Compare the speed of Ali with Mike Tyson

I find them so different in their application of speed and styles that they are impossible to compare. At any rate both have electrifying speed for heavyweights within their own style. Ali's the fastest boxer-type heavyweight ever; Tyson's the fastest swarmer-type. Floyd Patterson is in the mix in some way as well.

 

very hard to say since they had such different frames.

I would say Ali was a tad quicker but its hard to say.

 

Different type of speed. Ali floated above the ground in long glides while Mike pushed from the ground in short hops. Mike's punches were like pistons and hammers, Ali's were like slashes and prods. Both were very sharp and damaging, but I think Ali has the edge in speed.

Mike was a more complete fighter in how he applied speed to combination punching and head movement but Ali could flow with those long straight punches at a crazy velocity and had more agile feet.

 

If you go to Youtube and you change the playback speed to like half-speed, you can tell that Ali is actually slower compared to Tyson.

 

Different physiognomies. Ali had 10 or so inches of reach and 5 inches of height on Mike. Fists have a lot farther to go. But then, Mike didn't shoeshine like Ali often did. He threw with murderous intent. Pick your poison. They are not apples for apples in comparison.

 

https://imgur.com/a/ali-faster-than-sugar-ray-robinson-2t0oOL6
Mike Tyson's co-manager, Jimmy Jacobs, was interviewed by author Thomas Hauser on Ali. Jacobs, owner of the largest library of boxing film in the world, cited how he timed the speed of Ali's jab and found it to be nearly 25% faster than Sugar Ray Robinson. This is from the book, "Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times", for those who are curious.

Here is Ali at his physical peak against Cleveland Williams:

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Here is Tyson at his physical peak against Spinks:

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Watch the clips side-by-side. Ali is a shade faster with his hands and distinctly faster on his feet, compared to Tyson.

This is not to discredit Tyson. He arguably has the most formidable combination of speed and power in heavyweight history, and is absolutely superior to Ali in this regard.

However, when it comes to strictly speed, the answer is clear.

 

I fully accept the possibility that there is something wrong with my eyes, but I did exactly that as I wrote my answer and nothing looks different. Ali still seems to be faster than Tyson

 

Hmm. Maybe your Youtube is broken. Try going to Tyson's highlights and watching them on 1.75x and then do Ali's on like .25x. IF your Youtube is working, it will give you a very different impression of these guys.

 

Ahhhhhhh, there I see it now. I guess I have to delete my answer now, how could I be so wrong?

 

It's okay, I blame the way they do the apps or whatever. Maybe some it is just...you know..."the powers that be" don't want you to know...

 

footwork - Ali
head movement - Tyson
the rest - I'm not enough of a connoisseur

 

Ali is clearly faster ... but, he's not trying to put the sauce on his punches like Mike is.

 

Tyson landed about 4 lefthooks on Pinky thar were so fast I dont think Thomas knew what hit him.

 

He ain’t clearly faster. If he was no one would ever be having this discussion yet people have been talking about it for as long as I can remember