BoxRec

Id like to hear who everyone thinks had the better jab between Lewis an Holmes in thier primes?Or the who had the best jab in Hw history?

I think Holmes had the better jab, in the sense that Lewis pawed with his too much and Holmes just had a bit more 'snap' in it.

But when Lewis did use his jab to full effect it wasn't far behind Holmes IMO.

Lewis used his more as a range finder for his right, whereas Holmes used his to score points, generally speaking of course.

1) Holmes
2) Louis
3) Liston
4) Lewis.

Lewis' jab was harder, but he seldom used it properly, he just liked to hide the right with it. Holmes' thudded with his all the time though so was far better.

Lewis's jab was good but his overall reach was what made his jab stand out. Holmes, Liston, Louis, and Foreman all had snappier, more consistant jabs.

dempseyfire wrote:Lewis's jab was good but his overall reach was what made his jab stand out. Holmes, Liston, Louis, and Foreman all had snappier, more consistant jabs.

Spot on.

dempseyfire wrote:Lewis's jab was good but his overall reach was what made his jab stand out. Holmes, Liston, Louis, and Foreman all had snappier, more consistant jabs.

spot on is right.
Although I would add that Lewis's jab was very effective (when he remembered to use it effectively) from a tatical perspective not only becuase of its long range--which made it good for keeping fighters off him--but because he was espcially good at using it to screen that huge right of his. That famous overhand right wouldn't have been half so famous if it didin't follow well-timed jabs so often.

This is an ambigious question. What is meant by "better".They were different. Holmes had a very fast jab that knocked his opponents off of their rythm. Lennox had a harder jab. Larry's jab I think was ultimately the better weapon. He totally controlled people with that jab. Lennox would sometimes dispense with formalities and just try to blast the guy out, only using the left to set up the right. Larry also hooked off of the jab better. I would prefer to have Larry's piston to Lennox slow shotgun blast.

The best jabs I have have ever seen have come frome a Heavy weight named Sampson Pa'ua , I've seen knock down fighter and knockout fighters with his right jab. He kind of fell off the face of the earth though, even though I did see him a few years back on " Thunderbox"

Holmes had a much better jab. Lewis' jab is pretty overrated in my opinion. He had a long reach and he jabbed hard, but it was never quick and snappy with the same accuracy that Holmes always had.

I think you also need to add another element. The motivation for jabbing

Holmes was very traditional. His jab was a rangefinder, a punch to keep the opponent off balance and a punch to set himself for some of his other arsenal ( much more varied that Lewis IMHO ) and there have been few better

For Lewis, though less snappy and sometimes pawing, it was a hurtful punch in itself ( primarily because it carried 18st behind it ) and set up the opponent for that woodsman's axe of an overhand right

I would place Holmes' jab above Lewis' from a purely aesthetic point of view, but for sheer effectiveness, I would go with Lewis for the power punch it heralded

Slapsie

Sonny Liston's was, in my opinion, a better jab than either

Agreed

The_Power wrote:1) Holmes
2) Louis
3) Liston
4) Lewis.

The best hw jabs goes like this,
1) Holmes
2) Ali
3) Lewis
4) Louis
5) T. Tucker