Are todays heavyweights (Joshua, Dubious, Joyzce. Zhang, Fury etc) slower punchers than the 70s and 80s fighters?

[automaton89]

It looks to me that the pace of modern heavyweight fights are slower than what it used to be and that they are slower punchers.

If I were to categorize them:

Joshua exhibits average speed
Joyzce is slow
Dubious is low average to average speed
Zhang is low average (but heavy mass)
Usyk many punches but only moderately explosive
Furys hand speed is a average

The one guy I feel has good hand speed is Parker

And of course Wilder, but I wouldn't say he's fast all round.

Frank Sanchez excellent speed

[billeau2]

Well when you talking about any athletic endeavor involving striking at the top of the food chain speed has to translate into quickness. Pure speed just doesn't mean much. As far as quickness goes you have to look beyond trying to judge something that is quicker than the eye can see... And you have to look at technique.

On a technical level fighters do not have the toolbox fighters had in the past. At least not that heavyweight. Keeping in mind that in boxing there are not that many punches thrown, so how those punches are delivered, set up, parred, are all part of quickness as the refined quality of speed.

Just watching Tyson, his head movement, the pivot he learned from watching Dempsey, compared to Joshua, who comes straightforward to throw his shots should tell you everything you need to know as a general comparison lol. I am being somewhat facetious here.

[QueensburyRules]

It looks to me that the pace of modern heavyweight fights are slower than what it used to be and that they are slower punchers.

If I were to categorize them:

Joshua exhibits average speed
Joyzce is slow
Dubious is low average to average speed
Zhang is low average (but heavy mass)
Usyk many punches but only moderately explosive
Furys hand speed is a average

The one guy I feel has good hand speed is Parker

And of course Wilder, but I wouldn't say he's fast all round.

Frank Sanchez excellent speed

Fwank Sanchez just another underachieving Cubano Hvywt just got KOed, proof that whatever speed you think he has over opposition that Timing *****s speed every day and twice on Sundays.

[Willow The Wisp]

Yes! The 240 pounders of today are slower than the 215 pounders of yesteryear.

[Legends456]

I wouldn’t call Wilder fast, but rather quick. He has good release and timing.

[automaton89]

I wouldn’t call Wilder fast, but rather quick. He has good release and timing.

You do have point, it's more technique than speed.

[The D3vil]

Well yeah, these guys are slow, lumbering giants.

Which is why prime Mike Tyson, Joe Frazier, & Jack Dempsey treats all of them as a punching bag.

[automaton89]

Fwank Sanchez just another underachieving Cubano Hvywt just got KOed, proof that whatever speed you think he has over opposition that Timing *****s speed every day and twice on Sundays.

He was hampered by an injury couldn't put pressure on his knee

[QueensburyRules]

I wouldn’t call Wilder fast, but rather quick. He has good release and timing.

- - He's been clearly outboxed in near every title fight. He was fighting Haymon's football players turned heavies mostly, but that Frenchman who took the fight on short notice busted his eye up completely for a stoppage the ref denied Frenchy, instead stopping Frenchy the first decent punch he landed where Deyonce couldn't see the counter punch.

[sleazyfellow]

I gotta agree. 90s was the peak for heavyweights being fast. Why is Uysk dominating right now? He's way faster than these giants. If a peak holyfield coming out of cruiser had come on in the Wlad era and wasn't a typical fighter of the time would dominate. Haye came with alot of hype but ran the whole time, a better boxer like Holyfield would have done much much better. I remember one of Dundees final interviews, he predicted one day the pint sized heavyweights will come back and these giants will disappear. Maybe not pint sized as in Marciano, Tyson, but like the Usyk type.