Gunboat Smith deafeats Sam Langford

Thanks I'll take at look at what ClayMoyle's book has to say too.

 

I seem to remember Gunboat Smith was more of a slugger?

 

Sam pulverized Smith in the rematch later that year.

 

I just took a look myself...

 

Smith was fighter with ability. In addition to being a prime Langford, he defeated quite few Jack Johnson title opponents in Ross , Flynn, Willard and Moran. A very hot fighter in 1912 and 1913.

 

Moyle quotes Smith from a 1942 article saying "I knew I was going to win because he was fat, hog fat".Langford admitted he did hardly any training for the contest .There qwere rumours before the fight that Sam had agreed to letSmithstay the limit and some said even win ,but Smiths manager hotly denied this.It's probable that Langford just wasnt in any kind of shape and realising he was losing he tried desperately to turn the tide but his lack of condition just would not allow him to do so.The reports say Smith kept it at long range boxing behind his jab and crossing with his big right when he saw the openings.Langford credited him with the win and remarked how hard he hit. Smith's time was from Dec 27th 1912 when he beat Moran, until July 1914 when he was beaten by Carpentier and subsequently wiped out by Langford.That's a window of 18 months. The 1912 Moran had beaten no one of note and lost 3 fights that year.

 

Some reports estimated Langford was 30lbs overweight for the 1st Smith fight.
Moyle has Smith pale with fear when he sees what shape Langfrod was in for the rematch.He quotes Sam as follows."Gunnah Im in puffect shape t'nite".He floored Smith for a 7 count in the 1st rd,dropped him twice in the second ,and put him away for good in the 3rd,several sportswriters believed Smith chose to stay down.

 

Gunboat Smith was still alive when Peter Heller interviewed him in the early 70s for his book "In This Corner". Heller wrote this book so as to give as many champions as possible to tell their own stories in their own words. Gunboat Smith's piece was one of the most interesting for it covered the Johnson era. He says of his victory over Langford "I won that fight but wasn't any good afterward. When we fought again he beat me easily."

 

Didnt ko Jack Johnson at this time?

 

Smith was quoted in the book " And he never forgot it, referring to the punch that floored / TKO'd Johnson."

When you look at Smith beating Johnson's title opponents, plus Langford, he earned a shot.

You could probably argue he was the #1 ranked heavyweight in the world for a short period of time.

If you have seen Smith on film, his stance is interesting. High on the elbows. I think the sparring clips around today were early in his career. Smith became much better as his career progressed.

 

Yes, but was it the one and only Jack Johnson, or the Jack Johnson Ko'd in 1 round in Maine?