Top 10 fastest heavyweights

[LacedUp]

I'm personally not sold on Pattersons amazing speed. He had quick hands for his era, but it was made to look a whole lot faster than what it actually was due to some of the slow chumps he was often fighting. Look at the Patterson - Ali fights and see the difference. Although that was a Patterson past his prime.

Cassius Clay is the quickest all round. Feet were quicker than anyone I've seen. His combination punching was very very fast, but power punching Tyson takes it. Very underrestimated speed. There's also Joe Louis who had incredible speed of hands for his era.

Tunney had very good feet as well. And jack Dempsey had fast hands.

Just going off my head here, no consistency in this post. But basically, Patterson is in my top 5 - but I don't see h being faster than Tyson or Clay in any department other than his fall to the floor in his two Liston fights.

[Cardinal Buck]

1. Jones/Patterson
3 Ali/Tyson
5. Dokes
6. Haye
7. Tubbs
8. Sanders

too tough to call after that

[joseph5620]

I'm personally not sold on Pattersons amazing speed. He had quick hands for his era, but it was made to look a whole lot faster than what it actually was due to some of the slow chumps he was often fighting. Look at the Patterson - Ali fights and see the difference. Although that was a Patterson past his prime.

Cassius Clay is the quickest all round. Feet were quicker than anyone I've seen. His combination punching was very very fast, but power punching Tyson takes it. Very underrestimated speed. There's also Joe Louis who had incredible speed of hands for his era.

Tunney had very good feet as well. And jack Dempsey had fast hands.

Just going off my head here, no consistency in this post. But basically, Patterson is in my top 5 - but I don't see h being faster than Tyson or Clay in any department other than his fall to the floor in his two Liston fights.

I agree with this. I think some people go out of their way to offer a Contrarian viewpoint. Watching both on tape it's very clear to me that Ali was much faster than Patterson. I can see it with my own eyes and nothing will convince me of anything different.

[Scott9945]

I agree with this. I think some people go out of their way to offer a Contrarian viewpoint. Watching both on tape it's very clear to me that Ali was much faster than Patterson. I can see it with my own eyes and nothing will convince me of anything different.

I agree Joseph. No matter how many times I watch them, I can't make a case for Patterson being nearly as fast as Ali. And that's no insult to Patterson. Ali's speed was simply on a different level.

[LacedUp]

I agree with this. I think some people go out of their way to offer a Contrarian viewpoint. Watching both on tape it's very clear to me that Ali was much faster than Patterson. I can see it with my own eyes and nothing will convince me of anything different.

I agree Joseph. No matter how many times I watch them, I can't make a case for Patterson being nearly as fast as Ali. And that's no insult to Patterson. Ali's speed was simply on a different level.

Ali in the Clay days were miles ahead of Patterson in terms of speed. It just seems that there's a popular answer when it comes to the question and people are just going off the standard answer as opposed to actually go through the tapes and watch it themselves.

[rightsideup]

I am with Ali as well he even impress's me post war version in spurt's. I recently saw the ron lyle fight and once he hurt lyle the speed of his combo's were still quite impressive.

[Ray Corso]

James J. Corbett
Jack Johnson
Jack Dempsey
Gene Tuinney
Ezzard Charles
Ali
Holmes
Tyson
................heres a few from the different era's. props to F.Paterson and D. Jones, Evander had speed early on!
"older" Joe Walcott was said to be quick also! I could name a few more but no one would recognize the names! Ali in his youth was easily the fastest heavy of all time! Ray

[Salardo]

I'm personally not sold on Pattersons amazing speed. He had quick hands for his era, but it was made to look a whole lot faster than what it actually was due to some of the slow chumps he was often fighting. Look at the Patterson - Ali fights and see the difference. Although that was a Patterson past his prime.

Cassius Clay is the quickest all round. Feet were quicker than anyone I've seen. His combination punching was very very fast, but power punching Tyson takes it. Very underrestimated speed. There's also Joe Louis who had incredible speed of hands for his era.

Tunney had very good feet as well. And jack Dempsey had fast hands.

Just going off my head here, no consistency in this post. But basically, Patterson is in my top 5 - but I don't see h being faster than Tyson or Clay in any department other than his fall to the floor in his two Liston fights.

I just watched parts of a few Patterson fights to refresh my memory about his speed, and as you said - the Patterson who fought Ali (especially the 2nd time when he was around 37 years old) was a shell of his former self. So - you really can't compare that version of Patterson to a 21 year old Patterson.
I just watched early fights of Patterson (Tommy Jackson, London, etc) and he looked fast, really fast. He doesn't throw a lot of combinations and more like one punch at a time, but his speed looks very good although the footage of those black and white films is sometimes slowed down or sped up, so it is kinda hard to judge.

But I will say this: after rewatching footage of Patterson I think it is possible that Ali was faster than even a 21 year old Patterson. I am not 100 % sure but it is very possible.
When you watch a few minutes of this fight, you can see Patterson was very fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXi574_hccM

[LacedUp]

I just watched parts of a few Patterson fights to refresh my memory about his speed, and as you said - the Patterson who fought Ali (especially the 2nd time when he was around 37 years old) was a shell of his former self. So - you really can't compare that version of Patterson to a 21 year old Patterson.
I just watched early fights of Patterson (Tommy Jackson, London, etc) and he looked fast, really fast. He doesn't throw a lot of combinations and more like one punch at a time, but his speed looks very good although the footage of those black and white films is sometimes slowed down or sped up, so it is kinda hard to judge.

But I will say this: after rewatching footage of Patterson I think it is possible that Ali was faster than even a 21 year old Patterson. I am not 100 % sure but it is very possible.
When you watch a few minutes of this fight, you can see Patterson was very fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXi574_hccM

If you look at the first fight I believe he was about 30 years old - you could see a clear difference in speed as well. I've seen Patterson look fast a few times, but mainly against very limited and/or static opposition.

I would look quick as hell too if I fought butterbean. I'm just not sold that he's the quickest of all times. But again, I haven't seen all of his fights from early in his career but I've seen a good deal.

[taansend]

Fighters I've seen have to be Ali, Tyson (his right-hook to the body then uppercut was well fast) and Herbie Hide.

Hide may not have been a great heavyweight (or even a decent person) but when he was young his speed was crazy.