Was Ali faster than Bob Pastor, Billy Conn or Usyk?

I submit Ali's performance against Cleveland Williams as evidence he was faster in his prime.

 

I don't think he was faster then Pastor or Conn imo but faster then Usyk. He was more explosive then Pastor or Conn though

 

It's not just being faster though - it's a combination of being a harder puncher, taller, more reach, significantly stronger, better chin, relative ring IQ to physical abilities and everything else.

The opening question is a tad reductionist as it's not just speed as to why people may opt for Ali in a hypothetical between the great 2.

 

I think he was.

Muhammad Ali, The Greatest

From the article, "The Muhammad Ali of 60’s was the fastest heavyweight ever. In the May 5, 1969 Sports Illustrated, Ali’s jab was measured with an omegascope. Ali’s jab, it was found, could smash a balsa board 16.5 inches away in 19/100 of a second. It actually covered the distance in 4/100 of a second, which is the blink of an eye. Jimmy Jacobs, who owned the world’s largest collection of fight films, said that on film tests with a synchronizer Ali’s jab was faster than that of Sugar Ray Robinson. Jacobs contended that Ali was not only the fastest heavyweight, but also the fastest fighter he ever saw on film."

Even if he wasn't any quicker than Pastor or Conn, he was far physically stronger, a far harder puncher, far more durable, had longer arms etc.

 

Oh hell yes

 

It's more than thinking. It's solid evidence.

 

Never thought id see the day where you back the old time heavyweights over post 1960 heavies.

 

Its just a fact lighter fighters are faster then HWs lol. Usyk was also much faster in the amateurs and at CW then he is at HW.

 

To this day, Ali is the only heavyweight i can think of who scored a knockdown so fast that film that unable to properly capture it (The Phantom Punch).

 

There's a difference between moving fast (which I would say Conn and Pastor both did) and being explosive (which Ali was).

 

They were having a debate on First Take whether or whether not Arch Manning is a generational talent which is another way of saying he has God given talents (genetics). Boxers like Ali, RJJ, and SRL had God given talents. The young Ali was preternaturally fast with amazing reflexes.

 

It's easier to show off speed against a punching bag but point taken. The only guy I've seen in Ali's class for speed is Mike Dokes which only proves that speed isn't all you need. And for his gargantuan size and girth I'll give Tyson Fury the Tony Tubbs Honorable Mention Trophy.