Sam Langford vs Marvin Hagler

Are you saying they weight in 48 hours at 160, then re-hydrate to 175? If so, I would pick Langford via close decision. Hagler wasn’t tough to catch, and would be out gunned power wise.

 

I over estimated his weight slightly but not by much.

I say his best from was between 180 and 200.

Hagled UD.

 

I would bet on Langford...

 

I think langford was probably best between 160 - 175 ish... Problem is body of work at that weight isn't that great because he didn't have enough fights there.. So meh..

 

Langford hit like a hammer with either fist and he was a master boxer. Langford by Ko in 7.

 

the film ive seen of langford in the heavy division is crazy. i dont care how long ago it was he looks incredible. can only imagine him today

 

I spent a lot of time studying Langford's career and came to the conclusion he was at his best in the 170-180 range. And I believe he was at his best around 1908-1911. From 11/12/1906 thru 10/1913 he lost only two of 80+ fights. One of those was a highly disputed bout against Sam McVey in Australia that Tommy Burns called one of the worst decisions he'd ever witnessed because the referee misinterpreted the Australian rules against infighting, and the other was a decision loss to Jim Flynn that he avenged with a knockout a few months later

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What think you of this?

"He (Langford) spent much of his prime career at middleweight, with his best weight about 165 pounds." --Monte Cox

 

Nonsense. What are you talking about?

 

It also occurs to me that when Sam Langford was pretty much in the middleweight range he went 15 rounds with a prime Jack Johnson!! Now way is Hagler going to be able to get Sam out of there - disciplined and intense tho he was I think a playful fighter like Sam could probably draw him into doing things his trainers wouldn't want him to be drawn into - not necessarily in the same manner tactically but in a similar way to Leonard pulling a psyche job on Marvin

 

Nice post. Not that he needs it in this fantasy match up, but Langford has some nice wins over 180 pound too.

 

"What think you of this?

"He (Langford) spent much of his prime career at middleweight, with his best weight about 165 pounds." --Monte Cox

Honestly, I'd have to go back and look at it again Monte. Off the top of my head I'm thinking he really didn't spend all that much time at the middleweight weight, sort of blowing thru that weight class on his way to the light heavyweight range. I do think the following exceprt from my book about Langford is interesting though:

"Duke Mullins, the man who’d trained and befriended both
Johnson and Langford during their respective stays in Australia,
substantiated what McIntosh said about Johnson’s reluctance
to face Sam a second time. In his memoirs, Mullins said
that Johnson was never anxious to talk about Langford and
normally changed the subject quickly whenever Sam’s name
was brought up. However, one day when dismissing Langford
from a conversation, Johnson said there were dozens of easy
money white men for him to meet without having to fight a
tough guy like Langford. While Johnson told Duke that he felt
Joe Jeannette was the toughest man he ever saw, he admitted
to him that Langford was the most dangerous. Duke’s own
opinion was that Sam had an even-money chance with Johnson
before Jack became champion, but that as Sam’s weight
increased and he lost some of his speed, he would have had a
tough time dethroning Johnson. By Mullins way of thinking,
Johnson was the greatest fighter the world had ever known."

This seems to imply that Mullins thought Sam was at his best before December of 1908 and if that we're true he very well could have weighed closer to that 165 pound figure back then. I'd have to look at that. As far as I know, the first time Mullins witnessed Langford in action in person was in 1909 when he fought "Iron" Hague in England.

 

great post, changes my opinion of the man somewhat.

 

Thanks. Please keep the info coming.

Langford, in my view, brings too much for Hagler. No shame here. Sam was a once-in-a-century guy. Still, Marvelous deserves respect among the élite.

 

I agree with CMoyle, I've always thought of Langford as a light heavyweight.

Historically the division is stacked; dare I say it, more so than middleweight (lightweight first, then light heavy and welter, then middleweight).