Even if I thought Joe Gans was a glass jawed bum I'd still have a hard time swallowing that fight as the real deal. Knowing what we know about Gans you'd have to be crazy to believe that fight was on the level.
It's funny because I read a lot about this "fight" long before I ever saw it. Then when I actually saw the film, my only thought was what an assbeating Gans took. It just doesn't make sense.
I think the biggest evidence of this fight being a fix is that Gans had a fantastic defence and always kept his range whereas in this fight he just seems to let McGovern get near him.
Boxing was banned in many towns during that time period. Fans also booed early KO wins. Tyson vs Spinks, or Marciano vs Walcott II might have been called a fix back then.
Yes, but McGovern was a dynamic attack dog type of fighter with pretty good speed too. Ali could dance around flat foots, but not Frazier. I think the same applies to Gans, who was not as mobile as Ali.
Yeah, the breeze from all of those missed punches that were flooring Gans must have been brutal :roll: imagine the headcold he had after that fight...
I agree with you on the part of McGovern but Gans just looked really lethargic from the start, usually he was as sharp as a tac and ready to box box box. There is no panic from his part either; he gets hit, goes down, gets hit again, goes down. He looked like he was taking the beating on purpose. I can see why you may see it as real, but it also looks really weird.
There's no way in hell- given the quality of that film- that you can definitively say punches are missing. He is certainly getting nailed at the end of the first round when the action is closest to the camera and his head is getting knocked back from the punches. Now, I am not claiming this is not a fixed fight. The reaction in Chicago is proof enough for me. My only question is why did he take the punishment it appears that he did indeed take.
A bantemweight blasting out a consensus top 3 all time lightweight early would have to rate as a fairly respectable win. If McGovern did this then his pound for pound ranking should be off the scale.
I've always thought it was a dive especially when you consider the time it was in, it was not uncommon.
I dont know what you are watching but my copy is clear and clearly shows Gans going down from a punch that litterally loops around his head and misses. Those old films arent HBO quality but give me a break the people who say there are missing frames of Ketchel-Johnson knockdown and of this are so off base its ridiculous. Dont **** in my pocket and tell me its raining the films are clear enough to have captured more than a few suspicious incidents in history.
That particular punch looks as though it clips him on the back of the head but before that, and what led up to the KD was a McGovern breaking through his defense with power shots. KD's are more likely not 1 shot "highlight reel" shots but attrition results. If you can't see that, try badmiton. And **** in your own pocket, mate.
If you want to believe that one of the greatest fighters pound for pound in the history of the sport lost by knockout from punches that werent even landing to a much smaller man at the tail end of his career who never won another significant fight much less never again knocked out another top fighter. Then I dont need to **** in my own pocket Ive got people gullible enough like you to do it for me...