Joe Gans, The Old Master
Was He The Greatest of Them All? Part 1
By: Monte D. Cox
“Joe Gans was the greatest fighter of all time.” -Sam Langford in 1935.
“The greatest fighter of all time was Joe Gans.” –Abe Attell in 1949.
“There was never anybody like Gans and there probably never will be.” -Harry Lenny, boxer and trainer.
“Gans is the cleverest fighter, big or little that ever put on the gloves.” – Bob Fitzsimmons
“Joe Gans was the best fighter I ever saw” –Tad Dorgan, sportswriter.
“As a counterer he was second to none”- Billy Duffy, veteran boxing observer in 1926.
“There never was a fighter who could block with such skill and precision as Gans.” –Ben Benjamin, sportswriter.
“The amazing and wonderful and immortal Joe Gans! What a fighter!” -Jim Coffroth, boxing promoter in 1943.
“A marvel of speed and science.” – Sep 4, 1906 SF Chronicle.
Many boxing fans consider Sugar Ray Robinson to be the greatest fighter of all time, but is this really so? There are a number of good candidates for such a claim. Besides Robinson, there is Bob Fitzsimmons, Terry McGovern and George Dixon all named as the greatest fighter of the 19th century by various authors in the National Police Gazette (See for example Feb. 16, 1901 and Dec 24, 1904 NPG). All time greats like Sam Langford, Benny Leonard, Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong and Willie Pep all have their supporters, as do heavyweights like Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali. There are also some more recent choices such as Eder Jofre or Roberto Duran. Few of them, however, can match the combined skills, toughness, and athleticism of Joe Gans, the man the world called "The Old Master."
Today, it seems, Joe Gans is the forgotten champion among the greatest fighters of all time. Recent books such as Boxing by Bertram Job (2003) and Champions of the Ring-The Great Fighters by Peter Brooke-Ball (2001) fail to mention Joe Gans at all when discussing the greatest fighters of history. This is a tragedy considering that virtually everyone who saw him believed Joe Gans to be the greatest fighter of all time even decades after his death. With the passing of time the "old timers" are more and more forgotten, due to the fact that those who actually saw them have long since passed as well as the lack of fight films and the poor quality of the film speed of the films as they exist today. Despite this historians recognize that Joe Gans was an all time great. Nat Fleischer, founder of Ring Magazine, rated Gans as the # 1 lightweight of all time in his 1958 ratings. Even some younger generation observers such as Max Kellerman, who sometimes is given to overestimate the ability of modern fighters, rightly noted (espn.com) that, "Up until the emergence of Ray Robinson, whenever the topic of the greatest fighter ever was discussed, the three names that were perhaps most often bandied about were Benny Leonard, Sam Langford and Joe Gans."
Ray Robinson is appreciated not only for his fine skills and accomplishments but because historians and film collectors can enjoy his fights on the many available films of his distinguished career. The lack of good quality films, however, does not mean that Joe Gans was not Robinson's equal or superior.
How good was Joe Gans compared to modern ring legends? Does he possess any of the attributes of men like Joe Louis, Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali? What tools make a great fighter? What are the assets essential for true greatness? Does Gans deserved to be recognized among the greatest fighters of all time? Was he the greatest of them all? In this article we will attempt to answer these questions.
What kind of a fighter was Joe Gans?
Joe Gans, lightweight champion of the world between the years 1902-1908, was a polished boxer-puncher, a great fighter who combined the iron man toughness of the old timers with the skill and athleticism of a great boxing master. Gans earned his nickname of "The Old Master" because he was fundamentally flawless. He rarely made a mistake in the ring. He never wasted a punch, and his trip-hammer blows traveled only a few inches. He attacked vital points with pinpoint accuracy and threw every punch perfectly, in combinations and with bewildering speed. He was a master at counter punching, of the now lost art of feinting, and at the neglected art of body punching. Defensively he kept his elbows in and his chin down, his hands held high ready to block and counter. His balance and footwork were beyond compare. The old timers said of him, This was Joe Gans Aug. 1960 Boxing Illustrated, “He was an artist, a master, a brilliant tactician who could outhink and outmaneuver just about anybody. But it is impossible to describe his true genius without having seen him.” Gans was truly a complete fighter and possessed all 10 attributes that I have identified as qualifying for greatness in any era.
