Sam Langford discusses his Jack Johnson fight and ducking

I've read Moyle's book, it is excellent research and a good read.
Recently camr across an interview by Johnson in Australia just after defeating Burns where he said he was heading to England to fight Langford whom he boosted well.

 

Thanks for the generous offer Clay, but I can purchase it from Amazon ,for just over £12 delivered.

 

Johnson invariably spoke positively of Langford he called him the best fighter in the US,[outside himself]. He spoke well of Jeffries and Burns after his bouts with them.Though both made plenty of excuses for losing . Considering how they referred to him before the fights he was very gracious.

 

Correct Considering the person who replied, it does not surprise me. Johnson avoided Langford for many years.

 

Did I post anything that was misrepresented?
Of course you wouldn't know , because you haven't read the book.atsch
I used direct quotes from Adam's book. You are pre-judging a quote from a book you haven't even read.
You are an illiterate buffoon,and the most ridiculously phobic hater on this forum.
Rainman , try and graduate from 5th grade or whatever the elementary types are in then maybe you can come back and try and hold a conversation with adults .atsch

 

Sam fought jack johnson when he was comparatively green and gave him fits. johnson later ducked/refused a rematch. this is a quote of johnson from the book Jack Johnson: My Life and Battles:

"In April 1906, Sam Langford and I met for 15 rounds in Chelsea, Mass., and I found him to be one of the toughest opponents I had ever faced in the ring. 1 weighed 190 pounds at the time and Langford only 138. In the second round, the little ****** landed a terrific right hand on my jaw and I went down like I had been hit by a cannonball. Never in my entire pugilistic career, neither before or since, have I taken a punch that landed with that much force. It was all I could do to get back on my feet by the time the referee was about to say "Ten!". I managed to do that but I can assure you that I felt the effects of that punch for the rest of the fight. I realized at that moment, that against a man like Langford, you can never let your guard down and that I needed to use all the skill I had. After 15 rounds, I was declared the winner on points." http://www.amazon.com/My-Life-Battles-Jack-Johnson/dp/0275999645#reader_0275999645 If Sam fought Johnson in a rematch,there were a number of very knowledgeable men in the boxing fraternity who thought Sam would emerge victorious, including Joe Jeannette, who fought both men a number of times. In fact, Jeannette said that Sam was the greatest fighter who ever lived, and that he would have been champion any time Johnson had given him a fight.

 

Have you read the ringside accounts of the fight?
Langford was dropped twice for long 9 counts, his nose was broken and his eyes were cut. Reports say he just tried to stay the distance in the later rounds, he was out of his depth.

Langford scaled between 156 and 160lbs,Johnson around 185lbs.
Langford had 50 plus fights under his belt at the time,considerably more than Johnson.
Langford himself admitted he got a real beating, no disgrace he took it like a man.

You need to do some research before pontificating on the subject.

You have taken the lazy way out and relied on a book that is totally discredited today.

 

When Johnson beat Langford in their 1906 match, Jack weighed 187 pounds to Sam’s 156. Johnson probably did beat Sam soundly but realized that Langford possessed quickness and power to the extent that when Sam reached 180 pounds or so, he [Johnson] preferred not to risk a fight with him. When Johnson finally did agree to take on a black opponent in late 1913, it was not Sam Langford, the current Colored Heavyweight Champion, that he gave the title shot to. Instead, Johnson chose Battling Jim Johnson, a mediocrity who, in 1910, had lost to Langford and had a draw and loss via knock out to Sam McVey, another former Colored Champion.When it was in his power to give an African American a title shot, Jack Johnson refused to grant that privilege to Sam Langford, the fighter who after former champ Jim Jeffries (a man Langford said he would not face when Jeff was in the prime of his career), had to be considered the #1 contender in the heavyweight division. Johnson beat Jeffries but ducked Langford, likely as he feared losing his title.


Many people consider the failure of Langford to secure a shot at the Heavyweight title one of the greatest injustices of American sports.

