Dempsey v Langford

I genuinely believe Langford would have gobbled up Dempsey, even if he came in ten pounds lighter (170-175lbs let's say). This would be around 1911-'13 where he was on the heavier end of his prime. Langford at 185lbs+ was still great but not quite as youthful.

 

I can see Jack walking straight on to something big from Langford.

It's a perfect style matchup, Sam is going to have ample opportunity to time him coming in.

 

It's the ability to soak up anything and deliver those uppercuts...

 

Langford was not kod often , but he didn't meet a puncher like Dempsey often.
Sam was down around 30 times, maybe Jack could keep him there?

 

"My new manager (John the Barber) was all business the first day he took over. "Jack," he said "we're going to make some real money. I've already got you a fight up in Boston."

Naturally, I was curious. And pleased. "Yeah? Who do I fight?"

John the Barber grinned. "Sam Langford," he said.

I just looked at the guy. "He'd kill me," I said.

He gave me a long song and dance about how good I was and what a win over Langford would mean. It made me sick to think he was talking about his own man, who had put thousands in his pockets.

"I've seen Langford," I said. "You're wasting your time. I won't fight him. He's too damned good for me."

Jack Dempsey from 'Dempsey, by the Man Himself' Simon and Schuster 1960.

 

That's the exact passage I was thinking of. I have owned two copies of that book, including one that was signed by Jack but my German Shepherd chewed to bits as a puppy. I found another copy a couple years ago, unsigned, and reread it.

 

"The hell I feared no man. There was one man, he was even smaller than I, I wouldn't fight him because I knew he would flatten me. I was afraid of Sam Langford." Jack Dempsey, same book as referenced above.

Dempsey, comparing opportunies to fight both Sam and "Gunboat" Smith at that stage of his career, said that although he knew Smith would defeat him at the time, he felt he'd eventually be able to take him. Sam, on the other hand he could never envision defeating.

In May of 1925, Sam's manager, Joe Woodman, told New York newspaperman Joe Williams that the Langford he managed at his best would have beaten any man in the ring that year.

"You mean his size?" Williams asked.

"I'm including Dempsey, if that's what you are leading to," replied Woodman. "Langford was at his best against the rushing type of fighter. His great power and his ability to drop a man with a short blow made him very dangerous. Dempsey just happens to be the type that would be easiest for Langford."

"Gunboat" Smith, who fought both men during his career said in the 1942 Fight Stories article:

"Langford versus Dempsey, both in their prime would have been bad news for Dempsey. He could be hit easily with a right hand and if anybody ever had a right hand it was the "Tar Baby.' I'll go further and declare that Langford would ahve waded through every heavy champ we've had including the current soldier boy, Joe Louis. Louis is a great champ, I grant, but he's inclined to get hot and bothered when the going gets rough. Langford was as cool as an iceberg every minute he was in there. He never lost his head."

 

What is the time-frame for this conversation? I'm assuming this wasn't when Dempsey was champion, so how far into his career would this have been?

 

Langford gets alot of praise for a guy who lost or drew around 1/3 of his fights. Granted, i dont know the ins and outs of his record and most great fighters have a few losses pre or post-prime. But we're talking 100 fights here