Michael Spinx claims he had the best jab in his era

i seen 1978 Holmes vs Shavers. Larry would knock mike all over the ring

 

Certainly not the case for me. I was championing Spinks from the time i joined here when he wasn't overly fashionable. Having to look outside his division shows what a solid jab he had. As a matter of fact his jab was probably underrated during it's time partly due to the fact he hit so damn hard at 175.

It's sort of open to expansion P4P with the thread header tho the video admittedly narrows it down just to guys he fought so realistically even bringing up guys from the same division that he didn't fight e.g. Pinky Thomas would be outliers and unwelcome.

As i said i think Mustafa had the better of the jabbing until he lost sight in one eye and tired. Spinks probably improved after this fight tho. Apart from EMM and Holmes (who had lost some snap obviously) Spinks didn't face a lot of notable jabbers and his division was shallow on them. Cooney's jab was heralded pre Holmes but again he wasn't in much shape. Even at his best there's every chance Spinks would have out-thought and out-maneuvered him before a stoppage win.

 

Yeah I dont get bringing up these fighters Spinks never fought. The statement in the interview was qualified with "out of the guys you fought..." Jeez, watch the video before popping off. And yes, he did outjab Holmes.

 

I disagree (though both of those men had terrific jabs). Holmes won many defenses mainly with his jab. Look how Leroy Jones, Shavers, Ocasio looked after rounds of getting that mean, heavy, tight jab in their suck.

Holmes had the greatest jab in heavyweight history, that's why when fighters like Witherspoon and Spinks negated it Larry was in a strikingly diminished capacity.

I could be wrong about this, but pretty sure even Ali never won a fight overwhelmingly with his jab (though he had an extraordinary one), and never actually knocked a fighter down just with a left jab. Larry did.

 

By that time outjabbing Holmes had become somewhat de rigueur...Williams, WItherspoon (though Tim didn't outjab quite as much as negate Larry's jab).

Larry's great jab was but a shadow of its former self by the time of Witherspoon. To see its glory showing up consistently before that you'd have to watch the Cobb fight (which Larry obviously overtrained for).

 

Larry's victory over Shavers I was one of the best displays of boxing ever in the heavyweight division imo. Had the fight been fifteen Earnie would have been stopped...he was done right at the end of the 12th.

 

Holmes was 35 and 36 when he fought Spinks .. I like Michael but the prime Holmes not only had a much faster, sharper and more powerful jab but H2H he would have stopped him in under eight rounds fairly easily .. he beat Michael in the rematch at age 36 ..

 

Just think of the Holmes who stopped Ali...not much of a victory in itself. But Larry was obviously in top, all time best shape, he looked fantastic. He had enough accumulative power to be shattering in the course of a fight. His jab was a worse headache than Louis, Ali, Liston, or Foreman (just imagine Berbick after his title shot....ohhh the pain). Michael could have only taken a few rounds of that (and keep in mind, Michael is just under Eddie and Matthew as my favorite light-heavy, ever).

 

Oh my gosh I really am a Larry Holmes sycophant. Sorry for being so prolifically biased, everyone.

 

i disagree that Spinks outjabbed Holmes.He won because of his combination punches.And he lost the 2nd fight.

 

You should change the thread title from ‘Spinks claims he had the best jab in his era’ to ‘Spinks claims he had the best jab against anyone that he ever fought against’.

 

I think he's alluding to Tyson when he says there was one guy taking steroids back in the day. I remember a couple of years after their fight him saying something similar in an interview.

 

Mike had the far greater jab when he fought Holmes. Holmes at that time was past his best.

Such a great guy is Mike Spinks. Truly one of the greats. A living ATG champion.