Sam Langford - The Uncrowned Heavyweight Champion

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

by T.K. Stewart - A month or so or ago, I clicked on an e-mail from a gentleman by the name of Clay Moyle who was writing to me from Washington state. [details]

[ferocity]

Great article but didn't Jack Johnson fight and beat Langford the article doesn't mention this but i belive this was the case early in there careers before Jack became Champion.

[-Swizzy-]

by T.K. Stewart - A month or so or ago, I clicked on an e-mail from a gentleman by the name of Clay Moyle who was writing to me from Washington state. [details]

sounds good. I might buy that book next time I'm in a bookstore.

[deanrw]

Great article but didn't Jack Johnson fight and beat Langford the article doesn't mention this but i belive this was the case early in there careers before Jack became Champion.

Johnson won a 15 round decision, but was knocked down by langford and weighed 40 lbs more than Langford in their fight!LOL

[edgarg]

Johnson won a 15 round decision, but was knocked down by langford and weighed 40 lbs more than Langford in their fight!LOL

You've go it all wrong my dear sir. When they fought, Johnson gave Langford an unmerciful beating, as well as often going into a clinch to prevent him going down. HE knocked LANGFORD down and Langford hardly touched him.

I believe the weight difference WAS about 30 lbs.

I also believe that you are confusing the Langford fight with the Ketchell fight, in which Ketchell did catch an unprepared Johnson and knocked him doen,i the 12th rd for a very little or no count. Johnson rolled and got up immediately........and KO'd Ketchell with his very next punch, which was immediately since he "lepped" at Ketchell like a tiger. I have a copy of part of the fight and I assure you that Johnson gave Ketchell a hell of a beating, and again, often held him up when he would have gone down.

You just have to accept that Nat Fleischer's assesment of Johnson (in 1972) as the No. 1 heavyweight of all time, was correct then, and, certainly in Langford's time, he was head-and-shoulders above all others. He just played with his opponents, to give the crowd value for money, since he was a businessman too.

It's late at night here now and I just caught sight of the heading when on the verge of "switching off". Maybe I'll have time to comment tomorrow.

[La_Vibora]

Yeah Johnson knocked him down in the 6th round of their 15 round fight. Iwish we had footage of this fight, as well as Langford/Ketchel, watching two heavy hitters like that would have been something.

[black.ink]

People seem to forget that Langford started fighting as a Lightweight.

[JAB5239]

Im looking forward to reading this book. Sounds excellent.

[ferocity]

You've go it all wrong my dear sir. When they fought, Johnson gave Langford an unmerciful beating, as well as often going into a clinch to prevent him going down. HE knocked LANGFORD down and Langford hardly touched him.

I believe the weight difference WAS about 30 lbs.

I also believe that you are confusing the Langford fight with the Ketchell fight, in which Ketchell did catch an unprepared Johnson and knocked him doen,i the 12th rd for a very little or no count. Johnson rolled and got up immediately........and KO'd Ketchell with his very next punch, which was immediately since he "lepped" at Ketchell like a tiger. I have a copy of part of the fight and I assure you that Johnson gave Ketchell a hell of a beating, and again, often held him up when he would have gone down.

You just have to accept that Nat Fleischer's assesment of Johnson (in 1972) as the No. 1 heavyweight of all time, was correct then, and, certainly in Langford's time, he was head-and-shoulders above all others. He just played with his opponents, to give the crowd value for money, since he was a businessman too.

It's late at night here now and I just caught sight of the heading when on the verge of "switching off". Maybe I'll have time to comment tomorrow.

I was thinking he was talking about the ketchel/johnson fight but didn't comment. Respect to Sam Langford but i think in just the last few years more and more people are give Langford a lot of credit and im sure its deserved as i've read little about him, but i know more about Jack Johnson and i agree with you in that Johnson was the greater fighter not to deny the greatness of Langford.

[JAB5239]

I was thinking he was talking about the ketchel/johnson fight but didn't comment. Respect to Sam Langford but i think in just the last few years more and more people are give Langford a lot of credit and im sure its deserved as i've read little about him, but i know more about Jack Johnson and i agree with you in that Johnson was the greater fighter not to deny the greatness of Langford.

Johnson may have been the greater heavyweight, Langford was by far the greater p4p fighter.