The Sam Langford nursery rhyme

This was written around 1910, and gives some perspective of the middleweight opponents who were considered for Sam Langford.

"Who’ll Fight Sam Langford!
(A Pugilistic Nursery Rhyme)

I.
Who’ll fight Sam Langford?
“Not I,” said Stanley K.,
“Britt has taken me away
And I’m signed to do a play.
Then I’m going to the hay.
I’ll not fight Sam Langford.”

II.
“Who’ll fight Sam Langford?
“Not I,” said Jack the Twin.
“I am careful of my chin
And I’m pretty near all in,
And suicide’s a sin.
I’ll not fight Sam Langford.”

III.
Who’ll fight Sam Langford?
“Not I,” is Papke’s wail,
“I’m a lily white and pale
And my life is not for sale;
Why I’d sooner got to jail.
I’ll not fight Sam Langford.”

IV.
Who’ll fight Sam Langford
“Not I,” said Kid McCoy;
“I’m a pretty game old boy,
But this unrefined employ
I will leave for hoi polloi.
I’ll not fight Sam Langford.”

V.
Who’ll fight Sam Langford?
“Not I,” said poor old Fitz.
“Though I’d fight for just six bits,
Still I haven’t lost my wits;
I’ll preserve my speckled mitts.
I’ll not fight Sam Langford.

VI.
Who’ll fight Sam Langford?
“Not I,” said Hugo Kelly.
“He would pound me to a jelly
And I’d lose some vermicalli.
Not for me. What ta helli?
I’ll not fight Sam Langford.”

VII.
Who’ll fight Sam Langford?
“Not I,” said Joe da Grim.
“I no like to fight with him
Cause he shutta up my glim
And da chances are too slim
I’ll notta fight Sam Langford.”

VIII.
Who’ll fight Sam Langford?
“Not I,” Al Kaufman said.
“You are crazy in the head.
Chase yourself and go to bed.
I ain’t anxious to be dead.
I’ll not fight Sam Langford.”

IX.
“Who’ll fight Sam Langford?
“Not us.” The low brows cried.”
And they turned around to hide.
“Nix: the color line is wide,
And we’re going to stay inside.
We’ll not fight Sam Langford.”

 

Janitor,this is Harry Greb's response :
"Who will fight Sam Langford"?
" Why I'll fight Sam Langford"
I'll whip him any time"
Sam can't hurt what he can't hit,
- Harry Greb
And I proved this all the time ".

 

At some point in his career this man was the best ww in the world.

He was also arguably the best mw in the world.

Most certainly the best lhw in the world.

From 1910 i'd say he's the best hw in the world until the jeanette loss.

He makes modern weight jumpers look pathetic in comparison.

 

damn, Sam Langford was a monster

 

Not many pound for pound could go with him. Just about the last guy in the world you'd wanna fight.

 

"Janitor,this is Harry Greb's response :
"Who will fight Sam Langford"?
" Why I'll fight Sam Langford"
I'll whip him any time"
Sam can't hurt what he can't hit,
- Harry Greb
And I proved this all the time ". "

The rhyme was actually written in 1907, some six years before Greb fought professionally. But, Sam would only have to hit him once. Ask "Tiger" Flowers

 

CM I wrote this doggerel thinking this is what Harry Greb would have expressed.Just a feeble attempt on verse on my part. Harry Greb would have sued me I suppose.
I don't believe Langford at 160-70 pounds would have ever caught up with Harry Greb
and statistics are on my side. Aside from his being stopped by the heavier and more experienced Joe Chip in Greb's prelims and breaking an arm against Kid Graves ,Harry Greb was never stopped in 298 other bouts against anyone and everyone. And Jack
Johnson ,after sparring with Greb, called Harry Greb "the fastest fighter I have ever seen"
Praise from the Galveston giant indeed...And also Greb had an iron chin as proved countless times against many heavier greats...

 

"I don't believe Langford at 160-70 pounds would have ever caught up with Harry Greb"

Just another one of many we'll never know the answer to...

Harry wasn't unittable though. If Billy Miske could reach him and hurt him as he did toward the end of one of his fights with Harry I can envision Sam managing to do so as well and doing more damage than Miske. And, maybe that's the way it would have to happen, he'd have had to catch up with him in the later rounds. I can't picture Harry taking Sam out.

 

Guys, Greb fought for his life against Kid Norfolk, twice. He is endlessly praised for beating larger men but when Norfolk's name comes up it's always "well he gave up weight to Norfolk." ... as great as Harry was and he was exceptional, Langford was a superior version of Norfolk in every way, strength, speed, durability and power ... Love Greb but he was not beating Sam Langford.

 

Norfolk seemed faster than Langford from what I've seen. I would not count out Langford against any man though, including Greb. The question is whether Greb can successfully use a more cautious style to outpoint Langford than his usual swarming attack.

 

what ta helli?

 

Harry Greb was a wily ol cuss. Were he to have fought Sam Langford at
even weghts,Harry Greb,knowing full well the punching power of Langford
would have been ultra fast,and would have devised a plan that would thwart the hard punching Langford, who after all didn't ko everyone he met. Not at all as a 160-70 pounder. One other thing to bear in mind,Harry greb whipped handily Jack Dillon a couple of times. Jack Dillon at his peak
never got a shot at Sam Langford,who I have read was reluctant to meet Jack Dillon at even weights. Dillon at his best flattened heavyweight's, hence the name "Jack the Giant Killer". At even weights,in their primes, NOBODY ko's Harry Greb,even Langford. As the verse say's
"Langford, can't hurt what he can't hit". But Fitz, Dillon, Langford, Greb,
Mickey Walker,Henry Armstrong were to me, the greatest P4P fighters in historical order...

 

Addendum : Jack Dillon circa 1910 abouts, was called the "White Sam Langford",by the boxing establishment for good reason. Powerful, strong and durable.Would fight anyone, but fought too often and started to go downhill by his later years...

 

It's legit. janitor is a serious poster, he doesn't have a sense of humor.

Anyway, seems as though Langford's people are taking a page from BTM. Kinda like how Ali emulated Gorgeous George.