Points: Sam Langford's Power: Real or Myth?

[Barn]

Very nice post Barn, you'd have to be blind not to have Langford top 5 atg. For me its SRR, Greb and Langford.

Thanks!

You have the same Top 3 as me also, it's been like that ever since I got serious about learning boxing history.

[Barn]

To add some other quotes :-

“There have been very few one punch finishers in the ring. These birds really are the terrific hitters. Sam Langford was that kind of a walloper and there was a kid down in Baltimore years ago – George (KO) Chaney, a lightweight – who could stiffen his man with one sock.

“When Langford hit you a short, sharp jolt, the lights went out on you and that’s all there was to it.” ---"Harry Lenny"

Gunboat Smith said about Langford, “Man, if old Sam were in his prime today, what he wouldn’t do to these heavyweights! There wouldn’t be any need of judges or referee, or even timekeeper. He hit me on the top of the head and I thought the roof had caved in. If he landed on the button, it was a good quick night.”

In a ‘Boxing Illustrated’ article Joe Jeannette was quoted as follows:
“Langford, was the greatest fighter who ever lived. Sam would have been champion any time Johnson had given him a fight. And Johnson knew it better than anybody. Man! How that baby could hit,” Jeannette often exclaimed while rubbing his oval jaw. “Nobody else could hit like that. Well, maybe Joe Louis could,” he conceded in later years. “But don’t forget that Sam only weighed about 160 pounds. Louis was about 195.”

“As for the middleweights, I’ll take Sam Langford – the
greatest of them all at that poundage.”-- Abe Attel

"“I was knocked out three times in my career (`102 fights). I was knocked out by Paulino Uzcudon and twice by Sam Langford. I know what Uzcudon hit me with, but I never saw the punches Sam used to knock me out. I was leading on points each time. The first time in 1914. I was having it easy. Sam was in a bad way. His eyes where bleeding and the last thing I remembered was that I had him against the ropes about five feet from his corner. It must have happened right there. Then, maybe a couple of years later, I had Sam in awful trouble about the 18th round. I was going after a knockout; he was out on his feet. And then I don’t remember anything after that. Sam was a marvelous fighting man.” --- Harry Willis

Good quotes! Amazing fighter.

[McGoorty]

Also, it would have helped if he got his deserved decision against the Barbados demon, and got his chance to (inevitably) beat Kechel. Winning him the WW and MW titles.

Langdord VS Ketchel would have been a great fight, A ***n' GREAT FIGHT !!!!!

[Barn]

Langdord VS Ketchel would have been a great fight, A ***n' GREAT FIGHT !!!!!

Langford would be too skilled for Ketchel and would win a points decision or some outside influence would have the fight stopped.

[BKM-2010]

Great for HIS time. Very powerful for HIS time. I'd judge him looking at what he did in his era as it would simply not be fair to compare him to fighters who came after him and then disagree. But from what I can see in his fights with my own eyes, pretty powerful man. But ranking him in atg sense and comparing him to others when it comes to power? Come on. look at the actual footage. It's a typical fighter from that era when there weren't many one punch killers. Just very wild and a lot of arm punches which don't result in KO's cleanly. It took a while untill say Joe Louis came around and showed incredible punching power in both hands, even in the shortest punches. Put people to sleep with very little effort.
So Langford's power: overrated if you COMPARE it to all the others. This is the type of thing where you have to watch footage or else you can't do a ranking. It's not based on paper like resumes.

[Barn]

Great for HIS time. Very powerful for HIS time. I'd judge him looking at what he did in his era as it would simply not be fair to compare him to fighters who came after him and then disagree. But from what I can see in his fights with my own eyes, pretty powerful man. But ranking him in atg sense and comparing him to others when it comes to power? Come on. look at the actual footage. It's a typical fighter from that era when there weren't many one punch killers. Just very wild and a lot of arm punches which don't result in KO's cleanly. It took a while untill say Joe Louis came around and showed incredible punching power in both hands, even in the shortest punches. Put people to sleep with very little effort.
So Langford's power: overrated if you COMPARE it to all the others. This is the type of thing where you have to watch footage or else you can't do a ranking. It's not based on paper like resumes.

I supplied video links.

[McGoorty]

Langford would be too skilled for Ketchel and would win a points decision or some outside influence would have the fight stopped.

Agreed,..... indubitably.

[McGoorty]

Great for HIS time. Very powerful for HIS time. I'd judge him looking at what he did in his era as it would simply not be fair to compare him to fighters who came after him and then disagree. But from what I can see in his fights with my own eyes, pretty powerful man. But ranking him in atg sense and comparing him to others when it comes to power? Come on. look at the actual footage. It's a typical fighter from that era when there weren't many one punch killers. Just very wild and a lot of arm punches which don't result in KO's cleanly. It took a while untill say Joe Louis came around and showed incredible punching power in both hands, even in the shortest punches. Put people to sleep with very little effort.
So Langford's power: overrated if you COMPARE it to all the others. This is the type of thing where you have to watch footage or else you can't do a ranking. It's not based on paper like resumes.

I gotta disagree, that old film is VERY unflattering and I'm tired of this notion that fighters of a 100 years ago were so primitive that they could barely punch,..... complete nonsense. Just look at how many fights he had, don't you think he knew a bit ??????

[Barn]

I gotta disagree, that old film is VERY unflattering and I'm tired of this notion that fighters of a 100 years ago were so primitive that they could barely punch,..... complete nonsense. Just look at how many fights he had, don't you think he knew a bit ??????

Experience is the best teacher.

[McGoorty]

Great for HIS time. Very powerful for HIS time. I'd judge him looking at what he did in his era as it would simply not be fair to compare him to fighters who came after him and then disagree. But from what I can see in his fights with my own eyes, pretty powerful man. But ranking him in atg sense and comparing him to others when it comes to power? Come on. look at the actual footage. It's a typical fighter from that era when there weren't many one punch killers. Just very wild and a lot of arm punches which don't result in KO's cleanly. It took a while untill say Joe Louis came around and showed incredible punching power in both hands, even in the shortest punches. Put people to sleep with very little effort.
So Langford's power: overrated if you COMPARE it to all the others. This is the type of thing where you have to watch footage or else you can't do a ranking. It's not based on paper like resumes.

By the way,... you might need some glasses,...... lol.