Sam Langford as champion

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Cojimar 1946, Feb 12, 2019.



  1. Cojimar 1946

    Cojimar 1946 Well-Known Member Full Member

    1,863
    1,031
    Nov 23, 2014
    Suppose Burns had given Langford rather than Johnson a title shot. If he won what do you think his title reign would have been like? Who would he have defended against?
     
  2. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    69,970
    23,858
    Feb 15, 2006
    Very hard to say, but I will have a stab.

    Like Johnson, he would have been able to make the most money fighting white hopes, and the public would have demanded a match with Jeffries.

    He would probably have been capable of fielding these challenges, but its not a given that he beats the older Jeffries.

    The tables would effectively be turned, with the specter of Johnson hanging over him, and Langford having few incentives to take the fight.

    He would probably have been under more pressure to fight Johnson, than Johnson was to fight him, because most people thought that Johnson was better.

    He would have been better at staying out of trouble outside the ring than Johnson, but his style was less well suited for longevity.

    This probably leads to a shorter and more active title reign, perhaps where a fight with Johnson materializes.
     
    BitPlayerVesti likes this.
  3. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

    8,585
    11,046
    Oct 28, 2017
    I wonder if Johnson would have continued his tactics, especially with already giving, a albeit green Langford, a beatdown. Hard to see Langford winning if Johnson gets a shot at him.

    I'd imagine he'd have less fights than he did, he'd certainly have the option, which would help with his consistency, but who knows?
     
  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

    69,970
    23,858
    Feb 15, 2006
    Langford would almost certainly have taken less fights, because he would have made many times as much money for a fight.

    The main reason why fighters like Langford, Wills, and Johnson before he won the title, took so many fights, was because they could not get title fights.

    It was the only way that they could make similar amounts of money to a champion.

    Wills ended up with more money than Dempsey poetically!

    So the key question is would Langford have chanced a defense against Johnson?

    You could have got a Burns type situation, where he got bored of beating up the white hopes, and decided to do or die for a huge purse.

    I suspect that Johnson would have been stronger and hungrier in this scenario, and Tham would still have been enjoying the good life a bit too much.

    That potentially gives us an older Johnson as champion, sending the lineage shooting god knows where!
     
    BitPlayerVesti likes this.
  5. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

    95,062
    24,778
    Jun 2, 2006
    Langford would have less fights because he would be commanding more money.I'd bet my house he wouldn't go anywhere Johnson."I take my hat off to him ,he handed me the only real beating I ever took!".
    Langford wouldn't have to fight Johnson, his challengers would be Moran,Flynn, and Kaufman whom he had refused to fight,Palzer, Ferguson,Ketchel .All the "vanilla brigade," essentially the same as Johnson's.
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2019
    BitPlayerVesti likes this.
  6. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker Full Member

    24,225
    7,568
    Jul 15, 2008
    Pretty damn good man.
     
    janitor likes this.
  7. Cojimar 1946

    Cojimar 1946 Well-Known Member Full Member

    1,863
    1,031
    Nov 23, 2014
    Why would he refuse to fight Kaufman? He'd beaten numerous men who were better fighters.
     
  8. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

    95,062
    24,778
    Jun 2, 2006
    If he were around today you could ask him ,unfortunately he isn't. You really need to do some serious reading on this era.

    This would be a good place to start!
    Unforgivable Blackness by Geoffrey C Ward
    Jack Johnson The Rise by Adam Pollack
    Jack Johnson The Reign by Adam Pollack
    Papa Jack by Randy Roberts
    Jack Johnson In The Ring & Out by Jack Johnson
    Jack Johnson & His times by Denzil Batchelor
    Sam Langford by Clay Moyle
    James J Jeffries In the Ring by Adam Pollack
    The Fighting Blacksmith by Gilbert Odd
    The Great White Hopes by Graeme Kent
     
  9. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

    95,062
    24,778
    Jun 2, 2006
    NB from the middle of his actual career till the end of it, Langford was rarely in top shape,it's very possible he might have lost his title to quite a number of unlikely suspects.Gun Boat Smith,[ who beat him in1913,] perhaps?
    Sandy Ferguson & Jim Barry both drew with Langford in1909, had Langford been the defending champion perhaps some referees might have been tempted to pull for the white challenger?
    Colin Bell also drew with Sam in1913.
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2019
    BitPlayerVesti likes this.