Greater Heavyweight - Langford or Liston ?

Greater heavyweight? I'd say Liston. Langford doesn't make my Top 10 heavy's. Better fighter pound for pound, Langford by a landslide. On a side note: Langford-Liston would have been a battle for the ages.

 

Langford was a great, however on film his biggest weakness is his vunerablity to a long stiff jab. Liston at 6'1 84" reach was a good 5" taller than sam and he would really bust sam up with the jab all night. I think Liston has all the necessary physical tools to overpower sam. Sam would not be able to outmuscle liston, he would not be able to outfight liston on the inside, and listons was the harder puncher and 30lb heavier. Hard fight for sam to win stylistically.


Liston ranks higher at heavyweight, sam much higher p4p

 

Sonny Liston.

 

I have Liston higher on my all time heavyweight list but I do think that Langford is still a top 10 all time heavyweight and not far behind.

 

Janitor,

I am a big fan of what sam langford did at heavyweight and the guy is a freak of nature at 5'6-5'7.......But I do rank Harry Wills slightly higher than sam(both in my top 15) and I feel Harry Wills could in the top 10 before sam should. Harry Wills has the much better physical tools at 6'3 210lb 84" reach compared to 5'6 180lb. I feel when sam faces the very best big men, his height might hold him back just a little(not taking away the fact sam is an animal)....Harry Wills I feel is underated because no one has seen real film of him . I get the feeling theirs more to the picture about wills than seen. Wills was thrown into the wolves early on, and unlike most heavyweight he did quite well being thrown in. By the time he reach his prime in the late teens(none of those heavies mcvea, langford, jenette) could come close to touching him(granted they were decling too with age) but Its not like harry wasnt beating them in 1913-1914 when they were all still younger and near prime. I think h2h harry wills might matchup better vs the rest of the field than sam.

 

did you see the ron lyle vs harry wills thread? no one knew what to say because no ones seen anything remotley close to good film of harry wills

 

I disagree with this statment. In their first fights, when McVea and Langford were closer to their primes, they did better against him. Wills may have been green then, but it wasn't untill Langford and McVea were past there primes and Wills was in his that Wills started consistently beating them.

 

Harry Wills was very green and raw in 1914 and he STILL beat sam langford in 1914. Experience counts over youth rawness. Once Harry wills started to mature, he dominated. I think Sam Langford was near his prime in 1914 when wills beat him. mcvea wasnt that far off. dont forgett joe jenette whos better than mcvea. Wills beat jenette in 1913 in something like his 15th pro fight, thats UNBELIEVABLE


Too me experience counts over youth rawness, so wills gets alot more credit than they do.

 

Fair enough. I guess...

Goddamnit

 

Is this a serious thread?

 

It's not that crazy of a question. Langford has a pretty good resume at heavyweight. Wills, Jenette, McVea, Godfrey and Gunboat Smith to name a few.

 

Dont underestimate Langford.

He would be a dangerous asignment for any heavyweight in history.