Was He The Greatest of Them All? Part 1
By: Monte D. Cox
“Joe Gans was the greatest fighter of all time.” -Sam Langford in 1935.
“The greatest fighter of all time was Joe Gans.” –Abe Attell in 1949.
“There was never anybody like Gans and there probably never will be.” -Harry Lenny, boxer and trainer.
“Gans is the cleverest fighter, big or little that ever put on the gloves.” – Bob Fitzsimmons
“Joe Gans was the best fighter I ever saw” –Tad Dorgan, sportswriter.
“As a counterer he was second to none”- Billy Duffy, veteran boxing observer in 1926.
“There never was a fighter who could block with such skill and precision as Gans.” –Ben Benjamin, sportswriter.
“The amazing and wonderful and immortal Joe Gans! What a fighter!” -Jim Coffroth, boxing promoter in 1943.
“A marvel of speed and science.” – Sep 4, 1906 SF Chronicle.
Many boxing fans consider Sugar Ray Robinson to be the greatest fighter of all time, but is this really so? There are a number of good candidates for such a claim. Besides Robinson, there is Bob Fitzsimmons, Terry McGovern and George Dixon all named as the greatest fighter of the 19th century by various authors in the National Police Gazette (See for example Feb. 16, 1901 and Dec 24, 1904 NPG). All time greats like Sam Langford, Benny Leonard, Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong and Willie Pep all have their supporters, as do heavyweights like Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali. There are also some more recent choices such as Eder Jofre or Roberto Duran. Few of them, however, can match the combined skills, toughness, and athleticism of Joe Gans, the man the world called "The Old Master."
Today, it seems, Joe Gans is the forgotten champion among the greatest fighters of all time. Recent books such as Boxing by Bertram Job (2003) and Champions of the Ring-The Great Fighters by Peter Brooke-Ball (2001) fail to mention Joe Gans at all when discussing the greatest fighters of history. This is a tragedy considering that virtually everyone who saw him believed Joe Gans to be the greatest fighter of all time even decades after his death. With the passing of time the "old timers" are more and more forgotten, due to the fact that those who actually saw them have long since passed as well as the lack of fight films and the poor quality of the film speed of the films as they exist today. Despite this historians recognize that Joe Gans was an all time great. Nat Fleischer, founder of Ring Magazine, rated Gans as the # 1 lightweight of all time in his 1958 ratings. Even some younger generation observers such as Max Kellerman, who sometimes is given to overestimate the ability of modern fighters, rightly noted (espn.com) that, "Up until the emergence of Ray Robinson, whenever the topic of the greatest fighter ever was discussed, the three names that were perhaps most often bandied about were Benny Leonard, Sam Langford and Joe Gans."
Ray Robinson is appreciated not only for his fine skills and accomplishments but because historians and film collectors can enjoy his fights on the many available films of his distinguished career. The lack of good quality films, however, does not mean that Joe Gans was not Robinson's equal or superior.
How good was Joe Gans compared to modern ring legends? Does he possess any of the attributes of men like Joe Louis, Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali? What tools make a great fighter? What are the assets essential for true greatness? Does Gans deserved to be recognized among the greatest fighters of all time? Was he the greatest of them all? In this article we will attempt to answer these questions.
What kind of a fighter was Joe Gans?
Joe Gans, lightweight champion of the world between the years 1902-1908, was a polished boxer-puncher, a great fighter who combined the iron man toughness of the old timers with the skill and athleticism of a great boxing master. Gans earned his nickname of "The Old Master" because he was fundamentally flawless. He rarely made a mistake in the ring. He never wasted a punch, and his trip-hammer blows traveled only a few inches. He attacked vital points with pinpoint accuracy and threw every punch perfectly, in combinations and with bewildering speed. He was a master at counter punching, of the now lost art of feinting, and at the neglected art of body punching. Defensively he kept his elbows in and his chin down, his hands held high ready to block and counter. His balance and footwork were beyond compare. The old timers said of him, This was Joe Gans Aug. 1960 Boxing Illustrated, “He was an artist, a master, a brilliant tactician who could outhink and outmaneuver just about anybody. But it is impossible to describe his true genius without having seen him.” Gans was truly a complete fighter and possessed all 10 attributes that I have identified as qualifying for greatness in any era.
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