name the fastest fighters in the traditional weight classes

[BattlingNelson]

In terms of sheer hand speed I'm sure that he was found to have a faster left. Its a very close call on the combination front too.

I remember watching a clip with Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton talking about Ali's speed. They said they had compared the left jabs of all fast fighters in history via frame by frame analysis. They concluded that Ali had the fastest jab. Faster than even Robinson.

[tonyjones]

AMIR KHAN probably the fastest combination puncher ive seen

[Ray Corso]

Sugar Ray Robinson was extremely fast & powerful. Having fast hands that don't punish anyone can't guarantee wins all the time. Traditionally speed sets up power!

As for "Sugarman" not fighting "long enough" as a middleweight! He fought for 10.5 years and fought middleweight weighing 153-155 at the beginning. Most of his middleweight bouts were at 159lbs. I don't think 10+ years is a brief term, especially when you defeated middleweight contenders and champions.
Ray.

[fight_professor]

Very interesting thread. Just like to add that speed contributes to power too as force is mass x acceleration. So those faster guys do get a bonus in impact from the sheer speed of their fists.

[Panamaniac]

The quickest fast-fire punching I've ever seen was actually in the beginning of a movie (Requiem for a Heavyweight). Muhammad Ali as himself (Cassius Clay) destroys "Mountain Rivera" (Anthony Quinn). The closest to that in real life was the annihilation of Cleveland Williams at the hands of - who else - Muhammad Ali.

Early SRL was pretty fast too, in fact second fastest p4p (after Ali).

[Sugarj]

I remember watching a clip with Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton talking about Ali's speed. They said they had compared the left jabs of all fast fighters in history via frame by frame analysis. They concluded that Ali had the fastest jab. Faster than even Robinson.

I've got that clip too. It is on the 'Fighters' documentary that includes the build up to Ali vs Frazier 1.

I suppose its possible that Ali's jab might have been faster than Robinson's. But I'd take the experiment with a pinch of salt. The synchroniser used would need to have accurately recorded punches from fight films played back with identical FPS at the correct speed.

Outside of a lab, a lot would depend on the chosen film, the chosen jab and the fact that the best quality 'films' of Robinson were of him at middleweight and a touch post prime.

From what I've read Floyd Patterson had the quicker left, but Ali the faster right. I'm sure Gerald Suster makes reference to it in his book. That said, Patterson's jab had a shorter distance to travel due to his comparative lack of reach, but whether the actual velocity was genuinely faster is very much open to debate.

On the combination front I can't pick between Ali and Patterson. Both guys were blinding at their best.

[Dynamite76]

Yes....I wanted to mention guys not already mentioned, i.e. obviously Ali was incredibly fast and quick....Ruiz has extremely fast hands. Actually so does Telefio Stephenson.

Stephenson had nothing on Michael Dokes and Greg Page, as far as hand speed.

[Dynamite76]

Howard Davis Jr and Bernard Taylor definitely have to be mentioned at lightweight, and featherweight respectively.