Brian London v Ingemar Johansson

from what ive read thats pretty much it. ingo beat the count and wasnt clean out as how some have reported

 

Ingo says he was tangled in the ropes when the bell went, it looked worse than it was. ingo said London won only "one moment of the fight then the bell went", but then he wiould wouldnt he?

 

Icelandic Televsion has re-broadcast the tape of this fight, many times.

Have to do back research on this one though.
Ingo won the first 5 Rounds by using his left jab only.
He was reluctant to throw the right hand, and his defense was nothing more than leaning back with his chin up.
Brian London tried to get a little rough in the ring (dirty stuff) in Rounds 6 and 7.

Ingo looked like he got his second-wind, and boxed pretty good in rounds 8 thu 10.
Round 11 was even, as Brian London chased and tried to land a heavy blow, and Ingo jabbed and moved back-wards.

Ingo looked exhausted at the end of Round 11. Brian London, though behind on points, had really not taken
much punishment, or least not many hard blows.

You might want to try the archives for DAGENS NYHETER (Stockholm's largest newspaper)

 

Report from boxrec.

Scartissue

1963-04-21 : Ingemar Johansson 200½ lbs beat Brian London 207¼ lbs by PTS in round 12 of 12
Location: Johanneshov Ice Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden
Referee: Andrew Smyth

Gate (app.) - $110,000
Purses (app.) - Johansson - $50,000, London - $10,000

"The 12 round bout, billed as another step in Ingemar Johansson's march to a return shot at the heavyweight title, ended with Johansson staggering to his feet, his eyes glassy and his arms hanging at his side. Johansson, 200, apparently had the better of the dull fight until the final minute. He concentrated on his left jab to pile up points, and never landed his famous right hand. Brian London, 206, carried the fight but he could not land a solid punch until the final seconds when he stunned Johansson with a left and crashed him to the canvas with the right. The count had reached four and Johansson had just lurched to his feet when the bell rang. Referee Andrew Smythe of Ireland, the sole judge, awarded the fight to Johansson." -Associated Press

*Although Johansson was the European heavyweight champion, this bout was non-title and scheduled for 12 rounds due to the EBU deeming London an unfit challenger for the European title.


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Post fight comments:

"I would have stopped the fight if the bell had not saved Johansson. He could not have continued." -Referee Andrew Smythe

"His kid sister sure must be better than that." -Brian London, in response to a remark made several years earlier by Johansson when London had signed to fight Patterson for the title. Johansson scoffed at the time, "My kid sister can beat London with one hand tied behind her back."

 

scar t,

Nice follow-up.

An interesting note, reported by the New York Times, August 1963.
Robert A. Nilon and Inter-Continental Promotions, Inc offered Ingemar Johansson
$2,000,000 to fight Sonny Liston in September, 1963 in Philadelphia.

 

That fight would break the 1:00 min KO record by Ali over Liston if Liston would have fought Ingo at that stage (Ingo face down)

 

The "Ingo knocked cold by Brian London" story is as old and as true as Cassius Clay give 5 minutes rest after Henry Cooper knocked him down.

Woller

 

...woller....i think what gave that myth was the picture of ingo lying on his back and the caption.."get up, ingo, you won." (as i wrote ) ingo did "get up" so he wasn't out cold at the end of the fight, but the picture (i have a copy of it around somewhere) sealed that image in the minds of many.

 

That was huge money for its time. Dya know why it never came off?

 

John Maff,

The U.S. Tax Man,,,,,,,,with the 90% marginal Tax rate.

The only way Ingemar Johansson could have kept any decent money,
is if he took payment over an 18-year period.
Bizarre tax-rates for boxers back then.
The tax-laws changed at the end of 1964, for the 1965 tax-year.

Also, ESPRESSEN (Swedish Newspaper) has the full account of the Ingo vs. London fight.
Ingo's legs started to go early in the 12th Round. Brian London pressed the action from the
start of the round, but wasted the first 'two-minutes' by swinging wildly, and missing.

 

IL Duce

You telling me the tax was 90%???? Your kidding??? Have i understood this correctly?
Jesus, how could anyone make a living paying that kinda tax?

Thats just madness!

 

I believe you were taxed at 14% for the first $200,000.
Then anything above was taxed at 90%.

Check out;
'How Taxes Changed Boxing' by Henry D. Fetter

The new tax law, was 'the reason' why the Ali vs. Liston II fight
was postponed from November 1964, until 1965.

With the new tax laws, the fighters stood to take home more
of their hard earned dough.

 

Ive seen the fight. Ingemar was knocked down, tried to rise wobbly, started to go back down while hanging on the ropes and finally got up, he had probably only been down about 4 seconds when he was up. The camera then pans over to London who had apparently ignored the neutral corner rule and was trying to get at Johansson in desperation, knowing he was losing the fight. The ref was holding him back and the two were arguing at the bell. Johansson had not been down more than a few seconds and the whole scene, from knockdown to argument between London and ref to bell, was less than ten seconds. London was clearly angry that he was not allowed to get at Johansson but thats just stupid, he was in violation of the rules and the bell had saved Johansson. After the bell Johansson walked back to his corner with the help of his corner men, his head hung down and he was clearly still a bit wobbly. It is conceivable, even likely, that London would have stopped Johansson under similar circumstances but everything that happened, including Johansson winning, was well within the rules. No home cooking etc and Johansson was clearly not knocked out on the floor when the bell rang. He may have been out on his feet, which is debateable, but he certainly wasnt unconcious laying on the floor. Judging by London's reaction I could see how the story got blown out of perportion. He was extremely upsetand I could see him going back to England and saying "I should have won, he was unconcious when the bell rang, the ref protected him" etc. But none of that is true. He lost fair and square.