Harry Wills

Langford was 34 when he fought Fulton ,and scaling 195lbs plus,20lbs over his best weight. He might have been getting some some good results but he was no longer "prime",imo.

 

Clay Moyle puts the end of his prime at 1914, and I think he is correct.

 

Clay's extensive research should be deferred to.imo.

1914? That is the year that Langford drew with, and kod Wills,which I believe confirms my original premise.

 

Wills was very green when he fought a prime sam langford and joe jeanette to a draw in 1913-1914. Wills was nowhere near his prime yet. This is highly impressive.

 

Fair play.

 

Wills had 18 recorded fights under his belt when he frst tangled with Langford, he was 25 years old and, had already drawn with Joe Jeannette ,and Jeff Clark.

 

Wills was in his 2nd year as a pro for crying out loud, very green in 1914

 

Wills was in his 3rd year as a pro when he first fought Jeannette ,and in his 4th when he first fought Langford.
His pro career began in Jan 1911.

 

Regarding Langford's prime, here's a quote from him concerning the period around 1914-16:

"It was along about then that I became sure no matter how good I became I'd never be a world's heavyweight champion because the doors were closed. Up to that time I had trained rather seriously for practically all my fights. But I got disgusted and said 'what's the use of training. I ain't going anywhere in particular,' and I wasn't.

I wanted to go all right, but those white boys wouldn't let me. I had thirty (years of age), and when a fellow is thirty, he isn' twilling to train as when he was younger. So I just didn't take care of my figure any longer and I began to get nice and fat, and I never did get my figure back."
Halifax Herald, Sept. 9, 1924 (series of articles from Langford concerning his career)

 

Great quotes from the man whose book on Mr Langford has been very well received.
I think we can take it that, after 1914,Sam did not put the effort in to training that he had whilst he thought the doors might still open for him regarding a title shot.
Therefore he was , NO LONGER PRIME.