 

Harry Wills(heavyweight boxer three times the World Colored Heavyweight Championship) described in the February 1953 Boxing and Wrestling Magazine what his knockout losses to Langford were like. Wills said he was hit so hard each time that he doesn’t remember being knocked out! "I was knocked out three times in my career, twice by Langford and in my last fight by Paulino Uzcudun. I still don't know, except from hearsay, what punches Sam used to knock me out. The first time it happened was 1914. We were supposed to go twenty rounds, when the fourteenth began I was going easy. Sam was in a bad way. I backed him around the ring trying to set him up for a one punch finish. His eye was bleeding and the last thing I remember was having him against the ropes just about five feet from his corner. It must have happened right then.” The Nov 27 San Francisco Chronicle reported that it was “a left hook to the jaw” that “turned the trick.”

“Two years later,” continued Wills, “we were scheduled for another twenty rounder. In the eighteenth Sam was in a peck of trouble and once again I tried to set him up for a quick knockout. He finished the round okay and when the bell sounded for the start of the nineteenth I was after him again. I figured if I could get him in a corner I could finish the fight. That was all I could remember. He must have caught me as I rushed in." The Feb 13, 1916 New Orleans Times-Picayune said it was "Langford's mighty left hook." Wills stated, "I don't know how long I was unconscious but it must have been quite a while. He was marvelous as a fighting man, I'd venture to say unbeatable in his prime."

 

This is another example of Langford's greatness! "Big Bill Tate was like Langford, Harry Wills, Sam McVey and Joe Jeannette one of a group of highly talented black heavyweights who never received the opportunities they deserved and instead were forced to repeatedly fight one another, a sort of Negro League of boxing, if you will. Tate was a huge heavyweight for that time, over six-and-a-half feet tall and weighing more than 220 pounds. He was also one of Jack Dempsey’s favourite sparring partners.

The great Sam Langford:

Tate(13 years younger!) and Langford fought ten times and this was their sixth bout. Langford ended up winning the series with five victories against four losses and a draw, but the fact Langford won any of their contests is clear testament to The Boston Terror’s ring genius as he gave away huge advantages to Tate in height, reach and weight. On this occasion, the six round newspaper decision went to Tate “by a shade,” according to both the Bismarck and Chicago Tribunes.

 

First there is no "probably did beat Sam soundly".
It is an established fact, as it is that he was the more experienced man with over 50 fights under his belt .
Thats two statements that you posted cribbed from a piece of trash.
Both of them are WRONG.

Second.Jim Johnson was not a mediocrity, take the time to look up his record. Johnson beat both McVey and Jeannette if he is mediocre, then they are too. Stop being lazy do some research.

 

Langford's greatness is not in dispute here, what is are the claims you are making on his behalf.

Joe Jeannette said a lot of things many of which if not outright lies were convenient distortions of the truth.
eg he predicted that Jim Jeffries would beat the crap out of Jack Johnson in Reno and along with Langford advised all their black fans to bet accordingly. He stated that he only scaled 165lbs for his last fight with Johnson. BS
He stated that Johnson repeatedly fouled him in one fight because he was losing.BS Jeannette never had a positive word to say on Johnson's behalf he disliked him and probably was envious of him. Langford flat out despised Johnson,so two hardly objective men on the subject of Lil Arthur.

Bill Tate was never anywhere near the standing of Langford, Jeannette or Mcvey .Langford beating him does nothing at all for Langford's legacy indeed losing to him and drawing with him are negatives on his resume.

Tate was kod 3times in 3 fights by Jeannette, kod in 2rds by "mediocrity" Jim Johnson,kod in1 rd by Jack Johnson' sparring partner Kid Cotton ,and kod by Victor McLaglen's crude brother Fred Mckay.

Tate and Langford fought 9 times sharing 4 wins each. and 1 draw. Clay Moyle maybe able to add more on this ,he is acknowledged to be," the man," on the subject of Langford.
To suggest he was in the class of the black trio Langford,McVey and Jeannette is not only absurd, but again shows a lack of research.

