Jack johnson on sam langford

That's a guy the size of Morales fighting a guy the size of Rocky Marciano.

 

I'm abit confused here by this as I had always read the account of Jack knocking Sam down and winning handidly over the rounds.

 

My thoughts?

Langford is indeed the greatest fighter who ever lived and carried inhuman clout in his punches.

Jack Johnson was pretty good for his era.

 

Johnson told people what they wanted to hear.In his book "In The Ring And Out " He said he handled Langford easily.
The true weights were Johnson 185lbs to Langfords 156lbs.
Johnson was not floored by Langford,that was a story put round by Joe Woodman, Langford's manager.
Fact is johnson knocked Langford down twice and broke his nose, as Woodman admitted much later.
Langford, talking about the fight in an interview."Jack Johnson gave me the only real hiding I ever took , I take my hat off to him,allthough I was greatly outweighed",.which he was, conceding 29lbs to Johnson was too much .
Johnson and Langford hated one another,in later years Johnson would allways point to Sam McVey as his toughest opponent, though he allways beat him convincingly, Jack never mentioned Langford,though we can be sure an older, heavier, Langford would have given him a very tough fight.

 

Jack Johnson was something else.

 

This. Thank you.

 

Side note...I am one the few alive who saw "Li'l Arthur",Jack Johnson in person...In i943 or abouts , my father toom me to Huberts Flea Circus,on 42st snd Bwy,NY.The attraction was trained Fleas pulling small chariots,strange as it seems...In the basement,was an added attraction ,Jack Johnson wearing a beret, punching a bag,and then answering boxing questions...Great smile he had I still recall...A couple years later Johnson died in a car crash ,driving to the Louis/Billy Conn fight in 1946...When I was a little older I realized, how important a boxing legend I saw a few years before...

 

Rocky,yes the thrill set in me a couple years later ,when I realized that my father and I,shook the hand of a man whose fists destroyed an old Fitz, Jeffries, Burns,licked Langford,etc..Can't remember the question people asked Johnson, but I remember later on my father would say,How low the mighty have fallen",referring to the old great Jack Johnson,forced to work in a small 42st carnival...Rocky I met many old time greats, but I don't want to bore the ESB,forum...I'll mention just one event...In 1946, ny uncle owened a candy store in a Quonset store in Canarsie ,Bklyn whereWW2 vets were furnished homes,after being discharged,fromthe armed services..An older ex pug who worked on the grounds,walked in the store and my uncle introduced him to my father and me.He was the old time middleweight toughie who fought Harry Greb,[whom my father saw lick Tunney]many times...The old guy than grabbed the young boy,ME,in a clinch almost breaking my ribs...He was so strong for a 55 year old.He told us stories of boxing Benny Leonard also...I was so thrilled as Harry Greb was my fathers favorite fighter and became mine also, because Greb and my father had one thing in common,they both lost an eye...So much to tell.Some other time Rocky...

 

I forgot to mention the oldtime boxer was Soldier Bartfield ,a contender in the roaring twenties...Fought everybody...Fuggetaboutit....

 

Are you sure it wasn't a certain ESB poster whose name rhymes with "Endoza"?:yep

 

Its hard to trust anything Johnson writes. He also said Choysnki who Ko'd him clean in 3 hit him the hardest. Was Langford really 138 pounds? This is possible as he started out as a lower weight fighter. The interesting thing about the quote is the book was published in 1914, when the fight was still fresh in Johnson's mind.

In another interview, Johnson stated Hart whipped him. My theory on Johnson, which of cruse is never embraced by his hard core fans is he really wasn't a great fighter from 1896-1906, and came into his own in 1907-1908 period, but still struggled vs medium level title guys in O'Brien and Jim Johnson. While Johnson's win over Langford, McVey and Jeanette are impressive to read, a careful glance at the dates shows Langford wasn't even a full fledged middle, Jeanette was a .500 novice, and McVey was a teenager. So of coruse Johnson won.

I do think Johnson was clearly buzzed by Ketchel. If a 138 pound Langford, a 170 pound Ketchel, and a 170 pound Choynski could all floor and hurt Johnson, you have to question his chin on all time list.....as they are loaded with power hitters.