BoxRec

I was watching some Sugar Ray Leonard highlights and I always knew he was fast and could punch in bunches but he was rattling out 10 punch combos with ease, something you do not see in this day and age.

I'm sure he's not #1 in that department but where would he rank? and who was the best?

Leonard was definitely up there. Hagler could really put his punches together with speed, power and variety. Holyfield is another modern fighter that was a brilliant combo puncher. But I would have to answer Joe Louis. Every conceivable punch in the book and he had maximum power on just about all of them.

Meldrick Taylor was pretty damn good with combos, it's most of what he threw.

It's probably good ti mention this can be a category split between the speedy multi-punch combo throwers looking to catch guys by surprise and the strong thudding punchers just trying to leverage shots for maximum damage whether they land flush or not.

Duran is a good example of the latter, as is the previously mentioned Robinson. I always thought Barrera's danger came largely by way of his combos more than one individual shot.

I used to marvel at some of the stuff Ricardo Lopez put together. Everything was textbook in balance and leverage so even if he wasn't overexerting on the shots he did a lot of damage.

Floyd Patterson

I always thought of Patterson as rather sloppy. At least at times.

I used to like Chavez alternating between upstairs and downstairs when throwing.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:I always thought of Patterson as rather sloppy. At least at times.

Not entirely sure what you mean by "rather sloppy".

Yes, I've seen some early films where Floyd wound up tangled up with his opponent on the canvas or there by himself after one of his leaping moves, maybe that is what you mean. The McNeeley fight is entertaining if one likes action with some sloppiness.

Patterson is my second favorite boxer of all time. What a gentleman.

Even though he is not one of the truly greats, to me he was the epitome of boxing, on his toes, probing, and then lightning fast combinations or that great leaping, left hook.

He came with beautiful combinations in the latter stages of Quarry II and the Ellis fight, as I recall.

just looking at some old footage now, Ike Williams could throw evil combinations.

BarryWashington wrote:

yancey wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote:I always thought of Patterson as rather sloppy. At least at times.

Not entirely sure what you mean by "rather sloppy".

Yes, I've seen some early films where Floyd wound up tangled up with his opponent on the canvas or there by himself after one of his leaping moves, maybe that is what you mean. The McNeeley fight is entertaining if one likes action with some sloppiness.

Patterson is my second favorite boxer of all time. What a gentleman.

Even though he is not one of the truly greats, to me he was the epitome of boxing, on his toes, probing, and then lightning fast combinations or that great leaping, left hook.

He came with beautiful combinations in the latter stages of Quarry II and the Ellis fight, as I recall.

i consider him one of the greats. probably would rank him higher than most HWs on a p4p all-time list.

Depends on how you define "truly great", I suppose.

The two first round losses to Liston really take away from Floyd's record.

He would have been a truly great cruiserweight, no doubt about it.

BarryWashington wrote:

yancey wrote:

BarryWashington wrote: i consider him one of the greats. probably would rank him higher than most HWs on a p4p all-time list.

Depends on how you define "truly great", I suppose.

The two first round losses to Liston really take away from Floyd's record.

He would have been a truly great cruiserweight, no doubt about it.

we're talkin about a prime sonny liston here. don't forget patterson still did some work w/jimmy slade, tommy jackson (twice), roy harris, brian london, johansson (twice), eddie machen, george chuvalo, henry cooper, jerry quarry (twice), jimmy ellis (competitive loss), oscar bonavena

pretty damn good HW if u ask me

"Pretty damn good HW"?

Yes, unquestionably.

But I was talking "truly great".

Truly great heavies = Dempsey, Tunney?, Louis, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Tyson (briefly)

Oh yes, Marciano too.

Don't want to be called a hater.

p.s. Some heavies earlier than Dempsey, such as Jack Johnson and others, could probably be called truly great, but I'm not qualified to say. (some might say I'm not qualified, period )

Foreman is so great, he gets two shouts. One for each career.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Foreman is so great, he gets two shouts. One for each career.

Oh dear, now George is being mentioned as throwing great combinations. Yeah, let's compare George's ponderous barrages to the fast, sharp combinations thrown by guys like SRR, Louis and SRL.

George's legend grows.

The Great John L wrote:

Goodnight, Irene wrote:Foreman is so great, he gets two shouts. One for each career.

Oh dear, now George is being mentioned as throwing great combinations. Yeah, let's compare George's ponderous barrages to the fast, sharp combinations thrown by guys like SRR, Louis and SRL.

George's legend grows.

Shooting from the hip (& directly into your own foot) again at the sight of Foremans name?

Read the context again. No need to apologise. Your inward sheepishness is quite enough

yancey wrote:Truly great heavies = Dempsey, Tunney?, Louis, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Tyson (briefly)

Weren't you replying to this post? I don't think I missed anything.

The Great John L wrote:

yancey wrote:Truly great heavies = Dempsey, Tunney?, Louis, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, Tyson (briefly)

Weren't you replying to this post? I don't think I missed anything.

Great John L,

I originally listed Foreman's name twice by mistake, which GI read, hence his remark.

I then went back and removed the second mention of Foreman. Sorry to mislead anyone.

more recent, Juan Marquez is one of the best combination punchers i have seen.

thunderfromdownunder wrote:more recent, Juan Marquez is one of the best combination punchers i have seen.

Agreed, JMM definitely the best combination puncher of this era.

All-time . . Ray Robinson, Ezzard Charles, Barney Ross, Gene Tunney, Ike Williams . . I'm sure Harry Greb despite the fact there's no footage should probably make the list.

Sugar Ray Robinson in my opinion, was the greatest combination puncher to ever grace the ring. Almost a pioneer of sorts, the way he'd lead with the left jab, then follow up with a left hook, then a left uppercut and ending the combo with a right straight, all at lightning speed. No one IMO was throwing combos like that.

Honourable mentions to Leornard, Duran, Hearns and Ali.

Uppercut1 wrote:Sugar Ray Robinson in my opinion, was the greatest combination puncher to ever grace the ring. Almost a pioneer of sorts, the way he'd lead with the left jab, then follow up with a left hook, then a left uppercut and ending the combo with a right straight, all at lightning speed. No one IMO was throwing combos like that.

Honourable mentions to Leornard, Duran, Hearns and Ali.

None of those men were as good as Louis in this regard.

Joe Louis.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

Uppercut1 wrote:Sugar Ray Robinson in my opinion, was the greatest combination puncher to ever grace the ring. Almost a pioneer of sorts, the way he'd lead with the left jab, then follow up with a left hook, then a left uppercut and ending the combo with a right straight, all at lightning speed. No one IMO was throwing combos like that.

Honourable mentions to Leornard, Duran, Hearns and Ali.

None of those men were as good as Louis in this regard.

Well, that's all a matter of opinion obviously, but I do agree, I should have mentioned Louis. For me, the speed of Robinson and his ring movement and balance makes him my favourite with the hands.

I got beaten to saying Pernell Whittaker but I do agree with it although he did not have KO power with it, in his pomp any thoughts on Roy Jones Jnr?

Sot Chitalada
Terry Norris
Michael Spinks

...i just read the thread's question and skipped all the posts. the correct answer is joe louis. thank you for asking.