I've said it many times here that not only did Holmes have the best jab in HW history he also had the best jab of all time regardless of weight class. Not even close IMO
Given that Tyson had big power with every other punch he threw, I'd assume his jab was pretty stiff as well.
Um Sonny Liston didn't push back guys bigger than himself with his jab. He pushed around 180 pound guys like Floyd Patterson. Foreman clearly had the best jab in heavyweight history which is why he could fight to he was pushing 50 and still beat high quality guys. Foreman didn't have to rely on his jab all the time like Holmes did doing their primes. Holmes had little else why Foreman had everything. Holmes fights lasted longer. Foreman's fights didn't last long so you couldn't see him use his jab much anyway.
How great was Holmes jab? Without it, he's not even a contender. Ali and Liston with their other attributes ( Ali's speed ,Liston's power) more than likely still win a championship, though they wouldn't be near as successful as they were. Holmes jab was the difference in him just being "A guy" to a ATG.
Wlad needs to be in the discussion. He ruled the division for a decade based on that, at once probing, at once stabbing and at once pounding jab.
Footwork comes into play with this. Holmes and almost to that same degree Ali with their strictly clockwise rotation. everything they did was clockwise. And Liston was a clockwise guy. Guys like Wlad Klitschko and even his brother, moved both directions. Foreman moved both ways.
I agree those are the top three jabs but disagree about the order. I think Holmes’ jab was not as good as Ali’s tbh. He couldn’t change the direction of the jab mid-throw like Ali did, and he wasn’t quite as quick.
1. Ali 2. Holmes 3. Liston Louis might belong with those three. I'd agree Lewis, Wlad and Foreman are in the convo after them.
In his war with Ron Lyle, big George set up the knockout with his unanswered jab, a pile driver of a punch. Lennox Lewis didn't use his enough but used his for a measure for his booming right hand.If he can touch his opponents face with his jab, then one lick of the hips and that right hand lands, and it did several times. Joe Louis broke Tommy Farr's nose with his first punch, a left jab.
You're right, Tyson was very proficient with his left jab. A lot of the time it seemed like he was sliding his head to his right as he threw the jab. I used to try and coach kids on the pads to do the that and the technique isn't easy
Ali, Holmes, Liston excellent. And Thomas and Lewis also very good. Lewis’s jabbing display against the dangerous Tua wasn’t half bad. And I still remember Thomas’ jab giving all conquering Tyson a bit of a dilemma for a while until Batman and Robin (his fists) solved the problem.
