Faster hand speed : Tyson or Ali ?

I should clarify, I'm talking natural heavyweights. Dempsey had great speed but he weighed under 190. Not many 200+ lb guys had hand speed like that. Also to whoever said Byrd, that's a good choice, he was extremely fast.

Tyson has arguably the best hand speed of any HW ever. Ali looked quicker because he would dance in and out, but when it came to throwing down, Tyson was faster. All it takes is watching a few simple videos. Not saying Ali isn't fast, or Tyson is much faster, but he's faster nonetheless.

I don't think Ali fought the best version either time though, especially the rematch. The significant height and reach advantages certainly helped as well. In their first fight Patterson was close enough to his prime that his handspeed would not have declined. Footspeed starts to decline long before handspeed does. Jim Jacobs, who owned the world’s largest collection of fight films, said that on film tests with a synchronizer, Ali’s jab was faster than that of Sugar Ray Robinson. Jacobs contended that Ali was not only the fastest heavyweight, but also the fastest fighter he ever saw on film. And he said this after the first Ali-Patterson fight had happened. Monte D Cox, one of the world's most respected boxing historians also claims that Ali was the fastest heavyweight ever. I repeat that if the OP wants to claim that the experts think Patterson's hands were faster than Ali's, he needs to specify which particular experts, and provide a link.

I'm having a debate with a friend of mine... Who do you think had better hand speed ? Ali or Tyson ? I got Ali... tyson had the better handspeed, but ali's was fleet of foot

What experts? Patterson fought Ali twice, and was consistently beaten to the punch. I don't think Ali fought the best version either time though, especially the rematch. The significant height and reach advantages certainly helped as well.

I'm having a debate with a friend of mine... Who do you think had better hand speed ? Ali or Tyson ? I got Ali... On handspeed alone, they were similar; but for overall hand, foot and reflex speed, prime Ali was much faster, IMO.

The experts acknowledged that the fastest heavyweight hands were those of Floyd Patterson. I think that Ali was second. What experts? Patterson fought Ali twice, and was consistently beaten to the punch.

Ali was faster, Tyson more powerful.

I do think for one punch (The Hook) Tyson was faster, but overall Ali was faster. The experts acknowledged that the fastest heavyweight hands were those of Floyd Patterson. I think that Ali was second.

I do think for one punch (The Hook) Tyson was faster, but overall Ali was faster.

Ali had the faster hands, but Tyson had much more power.