Sam Langford has better wins at HW than Jack Johnson & should be ranked higher

Langford did not lose to Barry 3x as I stated,I mixed him up with Clark.
I beleive Barry did beat Langford however.
1907 25th Sept, NWS 6rds, at the Sharkey AC NY.
Thanks for the correction.:good
And thanks for the info on Langford you posted.
Great stuff :good

 

Johnson did not write it, it was ghosted and came out in French ,then it was translated twice and" abbreviated" for serialisation in the newspaper. It did not sell, and was later, further resurrected ,and, " adapted", basically its a crock of ****.
Sam Woodman, Langfords own manager admitted it didnt happen in an article in the Ring.

 

Here's the notes I have concerning the September 25, 1907 fight between Langford and Barry. Unfortunately, I don't see the source noted for the second of the two accounts below. Do you have another source concerning this fight?

Sep 25, 1907 – National Police Gazette - Langford vs. Jim Barry: The bout took place in New York, NY at the Sharkey Athletic Club.

"The club was packed to the doors. Barry had won quite a few bouts around New York during the past few months with ease and he figured to give Sam a good go.

After feinting for a minute, Barry dropped Langford hard with one of the first punches he threw. Sam was seriously hurt and just did make it to his feet at the count of nine. Barry tore into Sam, who as practically helpless and landed lefts and rights until the bell rung ending the round. The crowd was in a frenzy. In the second round, Jim went at Sam with a vengeance, but he missed badly with his first punch and went down from his own force. Barry landed a hard right to Sam’s jaw and it looked as though it would only be a matter of time. Langford was limping from a possible sprain and it seemed that he could hardly protect himself when out of nowhere Langford’s long black arm shot out with the speed of a dart, landing flush on Barry’s jaw and bang…Barry hit the floor with a fearful thud. He rolled over and got onto all fours, peering open-eyed at the carpet
as though in search of something. He was thoroughly unconscious of what was going on and probably would not have regained his sense had a spray of water from a water bottle, thrown by his seconds, hit him fairly between the eyes. Barry gasped and reached out like a drowning man and suddenly his deadened senses returned and he stalled and covered up until the bell came to his rescue. Barry never fully recovered and although he fought courageously the remainder of the bout, Sam’s right hand kept him at a respectful distance, but Sam still punished him severely throughout the final four rounds." Police Gazette

Sep. 25, 1907 – Jim Barry, New York ND-W 6 Sharkey Athletic Club

Sam scored a decisive victory of Jim Barry on September 25 in a fiercely fought contest in the Sharkey Athletic Club which was packed to the doors. It was reported that Sam had the better of every round after the first.

This was the first of Sam’s many fights with Barry. Langford was Barry’s master from the beginning. They would face each other 11 or 12? Times before they were finished.

Tad, the great cartoonist and a leading authority on pugilism of the day witnessed this battle and years later in 1926 recalled the following:

Barry had weight, reach and height on Langford. When the bell brought them together in the first round, the fighers feinted each other for a minute or so, and then Barry hunched his shoulders, put his head down, and tore into Sam’s body. He simply ripped them into Sam’s body until the latter was forced to break ground and hold. They backed away and Barry tore in again, whaling away with both left and right, landing clean and straight.

The crowd was in an uproar and Sam wore a rather worried look. He had figured Barry to be a softer touch than this, and walked around a bit to size him up. Barry gave Sam no rest, but belted him twice again in the stomach and then shot over a right on the ear that dropped Sam to the floor for a count of nine. Sam tried to look as unconcerned as possible sitting in this undignified position on the seat of his trunks. He waited until he heard the referee call nine and then he slowly got up and assumed an on guard position.

Barry came in again and both slugged. Langford limped on his right foot a bit and seemed hurt. There was another fierce mix and then the bell. The crowd was in an uproar, calling wildy for Barry to finish his man in the next round. After Sam was seated it was learned that he had turned his ankle trying to get away from Barry before the knockdown, and it was a great handicap all through the fight.

They started the second with a mix-up and Barry rushed again. Sam met him with an inside right to the jaw and Barry fell on him and then on the floor head first. It looked as though he was out for good, but he struggled to his feet at the count of nine and hugged like a bear until the referee broke them apart. Despite hobbling around on what appeared to be a badly sprained ankle, Langford gave him a terrible licking in this round and Barry reeled all over the ring, holding on the best part of the time and stalling the rest. He staggered to his corner at the end of the bell.

In the third round, Langford copped him again with that stinging right, and as Barry fell in a neutral corner he pulled the colored man with him. By the time they were untied and pulled up, Barry’s head had cleared, but he went back to the bear tactics and stalled a great deal. Sam was master of the situation now, and ripped them into Barry’s jaw and body with a vim. Barry had shot his bolt after the first round and was now on the lookout for the wicked right of his opponent.

Sam was the better boxer, and harder hitter. When he stung Barry the latter was either groggy or held on to save himself from further treatment. He belted Langford about the body, but the sting in his punch was gone and Langford didn’t seem to mind them.

In the last three rounds, Barry fought gamely, landing punch for punch, but the old kick was not there. Langford had him bad four or five times, but Barry fought gamely against the ropes. Sam proved to be the better man at the end of six tough rounds."

 

I beleive the N Y Times gave the dec to Barry, but would defer to your more informed knowledge on the subject.
I don't know anything about Barry ,but he must have packed a dig, because he had Langford down in their December 1907 fight.

Thanks for again posting more inside info. :good

 

Interesting, I see what you're looking at, Boxrec has the following reference for the fight:

"Langford was knocked down in the 1st, Barry was knocked down in the 2nd. Barry won the newspaper decision according to the New York Times."

Gonna have to dig up some additional newspaper sources on this one.

Anybody on here have any other newspaper accounts of this September 25, 1907 fight between Langford and Jim Barry?

 

Found the following three newspaper accounts of the Sept. 25, 1907 Barry - Langford fight on newspaperarchives:

The Daily Times (New Brunswick, NJ) 9/26/1907:
Sam Langford Whips Jim Barry
New York, Sept. 26 – Sam Langford, the negro pugilist of Boston, scored a decisive victory over Jim Barry of Chicago at the Sharkey Athletic club. Both fighters were in prime condition, and both fought fiercely for six rounds.

Lake County Times (Hammond, IN) 9/26/1907
Sam Langford, the terrible dinge from Boston, showed his class last night at New York where he gave Jim Barry, the Chicago middleweight, the worst lacing he ever got in six rounds. The **** could hardly walk around the ring owing to a sprained ankle, but he used his mits to good advantage and had Barry almost out. Barry outweighed him twenty pounds.

Racine Daily Journal (Racine, WI) 9/26/1907
New York, Sept. 26 – Jimmy Barry started out like a house afire in his bout with Sam Langford last night at the Sharkey Athletic club, but slowed down when Langford settled down to his knitting. Barry was clearly outpointed after the first round and came near going out in the second, when Langford floored him with a terrific haymaker on the jaw. Barry stuck for the full six rounds by sheer gameness, ring generalship and clinching, principally the latter.

 

Cyberzone ,and Boxrec, have it as a win for Barry ,but it seems your digging has revealed the truth of it, and I am happy to accept it.
Sorry ,forgot to add Well Done!


Fat Sam!

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If Johnson retired after whipping Jeffries in 1910 he'd be the consensus greatest of all time. Ali was great but he had real problems with Norton and Frazier. That would be like Johnson struggling and/or losing those three fights to McVey. Johnson at very worst could nullify any fighter on the planet from doing anything.

2nd elimination is up!
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