For today's top 10, we've focused on fighters who have competed since the 1970s: here are the top ten fastest boxers of the modern era, in no particular order!
10. Meldrick Taylor
Photo: foxnews
This Philadelphia boy prodigy was able to land three or four blows before his opponent could react, and he used this talent to win the Olympics in Los Angeles before embarking on a triumphant professional career. His idyll came to an end with the famous and dramatic match against Julio Cesar Chavez, whom he defeated with a controversial KO two seconds before the end. Taylor has never been the same since.
9. Roy Jones Jr
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Jones' nickname was "Pensacola Lightning" for a reason: when he was at his best, he took shots so fast that the opposing player on duty didn't even see them before they hit the ground. Even as he moved up in the category and faced more structured opponents, his sublime speed of execution allowed him to remain highly competitive. He won the world title against a low-cost opponent, but it's still a big challenge for a boxer starting at middleweight!
8. Manny Pacquiao
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Another example of a boxer who was able to gain weight and defeat bigger and heavier opponents due to his exceptional speed. With his in-out performance with incredible cunning, the Filipino has always made those in front of him go crazy.
Pac Man's opponents were knocked out and swamped again after being hit by the first volley. Pacquiao has lost some of the panache that once made him nearly invincible, but he is still significantly faster than the average.
7. Sugar Ray Leonard
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Several of Sugar Ray's most significant achievements were made possible by his lightning speed. Consider Leonard's rematch with Roberto Duran, in which he corrected his mistakes from the first fight by acting as an outfighter and avoiding the Panamanian's attacks. Or the thrilling victory over Marvin Hagler, who was clearly stronger than him but lacked the speed in his legs and arms to track him down and assert physical superiority.
6. Mike Tyson
Photo: rollingstone
Many people believe Mike Tyson's main quality was his strength, but the best version of Caskill's terrible brawler was truly devastating because of the unreal responsiveness with which he executed each move. Every move, from the trunk twists to the approach steps to the lethal combinations, happened in a fraction of a second, rendering the unfortunate opponent powerless and doomed to collapse.
5. Amir Khan
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"King Khan" was unable to dominate his generation due to a fragile jaw and defensive errors in which he left too many inviting gaps for his opponents, but he did take away many important satisfactions and enchanted for more than a decade with his speed of arms.
This made him extremely dangerous in the early rounds, so much so that he landed in the first rounds of fights against well-known heavyweights like Marcos Maidana and Lamont Peterson.
4. Gary Russell Jr
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Russell has only been surpassed once in his ten-year career, seven of which were spent competing at the highest levels in the world, at the hands of a champion of Vasyl Lomachenko's caliber. The lightning speed of the American boxer, natural right but set in left-handed guard and equipped with a lightning-fast and relentless jab and right hook, put all the others in a panic, including the great Loma at times.
3. Shane Mosley
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Sugar Shane's impressive strike speed made attacking him a tactical suicide mission. The American, who was raised "on bread and Mexicans," became so skilled at buying thugs' time that he could only be beaten with a wait-and-see attitude. Those who dared to challenge him on his turf were electrocuted regularly. Even Floyd Mayweather Jr. took a big risk on a sudden right from Shane before taking the measures.
2. Hector Camacho
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Many people remember him for his spectacular appearances and beautiful looks, but "Macho" Camacho was a great boxer who excelled in the ring despite his folkloric demeanor. The speed of his movements, both in knocking out opponents and returning with timing and precision, made him extremely effective and almost elusive. While he lost a few pounds as he progressed through the weight categories, he was never stopped before reaching the limit.
1. Muhammad Ali
Photo: ibtimes
The combination of the words "speed" and "heavyweights" conjures up images of him. Ali moved with the grace of a light weight despite the tonnage before his forced absence from the ring due to his strong refusal to serve in the military
He stung like a bee and flew like a butterfly, swinging his arms at an unfathomable speed for the premier category's giants. His match with Cleveland Williams is still remembered as one of the greatest sporting events of all time.