 

FIRST, I DON'T CARE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE LEVELS OR THE WORD "PROBABLY",HE BEAT HIM WHEN HE WAS A FULL 3 DIVISIONS HIGHER IN WEIGHT(CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT HAPPENING TODAY?)SECOND,DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, DICKHEAD! THIRD, I DON'T GIVE A **** ABOUT THE WORDS "MEDIOCRITY"! THE POINT,OBVIOUSLY, WAS LANGFORD WAS SUPERIOR AND I AM SURE THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE TO FIGHT JOHNSON.WHY DIDN'T JOHNSON(SUCH A PRIDEFUL MAN) STOP THE DEBATING OF WHO IS BETTER AND FIGHT SAM? THE COLOR LINE? SAM TRIED LIKE HELL FOR A REMATCH.MAYBE BECAUSE NOW HE WAS BIGGER, STRONGER,POSSIBLY PUNCHED HARDER? JEANNETTE FOUGHT BOTH AND CONSIDERED SAM BETTER.HARRY WILLS THOUGHT IN HIS PRIME (SAM),TO BE INVINCIBLE.FIGHTER'S(WHO HAVE FOUGHT SAM)OPINIONS MEAN MORE TO ME THAN YOUR PONTIFICATION OR COMMANDS! YOU DON'T DUCK A SURE THING UNLESS YOU FEEL THERE IS A GREAT CHANCE OF LOSING.NONE OF US KNOW THE REAL FACTS OF ALL THE RECORDS OR SPECIFIC DETAILS OF FIGHTS OR FIGHTERS(FROM THE PAST) I.E. WAS HE MOTIVATED,THROWING THE FIGHT,CARRYING AN OPPONENT,DRINKING TOO MUCH,BLIND IN ONE EYE,WRONG WEIGHT CLASS, ETC.WE CAN ONLY READ VARYING SOURCES(WHICH I HAVE) AND FORM OUR OWN CONCLUSIONS,GENIUS! I BELIEF THAT SAM WAS AT LEAST EQUAL TO JOHNSON,AND BASED ON HIS(JOHNSON'S)ACTIONS,HE FOUND HIM TO BE A SERIOUS THREAT(NOW THAT HE IS IN JACK'S WEIGHT CLASS),AND BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS.BY THE WAY "piece of trash." IS NOT A FACT JUST YOUR OPINION,UNDERSTAND? RESEARCH "OPINION" FOOL!

 

YOU SAID:"Bill Tate was never anywhere near the standing of Langford, Jeannette or Mcvey .Langford beating him does nothing at all for Langford's legacy indeed losing to him and drawing with him are negatives on his resume." NO **** BRAINLESS,IF YOU RE-READ,AND ACTUALLY THINK, IT WAS THE FACT THAT TATE WAS 6'6.5" BETWEEN 220 AND 243LB! COMPARED TO SAM AT 5'6.5" AND NOT A REAL HEAVYWEIGHT! IN ADDITION,HE WAS 13 YEARS HIS JUNIOR! I NEVER SAID THAT TATE WAS GREAT.IT HIGHLIGHTS SAM'S DEFENSE AND STRENGTH EVEN AT A LIGHTER WEIGHT BY FIGHTING SUCH A HUGE MAN. "Joe Jeannette said a lot of things many of which if not outright lies were convenient distortions of the truth" AGAIN, YOUR OPINION!!! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? AN ALL KNOWING DEITY? DID YOU ACTUALLY "HEAR" JEANETTE SAY ANY OF THESE THINGS? OF COURSE NOT,YOU,LIKE ME,READ ACCOUNTS,MAN,ARE YOU ARROGANT! NEWS FLASH: YOU ARE NOT THE KNOW ALL, BE ALL, OF ANY(ESPECIALLY EARLY 1900'S) FIGHTERS! STOP WITH THE CONDESCENDING ATTITUDE!

 

Welcome back to the forum JOE JENNETTE

USA!