Some more oldtimers with really fast hands who should recieve consideration:
Midget Wolgast
Benny Lynch
Jimmy Wilde
Bob Montgomery
Ismael Laguna (not an oldtimer)
Everybody here seems pretty biased in favor of new/current fighters. Where are the oldtimers in this discussion?
How about:
Kid Chocolate: blazing combinations
Benny Leonard: Watch his fight with Lew Tendler. Amazing. Fast with his feet too.
Harry Greb: No fight footage to prove it unfortunately but people who saw him fight, or fought him say he was the fastest, including Jack Johnson.
Kid Gavilan: just as fast as Robinson.
Joe Gans: Watch his fight with battling Nelson in real time. Not many combinations, but his speed in single shots was amazing.
Tony Canzoneri: Watch him knocking out Jackie Kid Berg with probably the fastest left hook I've ever seen. Too bad he couldn't put it together consistently and lost to a bunch of guys he shouldn't lost to.
Panama AL Brown: Really fast with the right hand, but overated fighter overall in my opinion.
Charley Burley: Pretty fast but no footage of him in his prime.
Billy Conn: Not the fastest, but like Mayweather, he made up for it with excellent timing and accuracy. Supersharp puncher.
Ike Williams: I saw this guy fight Beau Jack, he impressed the hell out of me with his handspeed.
My take on ALi: He is taller and has longer reach than everybody in this discussion. As you know, speed = Distance traveled divided by time. SInce ali's punches travelled a farther distance, it took him longer to punch, which means he seems slower than alot of the smaller fighters. But when you look at speed you have to factor in the distance travelled. For example, Russ anber rates Joe Louis at number 7, but I think Louis' case is helped by the fact that he punches very short, which makes him seem faster than he really is.
Oh yea I forgot to put down my List LOL
1. Roy Jones
2. Leonard
3. Ali
4. Meldrick Taylor
5. Greb (haven't seen him fight so I'm just guessing here)
6. Robinson
7. Mosley
8. Judah
9. Gans
10. Conn