Top 3 jabs in boxing history.

I was very impressed with Pinklon Thomas's jab when seeing him in action. His jab was quick, accurate and had some power. Of course, Thomas was not a great fighter, so that may be one reason why he wasn't given much credit for the quality of his jab.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Larry Holmes
Vitali Klitscho
Muhammad Ali
Old George Foreman
Lennox Lewis
Rid**** Bowe
Thomas Hearns
Alexis Arguello
mentioning a few

 

Heavyweight- Holmes, Liston, Wlad or Ali
Light heavy- Conteh, Loughran, Harold Johnson (over Pastrano!)
Middle- Monzon, Hagler, Sumbu Kalambay
Welter- Hearns, Quartey, Robinson or Gavilan
Light- Leonard, Buchanan, Whitaker
Feather- Pep, Pedroza, Johnny Dundee or Howard Winstone or Jose Legra or Famechon
Bantam- Panama Al Brown, Harada, Chucho Castillo or Lionel Rose
Fly- Canto, Soto Chitalada, Ricardo Lopez

 

Sonny's jab was one of the most powerful, but the question is "best" and not "most damaging". If we're nitpicking, I don't think it carried enough speed to have as much success if he were facing full fledged heavyweights instead of cruisererweights most of his career. Ali, Holmes, and Wlad have a better pedigree of dominating career heavyweight-sized fighters with it.

Pinklon and Buster Douglas both had a hell of a jab, too.

 

I agree.
His jab was perhaps as good or better than that of Larry Holmes, and maybe that's why Pinklon always wanted to fight Holmes.

His jab was perhaps partly his downfall too. I always thought Pinklon relied too much on his jab as defence, and took too much punishment coasting along slowly breaking down some opponents who he might have got out of there a bit quicker if he'd put some more right hands over. But then, I know he had hand and shoulder issues too.

 

Yeah, Douglas deserves a mention.

 

Pound-for-pound, I'd say Marvin Hagler's jab was as good as anything I've seen.

 

Heavyweight jabs are vastly over rated IMO. Its always worth remembering the guys they are jabbing are usually slower on their feet than treacle. A great jab is someone like Hearns, or Leonard jabbing a guy as elusive as Benitez.

 

Good point...Marvelous blasted people with that right jab.

 

There ya go Red!! I damn near agree with every one of your picks........'cept maybe Johnson over Pastrano....but then again, maybe not...damned good list!

 

Sugar Nikolai Valuev

 

Hagler had a fantastic jab. Kalambay as well. Hearns is another. And Ricardo Lopez. Lots of them, but I'm not sure if a HW would make my list. Floyd's jab to the body really is a thing of beauty, btw.

Ah, Tyson probably had the most underrated jab. Just like Liston's might be the most overrated. I also think Foreman had a great jab - during both his careers, even though he utilized it better during his second one.

 

I had a devil of a time narrowing it down to the 30 or so I listed and I missed tons of excellent jabs. Conn and Virgil Hill and Wink Wright and an on Hilarious Zapata. Just tons of brilliant jabs. I'm sure I didn't pay enough attention to turn of the century guys.

 

Even listing the 3 best jabs in each division is ridiculous. There's so many great jabs that you have to leave out...Lists aren't really worth it.