone of his entire offense. I think Ali's jab was actually harder . . Ali had a pretty hard snapping jab in his prime, I think some underestimate it b/c in the mid-late 70s he really just flicked it out as an arm punch more and didn't pump it out like he did when he was younger.

Jack Johnson had a great jab when thinking of combining speed, power and accuracy. He literally stopped Jefferies and Moran dead in their tracks with the jab.

Ken Norton had an excellent jab with speed and power, along with his stutter-step rythym which made it hard to counter. He had success vs both Ali and Holmes when he remembered to throw it and not lead with power shots.

Foreman in his prime probably had the hardest jab of all time, with Liston second. As much as I hate to admit it, Wlad Klitschko comes in third. Esp. in his 20s Klitschko really snapped the jab out hard and it was an impressive weapon.

dempseyfire wrote:Holmes had a great jab but I think it might get arguably a little inflated b/c it was the cornerstone of his entire offense. I think Ali's jab was actually harder . . Ali had a pretty hard snapping jab in his prime, I think some underestimate it b/c in the mid-late 70s he really just flicked it out as an arm punch more and didn't pump it out like he did when he was younger.

Jack Johnson had a great jab when thinking of combining speed, power and accuracy. He literally stopped Jefferies and Moran dead in their tracks with the jab.

Ken Norton had an excellent jab with speed and power, along with his stutter-step rythym which made it hard to counter. He had success vs both Ali and Holmes when he remembered to throw it and not lead with power shots.

Foreman in his prime probably had the hardest jab of all time, with Liston second. As much as I hate to admit it, Wlad Klitschko comes in third. Esp. in his 20s Klitschko really snapped the jab out hard and it was an impressive weapon.

Some good picks you've highlighted there.

I also think a couple of lesser HWs, i.e., Carl Williams & Pinklon Thomas had underrated jabs too.

Holmes

gilgamesh wrote:Larry Holmes had the best jab as far as both speed and power goes. Not to mention, he knew it was his greatest weapon and he was constantly pumping it into the other guy's face.

Holmes' jab was more powerful than Liston's? More powerful than Louis'?

dempseyfire wrote:Holmes had a great jab but I think it might get arguably a little inflated b/c it was the cornerstone of his entire offense. I think Ali's jab was actually harder . . Ali had a pretty hard snapping jab in his prime, I think some underestimate it b/c in the mid-late 70s he really just flicked it out as an arm punch more and didn't pump it out like he did when he was younger.

Jack Johnson had a great jab when thinking of combining speed, power and accuracy. He literally stopped Jefferies and Moran dead in their tracks with the jab.

Ken Norton had an excellent jab with speed and power, along with his stutter-step rythym which made it hard to counter. He had success vs both Ali and Holmes when he remembered to throw it and not lead with power shots.

Foreman in his prime probably had the hardest jab of all time, with Liston second. As much as I hate to admit it, Wlad Klitschko comes in third. Esp. in his 20s Klitschko really snapped the jab out hard and it was an impressive weapon.

I have considered the same thing before --- not unlike Frazier receiving all the votes in the left hookers thread, & he just happens to be the candidate most famously associated with that punch.

..after joe louis everyone else is tied for second place...

I like Jaclems call on this for sure,
However,Chuck Wepner said Listons jab was like somebody shoving a lightbulb in your face and smashing it.
Hell,comin from him that tells me something.
Listons jab is the one I'd least like to get hit by I think.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

gilgamesh wrote:Larry Holmes had the best jab as far as both speed and power goes. Not to mention, he knew it was his greatest weapon and he was constantly pumping it into the other guy's face.

Holmes' jab was more powerful than Liston's? More powerful than Louis'?

I never said it was more powerful, I said it was a better combination of power and speed and he used it more consistently than the two fighters you mentioned. You can argue that if you want to, but you're wrong. I've got nothing else to say on the matter.

Wow. Touchy, much?

Liston over Ali.

I'd go
Holmes
Louis
Liston
Ali

Don't think Lewis should be on this list, as I believe Wlad has a better Jab then Lewis did. And he just aint in that mix. Great

..expug...interesting...braddock used exactly thjos same words about louis' jab. i think whenyou get to this high level of left jabs it must feel much the same when you are on the receiving end no matter who throws it.

liston's jab was magnificent, but his delivery had a flaw. he used the "punch through, not at , the target" which was so effective when he landed, but when his jab was slipped, he went off balance and could be countered. regardless of what people think of the first ali fight, ali was slipping liston's jab every round, and liston paid for it. he may have exaggerated the damage he was taking from ali by quitting, but there's no doubt his missing all those jabs did hurt his left shoulder.

Ezzard wrote:Larry got my vote. The hybrid between Ali and Liston.

Take away the jabs of these fighters and Holmes would be half the boxer.

Joe Louis had an exemplary jab (but then all of his punches were text book). But take away Louis's jab and he'd still be a formidable fighting machine.

(great post.)