Was Gans claim of throwing the fight simply post-hoc justification for a bad performance? Or do u lean towards McGovern’s skill and power that night being legit? Could Gans claim simply be damage control due to external pressures like reputation & financial needs.. I'm not an expert on this fight or McGovern.. I'd be keen to hear the thoughts of more knowledgeable people on the subject.
I'm conflicted on the likely legitimacy of this contest. On one hand, the footage looks pretty authentic to me. Wĥilst Gans was both brilliant and bigger, McGovern at this stage was just an unstoppable savage. On the other hand, following an investigation, which iirc included betting irregularities, that determined the fight was fixed, boxing was banned in Chicago, a ban which lasted a quarter of a century.
The Gans of this fight fought like almost a completely different fighter than the Gans from the Nelson fight from the opening bell here. Never bothers countering or moving intelligently, he looks bought out from the opening bell imo. I’ve also heard about betting irregularities in the lead up to the fight though I’m no expert on that.
