I'd say Holmes. His jab was faster and more accurate, and also more balanced. Since Liston put so much behind his jab slick boxers like Clay could make him overreach when missing, and thereby actually use it against him. Holmes jab had no such vulnerability. Perhaps he could be a bit dependent on it at times (thus being easier to time with a right counter), but that was more down to his use of the jab than the jab itself.
I think Holmes had the all around better jab. Larry could use his jab however he wanted. He could use it to hurt the person like he did again Occasio (whom he dropped with a jab), he could use his jab to bust people up like he did against Cooney and Evangilsta, or he could use it to pile up points like he did against Shavers. Liston could pretty much only use his jab as a ramrod. It is great against guys with little head movement, but it wasn't very fast compared to other great jabs, and he wouldn't win a battle of jabs against guys who could move out of the way of it.
Definitely Holmes. Liston had a great jab but Holmes jab was faster, more accurate and was used better to set up other combinations. Holmes was always known as having a great jab and to beat him you had to take that away. For seven and a half years when he was heavyweight champ every fighter he faced knew this yet not one defeated him.
If Holmes & Liston fought, Liston would outjab and bully Holmes. Liston was just as consistent as Holmes with the jab. His speed is underrated. Maybe not quite as fast as Holmes but fast enough. Name a single time in his career where he was outjabbed. Even the Ali fights, Ali did not outjab Sonny he just timed and countered. There's a difference.
Name a time where a prime Larry was outjabbed. The only person to pretty much outjab him was Carl Williams, which was when Larry's jab was a lot slower and less accurate.
Was Liston left handed? I heard that this was why his jab was so powerful, but I dunno if that's true.
Bill1234. "The only person to pretty much outjab him was Carl Williams, which was when Larry's jab was a lot slower and less accurate." Wouldn't you say that about the Liston who thought Ali? "Jab was alot slower and less accurate." That was not a prime Liston in there, Sonny did not have as much left in the tank as Holmes did v Williams, and you said, Larry got outjabbed by Williams, not Ali.
It's 1a and 1b. I voted for Liston, you voted for Holmes, that's fine with me. The people implying that it isn't close are missing something though. Also, I disagree that Holmes was more accurate - though it is more versatile which leads to that mis-conception.
Monroe Harrison, Liston's first boxing teacher, was quoted in SPORTS ILLUSTRATED just before Liston became champion as saying that he thought Liston had been poorly taught with the jab. Harrison felt that Liston drove forward with too much thrust, like he was blasting the jab through a barn door. If it connected, it drove his opponent backward, out of range of a followup punch. Harrison thought Liston should have snapped the jab more to allow a followup right. He also felt Liston was vulnerable because of this forward thrust to a slick boxer who could slip the jab and counter. Basically, he would plunge right into a right cross. This did not happen with Patterson as Harrison expected, but you could argue that is exactly what happened with Ali. Holmes had the snapping jab that Harrison would have wanted Liston to develop. His flaw was a lack of head movement while jabbing. A skilled opponent could time a right over the jab as happened with Shavers and Snipes.
There's a kernel of truth to this, but it works both ways, Liston was also able to use the jab to close distance beautifully, an underated tool. Liston sets up so many KO's or barrages with it.
I think Holmes' jab was a tad quicker and maybe just a little bit more accurate, but not by much. Liston of course, had the more powerful jab. Overall I picked Holmes by a narrow margin.
It seems to me watching the films, that Ali and Machen, the slickest guys Liston fought, did not have that much trouble slipping the Liston jab more often than not. Both men came out of their fights with Liston unmarked. The Liston jab was perhaps the most powerful ever seen and it ripped up ordinary fighters who could not get out of the way, but I think Harrison has a point.
Well I think that is unrelated to the follow through motion that Harrison makes actually, and is relatied to one of speed. Liston's straight punches were ponderous, although his short punches were not. If he didn't thrust the jab a bit, he wouldn't have been more successful jabbing at Ali.
I didn't vote and am not sure I can or will. Holmes may have a case as his was able to dictate an entire fight, very quick and very accurate. Liston had an incredible jab that seemed to go right through guys and had a lot of bad intentions behind them. They were both great jabs that complimented their different fight styles.