Best jab in boxing history?

Holmes is my favourite with Pinklon Thomas close behind but Buster Douglas had a terrific jab. Not only schooled Tyson that infamous night but destroyed prospect Mike Williams with it.

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Yes, and there are numerous photographs of Marv stepping directly into it. After their Championship Distance classic, Duran said during his post fight press conference that, "All his power is concentrated in his right. His left is dead." Now, we don't know if there may have been something wrong with MMH's left in that one (perhaps an injury incurred in training, a process of which Tunney stated ALWAYS occurred when preparing for a bout), but I don't see much evidence for equal power in his left. (As a self contained event, his left cross KD of Vito in their rematch as they were coming together is the best left I remember seeing Marv unload.)

 

The Truth Williams ! Perfect . Bruno ! Powerful

 

The one guy I saw clearly out jab a developing Holmes was Tiger Williams, who briefly lashed out with his longer jab, driving Larry away. Holmes won that one with initiative and body punching, particularly with his left hook downstairs. But Roy wobbled him into the ropes with a left hook in the closing seconds. If Tiger didn't have a sparring partner's mentality, he would've won that one, but of course Larry wasn't yet who he would suddenly become during the closing seconds of the opening round of Shavers I, when he came of age (stunning and exciting Howard Cosell tremendously).

No question Larry has the greatest heavyweight jab ever. But the best of anybody ever?

I lean towards Loughran. Typically, older timers tend to dismiss newer greats. (Some exceptions were Louis, Robinson, Pep and Duran.) But Jim Corbett said that Tommy perfected what Gentleman Jim himself always aspired to (and Corbett studied fencing arduously to get the most out of his jab). You don't see Loughran double or triple up on his jab. Instead, each one was a self contained event, carefully chosen with impeccable foot positioning, timed, and stiffly struck like a pole axe, no kind of flicking distraction.

The Philly Phantom out jabbed ridiculously taller opponents like Campolo and Impellitiere. His jab literally gave Max Baer nightmares, so much so that the Larruper entreated a surprised Tommy to tutor him, tutelage which paid off when Max versus Max came around, and Madcap one prevailed over the calculating German.

Gene Ward reported that Loughran took rounds two, three and four over Primo, and I have Tommy winning the opening round with superior punching. I also have Tommy taking round five (most might give this one to the Italian Goliath), where he buckled Carnera with a right hand bomb. (Interestingly, Loughran's power was never questioned. His hands only allowed him to load up a couple times in a bout, but he did deck Sharkey in their rematch to get to Primo.) Newspaper reports have the Philly ATG taking round six, Carnera took round seven, then Ward reports Tommy took rounds eight and ten, Primo taking the ninth and eleventh. Tommy is obviously tiring in round 12, clearly Carnera's round. Then, Ward reports that Loughran came back to win round 13, but had burned enough strength to cede round 14. Round 15 is obviously all Primo.

So according to Gene Ward and newspaper accounts and extant footage (as opposed to possibly mob rigged scoring) Tommy could be pushed up to getting the best of Carnera, 9-6 in rounds, and Loughran insisted to his dying day that he won that match. (It could still be 8-7 Loughran if you believe Primo took round five on the extant footage.)

Carnera's jab has been mentioned as the reason he beat Tommy, but the footage doesn't support that. He wore down and pummeled Loughran on the inside from round seven onward with vastly superior stamina and greater youth.

 

And El Maestro was not among the taller and longer armed featherweights of his era. But he had ridiculous quickness (unloaded a six left hook combination, all of which landed on Jiro Takada) and indefatigable Championship Distance footwork. Indisputably an ATG.

 

Because, unlike natural southpaws, Hagler was naturally right-handed.

 

Pernell Whitaker had a superb jab.

 

Michael painted Ramon Ranquello's right eye into a red Jackson Pollock canvas with his stiffly splashing jabs in their bout. (Always responsibly staying in shape, he was able to step in as a last minute substitute for Mike Rossman in what was supposed to be a rematch and comeback bout for Rossman, considered up to then to have the best jab in the division.) The Jinx had a compromised right in that one, so he repeatedly drove the aggressive Ranquello back to the ropes behind that jab. (Michael uncharacteristically did little counterpunching in this one.)

 

As was Jim Watt, who had a slowish but hard and well rhythmed right jab. While uncharacteristically retreating, he survived the Championship Distance with the hard jabbing Arguello behind that pumping right jab.

 

Tommy Loughran was reportedly involved in developing Harold Johnson, but there's no way I can go with Harold because of what happened with Willie Pastrano. (In that one, Willie fired off first with his jab, then Harold countered with hard body shots before they clinched, a pattern throughout most of their bout. Excellent chess match.) I can't go with Pastrano either, because of ringside eyewitnesses to Erskin-Pastrano who I exchanged with on another site. They informed me that Joe Erskin successfully imposed his will and preference on Willie by doing the sticking and moving. Pastrano was in trouble if you could get him flat footed and do the sticking and moving on him. (Erskin was the only one to ever decision Henry Cooper twice, and 'Enry had an extremely educated left.)

Your citation of long reach leads me to lean more towards Loughran, who in 1929 looked as though he was shadow boxing against the taller and longer armed Braddock.

This brings up another extremely interesting prospect. In his interview, "The Best I Faced," Iran Barkley said the best jab of anybody he took on belonged to Roberto Duran, NOT Thomas Hearns. (This rings especially true since while the Blade defeated Hearns twice, El Cholo defeated him.) Duran's jab was also key to his victory in DeJesus III. He stood 5'7" with a reach of 67 inches. Barkley was 6'1" with a reach of 74 inches, yet Roberto out jabbed him. (Jabbing wasn't Iran's thing anyway.)


Liston? No, his jab was too slow. A quicker and faster jab from a mobile opponent posed huge problems for him. But Hagler, on the other hand, played the cutie with Bennie Briscoe, continually circling the ring while jabbing away. (Maybe Marv criticized SRK for running, but that 's what Hagler himself did with Bad Bennie. I don't recall MMH going to his toes after Antuofermo I however.)

 

Yup, he's one of my main inspirations (I'm ambidextrous but a dominant righty, so in southpaw I do similar types of stuff).

 

Very true. His jab only got better as he got older as well. It was supremely utilized against Holmes and Qawi in two of his biggest fights.

 

Tyrell Biggs didn't have much else , but had a terrific fast jab. In the fight where he had his collarbone bust early ( Jeff Sims) he had to fight for 8 rounds one handed and won with more or less his jab alone.

 

Carnera broke one of Tommy's toes when he stamped on it ,that further handicapped him.
I think Carnera pushed his jab.

 

Agree with this. At the highest echelons it is a matter of taste as to who you think had the best jab and why. You get to choose between snappy lightning jabs and slower but pulverising power jabs and everything in between. Here's two of my favourites who based their entire style off of their jabs:

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