Langford vs. Baer

I mean, if Braddock can beat him…

 

Baer was too big and Langford was too hittable.

 

Baer was hittable too,he had an great chin,but Sam could hit like few men ever have.
Langford had lots of trouble with tall good jabbers Baer at 6' 2 1/2"was tall for the times but not a good jabber.
Langford coped well with big guys, when he was prime , and we know Baer folded mentally from the punishment Louis administered.Tough call.

 

The only one to truly stop Braddock was prime Joe Louis and Braddock was 6 ft 2.

 

Langford was a lot better than Braddock though.

 

Baer's jab was serviceable. Not great, but serviceable and he had pretty decent footwork for a big man of his era. Jeanette gave Langford some problems with his movement before he got ground down inside. I can't see the 220 lb Baer getting outmuscled by a 180 lb Langford, who was only 5'7 and whose record was pretty patchy at HW. I'm pretty sure Baer was a harder puncher than Wills and Fulton too, who both KOed Langford so that's not out of the question either and leads me to believe Langford would have a harder time with Baer's power than Baer would have with Langford's.

 

Not sure about that first part, at least ... Wills was just as big, & an aging Langford was able to KO him twice.

 

Baer wasn't 220 during his peak, his weight ranged between 200-210.

 

Langford was well past his prime by the time either one started KOing him.

 

Langfords a P4P top 5 great he was a lot better than most HW greats who could beat him.

I rate Braddock much higher than most specifically cause he was a unique mix of power, size, chin and skills(if he weighed 190+). Langfords only got 2 of those things. Langford couldn't deal with a Fulton. The best big fighters(6 ft 2+) Langford beat were Gunboat and Wills who both beat him other days in Wills case many other days. Langford KO'd Gunboat fast but the Wills knockouts took 14 and 19 rounds he wouldn't get against a Max Baer.

The fight after losing to Fulton Langford did stop Andre Anderson a 6 ft 5 giant who could hit hard but Anderson was really a step below the elite level and almost all his losses were knockouts and almost every good fighter he fought he lost to. Intrestingly one of Andersons only 2 losses that went the distance were to patented giant killer Jack Dempsey. But either way Andersons not a stand in for Baer here.

Langford also bulked up to a career high of 206 to fight Anderson and was 200 when he knocked out Gunboat. 190 when he got Wills. Braddock is 6 ft 2 he should have been 200. Langford is 8 inches shorter. Against Johnson, Hague and Lang he was 156, 158 and 166. His world title fight with Jeanette he was 185. What is the ideal weight for Langford against Max? I'm not sure if there is one. If he comes in too light he can't hurt Max and is super vulnerable to Maxs power, if he comes in heavy he likely still can't hurt Max but Max can still knock him out and Langford is less effective. At 199 Langford lost a lopsided decision to Jeanette and the NYT called him "badly out of shape" at that weight Langford was not his best self but to fight Max thats how heavy he'd have to be.

 

IMO, Langford was at his overall peak around 165 lb, but it's possible that his best weight as a HW was somewhere in the high 170s-low 190s range.

 

In 18 fights where he got drubbed most of the other fights