Sam Langford VS. Joe Louis

Louis, Louis, Louis...

 

If Louis was very sharp and kept pumping the jab he'd make it very tough but I would not bet it ... Blackburn himself favored Langford .. If Sam rocked him early it would be a completely different fight ..

 

Difficult to call as both terrific fighters, for what it's worth Joe Jeannete whilst interviewed in the 40's when Louis was at his best always maintained Langford had the beating of him.

Sam certainly had the power to trouble Joe, controversial but for me I'd lean towards Sam, at his best between 07 - 12 Sam lost something like two of 51 fights both losses of which were avenged. When on bears in mind a lot of experts accept Sam was holding back in many of his fights to guarantee he could get repeat engagements one can only speculate quite how good he could have been. However reading the reports of those times suggests that when someone was foolish enough to get under Sam's skin they tended to be dealt with in double quick time. Have to think properly motivated and not holding back Sam could trouble Joe and Joe is not the kind of modern day bohemeth size heavyweight to carry a ridiculous size advantage over Sam.

 

:deal Brilliant post this one - exactly what zinging around in my head about this one but daren't say - but saying that I have to slap myself as well because my head still says it's clearly got to be Joe Louis in this one aswell - after all I only rate two men better than Joe Louis at heavyweight - and unless one of them is Sam Langford (and neither of them are) I could hardly say anything other than the great Joe Louis could I ?? So yeah Joe Louis of night of Max Baer no question - but two great great GREAT Fighters - and if styles make fights....this has got classic written all over it (and it also has danger written all over it for Louis too) - two masters :bbb

 

Very tough fight for both men I think,possibly ,Joe's jab might make the crucial difference,but it is a perilous fight for the Bomber.

 

Louis.

 

Not that I am doubting you, but where did you read or hear of Blackburn favoring Langford over Louis had they had been able to fight? I know he favored Johnson over Louis, but I had never heard he favored Langford. Thanks.

 

Langford kept his gaurd way too low, with little head movement to have a chance against Louis's offense. Louis would tee of on langford with the fastest, pinpoint, powerful combinations langford has ever experienced. Langford was a pitbull though. He was as durable and as tough as they come. But then again, so was galento, Uzcuden, and Baer. When your facing the greatest puncher of all time, it doesn't matter how tough and durable you are...The Brown Bomber will put you away.

Louis KO 4 Langford

 

I believe Jack Blackburn confided to a friend that he favored Jack Johnson
over Louis and Blackburn never mentioned Sam Langford..

 

No Burt, he actually did ... He also favored Langford over Johnson, as did Wills, McVey and Jeanette ... all said the 09 version of Langford foward would have flattened Johnson ..

 

Where's your source? Your word means jack ****.

 

:blabla

 

do we even have any proper footage of langford..? I pick Louis by KO.

 

some interesting quotes.

I'm going to have to see if I can get this book

http://www.samlangford.com/








Comments from Various Fighters:
“Sam Langford was the toughest little son of a ***** that ever lived.” -- Jack Johnson

“The hell I feared no man. There was one man I wouldn’t fight because I knew he would flatten me. I was afraid of Sam Langford.” -- Jack Dempsey

“When Sam hit you in the body, you’d kind of look around half expecting to see his glove sticking out of your back. When he hit you on the chin, you didn’t think at all until they brought you back to life. When he knocked me out in New Orleans, I thought I’d been Killed. -- Harry Wills

“The greatest hitter of them all, bar none, was Sam Langford.” -- Harry Wills

“Langford was the greatest fighter who ever lived. Sam would have been champion any time Johnson had given him a fight. And Johnson knew it better than anybody. Man! How that baby could hit. Nobody else could hit like that. Well, maybe Joe Louis could, but don’t forgot that Sam only weighed about 160 pounds. Louis was about 195.”-- Joe Jeannette

“I’d pick him (Langford) to knock out Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey and Rocky Marciano. When he was not under wraps, he was a ring marvel.” -- Frank Erne

“Who’s the best heavyweight I ever saw? That’s an easy one. Sam Langford and nobody ever came close to being as good as he was at this peak. Why, old Sam could do everything. He could punch from any position and hit hard too. He was a master boxer, difficult to hit, but if you did land you might just as well try to make an impression upon the floor of the Garden. He would take all the heart out of you and then give you a fine pasting. He ruined me. I was all through after that last fight with Langford in Boston. -- “Gunboat” Smith