Sam"Boston Bone Crusher" Langford vs John "Boston Strong Boy"L Sullivan

I find it impossible to pick any fight with John L in.

I need to get Pollacks book before I can make any kind of educated post on the matter.

 

Sullivan and it is simple!
Style makes fights and swarmer could not beat bigger slugger with iron chin!
Sullivan was bigger,iron chin,punched harder...while Langford was small swarmer!
It would be similar like Foreman/Frazier!

 

No book will change Sullivan's competition level.

Considering how much the game changed according to Sullivan himself by the time Jeffries was champion to the point he didn't think he would win, Langford, a skilled puncher with tremendous stamina and battle-tested as anyone would get to him.

Now, if you moved Sullivan forward a few decades, he'd be a bit better.

Had Sullivan fought Jackson, Goddard, Slavin, Maher, or Killen, we'd have a much better idea of what he was capable of. Anyone one of those guys would rate as his best win.

Sullivan didn't shine in the mid 1880's when his competition level went up ( his fans will say he was washed up in his mid 20's ), and it wasn't close to the above 5 men I mentioned.

 

It was barely a sport in Sullivan's day. Langford fought in the far more competitive active era

I'd go with Langford on that basis but you never know

 

Same with Jeffries as well, he never best a ring ranked contender. Never.

 

Sullivan stated Johnson would beat Langford because of the size difference.Sullivan of course fought nothing like Jack ,he always took the initiative and was described as being very fast into action and very quick with his punches.
Johnson is on record as saying he didn't think much of Sullivan so presumably he would have picked Sam.Barring an early stoppage in John L's favour I'm doing the same.

 

Jeffries rep is based on beating older, smaller men who often were coming out of long periods of inactivity, and several times they gave him all he wanted.

 

If your trying to be funny, it's not working. There was no Ring Magazine Rankings back then. However Historian Nat Fleischer editor and founder of Ring Magazine said Jeffries beat the best competition. So there you have it.

Sullivans top 5 wins, based on member participation of this board are:

1. Kilrain
2. Mitchell
3. Burke
4. McCaffrey
5. Greenfield

 

You have a sickness. It's called hate. Enjoy your self.

 

Ho hum, as we know Langford was 20 years old and listed at 156 pounds when he fought Johnson. Langford says he was in his 140's. Of course Johnson should have beaten him. In this thread we are talking primes or at least I think so.

 

What part of my post is untrue? You have the chance to discredit it now , do so if you can.
Step up for once in your life.

 

I'm not being funny.

Chang didn't beat a single ring ranked 108 fighter, Jeffries didn't beat a single ring ranked HW fighter.

Talk about over rated.

 

Did I mention Johnson vLangford anywhere in my post? Langford claimed he knocked Johnson down in their fight and that it was a real war.He didnt,and it wasnt. Johnson floored him twice for long 9 counts,broke his nose and eased off in the later rounds.Langford also claimed that in their later exhibition he knocked Johnson all over the stage and so furious was the action that fire-buckets fell from their hooks on the walls.In fact reporters stated Johnson was careful to avoid hitting the damaged areas on Sam's face and that is was a tame affair. When Langford came to the UK he was called the coloured champion but he publicly corrected this by saying," back home there is a smoke called Jack Johnson and he is the greatest fighter in the world," " he gave me the only real beating I ever took". Glad you started this now?
NB Box Rec has Langford at age 23 when he fought Johnson ,with more experience.Nobody knows for sure, not Box Rec or ClayMoyle how old Langford was , and BTW neither Johnson or Langford weighed in for their fight so cut the crap!

 

Langdord wasn't a swarmer.