Sam Langford vs Muhammad Ali

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What would Sam tip the scales at - 170lb - 174 lb ?? what was Sam's actual hight and reach ? Sam was no doubt a very good fighter, but this would be a case of a very very good small guy up against a great Big Guy, and the Great Big guy does not give up any advantages in speed reflexology, adroitness, stamina chin ect, and if anyone feels that Sam can Prosper inside, well a rusty Ali made a top form Frazier go through hell to claiim the win, i doubt very much a Smaller Langford could do anything approaching that, such is his disadvantages, (No, Jaenette Wills etc may be Ali-Sized - but they were not Ali - before someone trots out Sams accomplishments against other Ali-Sized opponents)

I think Sams biggest enemy here is the physical laws of nature, despite the mythology that may of built up about his prowess, he was at the end of the day a human being, flesh and blood and subject to those inherent limitations,

A very good fighter yes, Superman No, Ali was often happy to be winning and not concerned with the actual destruction of an opponent, so it would not surprise me if Ali cuffed and cruised to an entertaining points victory.

 

Lennox Lewis vs :nutJoe Callzzaggy:nut

WhoYouPickin?

 

This would be a competitive fight, because Langford had all of the stylistic atributes to give Ali hell. History has shown that being at the smaller end of the heavyweight spectrum is not a barrier to giving Ali problems.

Ultimately I have to go with the consensus that Ali's speed mobility and reach would lead to him winning in an entertaining fight.

P.S

It wasn't me who voted for Langford, honest!

 

This is a mismatch.

 

Fred Fulton closed both Sam's eyes with his jab, and stopped him .
Fulton is popularly supposed to have started Langford on the road to blindness . Granted Sam was past prime , but Fulton was no Ali.

If Ali was in the mood he was for Terrell, this would be a painful drubbing for the smaller man

 

I am baffled that people even bring up the Fulton fight when discussing Langfords strengths and weaknesses.

You might as well use the Leon Spinks fight to argue that Sam Langford would have done well against Muhamad Ali.

 

Yeah, but Fulton would slaughter Ali. Get real.

 

If Ali was around in Langfords time, then Langford almost certainly kos him once or twice at least. Problem is, this would be out of about 10 or more fights. If Henrys hook nearly does the job then Sams will.

Still, looking at similar opponents, it is also posssible that Ali pulls a johnson, but i cant see Ali not defending agaisnt the coloured trio like johnson didnt.

 

Ali wins by corner retirement.

There comes a point when a great big un is just too much for a great little un.

The only hope sam has is catching a pre prime ali the way cooper did but ali has the chin to recover.

Ali dominates behind the jab and ultimately sam refuses to come out after about the 8th round.

 

Again, the Classicist's pose of taking the weakest version of Fighter B so the Fighter A at his very best has a more plausible chance at victory. If you are going to compare head to head, please take the best versions of both fighters, or at the very least, equally faded or green versions.

Think rather of the Foreman or Shavers who could not KO Ali... but then try to insist that Langford could succeed against that version of Ali.

 

It works the opposite way tho, the most obvious comparison is the beating sam took from fulton compared with the shot cooper landed on clay.

There isn't much to compare overall so i'd just pick ali to dominate him.